Death Among the Ruins by Susanna Calkins

Author:Susanna Calkins
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2023-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

‘“Down with the topmast! yare! lower, lower!”’ Lucy shouted, her hand curling into her fist, as she pretended to rail at a thunderous sky. ‘A plague upon this howling!’

For the last hour, she and Charlotte had been enthusiastically playing scenes from Shakespeare’s plays and were now reenacting the opening scene from The Tempest. Charlotte had firmly pronounced herself fit and revived, nourished again in her heart. Lucy did not need to be persuaded, since the alternative was to spend another dull afternoon watching Charlotte sleep.

As it turned out, Charlotte had quite the dramatic flair, and they’d been almost breathless in their playing. She was a far cry from the melancholic soul she’d been the last two days. Such a difference love makes, Lucy thought.

‘“Shall we give o’er, and drown?”’ a man’s deep voice called behind them.

Both women turned. Dr Larimer was standing at the door of Charlotte’s bedchamber, beaming. Sheridan was at his elbow, his face fixed in its customary scowl.

‘“Have you a mind to sink?”’ Dr Larimer continued, now raising his fist like a player on the stage. ‘“A pox o’ your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, uncharitable dog!”’

Lucy dropped the copy of The Tempest and faced the physicians, feeling oddly pleased. ‘You are indeed very familiar with the Bard, are you not, sir?’ she asked. ‘Were you perchance a player in your youth? You spoke the lines so very well.’

‘As did you, Lucy. Verily, I could imagine you as a young sailor at sea. Perhaps you should find your way to the stage as well, since the King allows women to perform now.’

‘Selling books is the only stage I need.’

Behind him, Sheridan shifted his weight back and forth. ‘Might we see our patient now?’

‘Yes, of course,’ Lucy said, stepping aside so that they could speak to Charlotte.

Sheridan began to check the woman’s vitals. ‘How did you sleep?’

Lucy tugged Dr Larimer’s arm and nodded towards the door. Taking her meaning, he allowed her to escort him out.

‘What is it?’ he said softly as they stood in the corridor.

‘Did you learn anything more from the examination?’ Lucy asked. ‘Do you know … was Effie poisoned?’

Larimer shook his head. ‘No, Effie overall was a healthy young woman when she died. No maladies or sickness as far as I could discern. There was something curious, however. In addition to the bruises and injuries I already mentioned, I found several slivers of wood in her fingertips. They were recent cuts, likely made the day she died, or perhaps the day before.’

‘Slivers of wood? How odd. How do you suppose she got them?’

‘Hard to say. She must have been doing something that required some force. Climbing a tree. Pulling something. Pushing something. It’s hard to say for certain.’

‘Pushing something. A new broom perhaps?’ Lucy mused. Sometimes if the broom-maker had not smoothed the birch enough, a new broom could chafe the skin, although slivers seemed less likely.

Larimer shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Perhaps it doesn’t matter.’ He paused. ‘You asked about the possibility of Charlotte having been poisoned.

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