Where Serpents Sleep Read Online Free PDF

one of Bow Street’s three stipendiary magistrates, came puffing up to them, his jaw jutting forward like a man ready for a fight. “What do you think you’re doing? Didn’t you hear what I said? Get away from that body.”
     
     
    Gibson pushed slowly to his feet. “I’m a surgeon.”
     
     
    “A surgeon! Who gave you permission to examine these bodies? I’ve ordered no postmortem. And don’t try to tell me one of the families requested it, because I won’t believe it. Whores don’t have families . . . leastways, none that’ll acknowledge them.”
     
     
    The Irishman’s dark brows drew together in a frown. “Nevertheless, a postmortem is called for, Sir William. These women were murdered.”
     
     
    “Murdered?” The Bow Street magistrate let out a harsh laugh. “What are you talking about? This wasn’t murder. These women died in a fire. Someone left a candle too close to a curtain or let a hot ember fall from the hearth.”
     
     
    “And how do you explain the stab wounds?”
     
     
    “Stab wounds? What stab wounds?”
     
     
    “At least two of these women were stabbed, while one had her throat—”
     
     
    Sir William swiped his massive arm through the air in a dismissive gesture. “Enough of this. I will not have my office’s resources diverted to investigate the death of a bunch of strumpets. You think the good citizens of this city care if there are a half dozen or so fewer trollops walking the streets?”
     
     
    Sebastian nodded toward the body of the fair-headed girl lying at the end of the row. “I think her mother might care.”
     
     
    “If she had a mother who cared, she wouldn’t have become cash on the hoof.” Sir William paused a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied Sebastian. “I know you. You’re Lord Hendon’s son.”
     
     
    “That’s right.”
     
     
    Hot color flooded the magistrate’s big, fleshy face. “This is none of your affair—you hear me? I don’t care if your father is Chancellor of the Exchequer. I won’t have you meddling in this investigation.”
     
     
    Sebastian said, “I didn’t realize there was an investigation for me to meddle in.”
     
     
    Sir William’s face was so dark now it looked purple. He thrust a meaty finger inches from Sebastian’s nose. “I’m warning you, my lord. Keep out of this or I’ll have you arrested—peer’s son or not.”
     
     
    The magistrate stomped away to go bark orders at the men searching the ruins. Gibson stared after him. But Sebastian was more interested in the elegant town carriage drawing up at the corner, its liveried footman hastening to open the carriage door.
     
     
    “Who’s that?” said Gibson, following his friend’s gaze.
     
     
    A tall gentlewoman in a smart pelisse had appeared in the open doorway, the ostrich plume in her hat waving in the cool breeze as she waited for the footman to let down the steps.
     
     
    “That,” said Sebastian, “is Miss Hero Jarvis.”
     
     
    “Lord Jarvis’s daughter? Why is she here?”
     
     
    “She’s the woman who survived the fire.”
     
     
    “ Miss Jarvis? What in God’s name was she doing at the Magdalene House?”
     
     
    “Research,” said Sebastian, and went to hand the lady down from her carriage.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
     
    “I expected I might find you here,” said Miss Jarvis. She accepted Sebastian’s assistance down, then released his hand immediately and took a step back. Within the shadowy interior of her carriage, he could see a maid waiting primly with hands clasped before her.
     
     
    “That is Paul Gibson, is it not?” said Miss Jarvis, gazing beyond him to where Gibson stood beside the curricle talking to a glowering Tom. “The surgeon?”
     
     
    “You know him?”
     
     
    “I attended several of his lectures at St. Thomas’s—on the circulatory system, and on human musculature.”
     
     
    It was the last thing Sebastian would have expected her to have done, but he kept the thought to