not surprising . H e doubte d anyon e woul d bu y a line n clot h ba g o f chocolate s an d presen t the m t o th e Bishop . H e frowne d whe n h e sa w th e contents. “Th e chocolate s o n th e left , wit h th e dar k brow n powder , thos e ar e mine. Bu t th e others , well , I didn’ t mak e them. ”
“Really? ”
Willia m arche d a n eyebrow . “Woul d yo u bu y a gif t bo x f ille d wit h somethin g tha t misshape n an d ugly ? I a m tryin g t o star t a thriving concern. No one would eat that, it looks like something a particularly dirt y chil d made. ”
H e wa s ove r emphasizin g hi s poin t somewhat , mor e becaus e h e wa s tryin g t o gai n thinkin g time.
“Odd that you should say so, for the Bishop ate several of them. In fact, that is what killed him.”
William blinked, and shook his head. “Killed? Who would kill the Bishop?” The words did not make sense.
“Oh, you do feign shock and confusion well, Mister Almsley, but we know that you manufactured these chocolates, and are responsible for the death of the Bishop.”
“You can’t be serious. I never would put anything harmful into my candies. B e sides, how do you know? You’ve hardly had time to look into the situation.”
“And yet he is dead, and you and I are here.” The admiral took up a note from the desktop. “Your handwriting?”
“Perhaps.” William threw the note, which merely said, “Dear Bishop, I pray you enjoy the enclosed gift, with thanks for your multitude of kindnesses ... William of Almsley” back onto the desk, as if it mattered little. “My handwriting is far from unusual. But I will say that that is not from my hand, and that if I were to deliver an y thing to the Bishop’s house, I would do it personally in an attempt to make it seem more like a social call than as an attempt to curry patronage.”
“I see. But you said you were not friends?”
“There is a difference. You should know that.”
“I see.” The admiral sat on the edge of his desk. William chose not to break the s i lence, and though, he had begun to feel a little twitchy, reminded himself to relax and not play along with Lavoussier. “If you will not help with the investigation, then we shall remand you to the public jail. Guards, take him to the capital cells.”
William stood of his own accord, stared at the other man, and said, imitating him precisely, “I see.”
“And then they took me to the jail cell, where I passed a rather unpleasant night, and waited for my family to come.”
Tasmin sighed. “Is he really that disagreeable a person, or do you have a reason to dislike him?”
William tried to balance his fork on the cross piece of the cell bars. “Both,” he said quietly. “He and I have locked horns from time to time, when we were both on the waves, and I do not care for how he does things.”
“Wonderful,” Andrew said, taking the bowls and stacking them back in the basket.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand what the Port Admiral has to do with a murder investigation. Isn’t the Bishop’s death more a matter for the Governor?”
“Nay, since the Burghers were burned for betraying the city a hundred years or so back, we’ve been under Martial Law.” Andrew pointed at his older brother with a fork. “But I think Lavoussier is simply looking for an opportunity to make William’s life a misery. My brother is not a politicor tactful person.”
William shrugged. “Sometimes I’m not. But I value honesty above all.” Tasmin smiled at him, comfortingly. “As do I,” she said, and he looked away so she would not see how much that pleased him. “So, why are they holding your brother so long with no further action? The box of chocolates is not exactly a signed confession.”
“No, but close enough if they want to hold him, which neither I nor the esquire can find out the logic of.” Andrew turned to William. “They confiscated your stock completely, but I have men waiting to offload the next
“Really? ”
Willia m arche d a n eyebrow . “Woul d yo u bu y a gif t bo x f ille d wit h somethin g tha t misshape n an d ugly ? I a m tryin g t o star t a thriving concern. No one would eat that, it looks like something a particularly dirt y chil d made. ”
H e wa s ove r emphasizin g hi s poin t somewhat , mor e becaus e h e wa s tryin g t o gai n thinkin g time.
“Odd that you should say so, for the Bishop ate several of them. In fact, that is what killed him.”
William blinked, and shook his head. “Killed? Who would kill the Bishop?” The words did not make sense.
“Oh, you do feign shock and confusion well, Mister Almsley, but we know that you manufactured these chocolates, and are responsible for the death of the Bishop.”
“You can’t be serious. I never would put anything harmful into my candies. B e sides, how do you know? You’ve hardly had time to look into the situation.”
“And yet he is dead, and you and I are here.” The admiral took up a note from the desktop. “Your handwriting?”
“Perhaps.” William threw the note, which merely said, “Dear Bishop, I pray you enjoy the enclosed gift, with thanks for your multitude of kindnesses ... William of Almsley” back onto the desk, as if it mattered little. “My handwriting is far from unusual. But I will say that that is not from my hand, and that if I were to deliver an y thing to the Bishop’s house, I would do it personally in an attempt to make it seem more like a social call than as an attempt to curry patronage.”
“I see. But you said you were not friends?”
“There is a difference. You should know that.”
“I see.” The admiral sat on the edge of his desk. William chose not to break the s i lence, and though, he had begun to feel a little twitchy, reminded himself to relax and not play along with Lavoussier. “If you will not help with the investigation, then we shall remand you to the public jail. Guards, take him to the capital cells.”
William stood of his own accord, stared at the other man, and said, imitating him precisely, “I see.”
“And then they took me to the jail cell, where I passed a rather unpleasant night, and waited for my family to come.”
Tasmin sighed. “Is he really that disagreeable a person, or do you have a reason to dislike him?”
William tried to balance his fork on the cross piece of the cell bars. “Both,” he said quietly. “He and I have locked horns from time to time, when we were both on the waves, and I do not care for how he does things.”
“Wonderful,” Andrew said, taking the bowls and stacking them back in the basket.
She shook her head. “I don’t understand what the Port Admiral has to do with a murder investigation. Isn’t the Bishop’s death more a matter for the Governor?”
“Nay, since the Burghers were burned for betraying the city a hundred years or so back, we’ve been under Martial Law.” Andrew pointed at his older brother with a fork. “But I think Lavoussier is simply looking for an opportunity to make William’s life a misery. My brother is not a politicor tactful person.”
William shrugged. “Sometimes I’m not. But I value honesty above all.” Tasmin smiled at him, comfortingly. “As do I,” she said, and he looked away so she would not see how much that pleased him. “So, why are they holding your brother so long with no further action? The box of chocolates is not exactly a signed confession.”
“No, but close enough if they want to hold him, which neither I nor the esquire can find out the logic of.” Andrew turned to William. “They confiscated your stock completely, but I have men waiting to offload the next
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