The Body in the Thames - Thomas Chaloner book 6 - Prologue - Early June 1664

Aug 7, 2026

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The narrative opens in early June 1664 at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, during the marriage of Thomas Chaloner to Hannah Cotton. A fierce storm, a late arrival of the bridegroom from Holland, and a ship that nearly can’t make the ceremony set a tense backdrop as Philip Alden—an impoverished former Royalist spy—arrives hungry, cold, and desperate. His luck turns when he overhears Chaloner’s name, leading him to hope for help at the wedding feast after being murdered during the ceremony.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages368

Reading Time9 h 27 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Epilogue

Historical Note

Also by Susanna Gregory The Matthew Bartholomew Series A Plague on Both Your Houses An Unholy Alliance A Bone of Contention ADeadly Brew AWicked Deed A Masterly Murder An Order for Death A Summer of Discontent A Killer in Winter The Hand of Justice The Mark of a Murderer The Tarnished Chalice To Kill or Cure The Devil’s Disciples A Vein of Deceit The Killer of Pilgrims The Thomas Chaloner Series A Conspiracy of Violence Blood on the Strand The Butcher of Smithfield The Westminster Poisoner A Murder on London Bridge [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Copyright Published by Hachette Digital ISBN: 978-0-748-12820-4 All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Copyright © 2011 Susanna Gregory All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. Hachette Digital Little, Brown Book Group 100 Victoria Embankment London, EC4Y 0DY [www.hachette.co.uk](www.hachette.co.uk) [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) CONTENTS Also by Susanna Gregory Copyright Prologue Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Epilogue Historical Note [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) For Hendrick Berends My Dutch consultant [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) [OceanofPDF.com](OceanofPDF.com) Prologue Early June 1664 The marriage of Thomas Chaloner to Hannah Cotton in St Margaret’s Church, Westminster transpired to be an occasion few of their guests would ever forget. It was not because the ceremony took place during one of the fiercest storms in living memory, raining so hard that the roof was unequal to it and began to leak. Nor was it because the ship bringing the bridegroom home from Holland was a week late, and he arrived at the church with only seconds to spare. Rather, it was because Philip Alden was murdered during it. Alden was a man down on his luck. He had been a Royalist spy during the Commonwealth, and at the Restoration the King had rewarded him handsomely for his courage. Unfortunately, Alden loved to gamble, and the money had slipped through his fingers like quicksilver. Now, four years on, he could not remember when he had last eaten and he had no proper home. He was cold, hungry and feeling very sorry for himself as he slouched past St Margaret’s. Then he happened to overhear the name of the man who was to be married there that day. He could scarcely believe his luck! Chaloner had also been an intelligencer, albeit one who had worked for the opposition, but even so, he would not see a brother officer starve. He would invite Alden to the wedding feast, and perhaps even slip him a few shilling afterwards, to see him back on his feet. Grinning in anticipation of his problems being solved, Alden brushed himself down, pulled back his shoulders and marched boldly into the church.

FAQs

Where and when does the story begin?

The story begins in early June 1664 at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster, during Thomas Chaloner’s wedding.

Why is Philip Alden significant at the wedding?

Philip Alden is a former Royalist spy who is desperate and hungry, and his fate becomes tightly connected to the ceremony when he is murdered.

What circumstances heighten the wedding ceremony’s tension?

The ceremony unfolds during a violent storm that damages the church, while the bridegroom’s journey from Holland is delayed, leaving him with only seconds to spare.

Aug 7, 2026

Upload by Levi