Storms in the Cotswolds by Emma Dakin

Author:Emma Dakin
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery. Claire Barclay, tour guide of The British Mystery Book Tours, shepherds her tourists to Cirencester in the heart of the Cotswolds. They take all the rooms at the Queen Bess Hotel in the center of Cirencester and go on forays, visiting the haunts of characters from mystery novels. 
The owner of The Queen Bess, Shirley, is a superb cook. Her partner, Bob, is surly and has some intimidating friends. The new waiter in the breakfast room tells them that his predecessor, Richie, has disappeared, but is no loss as he was lazy and unreliable. No one worries about Richie. They worry when Claire and her tourists find his body in a nearby field. Mark, Claire’s husband who is a Detective Inspector, rushes to help. After reviewing the situation, he doesn’t see much to concern himself with until his uncle is attacked. Then, he’s keen to investigate. The local coppers don’t want Mark involved, so Claire observes, probes and, with the help of one of her tourists, uncovers a terrorist plot—and confronts a murderer.
Publisher: Epicenter Press Inc.
Published: 2024-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

We returned to our rooms trudging up the stairs and through the halls. Bran and Eseld pushed their door open. Bran stood in the doorway and turned to me.

“I’ll read Lionel’s blue book tonight and come to your room before breakfast to report. Will Mark be there?”

“I think so. You’ve arranged for one of his friends to arrive in the early morning, so Mark will turn over guard duty to him and come here to shower and change.”

“We’ll arrive with the larks then,” he said and closed the door.

I slept deeply and only woke when I heard Mark’s key in the lock. He gave me a quick kiss and headed for the shower. I was up and had the coffee in the French Press when he emerged.

“Is Lionel allowed out of the hospital today?” I asked as I poured him a cup and handed him the biscuits I’d stashed in my luggage.

“He is. And he’s impatient to be going. I’ll collect him after I’ve had a couple of hours sleep, get his prescriptions and drive him back to Ashton. Is there any food in the house?”

I don’t usually leave much there when I depart for a fortnight tour. “I’ll ring up Rose and get in milk, bread, eggs, cheese, some veggies and a couple of steaks. Will that do you for the first day?

“Coffee?”

“In the pantry. I just got a shipment.” I ordered my coffee from Seattle and kept about a month’s supply on my shelves. “I’ll ring up Rose to bring Gulliver home and ring Deirdre to tell her she won’t need to dog sit.”

“Right. Good,” he said.

“Bran and Eseld…” I started to say when a knock sounded on the door.

“That’s them now.”

“Lionel? Allycumpooster?” Bran asked.

“Yes, everything’s fine,” Mark said. He was used to some Cornish words. “He’s doing very well. I’m going to spring him from the hospital in a couple of hours.”

“Have some coffee, or tea,” I said as I plugged in the kettle.

“Tea, lover, if you’d be so good.” Eseld said.

“Right you are.” I took the cups she handed me.

“What are your plans for the day,” Mark asked me.

“We’re going to Bath. We should be gone the whole day visiting Jane Austen’s house, the Roman Baths, Pulteney Bridge and the sites most tourists don’t want to miss.”

“We need to check out the Fashion Museum,” Eseld said. “It’s wonderful.”

“I have it on my list.” It was, indeed, wonderful. “You’ve been to Bath before, I’m sure.”

“You needn’t be too sure. We haven’t traveled much, but yes, we’ve been to Bath and we’re happy to go again.”

“Are you sure Lionel is going to all right at home?” I asked Mark.

“No, I’m not sure,” Mark said, demolishing a biscuit in two bites. “I’m a tad worried about taking him home. He is still a bit woozy.”

“Can’t ask him much about the attack then,” Bran said.

“No. Not yet.”

“Ask the district nurse to visit,” Eseld said. “She can assess Lionel and let you know if she sees anything amiss.

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