‘Mistress Burnett, I cannot do that. For one thing, I never met Clement Weaver and so am in no position to say whether this young man is your brother or no. I never even saw the dead body of Master Clement, any more than I saw those of his fellow victims. You know the circumstances as well as I do.’
‘How dare you speak to my wife like that-’ William Burnett was beginning, his voice shrill with indignation, but once again Alison’s raised finger prevented him from saying more.
‘That’s enough, William. We must respect Master Chapman’s scruples. What he says is very true.’ She smiled up at her husband to soften the reproof, but William continued to glower like a sulky schoolboy, one hand tugging bad-temperedly at the red and black silk cord which girdled his waist.
Alison turned back to me. ‘Nevertheless, Master Chapman, both my husband and I would be grateful if you could call on us tomorrow, so that we could refresh our memories of events now six years distant, and also acquaint you with a few of the facts concerning this man who insists that he is Clement. Dare we presume to make that claim upon your time?’
I appreciated the restraint of this imperious young woman, and there was no denying that my curiosity was getting the better of my caution. What harm, after all, could one visit do — especially if Alderman Weaver remained in ignorance of it? So after a moment’s thought for appearances’ sake, I nodded.
Mistress Burnett heaved a sigh of relief and rose to her feet. ‘Thank you. Do you know whereabouts we live in Small Street? Good! We shall expect you tomorrow morning then, after dinner. We dine at ten o’clock, so shall look for you sometime between eleven and midday. Goodbye, Mistress Walker. We won’t trouble you any further.’ She inclined her head towards Adela, not knowing her name. William Burnett simply grunted and followed her out of the cottage.
‘Well,’ said Adela, with the decision of manner I was coming to expect from her, ‘I can’t say that Alison Weaver has improved with the years. And as for that husband of hers, I never liked him. Now sit down, Roger. You too, Margaret. Supper’s ready.’
I saw astonishment followed by anger kindle in my mother-in-law’s eyes, but both emotions were quickly suppressed. Nonetheless, the old saw that two women cannot share the same kitchen occurred to me; and in this case they had been cooped up together throughout the day in the same room. My mother-in-law’s determination that her cousin should shoulder her fair share of the household chores was having consequences which she had not foreseen, and Adela’s quiet assumption of authority obviously displeased her. It salved my conscience, however, for if a mere twenty-four hours could produce this amount of friction between them, how would they get on in the weeks and months that lay ahead?
As I drew my stool close to the table and took Elizabeth on my lap — for there were not enough seats in the cottage to accommodate two children as well as three adults — I said to Adela, ‘I have a message for you from someone who, I think, must once have been an admirer, perhaps even a suitor, of yours. His name is Richard Manifold.’
Adela’s arm, reaching across me to place a dish of oatcakes in the centre of the table, was arrested briefly in mid-air, and glancing up at her face I noticed a faint flush of colour along the cheekbones. But within seconds she had regained her composure.
‘Indeed?’ she replied steadily. ‘Dick Manifold. Yes, I remember him. A red-haired fellow. You’re mistaken, however, if you think he was ever my suitor. I can’t imagine what gave you that idea.’
‘His delight at hearing you were home again.’ I buttered an oatcake and fed a piece to my daughter, whose mouth had opened like that of a fledgling bird. ‘Don’t you want to know how I came to meet him?’
Adela began ladling fish soup into bowls. ‘Not particularly, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me all the same,’ she said.
‘Quite right, I am, because you’ll find the circumstances of our meeting more intriguing than you think.’
I then proceeded to relate the details of my encounter with Richard Manifold and had the satisfaction of watching the women’s expressions grow increasingly interested, despite a seeming determination on both their parts to demonstrate complete indifference.
Their first questions, when I had finished speaking, naturally concerned the murder, but I was unable to add anything more to what I had already told them, and after a while Adela’s thoughts reverted to her former admirer.
‘So! Dick Manifold’s a Sheriff Officer, is he? I’m surprised, I must admit. He was rather wild in his youth.’ She gave a small, reminiscent smile.
‘An unprepossessing boy and an even uglier man,’ my mother-in-law opined tartly, her eyes snapping with suspicion as she regarded her cousin across the table. ‘I’m amazed you can even remember him, Adela, as pretty as you were. A girl who might have 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.