Death in the Valley of Shadows by Deryn Lake

Author:Deryn Lake [Lake, Deryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Traditional, Historical
ISBN: 9780749083700
Google: VRoIAAAACAAJ
Amazon: 1845592689
Barnesnoble: 1845592689
Publisher: Allison & Busby
Published: 2003-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

He should have gone back to the shop but everything kept nagging at him. Thoughts flew through his mind like arrows, particularly the question of Jocasta and her extraordinary message. Was she the poisoner, hiding herself in a fog of deceit? Or had she seen something of enormous significance? In the end John could stand it no more and walked the short distance to Bloomsbury Square.

Everybody was out except for Miss Millicent, he was informed, and she was lying down with a megrim. Furious with himself that he was not carrying a medical bag, John hired a hackney coach, rushed to Shug Lane, picked up a jar of powdered Pellitory of Spain, hurled himself back into the waiting carriage and returned to the invalid, all of this achieved in under thirty minutes. As a reward for his efforts he was ushered into the sick room.

Millicent lay in the dark, the curtains drawn against the bright spring sunshine.

“May I?” asked John, and pulled one back in order to throw enough light to move around. She winced. “Oh, my head. I cannot remember a more savage attack than this.”

“Nervous tension,” he replied, nodding wisely. “You have all of you been through the most enormous ordeal of late.” He handed her the jar. “Here, try some of this.”

She peered at it cautiously. “What is it?”

“Pellitory of Spain, one of the best purgers of the brain that grows. Chew the powdered root. Miss Millicent, or sniff some up like snuff. It will clear the megrim in no time.”

“Oh I do hope so.” She put some into her mouth and chewed. “I must be well to support Evalina through the funeral.”

“You refer to Mrs. Bussell’s?” Millicent nodded. “I did not realise Evalina was so attached to her.”

“Oh she was, in her way. Of course, Evalina is not prone to attacks of sentiment, but dear Ariadne was so good to her.”

“Good gracious,” said John, genuinely astonished.

Millicent burbled on. “Evalina can get so depressed, about…” She whispered the next three words, “…the devil’s mark. But Ariadne was always tremendously bright, you know. Told her that looks are of no significance; that it is the beauty within that counts.”

The Apothecary felt sick but grinned feebly. “How nice.”

“Anyway, we are rallying behind Montague and going to the funeral.”

“All of you?”

“Yes, Jocasta is taking Louisa and Lieutenant Mendoza. They are staying with her at the moment.”

John seized his opportunity. “Jocasta asked me to call but I don’t have her address.”

“Oh, she’s in Curzon Street. Number seventeen. But I believe she’s out today and leaves for Surrey tomorrow.”

“I’ll probably wait until she returns in that case,” said John, scribbling the address on a piece of paper and putting it into his pocket. “Now, how’s the head?”

“I do believe it’s better,” said Millicent, raising herself carefully from the pillow.

“Just keep chewing until the pain goes.”

“So kind of you to bother.”

“Part of my job.”

“Is it? Oh yes. I’d almost forgotten. Will you be at the funeral, Mr. Rawlings?”

“No. Despite the fact that I’m always around I’m not really part of the family.

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