PRAISE FOR EDWARD MARSTON

‘A master storyteller’

Daily Mail

‘Packed with characters Dickens would have been proud of. Wonderful [and] well-written’

Time Out

‘Once again Marston has created a credible atmosphere within an intriguing story’

Sunday Telegraph

‘Filled with period detail, the pace is steady and the plot is thick with suspects, solutions and clues. Marston has a real knack for blending detail, character and story with great skill’

Historical Novels Review

‘The past is brought to life with brilliant colours, combined with a perfect whodunnit. Who needs more?’

The Guardian

Rage of the Assassin

Edward Marston

CONTENTS

1. TITLE PAGE
2. CHAPTER ONE
3. CHAPTER TWO
4. CHAPTER THREE
5. CHAPTER FOUR
6. CHAPTER FIVE
7. CHAPTER SIX
8. CHAPTER SEVEN
9. CHAPTER EIGHT
10. CHAPTER NINE
11. CHAPTER TEN
12. CHAPTER ELEVEN
13. CHAPTER TWELVE
14. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
15. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
16. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
17. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
18. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
19. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
20. CHAPTER NINETEEN
21. CHAPTER TWENTY
22. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
23. BY EDWARD MARSTON
24. COPYRIGHT

CHAPTER ONE

1817

When he set out that evening, Paul Skillen had no warning of the tragedy that lay ahead. He assumed that he’d simply be performing his usual task of escorting Hannah Granville safely through an overexcited mob of admirers. It was one of the penalties that fame had inflicted upon her. Hannah was playing the part of Lady Macbeth in the production of Shakespeare’s play at the Covent Garden Theatre. Night after night, a huge audience watched in wonder. Dazzled by her beauty, roused by her passion, shocked by her murderous ambition yet saddened by her descent into madness, they were completely at her mercy. Paul knew that it would be the same again that evening. When she appeared at the curtain call, a thunderous ovation would greet her.

As he arrived at the theatre, a crowd was already gathering outside the stage door and jostling for position. Though Macbeth was followed by a comical afterpiece, none of the rakes and fops assembled there was interested in staying to watch it. Their priority was to get close enough to the finest actress in London to gloat, ogle, scrutinise and, if at all possible, to touch their goddess. Hannah had learnt to ignore the regular litany of propositions that would come from all sides. When she left the building, she would be holding Paul’s arm, relying on his virile appearance to keep the fervent admirers at bay.

On this occasion, however, it was different. Before he could make his way to the stage door and go on to Hannah’s dressing room, Paul heard a familiar voice ring out above the hubbub.

‘Stand aside, please!’

It was Micah Yeomans, the Bow Street Runner, supported as usual by Alfred Hale. The two Runners had an important assignment that evening.

‘Make way for His Royal Highness!’ bellowed Yeomans, using authoritative elbows to create a path for his companion.