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the rejection well enough and had even served as Dominic’s squire during the French battles, but he had always belonged here—in a royal chapel creating music for kings, both earthly and heavenly.
    Dominic wondered if Percy’s continuing presence at court meant that he was truly valued as a musician, or if William’s past relationship with Percy’s twin sister had more to do with it than his talent. Eleanor Percy Howard had been married to the Duke of Norfolk’s youngest son in order for William to make her his mistress without complications. She had already borne William one child—a girl—and even now claimed to be carrying another child that she laid at William’s bed.
    Of course, that claim was being made from the Tower of London, for Eleanor had been caught up in the Duke of Norfolk’s plotting, which ended in the violent death of her husband, Giles. The other women of the Howard family were being kept merely under house arrest, but Eleanor had been brought to the Tower almost a month ago. Not because of hard evidence that she’d intended treason, but because she had twice attempted to escape house arrest from the Howard estate at Framlingham. When she was caught the second time—twenty miles away from Framlingham and headed for London—she insisted, as she had all along, that she must be allowed to speak to the king.
    But William, wrapped in his consuming passion for Minuette, had sent word for Eleanor to be kept in the Tower since she could not be trusted in a lesser confinement. Dominic thought that had been for Minuette’s sake, for she had always disliked Eleanor andno doubt William thought it a sort of gift to his beloved to lock away his former mistress. Dominic did not expect Eleanor to be locked away for long. She was a woman, and the mother of William’s child, and had proved herself skilled at pleasing the king. No doubt the king’s memories of pleasure would, in time, lead to her release.
    When the service was ended, everyone rose for William and waited while he swept out. Dominic was kept from following by Robert Dudley, who left the side of a smiling Elizabeth to speak to him.
    “What is it?” Dominic asked roughly. He had a hard time taking Robert’s measure, and that made him uneasy. Add in the fact that Robert had been at Framlingham on that last, disastrous night when Norfolk had been arrested and his youngest son killed …
    Robert did not take offense, though he always seemed to give the impression of understanding and somehow pitying Dominic’s unease. “I merely wondered what news from the council this morning.”
    “Ask your father.”
    “I’m asking you. Is it true that William means to return Surrey to court?”
    How did Robert always manage to know what was going on quicker than anyone outside the privy council? Dominic said as little as possible. “No decision has been made.”
    “I hear you’re going to meet with him,” Robert threw in carelessly. “Wonder how he’ll feel, dealing with the man who murdered his uncle. Well, not that anyone much liked Giles Howard. Probably you did Surrey a favour removing the least of the Howards.”
    Before Dominic could frame an appropriate answer without giving way to anger, Robert added in a lower voice, “Have youever thought that the evidence against Norfolk might have been just a bit too tidy? Penitent’s Confessions, Spanish naval involvement, Lady Mary preparing to lead foreign troops against her brother … it does sound like a plot made to order by suspicious Protestants. Interesting to think about that when talking to Surrey. The Howards have plenty of enemies themselves, you know. Just a thought.”
    He dazzled his mercurial smile at Dominic and whisked off—after Elizabeth, no doubt.
    Had Robert just hinted that he believed Norfolk innocent of attempted rebellion? The Dudleys and Howards were long antagonists—why would Robert want to see the Earl of Surrey cleared from suspicion? But then Rochford had voiced