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Authors: Kate Sedley
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had anyone.’
Adela laughed. ‘There were plenty of girls after Dick Manifold, Margaret, including your own daughter, even though she was far too young for him.’
My mother-in-law frowned. ‘If you’re implying, Cousin, that Lillis was flighty, I think it in very poor taste, particularly in front of her husband and child.’
Adela seemed to be holding her temper in check as she answered, ‘I meant no such thing, as I think you well know. But if I’ve upset either you or Roger, I’m sorry.’
‘There’s no need to apologize to me,’ I assured her, and suspecting that this might prove as good a moment as any, I hurried on, ‘There may be a chance you could rent Imelda Bracegirdle’s cottage. It’s in the gift of Saint James’s Priory and I’ve taken the liberty of mentioning your name to one of the Brothers, who has promised to bear it in mind. Unless, of course, you would dislike living in a house where a murder has been committed.’
‘Of course she would dislike it!’ my mother-in-law exclaimed angrily, seeing all her carefully laid plans being undermined by my action. ‘How dared you presume so, Roger, without consulting Adela first?’
Her cousin, who was spooning fish broth into Nicholas’s mouth, paused and stared in surprise. ‘Don’t scold him, Margaret. He has my grateful thanks. I’ve told you I don’t intend being a burden on you for any longer than I can help, and this could well be the answer.’ She turned and smiled at me with genuine warmth. ‘It was clever of you, Roger, to think of me; and death is death, in whatever guise it comes. Every dwelling has previously been inhabited by someone who’s died.’
‘And how do you propose to pay the rent?’ my mother-in-law demanded waspishly. ‘You seem to have very little money of your own.’
Adela replied serenely, ‘You’ve said you’ll speak to Alderman Weaver on my behalf, and I know you too well to believe that you’d go back on a promise. I’m sure he’ll find me some work to do if you recommend me.’
I smiled inwardly. Adela Juett was an opponent worthy of anyone’s steel. It would not be easy to get under her guard.
My mother-in-law hunched her shoulders and continued to eat in offended silence; but as the meal progressed, her mood began to lighten, and I guessed that she had already realized the discomforts entailed in sharing her home. And by the time we had finished the broth and started on the oatcakes and goat’s-milk cheese, she had obviously persuaded herself that all was not yet lost.
‘Well, if the Brothers do rent you the cottage, Adela,’ she said at last, ‘I daresay there will be plenty of improvements that need doing, so don’t hesitate to call on Roger for assistance. I won’t pretend he’s the handiest of men about the house, but he can put up a shelf that doesn’t fall down and he can carry logs and water.’ She looked across at me, the creases deepening in her forehead. ‘What are you going to say to Master and Mistress Burnett tomorrow? I don’t want you siding with them against the Alderman.’
I understood her worry, but I could not promise her not to get involved if I should think it right to do so.
‘There’s no question of taking sides, Mother. This young man either is or is not Clement Weaver. All I should wish to do is discover the truth.’
‘I knew it,’ she moaned, pushing away her oatcake, half-eaten. ‘You do intend poking your nose in.’
‘Would you want Alison Burnett to be deprived of half her inheritance by a clever imposter?’
‘I know what I wouldn’t want,’ she retorted harshly, ‘and that’s to lose my livelihood and home. Alderman Weaver has every right to consider his affairs none of your business.’
‘He wouldn’t penalize you like that,’ I answered gently. ‘He’s not a vindictive man. He wouldn’t blame you for my sins, however much he might resent me.’
She looked almost convinced by this argument, having worked for the Alderman
Adela laughed. ‘There were plenty of girls after Dick Manifold, Margaret, including your own daughter, even though she was far too young for him.’
My mother-in-law frowned. ‘If you’re implying, Cousin, that Lillis was flighty, I think it in very poor taste, particularly in front of her husband and child.’
Adela seemed to be holding her temper in check as she answered, ‘I meant no such thing, as I think you well know. But if I’ve upset either you or Roger, I’m sorry.’
‘There’s no need to apologize to me,’ I assured her, and suspecting that this might prove as good a moment as any, I hurried on, ‘There may be a chance you could rent Imelda Bracegirdle’s cottage. It’s in the gift of Saint James’s Priory and I’ve taken the liberty of mentioning your name to one of the Brothers, who has promised to bear it in mind. Unless, of course, you would dislike living in a house where a murder has been committed.’
‘Of course she would dislike it!’ my mother-in-law exclaimed angrily, seeing all her carefully laid plans being undermined by my action. ‘How dared you presume so, Roger, without consulting Adela first?’
Her cousin, who was spooning fish broth into Nicholas’s mouth, paused and stared in surprise. ‘Don’t scold him, Margaret. He has my grateful thanks. I’ve told you I don’t intend being a burden on you for any longer than I can help, and this could well be the answer.’ She turned and smiled at me with genuine warmth. ‘It was clever of you, Roger, to think of me; and death is death, in whatever guise it comes. Every dwelling has previously been inhabited by someone who’s died.’
‘And how do you propose to pay the rent?’ my mother-in-law demanded waspishly. ‘You seem to have very little money of your own.’
Adela replied serenely, ‘You’ve said you’ll speak to Alderman Weaver on my behalf, and I know you too well to believe that you’d go back on a promise. I’m sure he’ll find me some work to do if you recommend me.’
I smiled inwardly. Adela Juett was an opponent worthy of anyone’s steel. It would not be easy to get under her guard.
My mother-in-law hunched her shoulders and continued to eat in offended silence; but as the meal progressed, her mood began to lighten, and I guessed that she had already realized the discomforts entailed in sharing her home. And by the time we had finished the broth and started on the oatcakes and goat’s-milk cheese, she had obviously persuaded herself that all was not yet lost.
‘Well, if the Brothers do rent you the cottage, Adela,’ she said at last, ‘I daresay there will be plenty of improvements that need doing, so don’t hesitate to call on Roger for assistance. I won’t pretend he’s the handiest of men about the house, but he can put up a shelf that doesn’t fall down and he can carry logs and water.’ She looked across at me, the creases deepening in her forehead. ‘What are you going to say to Master and Mistress Burnett tomorrow? I don’t want you siding with them against the Alderman.’
I understood her worry, but I could not promise her not to get involved if I should think it right to do so.
‘There’s no question of taking sides, Mother. This young man either is or is not Clement Weaver. All I should wish to do is discover the truth.’
‘I knew it,’ she moaned, pushing away her oatcake, half-eaten. ‘You do intend poking your nose in.’
‘Would you want Alison Burnett to be deprived of half her inheritance by a clever imposter?’
‘I know what I wouldn’t want,’ she retorted harshly, ‘and that’s to lose my livelihood and home. Alderman Weaver has every right to consider his affairs none of your business.’
‘He wouldn’t penalize you like that,’ I answered gently. ‘He’s not a vindictive man. He wouldn’t blame you for my sins, however much he might resent me.’
She looked almost convinced by this argument, having worked for the Alderman
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