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Authors: Charlie Cochrane
Tags: Romance MM, erotic MM
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Solomon’s use of
allegory which fooled no one, least of all himself. He discreetly changed the subject. “I hear Miss Peters has got you onto the case of the Woodville Ward.”
“She has indeed.” Jonty smiled. It was rumoured around
Bride’s that the chaplain had a soft spot for the Master’s sister, although in this college gossip was for once wrong. It was upon
the expansive bosom of Cecily Hatfield that he actually longed to rest his head.
“It is a shame that no one has taken an interest in the chapel
records in this regard.”
Orlando’s ears pricked up like the 1906 Derby winner’s had
as the horse approached the winning post with a wodge of Stewart and Coppersmith money on its back. “Would they have found
something of interest?”
“I believe so. Nothing much, I grant you, but something I
feel to be too important to have been overlooked.” Lumley now
had both fellows’ rapt attention. “Just previously to the time when Shaa disappeared, a young lad—I assume he was young, all the
www.lindenbayromance.com 55
Charlie Cochrane
details I have are that he was ‘Stephen, a college servant’—went missing as well. I find that to be quite possibly significant.”
“It may be.” Jonty’s eyes shone in the candlelight. “Was
there any other reference made to him?”
“No. Sadly, in all the kerfuffle about the disappearance of
the queen’s friend, poor Stephen’s loss seems to have been given no more consideration. And after the events of last January, it did strike me as odd for two men to have been lost at the same time.”
The chaplain paled at the horrors the college had endured the
previous winter. He’d found one of the bodies and the sheer
hatred in evidence in the killing had distressed him enormously.
“But why has no one considered this already? The two might
well have been linked.”
“I daresay people have considered it, Dr. Coppersmith—”
Jonty lunged into a particularly delicious-looking crème caramel,
“—and if this fact didn’t suit their pet theory they probably just as soon discarded it. Even if you mathematicians pride yourselves on your intellectual rigour and honesty, I can assure you that it isn’t uncommon for evidence to be ignored or even suppressed willy-nilly by some of your rather less-scrupulous counterparts.”
“But that’s scandalous! If an established fact doesn’t fit a
theory then it’s the theory that must be changed, not the other way around. I know people say it’s the exception that proves the rule but they misunderstand the meaning of the word prove .” Orlando looked indignant, as he always did when sloppy methods were
proposed.
“They do indeed, sir,” Lumley chipped in, “and I’m afraid
that some of my fellow clerics are the worst offenders. However, I feel certain—” he beamed at both of his friends, “—that you will take my poor Stephen into your considerations.”
“You may rest assured of that.” Jonty nodded his head with
great determination. “We’ve learned our lesson from jumping to
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Lessons in Discovery
conclusions or complicating issues. This time we’ll be as clinical as you like.”
After dinner, coffee in the SCR was rejected in favour of
some peace and quiet in Stewart’s set. They sat companionably in the chairs in front of the hearth, the fire stoked up high this bitter November evening. Orlando had found a book on the nature of
the electron which he swore was fascinating. Jonty was content
with a book about Marlowe, one likely very near the truth about
the man’s life and making much of the great reckoning that had
proved so deadly in the small room.
Jonty kept glancing sidelong at his friend, wondering if he
should risk reaching across to touch his hand, maybe venture a
tentative touch and see if any electrons were sent flying in the process. It had taken months the first time—could he risk being
more forward now? The remembrance
allegory which fooled no one, least of all himself. He discreetly changed the subject. “I hear Miss Peters has got you onto the case of the Woodville Ward.”
“She has indeed.” Jonty smiled. It was rumoured around
Bride’s that the chaplain had a soft spot for the Master’s sister, although in this college gossip was for once wrong. It was upon
the expansive bosom of Cecily Hatfield that he actually longed to rest his head.
“It is a shame that no one has taken an interest in the chapel
records in this regard.”
Orlando’s ears pricked up like the 1906 Derby winner’s had
as the horse approached the winning post with a wodge of Stewart and Coppersmith money on its back. “Would they have found
something of interest?”
“I believe so. Nothing much, I grant you, but something I
feel to be too important to have been overlooked.” Lumley now
had both fellows’ rapt attention. “Just previously to the time when Shaa disappeared, a young lad—I assume he was young, all the
www.lindenbayromance.com 55
Charlie Cochrane
details I have are that he was ‘Stephen, a college servant’—went missing as well. I find that to be quite possibly significant.”
“It may be.” Jonty’s eyes shone in the candlelight. “Was
there any other reference made to him?”
“No. Sadly, in all the kerfuffle about the disappearance of
the queen’s friend, poor Stephen’s loss seems to have been given no more consideration. And after the events of last January, it did strike me as odd for two men to have been lost at the same time.”
The chaplain paled at the horrors the college had endured the
previous winter. He’d found one of the bodies and the sheer
hatred in evidence in the killing had distressed him enormously.
“But why has no one considered this already? The two might
well have been linked.”
“I daresay people have considered it, Dr. Coppersmith—”
Jonty lunged into a particularly delicious-looking crème caramel,
“—and if this fact didn’t suit their pet theory they probably just as soon discarded it. Even if you mathematicians pride yourselves on your intellectual rigour and honesty, I can assure you that it isn’t uncommon for evidence to be ignored or even suppressed willy-nilly by some of your rather less-scrupulous counterparts.”
“But that’s scandalous! If an established fact doesn’t fit a
theory then it’s the theory that must be changed, not the other way around. I know people say it’s the exception that proves the rule but they misunderstand the meaning of the word prove .” Orlando looked indignant, as he always did when sloppy methods were
proposed.
“They do indeed, sir,” Lumley chipped in, “and I’m afraid
that some of my fellow clerics are the worst offenders. However, I feel certain—” he beamed at both of his friends, “—that you will take my poor Stephen into your considerations.”
“You may rest assured of that.” Jonty nodded his head with
great determination. “We’ve learned our lesson from jumping to
56
www.lindenbayromance.com
Lessons in Discovery
conclusions or complicating issues. This time we’ll be as clinical as you like.”
After dinner, coffee in the SCR was rejected in favour of
some peace and quiet in Stewart’s set. They sat companionably in the chairs in front of the hearth, the fire stoked up high this bitter November evening. Orlando had found a book on the nature of
the electron which he swore was fascinating. Jonty was content
with a book about Marlowe, one likely very near the truth about
the man’s life and making much of the great reckoning that had
proved so deadly in the small room.
Jonty kept glancing sidelong at his friend, wondering if he
should risk reaching across to touch his hand, maybe venture a
tentative touch and see if any electrons were sent flying in the process. It had taken months the first time—could he risk being
more forward now? The remembrance
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