National Trust: The Secret Diary of Thomas Snoop, Tudor Boy Spy E-Book

Philip Ardagh

• Herausgeber: Nosy Crow
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Serie: Secret Diary Series
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 97

Beschreibung

THOMAS SNOOP is in training to become a SPY. Entrusted with a TOP SECRET mission by the mysterious Lord Severn, right-hand man to the Tudor king, Thomas must travel to the magnificent Goldenhilt Hall - in the guise of a servant - in order to uncover traitors plotting against the crown. It will take all Thomas's wits and cunning to uncover the traitors lurking at Goldenhilt Hall - and he must do so without being discovered himself... Perfect for fans of Horrible Histories, filled with amazing facts and historical trivia, and brilliantly illustrated throughout, you won't be able to put this SECRET DIARY down! Discover other books in Philip Ardagh and Jamie Littler's hilarious Secret Diary series: The Secret Diary of John Drawbridge, Medieval Knight in Training The Secret Diary of Jane Pinny, Victorian House Maid (and Accidental Detective) The Secret Diary of Kitty Cask,Smuggler's Daughter

Leseprobe

To the staff and volunteers who have made my visits to National Trust properties, over fifty years, fun and informative.

PA

Day 2

This morning, Lady Margaret P—(whose name I cannot spell, but which rhymes with myrtle23) – summoned me to her chamber and dismissed her ladies in waiting, who surround her like a pack of hunting dogs surroundeth the master of the hounds24. Some are pretty and some more like horses25, but all smell of sweet herbs26 and of powders. Lady Margaret smiled as they left. The minute the great door was closed behind them, however, her expression changed to that of a stern preacher who hath not heard a good joke in a long while, or hath fallen victim to a bad smell.

“You are ready, Thomas?” she enquired, leaning forward in her fine chair, the only one

in the room27. “The guests begin to arrive at Goldenhilt Hall over the next few days, and you must be our eyes and ears.” She hath nice ears. And her two eyes be nice also.

I said with much honesty.

She nodded. “Good,” she said. “You know the code?”

“I have almost mastered it, mistress,” I assured her. “I’m a fast [burner]28.

“That is good,” she said. “Lord Severn hath trained you well. Now find you my man Rowan and make haste to the Hall,” she instructed. “He hath with him all the provisions you will need.”

“Yes, mistress,” said I, and made to walk towards the door. Rowan is her trusted servant, but even he does not know of my spying or my mission.

“Wait!” she instructed. “Take this.” From her flowing sleeve she produced a pendant strung on a piece of leather to place around my neck. I studied it. It was carved of bone in the shape of a rabbit poking its head out of a gap between parted grass. It had a toothy smile that reminded me of my father’s servant, Hogg. “For luck,” she explained.

“Thank you, my lady!” I said, accepting the talisman.

“God’s speed!” she replied.

I found Rowan preparing two horses in the stables. He is a stocky Welshman of some eight-and-twenty years, with dark hair and eyes as black as night (on a particularly black night). You could not find a man more loyal to our noble Tudor king.

With provisions slung in saddle-bags across our two horses, we set forth for Goldenhilt Hall, watched only by the Yeoman of the Horse.29 Who knows what [trenchers]30 lie ahead?

23 A type of shrub/bushy plant.

24 Hunting with hounds was a very popular pastime for wealthy Tudors.

25 Henry VIII, a Tudor king, described his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, as ‘the Flanders Mare’; Flanders being a country and ‘mare’ being a female horse. This unkind comment was made because she’d looked beautiful in her portrait, and it was on that basis that he’d agreed to marry her, their never having met.

26 People rarely washed and the rich disguised their body odour in many ways. Dried lavender was a popular choice.

27 People usually sat on stools or even cushions on the floor. Chairs were for important people: a sign of status.

28 He must, surely, have meant ‘learner’?

29 In charge of the stables.

30 Adventures? Challenges? Or maybe he did mean trenchers after all!

Day 3

After a day’s uneventful riding, in which little occurred beyond my acquiring a tender behind31, we spent our first night in a tavern situated near one of the King’s Posts.32 Two of the posts’ men responsible for delivering communications had already had too much to drink when we arrived. They were laughing and joking. By the time we had each been served and eaten a most acceptable umble pie33