The Guilt of Innocents Read Online Free PDF

there.’
    ‘What will they do to the boys?’ Alisoun asked.
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Lucie, distracted by her concern. ‘Owen might know what –’ She paused, hearing the street door.
    Jasper stepped into the hall, red-faced from the cold outdoors. He took in the occupants of the room and then took a step backwards as if wanting to retreat. Lucie could imagine his discomfort with all their eager eyes fastened on him, and him most likely tired and hungry.
    ‘You’re just the man we need,’ Bess said. ‘Come,sit beside me.’ She patted the bench on which she sat.
    Jasper shuffled towards the table with a glance towards Lucie that appealed for help.
    ‘Are you hungry?’ she asked. ‘Kate is feeding the little ones and I’m sure she’ll give you something. You’ve only to go ask her.’
    But Bess was not to be cheated of hearing an account of the excitement from a potential witness. ‘Alisoun, why don’t you see to some food for Jasper while he rests his growing bones beside me?’
    Alisoun grudgingly pushed herself away from the table and rose.
    At that moment, Edric stepped into the hall through the garden door. Throwing a smile his way, Alisoun stepped quite cheerfully towards the doorway in which he stood, brushing against him as she slipped out to the kitchen.
    Edric, for his part, did not turn to watch Alisoun depart, but was already bobbing his head in greeting to Lucie, Bess, and Jasper.
    ‘There’s much talk of someone almost drowning,’ he said with excited delight as he took the seat Alisoun had vacated. ‘Do you think Captain Archer will be the one to catch the guilty one?’
    ‘I pray that he isn’t,’ said Lucie. She wanted the baby to be welcomed by both its parents. ‘Was the shop busy this afternoon?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Edric. ‘The weather has folk sniffing and coughing, and their bones aching from thedamp cold. I shut the shop to come eat something, but I promised several folk they might return later for their physicks. Why don’t you want Captain Archer to search for the one who pushed the pilot, Mistress?’
    ‘Because it’s dangerous work and keeps him away from home,’ Jasper snapped.
    Edric blushed. ‘Oh. Of course.’
    Bess glanced towards Lucie, lifting her eyebrows in curiosity. Lucie noticed, but did not meet her friend’s eyes, not wanting to irk either of her apprentices. Jasper had appeared so glad of Edric’s presence at first, but gradually he’d begun to behave as if he resented him, and that resentment seemed to have grown stronger and stronger, for no cause apparent to Lucie. Edric worked hard and deferred to Jasper’s long experience in the shop while also sharing the things he had learned from his former master. Now she wondered whether Alisoun was the thorn. That would be a great pity, for there was no remedying that sort of rivalry.
    Still eyeing Edric, Jasper said, ‘You would not be smiling had you seen the man pulled from the water.’
    ‘Were you there?’ Edric’s eyes were alight.
    Lucie suspected that he had no idea how Jasper felt about him.
    ‘Yes.’ Jasper turned to Lucie. ‘The captain has gone to the abbey infirmary to see the man’s wounds.’
    Lucie inwardly groaned – Owen was involved.
    ‘Wounds?’ Bess murmured. ‘I hadn’t heard of wounds.’
    ‘Do tell us what you saw, Jasper,’ said Edric.
    Jasper loudly sighed as he raked his straight, flaxen hair from his forehead. ‘There was a crowd, and I saw little. I only heard that Drogo had gone into the river. I did not see him until he was pulled out.’
    Lucie wondered whether had Jasper not been there Owen might have avoided becoming involved. She wished the lad had kept his promise to stay out of the skirmishes between the scholars and bargemen.
    Alisoun had returned with a tray of food, and cups for both young men.
    ‘So what of these wounds?’ Bess asked.
    ‘Someone had cut him on the face and neck, but most people did not see the cuts until they began to bleed.’