Chapter 9The weather continued warm and humid as fashionable London gradually emptied, leaving Martin almost alone in the office with his own and others’ workloads. In the back of his mind, he worried about Will, unsure how to contact him without Sir Hervey intercepting any messages.
One evening, he was persuaded to visit an alehouse in Covent Garden with two of the office messengers, and although it was still light by the time he came home, it was shadowy on the top flight of stairs, lit only by a grimy skylight. He almost reached his door when he nearly tripped over a figure sitting in the gloom.
“Will,” he asked. “What are you doing here?”
He opened the door and lit the candles as Will entered the room, looking exhausted and drawn. In the sitting area, Martin shoved a pile of his bel
