The Chocolatier's Wife (98 page)

“Everyone who knew him
respected him,”
William
said.

After
that,
he
skillfully
changed
the
subject,
and
they
spoke
of
other matters,
his
plans
for
the
shop,
the
Magister’s
Ball.
Tasmin
was
happy
when they finally
left, and were able to talk about what they had learned.

As
she
rode
with
William, she
commented
sadly,
“So
it
was
pity
that killed the Bishop.”

“Yes.
I
believe
that
it
was
partly
pity
that
moved
him
to
request
that
the governor
assign
Lavoussier
here.
But
also,
he
liked
to
cultivate
people
whom he
thought
could
be—for
lack of
a
better
word—useful.
People
who
owed him
loyalty and
who would, therefore, always owe him
their allegiance.”

“Like a
young
merchant
captain
who
was
willing
to
risk
the
lives
of
all on
his ship for
the promise of a
real prize?”

They
were
entering
the
town
proper
again.
He
smiled
slightly.
“Perhaps. Look
over
there, at the people gathered. I
wonder what is amiss?”

“Pray
God not another murder.”

William leaned
over
and
grabbed
a
Pentcoate’s
lad
by
the
arm.
“What passes?”

“Franny
Harker,
sir!
She’s escaped!”

He
let
the
boy
go,
and
they
looked
at
each
other.
“We
must
get
back to the shop. Then
we can
speak.”

As
they
made
their
way
to
the
stables
and
down
the
street
to
the
shop,
Tasmin
strained
to
hear
details.
There
were
none,
really;
it
seemed
that
Franny’s
escape was the locked room
mystery of the century. One moment she was there, the next she was not.

Cecelia
was
awaiting
them
at
the
shop,
looking
out
of
sorts.
“Lavoussier was
by.
He
refused
to
speak,
he
just
walked
through
the
shop
and
left. I
watched
him
close.
He
took
nothing,
and
I
am
certain
he
left
nothing, either.
Then
this
one,”—she
pointed
to
Bonny, who
was
sitting
red
faced and
scared
in
the
shadows—“came
in.
She
wanted
to
leave, but
I
wouldn’t let
her.
I
told
her
that
if
she
wanted
your
help,
we
would
all
have a
little talk
about
the
pearls
a
maid told
me
she
found
in
this
Mistress
Almsley’s dressing table.”

Willia
m
looke
d
a
t
Bonny
,
wh
o
flushed
,
an
d
the
n
looke
d
a
t
Ceceli
a
again, dismissin
g
hi
s
sister-in-law
.
“Yo
u
di
d
well
.
Wher
e
i
s
Ayers?
”

Tasmi
n
sa
w
hi
s
ja
w
wa
s
tight
,
bu
t
sh
e
realize
d
tha
t
i
f
Bonn
y
had
,
indeed
,
ha
d
an
y
thin
g
t
o
do wit
h
Tasmin’
s
dres
s
bein
g
destroyed
,
sh
e
fel
t
to
o
overwhelme
d
t
o
care.

“One
of
his
step-sons
was
in
a
fight in
the
school
yard.
He
went
home to
see
if
he
could
sort
things
with
the
other
lad’s father.”
Cecelia
glared
at Bonny
again,
ready to do battle. “Confess all,
you slattern!”

“It
doesn’t
matter,”
Tasmin
said,
“not
right
at
this
moment.
Of
course I
care,
and
I’m
quite
dismayed
that
anyone
would
attack my
dress
out
of spite, but we have
larger worries.”

“It
wasn’t
spite!”
Bonny
said.
“I
would
never
do
such
a
thing
out
of spite.”

William
rubbed
the
bridge
of
his
nose.
“Then
what
good
reason would you have
to destroy your future sister-in-law’s wedding dress?”

Bonny
was
silent,
and
Cecelia
said,
mocking, “Doubtless
your
lover asked you to.”

Her
eyes
flickered,
and
Tasmin
tilted
her
head,
her
own
eyes
narrowing.

“Why
would he command
that,
I
wonder?”

“He
said
that
it
was
a
thing
of
power.
That
you
could
use
it
to
bind William to
you
so
deeply
that
he
would
do
whatever
you
asked. I
found
out
later
that
he
wanted
to
shake
things
up between
you
both,
more
than
anything
else.
He
was
trying
to
make
trouble, because, well, he has this saying,
I
can’t
quite remember how it goes.”

“In
trouble
comes
opportunity.”
William
said
it
softly.
“He
said
it
to
me, the
first time
I
met
him,
while
he
was
taking
his
pick
of
my
sailors
for
his ship.”

“I am
so
sorry,
I
should
never
have
listened
to
him,
but
please!”
Bonny stood
and
came
over
to
William,
wringing
her
hands.
“I
cannot
believe
that she
has
escaped!
Oh,
William,
I
am
in
such,
such
trouble
as
you
cannot understand! With
her gone, I
may
be next to see the inside of the jail.”

William shook
his
head.
“I
do
not
know
why
I
should
help
you,
sister,
sav
e
fo
r
A
n
drew’
s
sake.
”
H
e
the
n
disappeare
d
int
o
th
e
back
.

Whe
n
h
e
returned
,
h
e
ha
d
som
e
coin
s
i
n
hi
s
hand
.
H
e
presse
d
them int
o
Cecelia’
s
pal
m
an
d
close
d
he
r
f
inger
s
ove
r
them
.
“Tw
o
week
s
wage
s
fo
r
yoursel
f
an
d
fo
r
Ayers
,
i
f
yo
u
wil
l
delive
r
the
m
o
n
th
e
wa
y
home
.
Thing
s
coul
d
ge
t
ugly
,
no
w
tha
t
thi
s
ha
s
passed
,
an
d
I
wan
t
t
o
kno
w
tha
t
yo
u
ar
e
bot
h
secur
e
fo
r
th
e
moment.
”