Free [Roger the Chapman 05] - Eve of Saint Hyacinth by Kate Sedley Page B

Thames Street, still busy and teeming with people. To my left, in the distance, I could see the towers of the Steelyard rising above the surrounding buildings, while opposite lay a network of small streets leading to the wharves, and comprising that part of London known as the Vintry.
    'Where are we going?' I repeated sharply.
    'A tavern called the Three Tuns,' Philip answered. 'Near Three Cranes Quay. I told you, it sells the best Rybole you're ever likely to come by. C'me on, man! Don't fall be'ind. It's full o' people this time of the evening. We'll be lucky if we c'n find a seat.'
    For a moment my lagging footsteps came to a halt and Philip glanced over his shoulder in surprise and irritation.

    'Come on!' he reiterated impatiently. 'B' Lady, what's the matter with you? I tell you, this stuff's special.'  
    I hesitated a moment longer, then shrugged and quickened my pace. God had caught me in His net again. He had had no intention of allowing me to escape; and I comforted myself with the thought that had I not encountered Philip Lamprey, I should either have remained in, or returned to, London for some other reason. I had as yet no notion what to expect, but I entered the Three Tuns ale-house, reluctantly resigned to my fate.

Chapter Six

    I saw Timothy Plummer almost immediately, in spite of the fact that, as Philip had predicted, the ale-room was full to capacity on this fine summer's evening. I felt little or no surprise that I should have clapped eyes on him so soon, even though he and his companion were drawn well back into a secluded corner and were partially obscured from my view by passing pot-boys, rowdy customers and the ample figure of Mine Host himself, as he moved among the tables making sure that everyone was satisfied. Nor did I feel it to be anything except inevitable when Philip seized my elbow and steered me to two seats which his penetrating gaze had spotted within a few feet of where Timothy Plummer was sitting.
    'Wait 'ere an' keep my stool for me,' Philip instructed.
    ‘One o' the pot-boys is cousin to Jeanne. I'll ferret 'ira out, otherwise we could be sittin' around till curfew and not get served.'
    I nodded and hooked one leg across the stool next to mine, but once Philip had disappeared into the press my whole attention was absorbed by the bench in the corner. I had suspected that the man with Timothy must be Lionel Arrowsmith, but now that I could confirm the suspicion I was astonished to note that as well as having his right arm still in its blue silk sling, the latter also had his left ankle heavily bandaged and a wooden crutch propped beside him. Somehow or other, in the intervening hours between late last night and early this evening, he had sustained a second injury; a fact which explained the worried expression on both his and his companion's faces as they constantly glanced towards the door, eyeing up every fresh arrival. It would be impossible now for Lionel to risk a meeting with Thaddeus Morgan and somebody else must have been despatched in his stead; most probably that person whom he had described as 'too young and too green'. No wonder they both looked so uneasy.
    Philip returned with two beakers of Rybole wine, triumphant at having been served before the other occupants of our table, who quickly raised an outcry at such unfair treatment. Philip was unabashed. 'You gotta know someone in this place,' he told them with a wink and turned to me. 'Now, what d'you think o' that?'
    He was right. I had never before tasted such richness of flavour, and afterwards I regretted that at the time I was too preoccupied to do it justice. Although I exclaimed enough to satisfy Philip, my mind was on the two men in the corner, who had suddenly stiffened to attention, their eyes fixed on the ale-house door. My own gaze shifted hurriedly and I saw that a young man had just come in.
    I judged him to be not above seventeen or eighteen years of age, slenderly built with delicate, fine-boned features and