The Murders of Richard III by Elizabeth Peters Page A

sense.”
    Philip smiled at her, and the rector said, “Quite right, quite right. After all, dear lady, these chaps are not criminals; you would be in no danger if you did find one under…that is…”
    Liz burst out laughing.
    â€œYou certainly wouldn’t need to worry, Mother.”
    Kent brought his fist down on the table with a crash.
    â€œOf all the irresponsible fools I’ve ever seen,this lot is the worst. We’re wasting valuable time. If this chap was a reporter, there’s no harm done. I can deal with reporters.” A reminiscent red gleam shone in his eyes. “But what if it wasn’t a reporter?”
    The others stared at him.
    â€œI’ve heard a rumor,” Kent went on. “They say that there is a stranger at the village inn. A stranger to them, but not to us…. Ladies and gentlemen, I suspect that the man is no other than—James Strangways!”
    An unenlightened outsider would have thought Kent had told them there was a bomb in the room. Faces turned pale; eyes glazed; Lady Isobel sank back in her chair with a gasp; and Mrs. Ponsonby-Jones tried to faint.
    Thomas glanced at Jacqueline. He suspected she recognized the name. She gave no indication of it. Clasping her hands in a gesture of exaggerated horror, she gave Sir Richard his cue.
    â€œGood heavens! Sir Richard! Who is—James Strangways?”
    Weldon’s round face was grim.
    â€œHe is the worst enemy I have in the world.”
    Mrs. Ponsonby-Jones changed the scene from melodrama to farce.
    â€œYour enemy? What about me? Don’t you remember that dreadful insulting letter he wroteabout my little article on Richard’s religious beliefs?”
    â€œOh,” said Jacqueline. “That Strangways.”
    Weldon nodded solemnly.
    â€œPerhaps I should call him Richard’s worst enemy. The man is a menace. One might call him a renegade, because he was once a strong supporter of Richard’s.”
    â€œHe wrote a biography of Edward the Fourth,” Jacqueline said. “The authoritative biography.”
    â€œThat is correct. In an appendix he asserted his belief in Richard’s innocence of the murder in very strong terms.”
    There was no need for Weldon to explain which murder he meant; in Ricardian circles the young princes were the only victims worth mentioning.
    â€œBut that was ten years ago,” Weldon went on, “when Strangways was a rising young scholar at one of your American universities. Since then he has changed his attitude. Not only has he written derogatory articles about Richard, but he attacks pro-Ricardians on every possible occasion. Until recently he was a member of the American branch of the society, but our colleagues in the States finally had to expel him.”
    â€œFor treason?” Jacqueline inquired seriously.
    Sir Richard looked at her reproachfully.
    â€œIndeed, Jacqueline—”
    â€œForgive me; I didn’t mean to poke fun at the society.”
    â€œOf course not.” Sir Richard smiled at her. “I suppose we do sound a bit foolish to outsiders; but Strangways is really a most unpleasant chap. We consider him our most pernicious opponent, for the man has prestige and a certain literary style—”
    â€œA most disgusting, cynical style,” Lady Isobel said. Her sallow cheeks were flushed. “It has no literary merit. Pure invective, that is all it is.”
    â€œStrangways was extremely rude about The Gallant Young King, ” the rector chirped sympathetically. “The review was rather widely read; it appeared in one of your local American newspapers.”
    â€œThe New York Times,” Thomas said, straight-faced. “It does have a moderate circulation.”
    Philip gave Thomas an appreciative look.
    â€œYour little local papers,” he said grinning. “Well, we know about Americans, don’t we, Lady Isobel? No taste. Barbarians.”
    â€œI resent the