The queen's emissaries have come for a visit at the priory of Prioress
Eleanor prior to the Queen making the trip herself. They are an odd
assortment of people, and bring with them a variety of stories. What
problems will they bring to the prioress' domain?
It is the arrival of Father Eliduc that upsets Eleanor. He is the one
who, in the past, has taken away Brother Thomas for the church's
nefarious purposes. Baron Otes is also one of the party and he offers
Eleanor land, but with the stipulation that she get rid of Prior Andrew,
who he claims has vowed to kill him. Sheriff Fulke, brother of Crowner
Ralf has brought the crowner a proposal of a new wife. Ralf rejects
him, just as Eleanor has rejected the baron's offer.
The following day Brother Thomas, now a hermit, finds a corpse at his
swimming hole. It turns out that Baron Otes has been murdered. Thomas
now learns that the prior, Brother Andrew, has hated the baron for some
time because the baron killed the prior's brother.
Eleanor turns over in her mind who the potential culprits could be, and
what their reasons might be for killing the baron. She is shocked
shortly afterwards to find out that her prior had been seen in an
argument with the baron. She secludes him in a locked cell to consider
his sins.
It is during a rehearsal of a play that another death occurs. This time
it is the servant of one of the queen's emissaries that dies. It
appears that poisoned wine was used to kill the man. Brother Thomas is
sure, that because of the two methods of murder, that there are two
different culprits. What author Priscilla Royal offers as a solution is
not a complete surprise as she provides many hints for the reader to
come to the same conclusion. Otherwise a good read.
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