Read Online Death by Disputation (A Francis Bacon Mystery Book 2) by Anna Castle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Anna Castle
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sizars!” The butler flapped his hand in disgust. “They’re always snuffling up the leftovers. Even that Diligence, who’s normally a useful lad. Willing to do a little extra sweeping up now and again, in exchange for a treat or two. Like the others in that way — always hungry! You’d think we never fed them.” He fixed Tom with a stern eye. “We do; don’t think we don’t. They get as good as everybody else.”
“I never doubted it. To be honest, I don’t see how a boy his size could put himself under the table with what was left in that jug.”
“Leeds’s jug? Nor he never did! Leeds liked his wine weak, sweet, and spicy. Every Monday morning while he worked on his book. I mixed it myself.”
“What kind of spices did you use?” Tom asked. One man’s spice was another man’s poison.
“Honey, pepper, and ginger, which wouldn’t hurt a fly.” The butler glared at him sharply. “I’m not sure I like the trend of your questions. What business is it of yours anyway?”
Tom held up a pacifying hand. “No business whatsoever. I like the little shaver, that’s all. Everybody always pushes him around. To be honest, I’m wondering if he added something to that wine himself, in which case, perhaps I ought to have a word with him. Dilly was dead to the world. I had to walk him around the room for a good while to wake him up.”
Now the butler looked concerned. “We don’t want that sort of thing here. No, indeed. Although, I wouldn’t have expected such antics from a Wingfield. Precise, they are. Puritans.” He mimed a spit. “Mind you, their father’s a preacher.”
Tom clucked his tongue. “What could lay a boy out like that?”
“Well, let me think.” The butler tapped his lip while he thought. “Valerian might, if you used enough of it. The cook takes that to help him sleep. Poppy juice would do the trick too and quicker, but we don’t keep that in store here.” He stabbed his long finger at Tom. “Poppy has its uses, but it’s not for you youngsters. Best nip that in the bud at once.”
Tom agreed. Francis Bacon took poppy juice sometimes for excessive mental strain. The one time Tom had tried it, it made him woozy and left him with the devil of a headache. “When did Dilly fetch the jug?”
“Right after breakfast, same as usual.”
“He came to this window and asked you for it?”
“Why would he ask?” The butler sneered. “I’m busy, especially at that hour, but not so behindhand I can’t remember a regular order. I fix Mr. Leeds’s jug after sending out the breakfast ale. I set it out there, on the corner.” He pointed at the long table against the wall.
“So it would stand there and wait for Diligence?”
“What else would it do? Dance a little jig?” He wobbled his shoulders in a sort of sitting jig to illustrate. “Not that I would notice. I’ve got my hands full at that time of day.”
“Do lots of men want extra drink after breakfast?” Tom was surprised. He could barely stay awake during the morning rhetoric lectures as it was. More ale would drop him snoring under the bench.
The butler looked at him as if he were an especially annoying idiot. “I do more than serve drinks and keep track of students’ accounts, mind you. I keep track of most of what comes in and goes out of this college. Everything has to be paid for and written up in my books.”
Tom grinned admiringly. “I don’t know how you do it. I guess that’s why everyone says you’re the best college butler in the whole university.”
The butler accepted the praise with a lopsided smile. He looked pointedly into Tom’s empty cup. Tom asked for another round and added, “Won’t you join me?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” The butler refilled Tom’s cup and poured one for himself, noting both against Tom’s name in his book.
Tom sipped his drink. “Do you usually work on the accounts after breakfast?”
The butler blew out a noisy breath. “Not hardly! That’s when all the
“I never doubted it. To be honest, I don’t see how a boy his size could put himself under the table with what was left in that jug.”
“Leeds’s jug? Nor he never did! Leeds liked his wine weak, sweet, and spicy. Every Monday morning while he worked on his book. I mixed it myself.”
“What kind of spices did you use?” Tom asked. One man’s spice was another man’s poison.
“Honey, pepper, and ginger, which wouldn’t hurt a fly.” The butler glared at him sharply. “I’m not sure I like the trend of your questions. What business is it of yours anyway?”
Tom held up a pacifying hand. “No business whatsoever. I like the little shaver, that’s all. Everybody always pushes him around. To be honest, I’m wondering if he added something to that wine himself, in which case, perhaps I ought to have a word with him. Dilly was dead to the world. I had to walk him around the room for a good while to wake him up.”
Now the butler looked concerned. “We don’t want that sort of thing here. No, indeed. Although, I wouldn’t have expected such antics from a Wingfield. Precise, they are. Puritans.” He mimed a spit. “Mind you, their father’s a preacher.”
Tom clucked his tongue. “What could lay a boy out like that?”
“Well, let me think.” The butler tapped his lip while he thought. “Valerian might, if you used enough of it. The cook takes that to help him sleep. Poppy juice would do the trick too and quicker, but we don’t keep that in store here.” He stabbed his long finger at Tom. “Poppy has its uses, but it’s not for you youngsters. Best nip that in the bud at once.”
Tom agreed. Francis Bacon took poppy juice sometimes for excessive mental strain. The one time Tom had tried it, it made him woozy and left him with the devil of a headache. “When did Dilly fetch the jug?”
“Right after breakfast, same as usual.”
“He came to this window and asked you for it?”
“Why would he ask?” The butler sneered. “I’m busy, especially at that hour, but not so behindhand I can’t remember a regular order. I fix Mr. Leeds’s jug after sending out the breakfast ale. I set it out there, on the corner.” He pointed at the long table against the wall.
“So it would stand there and wait for Diligence?”
“What else would it do? Dance a little jig?” He wobbled his shoulders in a sort of sitting jig to illustrate. “Not that I would notice. I’ve got my hands full at that time of day.”
“Do lots of men want extra drink after breakfast?” Tom was surprised. He could barely stay awake during the morning rhetoric lectures as it was. More ale would drop him snoring under the bench.
The butler looked at him as if he were an especially annoying idiot. “I do more than serve drinks and keep track of students’ accounts, mind you. I keep track of most of what comes in and goes out of this college. Everything has to be paid for and written up in my books.”
Tom grinned admiringly. “I don’t know how you do it. I guess that’s why everyone says you’re the best college butler in the whole university.”
The butler accepted the praise with a lopsided smile. He looked pointedly into Tom’s empty cup. Tom asked for another round and added, “Won’t you join me?”
“Don’t mind if I do.” The butler refilled Tom’s cup and poured one for himself, noting both against Tom’s name in his book.
Tom sipped his drink. “Do you usually work on the accounts after breakfast?”
The butler blew out a noisy breath. “Not hardly! That’s when all the
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