Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham

to supervise his actions.
    ‘Anyway, Henry paid as little attention to the Provisions of Oxford as John had paid to the Magna Carta. Simon, with the barons, decided to impose control. In 1264 there was a civil war. The king’s army was beaten at Lewes in Sussex. Henry was taken prisoner along with his son, Edward.
    ‘Simon called an emergency parliament of not only barons, but bishops and abbots, two knights from each shire and burgesses from a number of towns. He hoped to make it a lasting establishment.’
    He paused to eat a piece of sea bass.
    ‘What happened then?’ asked Agatha. The story was keeping her mind off thoughts of James Lacey.
    ‘Simon’s support began to crumble. The Marcher lords from the borders of Wales rose against him and were joined by Gilbert de Clare, the young and powerful Earl of Gloucester. Simon led an army to the Severn, taking the king and Prince Edward with him as hostages, but the prince escaped at Hereford to lead the royalist uprising.
    ‘Both forces converged on Evesham as Simon was preparing to enter the town. Simon’s troops were massacred. Simon was beheaded and the head sent to his widow. His arms and legs and, erm, private parts were cut off. All that remained was the torso, which was buried at Evesham Abbey.’
    ‘That’s interesting,’ said Agatha. ‘Is his grave in the churchyard?’
    ‘There’s a memorial stone, but that’s all. No one knows what happened to his remains. You see, people began to make pilgrimages to his grave to pay their respects to the “good Earl Simon”. Rumour has it that the remains were dug up, burnt, and the ashes scattered to prevent worship of this dangerous democrat. The curator at the Almonry – the Evesham museum – he thinks Henry the Eighth was responsible, because a lot of the relics at Evesham Abbey were destroyed during the dissolution of the monasteries. Am I boring you?’
    ‘No, I didn’t know all this. I’d better take a closer look at Evesham.’
    ‘So tell me all about yourself and your love life.’
    They had drunk one bottle of wine and he had ordered another. Agatha, now slightly tipsy, found herself telling him all about James and about her brief fling with Charles. But she did not tell him that James knew all about Charles.
    ‘So where is James now?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ said Agatha sadly. ‘Abroad somewhere.’
    ‘You’re an attractive woman.’ He reached across the table and took her hand in his.
    Agatha laughed and disengaged her hand. ‘You make women feel attractive.’
    ‘Tell me more about yourself.’
    Agatha talked on but mostly about her days in public relations. Somehow the fact that Bill Wong hadn’t phoned her hurt and so she did not brag about her detective abilities or mention his name.
    And while she talked she began to wonder whether he would want to stay the night and whether she would let him. By the end of the meal she was languorously tipsy and was planning to invite him in when they got home.
    As they left the restaurant, which was attached to the Crown Inn, Agatha saw Mrs Friendly emerging from the adjoining bar. ‘Mrs Friendly,’ called Agatha.
    Mrs Friendly stood stock-still. Her eyes were wide with fright and her face paper-white as she looked at Mr John. She made an inarticulate sound and turned and went hurriedly back into the bar, pushing her way through people until she was lost to view.
    Outside, Agatha said, ‘You frightened her.’
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Mrs Friendly.’
    ‘Who’s she? Sounds like Happy Families. Miss Bun, the Baker’s Daughter, Mrs Friendly, the –’
    ‘No, no. She was really frightened. The woman who was staring at you just as we left.’
    ‘I saw no one I know. The restaurant behind us was crowded, Agatha. She probably saw someone behind us.’
    Tipsy as she was, a little warning bell was beginning to sound in Agatha’s brain. She had talked a lot about herself, but she knew practically nothing about this hairdresser apart from the fact that he possessed a good knowledge of Evesham history.
    ‘Should you be driving?’ she asked. ‘We’ve had rather a lot to drink.’
    ‘I’ve a hard head. Don’t worry.’
    ‘If you’re sure. The fact that I know a lot of the police won’t help us if we’re caught.’
    But he had marched ahead of her to the car and did not hear her.
    When they reached her cottage and got out, Agatha turned to him and said firmly, ‘Thank you so much for a delightful evening.’
    ‘Aren’t you going to ask