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.
The girl’s pretty face screwed up in what looked more like fear than anger as she stumbled through a story about Petra going to relieve herself and never returning. In her distress Marie’s words were a mixture of her native French and her usually impeccable English.
Elric crouched down to her. “Marie, tell me. Did anything happen earlier? Was something said? Something that might draw Petra away?” How better to get to Katherine than through these children so dear to her? But Parr and Sawyer were in his custody. Who, then?
The gray eyes looked here and there as the girl thought back over the morning. She shook her head. “Nothing, sir knight. Dame Katherine saw us to school. We heard people whispering about soldiers, and our schoolmaster stepped out to speak with her after we were inside, but he was not long, and Petra was with me. Do you think the soldiers? She wanted to see them?”
“They were with me in St. Helen’s Square. I would have noticed her, as would Dame Katherine.”
A great tear coursed down her red cheek. “Something has happened to her!”
“Who?” asked someone from the doorway.
“Petra!” Marie squealed as she ran to her fellow ward and punched her shoulder. Not hard. “Don’t you ever do that to me again. I was humiliated.”
Petra gave Marie a little punch. “So you missed me?” She crossed to Jennet, nodding to Elric. “Dame Katherine needs some clothes to disguise Skulker. Just long enough to get him to a safe place.”
“Skulker?” Elric sat down on a bench and patted the space next to him. “While Jennet is finding what you need, I want to know what’s happened.”
Petra looked to Jennet, who assured her he was trustworthy.
He was gratified to hear that, listening closely as Petra described seeing the boy following them in the morning.
“You didn’t tell me,” Marie said.
“I didn’t know what to do about it. Dame Katherine would notice him, I told myself. But as I sat in the schoolroom I worried about how long before she noticed, and if he would hear or see too much before she did. So I left. She wasn’t at the tavern, so I thought of Dame Jocasta’s. This morning she said something about her to Jennet.”
The walls had ears, at least where this child was concerned. Elric must remember that. “How did you know him?”
“Before Dame Katherine took me in I was one of the homeless and knew the others in the city, who could be trusted, who couldn’t. I’d been warned to stay away from him.”
She said he had been circling Jocasta Sharp’s house as if trying to find a way in.
“Do you think he heard anything?”
“He could not get near the doors or windows. Dame Jocasta’s watchers are not obvious to most folk passing by, but to someone glancing round hoping not to be seen, they find eyes everywhere.”
Elric thanked God he had trained the men when he did. Even so, they would soon be noticed. “Where does your aunt mean to take him?”
“She is thinking about that.”
“Why is she sheltering him?”
Petra told him what Skulker had witnessed the night of Merek’s murder. “I think she means to find a safe place for him so he can tell the sheriffs’ men what he saw that night. And keep him from going to the king’s men with the news that you’ve caught Parr and Sawyer.”
“He’s told her?”
Petra nodded.
“And then, after he’s talked to the sheriffs’ men?”
A shrug.
The stables at Sheriff Hutton could use a lad. “I will come with you, Petra.”
“But you’ll be noticed.”
“That cannot be helped.”
The boy’s whining gave rhythm to Kate’s pacing. Her mind was a scramble. Petra’s daring was admirable, and had netted just the lad Kate needed. But the child might have been injured, or worse. And she must be disciplined for leaving the classroom. But how to do so when she had been of such help? God help her, Kate had not the heart or the gut to be a parent. She was also of two minds about Skulker. He knew far too much, and she could imagine him going about the city remarking on Jocasta’s house being a fortress, calling attention to it. But it was just chance that he was playing eyes and ears for men Kate considered criminals, it should not condemn him. What to do? She alternated curses and prayers, relief and worry. It was only a matter of time before Sir Peter caught on to the watch on Jocasta’s home. Lady Margery must be moved again. And Trimlow the baker – it was he who had pointed to Berend, the bastard. Had he truly seen him with Merek, or had he said what Parr and Sawyer told him to say? Was he protecting them? What did he know about Carl? Had he recognized him? He might have seen Carl when Lady Margery had visited the previous winter, but would Trimlow, a baker, have made the connection?
“Bastards, bastards, bas–” she sucked in her breath as footsteps approached.
Skulker jerked up. She put a finger to his lips. Two people, a child and an adult from the length of their strides.
Petra appeared at the door, raising the sack of clothing over her head as she saw the axe. “It’s just me,” she said, “and Sir Elric.”
“Elric?”
He bowed through the low doorway. “I came looking for you, Dame Katherine. I need you to come with me to the castle.”
“First we must get Skulker to a safe place. Then, yes, the castle.”
Elric nodded to the boy who eyed him with curiosity. “Sheriff Hutton Castle up north, in the forest. We could use a lad in the stables.”
“First he must give one of the sheriffs’ men an account of what he witnessed the night of Merek’s death.”
“If I go with you, will you feed me?” Skulker demanded of Elric.
“We’ll do more than that. Clean you and clothe you and if you prove yourself teachable who knows? You might learn to be a groom, or a manservant to a soldier.”
“Learn to fight?”
“I’ve no doubt you already know something of that. But we will see.”
“Let me see to this,” Kate hissed at Elric. He shrugged. Insolent know-it-all.
“They’re not the king’s men, the two you caught,” said Skulker. “They killed two men to steal their livery. They did not want folk to remember them as once serving one of the lords taken down at Cirencester.”
“What brought them to York?” Kate asked.
“A treasure, held for their earl’s cunt and her bastard child.”
The posey ring was for his mistress?
“They came here to snatch it. That’s what they thought the bald man carried?” Skulker shook his head. “Poor sod.”
Had the mere presence of a knight loosened the lad’s tongue? Or the promise of a position at Sheriff Hutton? Damn Elric’s impertinence, but bless him if this was the result. “That is helpful,” she told Skulker. “Anything else to report?”
“Parr’s bedded Trimlow’s daughter.”
God help the young woman.
“How is it you were not there when Sir Elric’s men came for them, but you witnessed it?” asked Kate.
“They did not dare move about the city today, with the soldiers milling about and Sir Peter putting on a show. They wouldn’t need me till dusk, but they told me to keep guard, warn them about trouble.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Looking out for myself.”
Elric touched Kate’s arm. “Would Petra be safe with him for a moment while we step outside?”
Kate asked Petra, who said she’d be pleased to keep an eye on Skulker.
“A boot as well, if need be.”
Elric led Kate far enough across the small yard that the lad would not hear them. “I could take the boy to the York Tavern and send for one of the sheriffs’ men. After they’ve spoken, Wulf will take him to Sheriff Hutton, his punishment for disobeying my orders and frightening the folk of York. All of my men arriving at once – I could wring his neck.”