Page 41 of Marriage and Murder
The experienced constable had been escorting Penelope and Madeline on their quest. He grinned and halted and, when they joined him, saluted and said, “The ladies decided we needed to eat next, so they’re waiting in the ladies’ snug of the Haunch of Venison.” He waved across the empty square. “Miss Huntingdon said it was the best place for us all to have some lunch.”
Stokes smiled. “And who are we to argue?” He waved at Morgan. “Lead on.”
Morgan grinned, spun on his heel, and strode back the way he’d come.
The Haunch of Venison was situated opposite the market cross, which stood in the corner of the square where Silver and Minster Streets met. The inn was a very old half-timbered building, but obviously well kept, and judging by the crowd of patrons, it was the favored place for the gentry to dine in Salisbury. Even though it wasn’t market day, the rooms hosted a goodly throng and were buzzing with talk.
Morgan paused in the doorway to the snug set aside for female patrons and pointed to where Penelope and Madeline were seated at a table for four beside one of the front windows.
Stokes nodded, then glanced at the taproom opposite. “Get yourself something to eat and take some food out to Phelps and Connor.” They’d spotted the pair with the carriage, which was drawn up on the other side of the street.
Morgan saluted and happily took himself off, leaving Barnaby and Stokes to join the ladies.
With smiles of greeting, Barnaby and Stokes drew out the empty chairs.
Before Penelope could commence the inquisition plainly hovering on her tongue, as Stokes sat, he looked at Madeline. “Before I forget, the medical examiner sent word that Viola’s body has been released for burial.” He settled and gently asked, “Have you thought of what you want to do?”
Madeline’s expression blanked, then she lightly grimaced. “I’ll need to have a word with the local undertaker. I expect he’ll be the same man who handled my father’s burial.”
Penelope shared a quick glance with Barnaby, then said, “We’ll come with you if you like. Perhaps we should attend to that immediately after lunch and get it out of the way?”
“Thank you,” Madeline said. “I think that might be best.” She paused, then sighed. “I’ll also need to speak with the minister of St. Edmund’s. Viola would have wanted to be buried near our parents.”
His tone kind, Barnaby prompted, “You’ll also need to inform whichever solicitor administered your father’s will.”
Madeline nodded. “The firm is here in Salisbury. I’ll think about the service overnight, then return tomorrow and call at the church and make the necessary arrangements and notify the solicitor as well.”
The others nodded supportively.
The serving girl arrived to take their orders, and after the girl bustled off, Penelope informed Barnaby and Stokes, “Initially, Swithin wouldn’t hazard a guess as to who had made the necklace, but eventually, he unbent enough to give us the names of three jewelers who might be involved in less-than-reputable practices and whom he believed capable of such work.”
“Did he, indeed?” Stokes reached for his notebook. “What were the names?”
“Kimble, Conrad, and Jacobs,” Penelope supplied.
Stokes looked up from his notes. “Those are three of the five names Mallard gave us. Apparently, all five have workshops outside the town and trade through stalls in the market.”
“And,” Barnaby said, “market day is tomorrow.”
Penelope grimaced. “I forgot to ask what day the market ran, but”—she waved at the window and the view of the empty square—“obviously, it’s not today.”
“We’ll have to come back tomorrow,” Barnaby said, “and speak with those five.”
Madeline offered, “Swithin said Kimble and Conrad were relative newcomers to the town, but that Jacobs was…” She glanced at Penelope. “How did Swithin put it? A long-standing bane on their existence?”
Penelope nodded. “By ‘their,’ he meant the existence of him and the other well-respected jeweler in town, Carlsbrook.” She paused, then said, “I think we can put Swithin and Carlsbrook at the bottom of our list of suspects. Reputation is everything for jewelers, and Swithin and it seems likely Carlsbrook, too, would be well aware of that. I doubt either would risk their standing by having anything to do with fake stones.”
“Mallard said much the same,” Barnaby said. “However, there are four more minor jewelers here in town that, for completeness’s sake if nothing else, we should investigate, at least to the extent of being able to cross them off our list.”
“As the five who deal through the market have workshops out of town,” Stokes said, “there’s no sense in trying for them today.”
Their drinks arrived, ferried out by a smiling serving girl, and another girl brought out their meals.
They settled to eat and drink in comfortable silence, which Penelope eventually broke with questions for Madeline about Salisbury and the surrounding countryside.
Only after they’d pushed aside their empty plates did they return to the task at hand.
“We could split up,” Penelope suggested. “That would be quicker.”
