Murder Most Austen Read Online Free PDF Page B

all levels,” muttered Cora. “And what made it all the worse for Gail was that as part of the divorce agreement, Richard was still given a monthly column in Forever Austen. He’s no longer an owner, but he is a contributor. I find that particularly distasteful, because I write a monthly column for the magazine as well. To be published in the same periodical as him is humiliating.”
    “But surely people don’t take him seriously,” said Aunt Winnie. “I mean, the stuff he claims to have unearthed is pretty outrageous.”
    Cora shook her head. “But that’s just the problem—he’s starting to collect quite a following. Most are stupid little sycophants from his classes hoping to curry favor and a decent grade, but there are others in his camp who ought to know better.”
    “Such as?” asked Aunt Winnie.
    “Well, Byron Chambers, for one,” replied Cora. “He serves as a kind of secretary or assistant to Richard. Byron’s a smart guy. I’ve known him for a few years, mainly through the festivals. I don’t know why he ever took a position with Richard in the first place. I thought he was better than that.”
    “Mama, I’ve told you a thousand times—ignore the man,” said Izzy with more than a little frustration. “You sabotage your own cause by constantly engaging him and reacting to him.”
    “I know, I know, but he makes it so hard. He’s always proclaiming some new scandalous find, and I just lose my head,” Cora said with a rueful shake of said head.
    “Well, maybe this will be the year he won’t unleash any new discoveries,” Izzy offered.
    I have often been told that I have an easy face to read. This is usually articulated to me with the advice, “For God’s sake, I hope you don’t play poker.” Over the years, I’ve tried to control my expressions, but without much success. Too late, I now felt my face pull into an expression of grave misgiving. Of course, Cora saw it.
    “What? Did he say something?” she said to me. “Please tell me that he doesn’t have some new cockamamie theory he’s going to foist on us during the festival.”
    “Well, um, he may have mentioned something—” I began, but Aunt Winnie cut me off.
    “He sure as hell did,” she replied with a laugh. “He claims that he’s discovered the real reason that Jane Austen died.”
    Cora stiffened in anticipation, her teacup frozen halfway to her mouth. “And?” she inquired ominously.
    Eyes sparkling with laughter, Aunt Winnie leaned over. “He claims she died of syphilis!”
    While Izzy gave a snort of laughter, Cora’s reaction was much less lighthearted. Her eyes narrowed and she angrily slammed her teacup down onto her platter. “I’ll kill the son of a bitch,” she said.

 
    CHAPTER 3
    It would be an excellent match, for he was rich, and she was handsome.
    —SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
    I ZZY ROLLED HER EYES. “Oh, Mama. Please, don’t be so dramatic. You know he only says these things to shock people and get attention. You’re just playing into him.”
    It seemed pretty sound advice, but Cora was having none of it. “The man is the devil incarnate,” she said. “He’s bent on ripping down Austen’s reputation just so he can build up his own. It isn’t right!”
    Izzy appeared as if she were about to respond when her eyes focused on something just beyond Cora’s indignant left shoulder. “Well, don’t look now, but he’s here.”
    Of course Cora did just the opposite and twisted around in her seat. “Who’s here? Richard?” she asked.
    Izzy didn’t need to answer because it was immediately clear that the “he” in question was indeed Professor Baines, aka “Richard.” He was also heading our way. He hadn’t seen us yet as he was too engrossed in a conversation with another man. Professor Baines’s companion was tall with an average build. He had sandy blond hair and a square jaw. His face wasn’t classically handsome, but the deep laugh lines that ran from the corners of his brown