Death at the Wedding Feast by Deryn Lake

Author:Deryn Lake [Lake, Deryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, azw3
Tags: Fiction, Pharmacists - England, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery & Detective, Rawlings; John (Fictitious Character), Great Britain - History - 18th Century, Great Britain, Mystery Fiction, Historical, Crime, Pharmacists, General
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2011-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

As soon as John set foot in the flying coach the picture that Rose had painted so vividly came back to haunt him. He saw before his closed eyes a ghastly old woman dressed all in brown, a big bonnet concealing most of her face, what he could see of it bearing such a look of menace that he drew a breath of fear. Rose’s voice came back to him. ‘When you see her, lie flat.’ None of it, neither description nor words, made any sense, and yet he knew a great deal better than to ignore the prediction of his incredible daughter who was gifted in so many ways.

A great deal of time had been passed in London and it was June before he returned to Devon, firstly to see Elizabeth and his twin boys and secondly to attend the wedding of Miranda Tremayne and the Earl of St Austell. Not that he particularly wanted to witness the joining of such a pair, but out of respect for Lady Sidmouth, in whose house his sons had been born, he felt duty-bound to attend.

He had worked hard during the intervening weeks, bottling the water in the new bottles which had arrived from the manufacturer, dividing his time between his business and his shop in Shug Lane. Of Jacquetta he had deliberately seen little, telling himself that it was foolish of him to feel attracted to her when she was obviously more interested in Gideon than himself. And who was he to query the gap in years that lay between her and his apprentice when his own relationship was with a far older woman? And a woman who meant more to him than any other?

John opened his eyes and surveyed the other three passengers. They consisted of a stocky middle-aged couple and their loutish, spotty son who was carefully picking his teeth, which were spaced very widely apart, with a silver toothpick. The boy, feeling John’s gaze upon him, gave the Apothecary a dirty look and turned his attention to the passing scenery. John wished momentarily that he had chosen Irish Tom to bring him down rather than leave him at Mrs Fortune’s disposal. But in fairness the poor woman had appointments all over town whereas he was merely seeking pleasure.

‘Good day, Sir,’ he said, addressing the youth, who looked put out.

‘Good day,’ the boy mumbled back.

‘Eh?’ said John, cupping his ear.

‘I said good day,’ thundered the other, waking his mother up, who regained consciousness with a scream of alarm.

John looked at her earnestly. ‘Oh, my dear Madam, are you quite well? Such a cry you let forth I thought the Devil himself might have attacked you.’

‘No, I’m perfectly well, Sir. I was just a little alarmed.’

‘Eh?’ said John, and cupped his ear again.

‘He’s deaf,’ the boy whispered to his mother.

She repeated the remark at full volume.

John looked testy and said, ‘All right, all right. I can hear you.’

The poor woman looked highly embarrassed. ‘Do forgive my son, Sir. He’s only doing his best.

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