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Authors: Susanna Gregory
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have? He probably fled to avoid prosecution – there is a bylaw banning itinerant performers from this part of the city.’
Chaloner was not sure what to think. ‘What did he look like?’
‘I did not take much notice. Ask Jeremiah Copping, one of the postal clerks who was injured. When I tended his wound, he said he had been listening to the music before the blast. He will probably answer your questions, although he is an arrogant sort.’
Coming from Wiseman, this was a damning indictment.
‘Copping was friends with the Alibond brothers,’ added Temperance unhappily. ‘They often came to the club together. Poor Copping. He will miss them, too.’
‘How badly hurt is he?’ asked Chaloner. ‘And where does he live?’
‘He had a large splinter inhis neck.’ Wiseman’s eyes gleamed at the recollection. ‘I removed it with deft efficiency, although he cried like a baby. He should make a full recovery. He lives with his sister, who owns the Catherine Wheel tavern on Cheapside.’
Temperance began to reminisce about the Alibond brothers at that point, while Chaloner struggled to remember exactly what he had seen and heard just before the explosion. He had been trained to be observant, and knew he should have been able to describe any number of people in the crowd, but the images in his mind were blurred and disjointed, like looking through thick fog.
He stopped trying to force the issue, and instead thought about Gery and the new staff he had hired. Why had he picked Morland? The man was brazenly treacherous, and only a fool would trust him. Moreover, the Earl was always claiming that he did not have enough money to pay his staff, so why was he suddenly able to afford Gery, Freer, Morland and six soldiers? Yet again, Chaloner had the sense that something untoward was brewing in the Earl’s household. It might even explain why he himself was being packed off to Russia, a distant and very dangerous place from which he might never return.
When he finally dragged his attention back to his friends they were discussing Mary Wood.
‘There are rumours that she was murdered,’ Temperance was saying. ‘Are they true?’
‘I was summoned to tend her,’ replied the surgeon pompously. ‘But she was dead by the time I arrived. It was certainly the small-pox, though: the marks are unmistakeable.’
‘There was no evidence offoul play?’ pressed Temperance.
‘None that I saw.’ Wiseman rubbed his hands in gluttonous anticipation when the pot-boy arrived with an assortment of roasted meat. ‘Goose! What a treat.’
‘Will you examine her again?’ asked Temperance. ‘Just to be sure?’
Wiseman shrugged. ‘Why not? Someone should quell these nasty tales. Perhaps you will join me, Chaloner? The woman was a courtier, so you must be interested. And if I do discover anything amiss, Clarendon will ask you to investigate.’
‘He is more likely to ask Gery,’ said Chaloner, not without rancour.
‘Even more reason for you to come, then,’ said Wiseman, clapping a friendly hand on his shoulder. ‘You can claim prior knowledge of the case, and solve it to impress him. Come to the Westminster charnel house on Tuesday afternoon, and we shall assess her together.’
‘Why so long?’ asked Temperance. ‘She may be buried by then.’
‘Her funeral is next Wednesday – Wood told me himself at Court today.’ Wiseman’s tone was haughty. ‘And I cannot possibly spare the time before that – I shall be too busy with the injuries arising from this blast. Including tending you, Chaloner. You do not look at all well. Allow me to—’
Chaloner stood hastily. ‘There is nothing wrong that an early night will not cure.’
Unfortunately an early night was noton the agenda for Chaloner. He arrived at Tothill Street to find Hannah entertaining. He tried to sneak upstairs without being seen, but she had heard the front door open, and came to intercept him. She was unsympathetic when he told her about the
Chaloner was not sure what to think. ‘What did he look like?’
‘I did not take much notice. Ask Jeremiah Copping, one of the postal clerks who was injured. When I tended his wound, he said he had been listening to the music before the blast. He will probably answer your questions, although he is an arrogant sort.’
Coming from Wiseman, this was a damning indictment.
‘Copping was friends with the Alibond brothers,’ added Temperance unhappily. ‘They often came to the club together. Poor Copping. He will miss them, too.’
‘How badly hurt is he?’ asked Chaloner. ‘And where does he live?’
‘He had a large splinter inhis neck.’ Wiseman’s eyes gleamed at the recollection. ‘I removed it with deft efficiency, although he cried like a baby. He should make a full recovery. He lives with his sister, who owns the Catherine Wheel tavern on Cheapside.’
Temperance began to reminisce about the Alibond brothers at that point, while Chaloner struggled to remember exactly what he had seen and heard just before the explosion. He had been trained to be observant, and knew he should have been able to describe any number of people in the crowd, but the images in his mind were blurred and disjointed, like looking through thick fog.
He stopped trying to force the issue, and instead thought about Gery and the new staff he had hired. Why had he picked Morland? The man was brazenly treacherous, and only a fool would trust him. Moreover, the Earl was always claiming that he did not have enough money to pay his staff, so why was he suddenly able to afford Gery, Freer, Morland and six soldiers? Yet again, Chaloner had the sense that something untoward was brewing in the Earl’s household. It might even explain why he himself was being packed off to Russia, a distant and very dangerous place from which he might never return.
When he finally dragged his attention back to his friends they were discussing Mary Wood.
‘There are rumours that she was murdered,’ Temperance was saying. ‘Are they true?’
‘I was summoned to tend her,’ replied the surgeon pompously. ‘But she was dead by the time I arrived. It was certainly the small-pox, though: the marks are unmistakeable.’
‘There was no evidence offoul play?’ pressed Temperance.
‘None that I saw.’ Wiseman rubbed his hands in gluttonous anticipation when the pot-boy arrived with an assortment of roasted meat. ‘Goose! What a treat.’
‘Will you examine her again?’ asked Temperance. ‘Just to be sure?’
Wiseman shrugged. ‘Why not? Someone should quell these nasty tales. Perhaps you will join me, Chaloner? The woman was a courtier, so you must be interested. And if I do discover anything amiss, Clarendon will ask you to investigate.’
‘He is more likely to ask Gery,’ said Chaloner, not without rancour.
‘Even more reason for you to come, then,’ said Wiseman, clapping a friendly hand on his shoulder. ‘You can claim prior knowledge of the case, and solve it to impress him. Come to the Westminster charnel house on Tuesday afternoon, and we shall assess her together.’
‘Why so long?’ asked Temperance. ‘She may be buried by then.’
‘Her funeral is next Wednesday – Wood told me himself at Court today.’ Wiseman’s tone was haughty. ‘And I cannot possibly spare the time before that – I shall be too busy with the injuries arising from this blast. Including tending you, Chaloner. You do not look at all well. Allow me to—’
Chaloner stood hastily. ‘There is nothing wrong that an early night will not cure.’
Unfortunately an early night was noton the agenda for Chaloner. He arrived at Tothill Street to find Hannah entertaining. He tried to sneak upstairs without being seen, but she had heard the front door open, and came to intercept him. She was unsympathetic when he told her about the
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