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.
“So it is true. You are courting her?” Crawford asked as Elric stepped past him.
He almost denied it, then remembered himself. “Did Dame Katherine not tell you?” He feigned concern.
“I had not the wit to ask,” said Crawford, bobbing his head and continuing his search for a seat.
“Sir Elric. As promised,” said Katherine, patting the space between her and her mother, Dame Eleanor, who beamed at him.
As Elric straddled the bench, he received a warning growl from Lille, who lay beneath the table with Ghent. He had not anticipated they would attend the feast.
With a hand signal, Katherine ensured that he had sufficient room to place both feet next to them. “I kept them with me in case,” she whispered.
A servant appeared across the table, asking Elric whether he preferred wine or ale. He chose the wine. More fortifying.
“All went well, except for two casualties at the castle,” he whispered to Katherine, then loudly exclaimed on the magnificence of the affair.
William Frost leaned across his cousin, welcoming Elric and encouraging him to eat and drink hearty.
“I fully intend to,” Elric assured him.
When William was distracted by another guest, Katherine asked, “Dead?”
“No. But there will be consequences. We must talk later.”
A long while later, after too many courses and almost too much wine, he and Katherine managed to escape for a walk in the garden, which was quiet now, the outside entertainment having given up after sunset as a harsh wind arrived with wet, driving snow.
“Pray God they reached shelter for the night.” Katherine held her fur-lined hood close to her face to block the wind. Lille and Ghent trotted at her side.
“It is up to them now. Little we can do.” He had given her a detailed account of Berend’s departure.
“You have risked everything for my friends.”
“I have followed my conscience. If my lord condemns that, then I have learned a hard lesson. But I do not regret my actions. As far as Sir Peter– I saw him slumped over the table, so I’ve no concerns tonight. But on the morrow …”
He was silenced by Katherine’s sudden move to stand in front of him, her face close to his. She handed him something.
“You must deliver this to Sir Peter when he comes calling. A thank-you from Berend.”
He looked down at the folded parchment, up at her dark eyes. She smelled of wine, nutmeg, cinnamon. Christ, she was so close he might … He shook his head, coming to his senses.
“What is it?” he asked.
“A list of all the men he could identify in Oxford. And a sworn statement that Lady Kirkby was not in York.” She smiled. “Sir Peter has little to complain of, with you delivering up Parr and Sawyer as well as this list.”
He felt a rush of relief. “But why? He was so adamant.”
“He wrote that you had helped them selflessly. He could not but do what he could to protect you from the king’s wrath.”
Lille gave a warning growl.
Elric drew his dagger.
A man approached, crunching through the freshly fallen snow over the icy remains of yesterday’s storm.
Katherine motioned the dogs in front of her.
Arms up, the man called softly, “It’s Harry!”
Elric relaxed.
“Forgive me for intruding.” Harry stopped well away, eyeing the hounds.
Katherine called them back to her side. “Come closer, so that you need not raise your voice against the wind.”
“All went as planned?” Elric asked.
“The crossing was rougher than expected and she was unwell, but he assured us he knew a farmhouse nearby where they would be welcome for the night.” Harry turned to Katherine. “Your wards are in your cousin’s hall, looking for you. Young Hazel has taken a turn and they were sent away.”
Elric assured Katherine that the two of them would escort her and the children home. She did not refuse him.
16
To Catch a Murderer
Moments after Kate lay down, exhausted, Petra’s shriek rent the night. Stumbling in her weariness, Kate was opening the door when Marie rushed into her arms.
“She frightened me,” the girl sobbed, clinging to her.
Kate crouched down, taking her ward’s face in her hands. “You are safe, my love. Come, sleep in my bed and I will go to Petra. She sounds as terrified as you do.” She embraced the girl, rubbing her back, then invited her to climb under the covers. Marie needed no more persuasion.
Stepping into her shoes, Kate closed the door behind her.
Phillip stood outside his door wrapped in a blanket, rocking side to side for warmth. “Was that Petra?”
“Yes.” The dreams came far more frequently than they had before Phillip began his apprenticeship and moved to his master’s house. “We have grown accustomed.” Kate touched his cheek. “Go back to sleep. I will see to her.”
“She has the Sight, she said.”
“I begin to believe that is so.”
He retreated to his room, closing the door behind him.
Kate paused, looked out at the night sky, bright with stars, and prayed that this one time it might simply be a bad dream. She regretted that after putting the girls to bed she’d returned to the kitchen to tell Jennet and Matt all she had learned. After the long day and all the wine and ale she wanted only sleep.
Opening the shutter of the small lantern that hung on a hook outside the girls’ door, Kate stepped across the threshold and shined the light on the bed. Petra sat with her back against the wall, hugging her knees to her chin, whispering prayers.
“Oh, my poor love.” Kate set aside the lantern and climbed onto the bed, taking the child into her arms. “What is it?”
“He hunts them. He has archers with him.”
“Sir Peter?”
The child shook her head. “His captain.”
“Berend knows how to lose them,” Kate assured her. “Come. Let’s get under the covers and sleep.”
Up too late, and then awakened by Petra’s dream vision, the girls lay abed, emotionally and physically exhausted. No school for them this day, though Phillip had been up at dawn clamoring for some food before he returned to the stoneyard. Kate laughingly warned him that she had seen some of the stoneworkers draped over each other in the yard after the feast the previous night.
“Stay far from them when they are wielding tools today.”
Curfew had been lifted for the night, and it seemed as if all the city had taken advantage of it, for fun but also for darker deeds. Jennet had greeted her with the news of burglaries in aldermen’s homes during the evening. Her eyes and ears had been discomfited by the lawlessness. Drunk revelers daring one another to break into homes.
“And where were the servants?” Kate wondered, nursing her own aching head with some strong ale.
“Out drinking,” Matt had answered. “One of my old mates tried to drag me out. As if I would be such a fool.”
Cuddy, the new servant, looked less delighted about missing the festivities. “It might have been a lark, just this once.” But the walkways around the house had all been shoveled and swept clean before Kate awoke. He might do. If he chose to stay.
Kate walked Matt to the door. He was off to her cousin the mayor’s home for his morning report. She was anxious to hear of Sir Peter’s frame of mind. “And make certain to ask after Hazel. Remember, only if you manage to find a moment alone with my cousin should you tell him that Berend and Lady Kirkby departed as planned.” Matt nodded and reached for his cloak. Kate caught his arm. “What do you think about Cuddy?”