The Midwife's Tale(64)

“Danger from Lorenzo Bacca?”

He looked at me in surprise. “So you’ve met our Italian friend? Yes, he is the reason I urged you to keep your nose out of political matters. He certainly might have killed Stephen, and he would not hesitate to kill you if he came to see you as a threat. The Lord Mayor is desperate and dangerous—you should be very careful not to anger him.”

“And I suppose that is why you told me that Stephen had nearly won his suit against the Hookes? You hoped I would miss his political entanglements entirely.”

“Believe it or not, I had your best interests at heart. I still believe that Rebecca is behind Stephen’s death, and however cruel she is, Rebecca is far less likely to kill you than Lorenzo Bacca. If you find proof that the Hookes were not involved, come back to see me. We can then discuss the best course of action.” I realized that Yeoman was not only pushing me back toward the Hookes, but trying to take control of the investigation altogether. I decided to turn the tables on him.

“And whose interests did you have in mind when you threatened to kill Stephen?” I asked innocently.

Yeoman froze and stared at me in silence. I could see him trying to figure out how much I knew and what game I might be playing. “He wrote that in his diary, did he? He would. Even when they are on the verge of victory, the Puritans see persecution and martyrdom at every turn.”

“He wrote it, but others in the household heard it as well,” I lied. “If the Lord Mayor had seen fit to ask Esther, she could have told him, too. In our first meeting you told me that you came to York to prevent the sacking of the city. We both know that Stephen was trying to aid the rebels in doing just that. I think you would have killed Stephen to stop his plans. What is one man’s life compared to the hundreds or thousands who would perish if the city were taken by force of arms?”

“If I thought that killing Stephen would save the city, I would have done so without hesitation,” he said bluntly. “But I did not.”

“It is interesting that you say that because Lorenzo Bacca made the same claim. And while I’ve not asked her, I imagine that Rebecca Hooke would give a similar answer.”

“You may go.”

I stood and started for the door. Before opening it, I turned back and found Yeoman staring at me balefully. “Mr. Yeoman, I will find out who murdered Stephen Cooper, whether it was Bacca and the Lord Mayor, Rebecca Hooke, or you yourself.”

“You can play at constable all you want,” Yeoman snarled. “But you should realize that it is a dangerous game. I will not be brought down by a mere woman.”

“We will see,” I said, and left the room. I could feel my heart pounding as I made my way back to the parlor. I knew I had made an enemy of a very powerful man. The only question was how far he would go in order to protect himself.





Chapter 16


I found Will in the parlor, staring blankly at the wall. I could see the muscles in his jaw working as he clenched his teeth, trying to contain his fury over his treatment at Yeoman’s hands. He knew better than to vent his anger before we had left the premises. Moments later, Martha joined us and we started home. When Martha and I turned off of Stonegate onto my street, Will stopped.

“I have other business to attend to,” he said. “I will call on you tomorrow.”

“Martha, go on ahead. I need to talk to Will for a moment.” Sensing the tension, she curtsied and went without a word. “Will, please,” I said. “Come inside, at least for a while.” From the look in his eyes, I knew that if he left now, he would seek redemption in an alehouse brawl.

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ll be all right. I just need to…” His voice trailed off. He didn’t know what he needed.

“You can’t allow men like Yeoman to hurt you so.”

“Men like Mr. Yeomen rule England,” he said. He spoke with the bitterness of a man robbed of his birthright. “They always have and always will. They think that because I am weak in body, I must be weak in mind. I even see it in my father’s eyes sometimes.”

“Will!” I cried. “Your father loves you!”

“Of course he does,” Will spat. “But Yeoman is right—Joseph is his favorite, and when he comes back from the wars, my father will push me back into the shadows. He will make sure Joseph becomes an Alderman, Lord Mayor, and perhaps even a Member of Parliament. I will stay here in York, take up the wool trade, living and dying as a man of no consequence. No matter what my father says, I am a disappointment and he is ashamed of himself for fathering a cripple.”