Cooper, and that you know his wife. I wanted to bring you this news in person.” He paused. I almost told him that I knew that Stephen had been murdered, but something in his voice made me hold my tongue. His news went beyond the murder itself.
“The surgeon says that Mr. Cooper was murdered by poison,” he continued. “After my father discovered this, he ordered the constable to search his home. I went with him to oversee the search. The maid helped them with the search and she discovered a vial of ratsbane hidden in Esther Cooper’s clothes chest. Aunt Bridget, Esther killed him. The constable arrested her, and took her to the Castle.”
I sat abruptly and tried to absorb what my nephew had told me. Esther, a murderess? It seemed impossible—for all his faults, I knew that she loved Stephen. My eyes drifted to Phineas’s portrait, and I had the most absurd thought: I had lived with Phineas without killing him; surely Esther could have tolerated Stephen.
“How can you be so sure it was her?” I asked.
“The apothecary and surgeon agreed that ratsbane killed Mr. Cooper, and we found the vial in her chest. She had hidden it there.”
“Did she confess?”
“Not yet, I don’t think. As they took her to gaol, she sobbed and protested her innocence. She might have confessed since. I don’t know how hard they’ve pressed her.”
“God save us,” I said. I sat in silence, trying to imagine why Esther would poison her husband’s milk and then hide the poison in her own chamber. Even if Stephen had driven her to kill, he surely hadn’t made her into an idiot.
“Will, is that the only evidence you have? That the poison was in her chamber?”
“The neighbors said that they fought,” he said. Before I could object, he continued. “There is more news than this. She’ll be tried tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? With that evidence? You must be jesting! And who will oversee the trial? The city is under siege. Has the Lord Mayor smuggled an assize judge into the city?”
“The Aldermen have met and decided to hold a special court just for this purpose. The Lord Mayor will preside, and the rest of the Aldermen will sit as the jury. It’s a more learned group than she could hope for in a conventional trial. My father will be there. He will see that justice is done.”
“But the Lord Mayor wasn’t even elected!” I objected. “He was installed by order of the King, and has been kept there on the King’s insistence. This is no court at all. Surely you can see that.”
“It is irregular,” he conceded. “But the evidence is damning. And what would you have them do? Does the siege suspend the laws of God? The Lord Mayor believes that the presence of rebels at the city gates makes it more necessary than ever to prosecute treason, wherever it takes place. And my father agrees.”
“And you? Do you support this court?” I was incensed.
“Aunt Bridget, she murdered her natural lord and master,” he insisted. “Whether it is a servant who kills his master, a son his father or a wife her husband, by law it is petty treason.” He knew my sympathies lay with the King and hadn’t expected this reaction.
“And she deserves a trial. A real trial, not one intended to show how much the Lord Mayor loves the King and hates rebellion.”
“Well, it wasn’t my decision,” he said. “It’s not even my father’s. There’s really nothing to be done, not by me, and certainly not by you.” I considered his point and relented.
“Ah, Will, I am sorry. You are the bearer of bad tidings, not the cause.” He nodded, accepting my apology. “But I will have words with your father, you can be sure of that.”
“I will warn him, though I can’t imagine it will do him much good,” said Will with a smile.
“Will, can you join us for dinner?” I asked. He was never one to turn down Hannah’s cooking.
“I’m afraid I cannot. My father has business to which I must attend.” As he spoke, Will’s voice swelled
“The surgeon says that Mr. Cooper was murdered by poison,” he continued. “After my father discovered this, he ordered the constable to search his home. I went with him to oversee the search. The maid helped them with the search and she discovered a vial of ratsbane hidden in Esther Cooper’s clothes chest. Aunt Bridget, Esther killed him. The constable arrested her, and took her to the Castle.”
I sat abruptly and tried to absorb what my nephew had told me. Esther, a murderess? It seemed impossible—for all his faults, I knew that she loved Stephen. My eyes drifted to Phineas’s portrait, and I had the most absurd thought: I had lived with Phineas without killing him; surely Esther could have tolerated Stephen.
“How can you be so sure it was her?” I asked.
“The apothecary and surgeon agreed that ratsbane killed Mr. Cooper, and we found the vial in her chest. She had hidden it there.”
“Did she confess?”
“Not yet, I don’t think. As they took her to gaol, she sobbed and protested her innocence. She might have confessed since. I don’t know how hard they’ve pressed her.”
“God save us,” I said. I sat in silence, trying to imagine why Esther would poison her husband’s milk and then hide the poison in her own chamber. Even if Stephen had driven her to kill, he surely hadn’t made her into an idiot.
“Will, is that the only evidence you have? That the poison was in her chamber?”
“The neighbors said that they fought,” he said. Before I could object, he continued. “There is more news than this. She’ll be tried tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow? With that evidence? You must be jesting! And who will oversee the trial? The city is under siege. Has the Lord Mayor smuggled an assize judge into the city?”
“The Aldermen have met and decided to hold a special court just for this purpose. The Lord Mayor will preside, and the rest of the Aldermen will sit as the jury. It’s a more learned group than she could hope for in a conventional trial. My father will be there. He will see that justice is done.”
“But the Lord Mayor wasn’t even elected!” I objected. “He was installed by order of the King, and has been kept there on the King’s insistence. This is no court at all. Surely you can see that.”
“It is irregular,” he conceded. “But the evidence is damning. And what would you have them do? Does the siege suspend the laws of God? The Lord Mayor believes that the presence of rebels at the city gates makes it more necessary than ever to prosecute treason, wherever it takes place. And my father agrees.”
“And you? Do you support this court?” I was incensed.
“Aunt Bridget, she murdered her natural lord and master,” he insisted. “Whether it is a servant who kills his master, a son his father or a wife her husband, by law it is petty treason.” He knew my sympathies lay with the King and hadn’t expected this reaction.
“And she deserves a trial. A real trial, not one intended to show how much the Lord Mayor loves the King and hates rebellion.”
“Well, it wasn’t my decision,” he said. “It’s not even my father’s. There’s really nothing to be done, not by me, and certainly not by you.” I considered his point and relented.
“Ah, Will, I am sorry. You are the bearer of bad tidings, not the cause.” He nodded, accepting my apology. “But I will have words with your father, you can be sure of that.”
“I will warn him, though I can’t imagine it will do him much good,” said Will with a smile.
“Will, can you join us for dinner?” I asked. He was never one to turn down Hannah’s cooking.
“I’m afraid I cannot. My father has business to which I must attend.” As he spoke, Will’s voice swelled
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