TURN MIDNIGHT The of Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd i 15/05/18 11:28 AM MinetteMinette Walters Walters is one is theof the critically world’s acclaimed best-selling and crime interna- writers. tionallyShe is the bestselling author of author thirteen of novels,suspense winning novels, the including CWA JohnThe CreaseyDevil’s Feather Award, Thefor TheSculptress Ice House and, Acidthe Edgar Row. She Allan is the Poe Awardrecipient in America of an forEdgar The Award Sculptress and and two two CWA CWA Gold Gold Dagger Daggers forawards, The Scold’s among Bridle other and awards. Fox Evil The. The Turn Turn of Midnightof Midnight is theis the sequal to The Last Hours, published in 2017. She lives in Dorset sequel to The Last Hours, published in 2017. She lives in with her husband. Dorset with her husband. Publicity enquiries Tel: 020 7269 0246 Fax: 020 7430 0916 Email: [email protected] Sales: Clive Kintoff Tel: 020 7269 0249 Fax: 020 7430 0916 Email: [email protected] Atlantic Books Ormond House, 26–27 Boswell Street, London, WC1N 3JZ Tel: 020 7269 1610 Fax: 020 7430 0916 Email: [email protected] Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd ii 15/05/18 11:28 AM Minette Walters is the critically acclaimed and interna- tionally bestselling author of suspense novels, including The Devil’s Feather, The Sculptress and Acid Row. She is the MINETTE recipient of an Edgar Award and two CWA Gold Dagger awards, among other awards. The Turn of Midnight is the sequel to The Last Hours, published in 2017. She lives in WALTERS Dorset with her husband. TURN MIDNIGHT The of Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd ii 15/05/18 11:28 AM Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd iii 15/05/18 11:28 AM A note to reviewers: please remember that this proof is uncorrected and changes may be made before the book is printed. If any material from the book is to be quoted in a review, please check it against the text in the final bound edition, which will be sent to you when it becomes available. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. First published in Great Britain in 2018 by Allen & Unwin First published in Australia in 2018 by Allen & Unwin Copyright © Minette Walters, 2018 FirstThe published moral rightin 2018 of Minette Walters to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Copyright © Minette Walters 2018Patents (The right Act ofof Minette 1988. Walters to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) Maps by © Janet Hunt AllAll rights rights reserved. reserved. No partNo part of this of bookthis book may bemay reproduced be reproduced or transmitted or transmitted in in anyany form form or byor anyby any means, means, electronic electronic or mechanical, or mechanical, including including photocopying, photocopying, recordingrecording or by or any by informationany information storage storage and retrieval and retrieval system, system, without withoutprior prior permission in writing permissionfrom the publisher. in writing The fromAustralian the publisher. Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is theEvery greater, effort to be hasphotocopied been made by to any trace educational or contact institution all copyright for its educationalholders. The purposespublishers provided will be that pleased the educational to make good institution any omissions (or body that or rectifyadministers any mistakes it) has given a remunerationbrought notice to their to the attention Copyright at Agencythe earliest (Australia) opportunity. under the Act. Allen & Unwin Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 c/o Atlantic Books Australia Ormond House Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 26–27 Boswell Street Email: [email protected] WC1N 3JZ Web: www.allenandunwin.com Phone: 020 7269 1610 Fax: 020 7430 0916 A catalogue record for this Email: [email protected] book is available from the National LibraryWeb: of Australia www.allenandunwin.co.uk A CIP catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 978 1 76029 587 5 Hardback ISBN 978 1 76063 216 8 Maps by Janet Hunt Trade paperback ISBN 978 1 76063 217 5 Set in 12.1/17.2pt Minion ProE-book by Bookhouse, ISBN 978 Sydney 