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.
“Mistress Clifford,” he bowed to her. “My uncle said you wanted a word?”
Well spoken. “Shall we walk? I have a few matters I would like to discuss with you.”
As they stepped out into the snow, he gave not a thought about his clothing, intent on declaring his eagerness to prove himself as a factor. She asked whether he had traveled to Calais or the Low Countries, knowing full well that he had made several trips with his uncle to the former, but had never been elsewhere, except London. He did not try to claim experience he did not have, though he did express his interest in traveling far and wide, and prided himself in having never been seasick. He admitted to a tendency to be truthful. “Some might find that a flaw in a factor, for sales.” She liked his crooked grin.
“We do not trade in inferior quality goods, Leif. You have no need for concern about that. But you cannot be shy about encouraging customers to buy as much as they can afford, nor should you permit them to go away and consider. They rarely return.”
“I have no qualms about that.”
“And what about keeping the accounts? Have you any experience there?”
“In truth, that is my strongest skill.”
“So you would not mind taking on some additional duties in that regard? For me. My guesthouse accounts.”
“I would be happy to do so.”
“I understand you are thinking of marriage. A wealthy widow would suit you?”
His silence caught her attention.
“Forgive me, I did not mean to embarrass you.”
“I– Mistress Clifford– I would not presume to think– You will be my employer …”
“Oh. No, I did not mean me, Leif. I noticed you with Cecily Wheeldon yesterday.”
An enthusiastic nod. “Dame Cecily has my heart. She is beautiful and clever, and she puts me at ease like no other woman. At first I thought she saw me as a sweet boy and was being kind. But then she kissed me.”
Bold woman. Was she kissing Jon Horner and Leif Holme at the same time? Merek? Was that possible? Patience, Kate schooled herself. All might be revealed if this interview went well, and the widow cooperated. Her heart raced a little – so much depended on her being right in her impressions of Leif and Cecily. “A kiss! When will you pledge your troth?” She asked it teasingly.
He answered sincerely. “She will observe a year of mourning. She said she would be pilloried if she wed betimes.”
“Being a widow as well, I agree, she must have a care if she wishes to protect her good name. That did not prevent my husband’s brother from trying to match me up with a husband within the year, but he had his reasons. Do you know, he went so far as to suggest I visit my mother in Strasbourg, let my intended follow me as if for trade, and we might wed there, then I might return to York in a few years, no one the wiser about how long we’d been wed.”
Leif gave little laugh. “So that is not so uncommon.”
“You thought of that?”
“It was Dame Cecily. She asked me what I thought of such an arrangement.”
“What did you say?”
“I disappointed her. Or, no, I am not certain she was serious.”
Kate put a hand on his forearm. “Do not doubt your worth.”
A grateful smile. “I told her I need to establish myself here.” He sighed. “I might be a fool. I believe she is willing– very willing to– I did not know a woman could– We have– In the garden– But I stopped, fearing someone might see us. She laughed at me.” He turned a deep red. “Forgive me for saying such things. You are so kind, I forgot myself.”
“No need to apologize. I have encouraged you. I hoped to understand you, what would make you content in your work, your life. I do have an idea … But you must be careful, for your sake and for hers, and as quiet as possible.” She smiled at the irony of what she asked, and how impossible that was. “I would not want Griselde, who runs my guesthouse, to think I’d become a bawd. Or expected that of her.” It was important for him to believe Griselde would not know he had a companion in the room.
Leif’s handsome face registered both shock and hope. “You do not mean– Dame Cecily and I spending the night there?”
“Would you dare?”
“Is this a test? If I say yes–”
“No test. A sincere offer.”
His brows knit together in a suspicious frown. “Why would you do this for us?”
“Our trade is nothing if our factor is disloyal. If you are happy, that should not be a problem.” He still looked doubtful. “But tonight is the night,” she said. “Tell her that you are staying at my guesthouse because something is amiss at your lodging and I have kindly offered a room, and you thought, ‘might this be our chance?’ Paint yourself as the bold one.”
“Oh, if she would–”
She had him. “You will not know unless you try. But I should think that a woman of her … experience, well, she might wish to sample the goods.” She gave a little laugh and patted his hand, telling him to send word if he decided to take her up on the offer, and if Dame Cecily seemed willing. If so, Kate would have her servant Seth there at the bottom of the steps at the designated time. “But you must be quiet.”
“And the job as factor? And accountant?”
Once he had reaped the rewards of the guesthouse, he might just be her solution to the problem of Clement’s decline.
“Suppose this proposition is a test – of your determination and your skill in persuasion.” God in heaven, she was playing the bawd. She would do penance for this.
It took little time to sort out duties at the guesthouse, though Griselde expressed some surprise. Kate assured her she was seeing to the safety of York.
Back at the house, Marie and Petra were squabbling about the proper way to cut a carrot for stew. Cuddy, his back to them, played sentinel by the partly opened door. The poor lad looked weary.
“Has anyone been about?”
“I thought I heard someone in the yard not long after you left. I searched. Nothing. No one.”
“But you believe you did hear something? Where?”
“By the steps up to the first story.”
“But no creak of the gate.”
An eager nod. “That is it! Yes. That is what I heard. And then it stopped. Like it scared them and they moved off.”
Working as planned.
“Matt is in the hall,” Cuddy added.
Kate left Lille and Ghent resting by the fire with some water as she went to hear Matt’s report.
“I was there when Sir Peter returned to the mayor’s house with Sir Elric,” said Matt. “But your cousin’s man Roger said he’d already looked to burst earlier, when Sheriff Cottesbrok admitted that Berend was gone. Sir Peter had heard folk talking.”
“All the city seemed to know this morning,” said Kate. Who had spread the word? The goodwife who had taken Berend’s place? One of the injured guards? “Did they know of injuries amongst the castle guards?”
“Cottesbrok said nothing about that. Roger says the sheriffs distrust the king’s men.”
“What about Captain Crawford? What was his response?”
“Roger said he had gone out early, before dawn, returned at some point and rounded up men, then hurried away.”
“Before Cottesbrok arrived?”
Matt nodded. “As you said, folk were talking about it all over the city. Berend’s a hero.”
Kate laughed. “Because he did not murder Merek Lacy? I’ve heard no mention of Lady Kirkby on the street.”