Fever Quest: A Clean Historical Mystery set in England and India (The Isabella Rockwell Trilogy Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page B

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we were just a little nervous. We have not been to the bazaar before.”
    The man looked at her for a moment, then reached up and
opened two of the drawers behind him.
    “There are the herbs. Do you have some alcohol and
saltpetre?” Isabella shook her head and he added a small bottle of rubbing
alcohol and a dusty tin to her purchases.
    “Thank you.” Isabella took out Abhaya’s medicine pouch.
    “What are you doing?” hissed Rose.
    “I’m going to stock up a bit whilst I’m here.” Isabella
looked across at the other two who were giggling over the smell of a particular
bottle. “Is that all right?”
    Rose sniffed. “I suppose, but hurry up. We’re here for
Eloise’s benefit, not yours.”
    The man came out from behind the counter.
    “Miss, why don’t you come and have some tea while your
friend shops?” He led Rose over to one of the tables, where there were low
wooden benches to sit on. “Here, your friends can join you.” He placed four
china cups and a silver pot of fragrant tea on the table and then a plate piled
high with small pistachio biscuits and Turkish delight.
    Rose sat down, her sour expression softening slightly.
    “Well, just for the moment.” Isabella watched her take a
hesitant bite of a biscuit and then finish it in one mouthful.
    “Now then, show me this wonderful contraption.” The man
smiled at her, showing very good teeth.
    Isabella looked blank.
    “Oh, you mean this?” She spread Abhaya’s pouch on the
counter top and shooed the monkey away as he tried to force his little hands
into its pockets.
    “Albert.” The man pronounced it in the French way and
scooped the monkey onto his shoulder. “That is enough. Yes” – the man looked
closer – “it is very clever. Did you make this yourself?”
    Isabella smiled and shook her head. “No. It was my
friend’s, but she died so now I have it.”
    “So, what remedies do you need?”
    “I’ve run out of rock rose, hornbeam and oil of cloves.”
    “Ah yes.” The man reached into a drawer The next minutes
were spent in pleasant discussion about the merits of one herb over another,
but Isabella was aware that the girls had almost finished their tea and their
movements were becoming restless.
    “There.” The man placed a group of packages with her other
purchases.
    A shadow passed through the doorway behind her and entered
the café area. The shopkeeper’s eyes followed it.
    “Excuse me for a moment,” he said, handing her back her
change.
    Isabella made her way over to where the girls sat at the
back of the shop, but she tripped on an unseen step and the oil of cloves
slipped to the ground and shattered. The smell of cloves was overpowering.
    “Oh Isabella.” Rose’s voice was rough and exasperated, but
it was cut off by a great clamour from the men drinking at a shadowy table in
the far corner. One stood up so quickly that he’d knocked the table over. He
was a giant of a man with a patch over one eye and ragged clothes. He spoke in
English.
    “How dare you. You know I would never do that.”
    One of his companions righted the table and put his hand
on the man’s arm, pulling him back down onto the velvet cushions. The
shopkeeper walked over to them.
    “I want no trouble here,” Isabella heard him say to the
men in a low voice. “If there is, you will not be allowed to meet here again.”
    “Isabella!” Eloise’s tone was whiny. “What are we going to
do now?”
    “I’ll go and get some more,” replied Isabella. But her
attention was still on the shopkeeper as he stood with the men, and she took a
few steps towards them. Didn’t she know them? The one with the patch and the
other man, with the blue hood pulled down over his turban and his thick black
beard. He saw her drawing closer and his deep-set eyes registered shock rather
than surprise.
    “Isabella-bai.” The man smiled and got to his feet.
    Her heart beat faster and she felt a blush of surprise and
pleasure suffuse her face.
    “Hassan