A Murdered Peace
- Автор: Робб Кэндис
- Серия: A Kate Clifford Mystery #3
- Год: 2018
- Язык: английский
- Год: Pegasus Books
- ISBN: 9781681779270
- Жанр: Исторические детективы
Электронная книга - «A Murdered Peace». Краткое содержание книги:
England still in tumult at the start of the fifteenth century, as Kate Clifford finds herself working to prove the innocence of her longtime confidante.
It is deep winter in York, 1400, the ground frozen, the short days dimmed with the smoke from countless fires, the sun, when it shines, low in the sky. It is rumored that the Epiphany Uprising, meant to relieve the realm of the Henry the usurper and return King Richard to the throne has, instead, spelled his doom. As long as Richard lives, he is a threat to Henry. So, too, the nobles behind the plot. The ringleaders have been caught, some slaughtered as they fled west by folk loyal to Henry, and the king's men now search the towns for survivors.
A perilous time, made worse for Kate Clifford by the disappearance of Berend, her cook and confidante, shortly after Christmas. Her niece saw his departure in a dream – he said he was honor bound to leave. Honor bound – to a former lord? One of the nobles who led the uprising? Is he alive? She is hardly consoled when Berend reappears, wounded, secretive, denying any connection to the uprising, but refusing to explain himself. When he is accused of brutally murdering a spice seller in the city, Kate discovers a chest of jewels in his possession. Some of the jewels belong to her old friend Lady Margery, wanted by the king for her husband’s part in the uprising. For the sake of their long friendship, and the love she and her wards bear for him, Kate wants to believe his innocence. So, too, does Sir Elric. And he has the powerful backing of the Earl of Westmoreland. All she need do is confide in him. If only she trusted her heart.
As Kate listened to Elric’s account, his respect for Berend strengthened her resolve to tell him about her part in Margery’s flight. He already knew that she was in the city, Berend had made that plain. But as she, Jennet, and Matt posed questions, particularly regarding Berend’s decision to go to Pontefract, her ease dissolved.
“You were satisfied despite his lack of explanation?”
“I left out the parts he prefers you hear from him, not me.”
“Because?”
“He saw how it pained you to have learned so much about his past from me.”
And from Bess, she thought. “I will go to him in the morning.”
Jennet was the first to rise, excusing herself to go check the kitchen and the yard even though Lille and Ghent had sat by the door all the while, listening for signs of intruders. Then Matt rose, offering to fetch more ale. Kate thanked him.
Alone but for the hounds, Kate studied Elric, staring into the fire with haunted eyes. She was moved by how deeply he felt Berend’s pain, having heard in his tone whispers of Berend himself.
“I am sorry I came away without him,” he said.
“No. You accomplished more than I had hoped. I am grateful.”
“He curses himself, but I see him as an honorable man. Many of us look back with horror and vow to redeem ourselves. But he has embraced that vow with all his being.”
“How did this redeem him? He’d already condemned the plot.”
“You will see.”
She was quiet a while, retracing Berend’s journey, his betrayal by either the abbot or Salisbury’s kinsman.
“So much suffering,” she said, “and for what? Another king who sees enemies in every corner?”
“How can King Henry be otherwise? A thief knows he has no right to what he’s taken. He can never be secure.” Elric had begun to tap his thigh with the felt hat he had taken off when he grew warm by the fire, beginning slowly, gradually speeding it up, until he tossed it from him with a curse. “We seem incapable of learning from our mistakes. Think of what happened when Richard’s great grandfather was put aside.”
“The last King Edward proved a far better king than his father.”
“It was not the son who struck down his father, but his mother and her lover,” said Elric. “They proved to be tyrants.”
This was a change, to speak treason so bluntly to her. Berend’s suffering seemed to have pushed back the mask, revealing the man beneath the façade of the great earl’s captain of Sheriff Hutton Castle. Not so long ago – could it be but a year? – she had thought him a heartless, self-satisfied instrument of Westmoreland. No longer. About to share what she had learned about Horner, and then steel herself to tell him about Margery – if he could see Berend’s pain, surely he could see Margery’s – she hesitated as he suddenly rose up and paced over to the fire. When he turned to face her, he had that old expression, cold eyes, stiff, soldierly stance.
