Quivers and Quills by Michelle Lashier

Author:Michelle Lashier
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: new adult adventure, fiction action adventure, sister stories, female action hero, new adult time travel, medieval time travel, womens adventure fiction, robin hood, female detective fiction
Published: 2016-10-19T06:42:28.984568+00:00

14

July 18, 1193

Locksley Castle

Joanna awoke before the sun rose, thinking about the murder—not surprising since she had dreamed about it all night. Her experience with event planning, stressful as it was, felt trivial compared to the responsibility of solving the murder of an innocent girl. Joanna lacked the life experience and the skills to do this right.

But she knew that despite her shortcomings, investigating this murder had fallen to her. Not because she had asked for it, not because she wanted it, but because the universe had given her the task, and she had to believe she would have the intellectual capacity and the resources to solve the crime.

Without the benefit of DNA, microscopes, fingerprints, or computers, she would have to rely solely on her own powers of deduction, and that was something she did every day, whether it meant revising a story, handling a botched cake delivery or dealing with jilted brides.

Guy, Walter, Roger, Gwen, Sirsalon, and Bess had all left the great hall early last night. If Walter and Bess were having an affair, then the person with the best motive to kill Bess was Gwen or possibly Walter himself. If Bess had threatened to tell Gwen about the affair, Walter definitely had motive.

As the first rays of light peaked through the shutters, Joanna threw off the blankets and shivered. She couldn’t stay in bed any longer. She needed to get up and dress—provided she could figure out how to reach the bodice laces.

The door flew open and Elaine entered. Joanna jumped in surprise.

“About time you were up,” Elaine said. “Some of us have been working all night.”

Joanna pondered how long Elaine had been waiting outside her door for signs of stirring.

Elaine picked up the clothes Joanna was to wear and motioned for her step into the skirt. “Do you want a fire?”

As much as Joanna did want a fire, she heard in Elaine’s tone that there was no time for one. “While that would be nice, I think I should get started with my investigation.”

Elaine slipped the bodice over Joanna’s head and began lacing up the back, pulling the bodice tighter than Joanna would have liked.

“Aren’t there some clothes I could get in and out of myself?”

“You need to dress like nobility to get respect. The peasants won’t think much of a lady in servant’s clothes investigating a murder.”

“I doubt they think I’m a lady, regardless of what Guy said.”

“Then there’s no need to give them further evidence, is there?”

Once the dressing was done, Elaine motioned for Joanna to sit down so Elaine could brush her hair. Although Joanna’s forehead was still sore, she noticed Elaine brushed more carefully around the wound today. Joanna took several sips of the ale Elaine brought her and wished for tea. Breakfast would have been nice, but early morning meals didn’t appear to be common practice at Locksley.

“Where will you start today?” Elaine asked.

“Walter and Gwen are missing, so that puts them at the top of my list of suspects. However, I’d like to take another look at Bess and talk to Maude again.

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