Murder in the Monastery (Libby Sarjeant Murder Mystery series) Read Free Page A

medieval research you’re going to have to do.’ Libby shook her head. ‘If you want to do it, why don’t you find an easier subject?’
    ‘I can’t write about Murder in the Monastery unless there is one, can I?’ said Peter reasonably.
    ‘What about the current problem? Or something in the more recent history?’
    Peter sighed. ‘I’ll ask Sister Catherine. I’m going to see her to get some background tomorrow. They have a sort of open house between eleven and twelve.’
    ‘In that case,’ said Libby, ‘I shall wait until you report back before doing anything further.’
    It wasn’t until quite late on Saturday afternoon that Peter sent Libby a text.
    ‘On my way home. Can I call in?’
    He knocked on the door ten minutes later bearing a large folder.
    ‘Lots of info,’ he said, ‘and very interesting.’
    ‘Do you want tea?’ asked Libby. ‘The kettle’s on and Ben will be back in a minute.’
    ‘I’d love a cup. I had a very small cup of coffee when I first arrived at the Abbey and that was it.’
    ‘Have you been there all this time?’ Libby’s eyebrows shot up.
    ‘Not quite.’ Peter threw himself languidly on to the cane sofa, which creaked alarmingly. ‘But I was there for a good time. They let me look through some of their books. Fascinating. Especially the story of the re-establishment of the order.’
    ‘Oh?’
    ‘Go and make that tea, dear trout, and I’ll tell you.’
    Libby made the tea, brought it back into the sitting room and turfed Sidney out of the armchair.
    ‘Tell all,’ she said.
    ‘Well,’ said Peter, sitting upright and sipping his tea, ‘in the first place the auction site that the reliquary was found on isn’t quite that. It’s a specialist antiquities dealer’s website. I’m sorry to say I didn’t even know such things existed. I thought items such as Anglo-Saxon brooches and Viking swords would be Crown property.’
    ‘No,’ said Libby, with a wealth of knowledge derived from watching archaeology programmes on television, ‘sometimes an item found on someone’s land is returned to him and he can sell it. Although I’d be surprised in this instance. All items like that must be reported to the coroner within fourteen days and he decides if it’s officially treasure which can then be claimed by the Crown. There’s something about percentages of gold and silver and age, but I don’t know the exact details.’
    ‘Well, this website states quite categorically that it has authenticated the reliquary and has the provenance. Apparently it was in the hands of a private collector from the eighteenth or nineteenth century.’
    ‘But it won’t say who?’
    ‘They wouldn’t be able answer any questions, would they?’
    ‘No, but who was the collection left to?’
    ‘The person selling the reliquary, I suppose.’ Peter sighed. ‘Now listen, before you get any more hot under the collar about that, I must tell you about the re-establishment of the order, which you suggested I should find out about.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘Patti told you that the buildings had gone into private ownership, didn’t she?’
    Libby nodded.
    ‘Apparently, the last private owner wanted to sell, but was having trouble. A local vicar suggested that, as it had been a monastic organisation, it should be offered to English monastic houses. As it happened, this community of Anglican Benedictine sisters had been living in rather cramped quarters somewhere else, and with all sorts of outside financial help, managed to buy it. I believe there was a substantial legacy from one particular woman, but I can’t remember who, exactly.’
    ‘So they aren’t really anything to do with the original St Eldreda?’ said Libby.
    ‘Nothing at all. And they don’t necessarily want the reliquary back, they just want to know where it’s been.’
    ‘Oh, so a bit of a damp squib, then?’ said Libby, putting down her mug.
    ‘Not really. They still use her name, and, as I told you, they’re celebrating