“I trust you have told Lady Margery her jewels are safe?”
Startled, Kate said, “Told her?”
“You could not bring yourself to trust me?”
“Who is withholding information from whom?” This was not how she had meant to broach the subject, damn him.
“I promised Berend.”
“I promised Lady Margery. It was not my secret to share.” Had one of his men seen Jocasta at the guesthouse, arriving alone, departing with Margery? And deduced so much? Had they followed Kate?
Just tell him, tell him everything, Geoff urged.
Now, when he is angry?
“Where is she?” Elric asked so coldly Kate wanted to spit at him.
But she needed his help. Holy Mary, Mother of God, help me find the words he can hear.
“Sit down, I pray you,” she said. “I have much to tell you. So much I’ve wanted to tell you.”
“But you did not trust me with it?”
“Why would I, when you–” She stopped. This would not serve her purpose. Softening her voice, she said, “I did not know who I might trust. Her manservant came to me for help, and I gave it before I knew the enormity of what I’d undertaken, the danger I had brought to my family.”
“When?”
“The night before our celebration. I pray you, Elric, sit. Standing there, looking down on me, judging me – I cannot think clearly.” He did not move. Mulish man. “I cannot begin to understand her suffering.” Kate disliked that his nearness had her whispering. “To witness her husband’s attack, to hold his severed head, Elric. And then to have the king condemn her for wanting to bury Thomas. You have heard the tale from Berend, how it sickened him. How can Ralph Neville condone this?”
“I cannot divine my lord’s private thoughts. We have communicated through messengers, careful to say as little as possible. But he would say it is not for him to judge his lord.”
“You do not know his heart?”
“I have prided myself in my honor, my unquestioning obedience to my lord. But of late …” A slow shake of the head, as if waking himself. “It is clear I do not know your heart.”
Her heart? “Please. Sit beside me and I will tell you all.”
At last he came to perch beside her, at the edge of his chair. All the while she spoke, he kept his eyes on the fire, never looking her way.
She told him of Carl’s disappearance and murder. Her fear, her doubts about Margery’s account. “Berend’s tale of how they came to be traveling together – Margery did not tell me. Did he explain how her jewels came to be in the case?”
A part of her enjoyed witnessing Elric’s discomfort as he realized he had forgotten to ask about that.
“No matter. I shall ask him in the morning,” she said. “Or Margery.”
“She is at the guesthouse now?”
“Do you still vow to keep her safe?”
Elric shot Kate an angry look. “I am a man of my word.”
“I will hold you to that.” Kate explained how she had sent Jocasta Sharp to fetch her. “The Sharp home is always open to those in need. No one will mark a maidservant arriving there.”
“Not in ordinary times. But Sir Peter and Captain Crawford, Parr and Sawyer – I have sent for more men from Sheriff Hutton. I will put a guard on her home.”
Kate looked at him, surprised. “You will do this for me?”
That did not provoke a look. To the fire, he said, “Not for you. For Lady Margery, and for Berend.” He made an exasperated sound. “God’s blood, woman, Carl’s murder– You curse Lady Margery for her dishonesty? Look to yourself.” Now he faced her, shaking his head.
“Had it been you, a friend in need, with the gates about to close and shut them out in the cold for the night, would you have turned them away?”
“No! What do you take me for? In God’s name, woman, look at all I have done for you.”
He was right. She felt the full weight of her deception. She had betrayed the one person who had done nothing but help her in this crisis.
“I wish I could go back to that night at the guesthouse, when we talked after your men had gone. I wish that the moment you spoke her name I had said, ‘She is here. Will you help?’”
“Do you?” He looked doubtful.
“With all my heart.”
He grunted and looked away.
“There is more you need to know.” She told him what Jennet had discovered about Jon Horner.
“To catch a widow while yet in mourning, while she is most vulnerable. Cur,” Elric growled. “Cecily Wheeldon, you said?”
At least he was listening. “Yes. Why?”
“I found her arguing with Kevin outside Horner’s house. She said she wanted to comfort the housekeeper, but what if she wanted–” He sat back, raking a hand through his hair. “What?”