Deliverance: A Justice Belstrang Mystery John Pilkington (story reading .TXT) 📖

said sweetly. ‘You have my deepest condolences for your coming loss. The Justice and I were most saddened when we heard.’

‘I don’t follow you,’ I said, feeling a frown coming on. ‘Pray, what is this loss you speak of?’

‘I quite understand,’ came the reply. ‘It must be too painful to speak of… I’m most sorry for raising the matter.’

‘What matter?’ Hester asked. She shifted her gaze from Mistress Standish’s face to that of her foppish friend, who curled his lip disdainfully. But now, having chosen her moment, the lady delivered her killing blow.

‘Why, the loss of Thirldon, of course,’ she said, lifting her brows at me. ‘It’s tragic… your family have dwelt there for generations, have they not? But then, when the eye of His Majesty the King lights on such a prize, there’s little one can do, is there?’

I gazed at her, too stunned to speak. Beside me, Hester jerked as if struck.

‘God in heaven, Madam, do you not see what you have done?’ The perfumed popinjay on Mistress Standish’s arm spoke up in a languid tone. ‘I’d lay odds the poor man doesn’t know yet… he’s plain lost his reason, along with his voice!’

‘Oh, my dear…’ Mistress Standish put on a look of such horror, she could have done sterling work as a player. Lifting a hand, she made as if to ward off the thought. ‘But this is unbearable, sir – I naturally assumed that you knew!’

And she would have put a consoling palm out to me, had I not received a dig in the ribs from Hester. In a moment she had drawn me aside, ushering me away from this cruel-hearted woman. I was still so shaken by her words that I submitted, the pair of us almost stumbling off up the street, jostled by the throng still coming from the play. After taking a few paces, however, I stopped and turned back, as if to reassure myself of what had just occurred.

There, watching me with a shameless smirk, stood Mistress Standish. To add further insult her companion swept off his hat and made a bow, then burst into mocking laughter.

‘Come, walk!’

Hester gripped my arm, urging me onward. With an effort, I picked up my pace and walked with her until we had put some distance between ourselves and the people who had spoiled our afternoon so harshly. Not until we had reached the stables where our mounts awaited us, did we pause for breath.

‘Surely you didn’t believe her?’ She faced me, her eyes full of concern. ‘She meant to dismay you, nothing more. She has never forgiven you for getting the better of her husband as you did last year… she is bitterness itself!’

I exhaled, and gave a nod. ‘But what an odd thing to say. Can such a rumour truly have got around? In God’s name, how can that be?’

‘It’s nonsense. Rumours may come from nothing – a few words slurred by someone in drink. It was said to spite you.’

‘But…’ I found myself frowning. ‘You recall what might have happened to John Jessop, when he almost lost Sackersley? Once the King takes a fancy to some pleasant country manor, for one reason or another-’

‘For pity’s sake!’ Hester exclaimed. ‘The King has never set foot in this county – I doubt he’s even heard of Thirldon.’

‘Well… perhaps,’ I allowed. Letting out another long breath, I gestured to the stable doors. ‘Let’s get ourselves home, shall we? I need a drink of something.’

But Hester remained still, looking hard at me.

‘The idea is preposterous,’ she insisted. ‘And I dislike the thought of riding back with you working yourself into a turmoil over it. I say again - it’s pure nonsense.’

But it was not.

I arrived home to find that a letter had been delivered, sent in haste from my son-in-law George Bull in London, advising me of grave news that had been brought to his attention.

It seemed King James was about to make me an offer of purchase for Thirldon: the house and the entire estate, to gift to his favourite the Marquis of Buckingham. Naturally, it was assumed that I would humbly accept this honour bestowed by the King, and make arrangements to suit.

Whereupon Mistress Standish’s words rang in my head: When the eye of His Majesty lights on such a prize, there’s little one can do, is there?

TWO

To say that there was consternation in my house that evening, would be a gross understatement.

Childers, in some ways, took the news even more to heart than I did. Thirldon was all he knew, having spent his entire life in my family’s service. Whereas one of my first thoughts was for the rest of the servants. Fortunately, it appeared that none of them had heard of the matter, even in Worcester. How Mistress Standish came to be in early possession of such knowledge, was food for much thought.

‘Even George is dismayed,’ I said, holding up his letter. We sat in my private chamber, Hester, Childers and I, fortified with cups of strong sack. ‘He says the King can refuse Buckingham nothing. His Lordship is Master of Horse now, atop all his other titles, and likely set for a dukedom. Building up estates in Ireland, it seems, though what gave him the idea of adding Thirldon to his properties I’m uncertain…’

I broke off, as a notion sprang up; indeed, it had been at the back of my mind since the return journey from Worcester.

‘Standish,’ Hester said, divining my thoughts as she so often did. ‘He must have had a hand in this.’

I gazed at her, even as Childers let out a sigh. ‘It would explain what his wife said to you in the town, sir,’ he muttered, with a shake of his head. ‘By all that’s holy…’

We were silent for a while. Hester was shaken, but