1 76063 885 6 Printed and bound in Australia by SOS Printing + Media Group 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd iv 15/05/18 11:28 AM For my excellent Durham friends in Dorset Amber, David, Geoffrey, Huw, Isobel, Jill, Josh, Les, Mike, Mike, Richard First published in 2018 and Patrick and Lynden in Australia Copyright © Minette Walters 2018 (The right of Minette Walters to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988) All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act. Allen & Unwin 83 Alexander Street Crows Nest NSW 2065 Australia Phone: (61 2) 8425 0100 Email: [email protected] Web: www.allenandunwin.com A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of Australia ISBN 978 1 76029 587 5 Maps by Janet Hunt Set in 12.1/17.2pt Minion Pro by Bookhouse, Sydney Printed and bound in Australia by SOS Printing + Media Group Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd iv 15/05/18 11:28 AM Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd v 15/05/18 11:28 AM N WE Wo�d�nd S Wo�d�nd Common pa�ure�nd Common pa�ure�nd Hi�way Devil ’s Bro�k Peasant �rips Pa�ure Vil�ge Pa�ure Peasant �rips Moat Manor Hi�way House Orchard Vegetable Church garden Meadow�nd Wo�d�nd Devil ’s Bro�k Wo�d�nd Develish, 1348 Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd vi 15/05/18 11:28 AM N to Shafbury de or WE ef nd Wo�d�nd Develish � S B Wo�d�nd to Common pa�ure�nd Common pa�ure�nd Hi�way oad er’s R Devil ’s Bro�k Drov River Pedle Athelhelm Holcombe Peasant �rips Ford Pa�ure Ford R iver P A�pedle edle Vil�ge Pa�ure Rive r Frome to Po�le Peasant �rips Moat Manor Hi�way Lake Ford House Orchard rome Rive er F Wo�doak Lake r Fro Vegetable Riv me Church garden Meadow�nd Wo�d�nd r � Devil ’s Bro�k � Wo�d�nd ch or D to Develish, 1348 Mid-Dorse�shire, 1348 Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd vi 15/05/18 11:28 AM Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd vii 15/05/18 11:28 AM N To Shafbury WE S To Sarum B�ndeforde To Sherborne River Stour Town Wal� Church Guard House Manor House S River tour To Develish To Holcombe B�ndeforde, 1349 Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd viii 15/05/18 11:28 AM N To Shafbury So great a plague has never been heard of from the beginning of WE the world to the present day . The sickness befell people every- S where . and generated such horror that children did not dare to visit their dying parents, nor parents their children, but fled for fear of contagion. To Sarum John of Fordun, Scotichronicon B�ndeforde To Sherborne Towns once packed with people were emptied of their inhabitants, River Stour Town and the plague spread so thickly that the living were hardly able to bury the dead. In some religious houses not more than two survived Wal� out of twenty. It was calculated by several people that barely a tenth Church of mankind remained alive . Rents dwindled and land was left Guard House untilled for want of tenants (who were nowhere to be found). And Manor House S so much wretchedness followed these ills that afterwards the world River tour could never return to its former state. Thomas Walsingham, St Albans Abbey, Chronicle Many villages and hamlets became deserted . Sheep and cattle went wandering over fields and through crops and there was no one to look after them . In the autumn [following the pestilence] no one could get a reaper for less than 8d, or a mower for less To Develish To Holcombe than 12d. Therefore, many crops perished in the fields for want of someone to gather them. Henry Knighton, Chronicle B�ndeforde, 1349 Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd viii 15/05/18 11:28 AM Bh2985M-ReadingCopies.indd ix 15/05/18 11:28 AM Places, people and events from The Last Hours Places Melcombe, the port in Dorseteshire where the Black Death first entered England on 24 June, 1348. Within days, many of the inhabitants were dead; within weeks, the sickness had spread to the rest of the county. One chronicler described it as ‘a pestilence that moved at the speed of a galloping horse’. All who contracted it died. Bradmayne, a demesne of some four hundred and fifty people, situated a half-day’s ride from Melcombe, and an early victim of the pestilence.