Read Online The Butcher of St Peter's: (Knights Templar 19) by Michael Jecks - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Jecks
Ads: Link
needed
her
, she was gone. Perhaps if they’d had more children, it would have given her something to live for, but they only had each
other. And then, two years later, at the time which should have been Cissy’s third birthday, Est came home to find her hanging
from the rafter because she couldn’t bear to live any longer, not without her child.
Why should she live when her baby was dead? She had asked him that often enough, and he never had an answer, except that God
demanded lives when He was ready. Est had to believe that. Otherwise the whole city would have committed suicide just as she
did.
At least Est had found a way to manage his own grief. Even after his darling Emma left him, he still had something he could
do. And he would do it.
Cecily was playing with her rag doll in the yard behind the house when her father came home that day. She cocked her head
to listen as he crashed angrily into the house, and she heard the plates and mugs rattling as he thumped his staff on the
small sideboard and bellowed for wine.
She hunched her shoulders a little. He was cross again. He often was just now. It might mean he’d smack her if she misbehaved,
and she didn’t want that again.
‘Wine! In God’s name what does a man have to do to get a little drink in this place?’
There was a hurried slap of sandalled feet through the hall, and Cecily heard the calmer tones of her mother. ‘What is it,
husband?’
‘Don’t stare at me like that, woman. I’ve been working hardtoday, and don’t need your high-and-mighty manner. Fetch me a jug of wine.’
There was a muttered command and Cecily heard more feet. A moment later the maid appeared in the doorway, nodded to Cecily
with a smile, and darted out to the little lean-to shed at the back. She reappeared carrying a leather jug filled with strong
red wine and murmured, ‘Stay out here for a while; just play quietly,’ as she passed.
‘Well? What has happened today?’
‘More thefts from the cathedral, but when I try to pin it on that slippery bastard, there’s nothing I can do about it. He
wasn’t there, he was playing knuckles at his house, he had witnesses to prove he was never near the cathedral … he makes
me
puke
! Always the first with the quick answer, always so sure of himself …’
‘Can you not accept you could be wrong? Agnes knows him and says he is a very pleasant man, and she—’
‘Tell her I’ll not have him in this house!’
‘Husband? I don’t—’
‘Never. I don’t care if Agnes is a friend of his. If she wants to entertain him, she can do so in her own house, not here.’
‘You would throw her from our home? Where would she live?’
There was a moment’s silence. ‘I would rent her a place somewhere. A decent little house.’
‘Why?’ Juliana’s voice was sharp now. Cecily was sure that she had turned her head to peer at her husband from the corner
of her eye, as though her right ear was more reliable than the other. ‘Husband, why should you seek to exclude my sister from
our home?’
‘It’s not her, woman! It’s
him
! He’s a murderer and a thief! I’m sure of it.’
‘You have been for many years – what of it? You have never shown what he has done or how.’
‘Because—’ Daniel roared, and then his voice dropped as though he was too weary to continue this argument. ‘Because, wife,
he threatened me today. He said if I didn’t leave him to continue his business, he would murder all of us: you, me, the children,
all of us. I won’t have him in the house, because he could set a trap for us if he knew the place too well. Now do you understand
why I don’t want him here? Do you think I’d put you and the others at risk?’
The knock at his door stirred Reginald, and he felt his face wreathe itself in a smile of delight. God’s ballocks, he’d thought
she’d changed her mind! The vixen was here after all. Well, it was a relief. She had said her husband was going
her
, she was gone. Perhaps if they’d had more children, it would have given her something to live for, but they only had each
other. And then, two years later, at the time which should have been Cissy’s third birthday, Est came home to find her hanging
from the rafter because she couldn’t bear to live any longer, not without her child.
Why should she live when her baby was dead? She had asked him that often enough, and he never had an answer, except that God
demanded lives when He was ready. Est had to believe that. Otherwise the whole city would have committed suicide just as she
did.
At least Est had found a way to manage his own grief. Even after his darling Emma left him, he still had something he could
do. And he would do it.
Cecily was playing with her rag doll in the yard behind the house when her father came home that day. She cocked her head
to listen as he crashed angrily into the house, and she heard the plates and mugs rattling as he thumped his staff on the
small sideboard and bellowed for wine.
She hunched her shoulders a little. He was cross again. He often was just now. It might mean he’d smack her if she misbehaved,
and she didn’t want that again.
‘Wine! In God’s name what does a man have to do to get a little drink in this place?’
There was a hurried slap of sandalled feet through the hall, and Cecily heard the calmer tones of her mother. ‘What is it,
husband?’
‘Don’t stare at me like that, woman. I’ve been working hardtoday, and don’t need your high-and-mighty manner. Fetch me a jug of wine.’
There was a muttered command and Cecily heard more feet. A moment later the maid appeared in the doorway, nodded to Cecily
with a smile, and darted out to the little lean-to shed at the back. She reappeared carrying a leather jug filled with strong
red wine and murmured, ‘Stay out here for a while; just play quietly,’ as she passed.
‘Well? What has happened today?’
‘More thefts from the cathedral, but when I try to pin it on that slippery bastard, there’s nothing I can do about it. He
wasn’t there, he was playing knuckles at his house, he had witnesses to prove he was never near the cathedral … he makes
me
puke
! Always the first with the quick answer, always so sure of himself …’
‘Can you not accept you could be wrong? Agnes knows him and says he is a very pleasant man, and she—’
‘Tell her I’ll not have him in this house!’
‘Husband? I don’t—’
‘Never. I don’t care if Agnes is a friend of his. If she wants to entertain him, she can do so in her own house, not here.’
‘You would throw her from our home? Where would she live?’
There was a moment’s silence. ‘I would rent her a place somewhere. A decent little house.’
‘Why?’ Juliana’s voice was sharp now. Cecily was sure that she had turned her head to peer at her husband from the corner
of her eye, as though her right ear was more reliable than the other. ‘Husband, why should you seek to exclude my sister from
our home?’
‘It’s not her, woman! It’s
him
! He’s a murderer and a thief! I’m sure of it.’
‘You have been for many years – what of it? You have never shown what he has done or how.’
‘Because—’ Daniel roared, and then his voice dropped as though he was too weary to continue this argument. ‘Because, wife,
he threatened me today. He said if I didn’t leave him to continue his business, he would murder all of us: you, me, the children,
all of us. I won’t have him in the house, because he could set a trap for us if he knew the place too well. Now do you understand
why I don’t want him here? Do you think I’d put you and the others at risk?’
The knock at his door stirred Reginald, and he felt his face wreathe itself in a smile of delight. God’s ballocks, he’d thought
she’d changed her mind! The vixen was here after all. Well, it was a relief. She had said her husband was going
Similar Books
