Study of Murder, The (Five Star Mystery Series) by McDuffie Susan

Author:McDuffie, Susan [McDuffie, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Five Star
Published: 2013-09-17T00:00:00+00:00

The next morning Anthony and Crispin burst in while we were sitting at the widow’s table breaking our fast on small ale and her good bread. Widow Tanner was a fine cook.

“They’ve cancelled all the lectures!” Crispin announced.

“Because of the riots,” Anthony added. “Although Grymbaud’s men stopped the fight last afternoon before it amounted to much.”

Avice brought the lads some glasses of ale and I thought I saw her smile shyly at Anthony, who flushed. Then she glared at me and scuttled away to the kitchen. I drank more of my ale, wishing it were something stronger.

“A free day,” Donald exclaimed. “No boring lectures to attend. Let’s go get some wine in town.”

“You are not to go into town,” I said, wondering if the chancellor had been wise to cancel classes. Students in the taverns would be worse than students in lectures.

Widow Tanner bustled in with some more bread. “What is it they are wanting? Wine? They can get it from the vintner up the road, just past the tannery. Master Gibbes. It’s the last house before the Benedictines’ College. The boys will not need to go into town and can keep well away from any troubles.”

“Thank you. Perhaps I’ll go with them. Would you like some claret for the house?”

“No need, sir, but thank you for the thought.” With that Widow Tanner returned to the kitchen.

If the lads were buying wine, I thought, I might as well buy some also. Although whisky would have been more to my taste. My wife would not mind me. I was tired of playing nursemaid to a young lordling with no sense, obnoxious companions and an ill-tuned lute, and even more wearied at the thought of poor Ivo in gaol while his daughter looked at me like I was the devil himself for sending her father to prison. It might be a good day to get very drunk.

The sun shone benignly over a blue sky as the three lads and I made our way to Master Gibbes’s. The vintner’s wife happily sold us a small jug of claret, her first sale of the morning I surmised, and we started back to Widow Tanner’s. It seemed the boys intended to spend the day in Donald’s chambers again. At least that way it would be easier to keep an eye on them.

Anthony was carrying the jug. Donald felt it beneath his dignity to do so and Crispin, who more and more minded me of a stoat, had managed not to be involved. Suddenly I saw Anthony stumble as he kicked a stone in the road. He recovered himself but then set the jug down.

“What is it?” I asked, stopping. Donald and Crispin were far ahead and seemed not to have noticed Anthony’s fall. “Are you all right? Is the jug too heavy for you?”

“No, I’m managing it well enough. It’s just this—look.”

Anthony picked up something that glimmered. “It was under the stone. It’s pretty.”

It was a pewter medal on a broken chain, similar to a pilgrim’s badge, but with a bail so it could be worn around the neck.

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