The Angel in the Glass by Alys Clare

Author:Alys Clare [Clare, Alys]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2018-10-01T07:00:00+00:00

ELEVEN

Back at Rosewyke, the day had begun. Celia had already breakfasted and, dressed smartly, was clearly on her way out. Sallie, tutting over my filthy tunic and hose, told me robustly to get the garments off so that she could put them in to soak. ‘There’s water waiting for you in your room, Doctor, and I’ll have food ready when you come down again,’ she called out after me as I headed for the stairs.

Celia followed me up to my room, discreetly remaining in the long gallery outside the open door as I stripped to my skin and washed. ‘Do you want to tell me where you’ve been?’ she asked, in a casual tone that didn’t fool me for a moment. My sister has always had a lively curiosity and, after the events of the recent past, she is very alert to the whisper of violence.

There seemed no reason not to tell her, for the news of Lady Clemence’s death would swiftly spread through our small community. Since, in my mind at least, the murder just had to be connected in some way with the rumoured presence at or near Wrenbeare of the dead vagrant, I told her about that too.

‘Something’s most definitely amiss at the house,’ I said as I towelled my head and face dry. ‘Mistress Denyse told me everything was horrid – that was the word she herself used – and her family were anxious and troubled. And Lady Clemence and her elder daughter—’

‘That’s Agnes, married to Avery Lond, you said?’

‘Yes, that’s right. She and her mother both lied about the vagrant, which is suspicious, surely?’ I dragged on a fresh chemise and hastily donned the rest of my clean clothes, then went out to join Celia in the gallery. ‘I keep asking myself, what did the vagrant see, or take away, that the family didn’t want revealed?’

Side by side, Celia and I descended the staircase. She was frowning, clearly puzzling over the matter. ‘Maybe you should also ask yourself whether he was simply a desperate, hungry thief who broke in looking for food and was killed because, by sheer bad luck, he saw what he shouldn’t have done.’ She paused, glancing at me. ‘Or not,’ she added enigmatically.

I didn’t stop to dwell on that. ‘But he wasn’t killed, was he? I told you, I believe he died of natural causes. Starvation, the depredations of long illness.’

A flash of understanding it her eyes. ‘He was the one you thought might have had leprosy!’

‘Yes, but he didn’t. There’s no need to worry.’

She shook her head in irritation. ‘No, I know. I wasn’t worrying, I was thinking.’ She paused, then went on slowly, ‘He went twice to the house.’ She turned to me, clearly expecting this remark to mean something.

It didn’t. ‘So?’

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. ‘Come on, Gabe! I know you’ve been up half the night dealing with a brutally murdered corpse and got yourself befouled as well, but think!’ She waited, as if to give me

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