THE VIRGIN IN THE ICE
Ellis Peters
Table of Contents
Teaser
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
About the Author
Chapter One
It was early in November of 1139 that the tide of civil war,lately so sluggish and inactive, rose suddenly to sweep over the city ofWorcester, wash away half its livestock, property and women, and send all thoseof its inhabitants who could get away in time scurrying for their livesnorthwards away from the marauders, to burrow into hiding wherever there wasmanor or priory, walled town or castle strong enough to afford them shelter. Bythe middle of the month a straggle of them had reached Shrewsbury, and subsidedthankfully into the hospitable embrace of monastery or town, to lick theirwounds and pour out their grievances.
They were not in too bad case, apart from the old or sick, for the winterhad not yet begun to bite hard. The weather-wise foretold that there was bittercold in store, heavy snows and hard and prolonged frosts, but as yet the landlay dour, cloudy and mild, with capricious winds, but clear of frost or snow.
“Thanks be to God!” said Brother Edmund, the infirmarer, devoutly. “Or weshould have had more burials on our hands than three, and they all past theirthree score and ten.”
Even so, he was hard put to it to find beds in his hospice for all those who