Page 40 of The Forgotten Boy

Did Nell sound amused? It had been so long since Juliet had had a friend who teased that she wasn’t sure. She cleared her throat. “Anyway, do you want to take a look at the things I’ve set aside for possible resale or for the family to choose from?”

“You’ve been very thorough in your lists and photos. I trust you. And I’m heading up to Edinburgh for a conference.”

“I’ll enjoy going through all this.” Juliet waved at the boxes. “Plus, I have an appointment at the Berwick Museum this afternoon. But don’t worry, clearing out Havencross is my first priority.”

Nell snorted—more elegantly than Juliet would have done, but a snort nonetheless. “You’ve already done more than expected. Honestly, your presence here is mostly to ensure the place stays standing through the winter. As long as you keep your eyes open to fire or flooding, you can entertain yourself however you like.” She arched her eyebrows and added, “And Noah Bennett is well worth entertaining yourself with.”

There was really nothing she could say to that, though her reddened cheeks made Nell laugh. For the first time in years, Juliet didn’t automatically assume that the laugh came at her expense. Although she did wonder, not as fleetingly as she’d have liked, if Nell knew that from firsthand experience.

Juliet had debated the merits of taking the train versus driving to Berwick and, as traditionally English as a train felt, decided that the convenience of having her car outweighed the experience. She could go Christmas shopping after her appointment.

The Berwick Museum and Art Gallery was located in the redbrick military barracks that formed part of the Berwick Castle grounds. Juliet had to admit the ruins made a fitting backdrop for her queries today—the castle had been here long before even Havencross Priory was built. She went to the information desk and waited for Noah’s friend to be summoned.

“Dr. Stratford! Delighted to meet you. Noah’s told me all about you.” Daniel Gitonga was a solid, broad-shouldered Kenyan with a smile almost as charming as their mutual friend’s.

“Noah only met me six weeks ago. And please, it’s Juliet. The only person who ever calls me doctor is my dad. Plus, I haven’t even finished my dissertation.”

“Don’t get me started on the pride of parents. Although I’m pretty sure my mother doesn’t correct those people who assume I’m a medical doctor.”

Juliet asked the question dear to every historian: “What brought you to history?”

“The purity of my heart that despises all things material—like rent money and vacations.”

With laughter and mutual understanding, they talked about their respective study and career paths as he led her through a maze of back corridors and staircases leading all the way to the top floor.

“I’ve got us in a conference room to better view the items I pulled for you.” He ushered her in, and Juliet felt the historian’s buzz at seeing things last used by those long dead. Even for her though, these items were extraordinary—she’d never gone further back than the eighteenth century.

She and Daniel donned thin cotton gloves, and he gave her an overview from left to right. “These are the items found on the Havencross grounds in 1918: a carved wooden top, eight coins, and a textile livery badge.”

“I’d read about the coins and badge, but not this.” Juliet touched the spinning top, no longer than her ring finger, and had a sudden, vivid image of a boy spinning it and watching it intently—a tall, fair-haired boy with wide eyes.

She shook her head clear. “Tell me about the coins.”

“Five silver groats, two silver patards from Burgundy, and a gold crown ryal.”

With a laugh, she said, “Okay, now tell me what that all means. Is it a lot of money?”

“The silver was very common—common enough that you can still buy medieval groats today for a hundred pounds online. One of the groats was minted in 1455 under Henry the Sixth.” He pointed at the outline of a crowned man. “The other four were struck between 1463 and 1469, under Edward the Fourth.”

He pointed at a crowned figure that she supposed looked marginally different to the first one. “What about the coins from Burgundy? Is that unusual?”

“Not for this time period. They were both struck in 1469—the year before that, Edward the Fourth’s sister Margaret had married the Duke of Burgundy. There was plenty of commerce passing back and forth between England and the Low Countries. Silver is silver, no matter the name or face stamped on the coin.”

Juliet touched the edge of the gold one. “This is less common?”

“Less common, and obviously worth a good deal more than the silver. It argues that whoever lost or buried these coins was someone of a certain wealth. At the least, a prosperous merchant.”

“Or a manor-owning family?”

“Or a manor-owning family,” he agreed.

“May I?”

When Daniel nodded, Juliet picked up the gold coin and studied it front and back. Unlike all the others, this had no royal portrait on it. “That’s the English royal coat of arms, correct?” She pointed at the shield.

“Correct. Lions and lilies.”

“And what’s this on the reverse?”

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