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Authors: Catherine Hanley

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BOOK: B0078XH7HQ EBOK
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Edwin looked at Father Ignatius, aghast. ‘You did
what
?’ Behind him, Robert whistled in disbelief.

The priest looked at them uncomfortably. ‘I did it on the orders of the earl, I tell you.’

Robert spoke in a more sceptical tone than Edwin would have dared. ‘But surely, Father, you take your orders from the bishop?’

Father Ignatius had the grace to look ashamed. ‘Yes, of course I do, but we must all obey our secular lords as well as our spiritual ones, and anyway, he has the right to rule over his family. Walter came to me, explained that the earl wanted his sister to marry him, and that he wanted it done in secret – a quiet ceremony during this time of upheaval, he didn’t want the marriage to be announced until after the forthcoming campaign – and it seemed relatively straightforward. And such a generous donation to the church funds! I will be able to have the roof mended, and provide food for the poor for many days to come. And there might even have been be enough left over for a new pair of candlesticks for the altar …’ he trailed away and stopped uncomfortably, looking at the surrounding faces. He cleared his throat. ‘Anyway, having already received word from the earl himself, the knowledge of what I was about to do made me hesitate for a while, but eventually I made my way from my cottage up into the keep. It was no great trouble to explain to the night porter that I needed to go to the chapel – he’s used to me coming and going for the various services of the day. As I came through the gate into the inner ward, I saw somebody cross the courtyard and enter the keep, but I realised that it must be the groom, so I followed behind and went up the steps. The great door of the keep was open as usual – as you know, it’s only ever shut in times of trouble – so I passed through and turned into the staircase. The Lady Isabelle and Walter were waiting for me in the chapel.’

There was silence in the room for a moment. Edwin tried to think. Three people, all in the keep on the night de Courteville was murdered. They might all have had the opportunity to go up the stairs to the roof; they might also have had different reasons for wanting to do away with the earl. He was about to stand and take his leave, the better to consider matters, when his arm was seized by Father Ignatius.

‘But you don’t understand, my son. There is more.’

‘More?’ What more could there possibly be?

‘Oh, believe me, it’s much worse. My soul shall do penance in purgatory for many agonising years for what I have done.’

Edwin leaned forward once more.

‘I have no taste for what I’m about to say, but now I’ve started I may as well confess all.’ He shifted uncomfortably. ‘For you see, before the message from Walter de Courteville arrived, I’d also had a communication from our lord the earl. In it he said that he suspected that de Courteville would try something of the kind, and that if he did, I was to go along with it and pretend to marry them. But in fact I should miss out a crucial part of the service, or otherwise dissemble, to ensure that although they thought they were husband and wife, in reality they weren’t.’ His face white, he crossed himself. ‘May the Lord forgive me for abusing the holy sacrament so.’ He fell silent.

Robert whistled again. ‘So, since yesterday, Walter de Courteville and Lady Isabelle have been going about thinking that they were legally wed?’

Father Ignatius nodded. ‘I informed the earl of what had passed, and he bade me stay away from the castle and village today, until he had considered how best to proceed. He didn’t want me to tell anyone. But of course, if he’s said to you that I should tell all, then that’s different.’

Edwin blushed at the thought of his deception, but fortunately nobody noticed in the torchlit semi-darkness. But how else was he supposed to proceed? He needed to find out as much as possible before sundown on the morrow – less than one full day – and he needed people to give him information. He refused to feel guilty. But even so, lying to a priest … he hastily changed the subject.

‘So what will the earl do now?’

Father Ignatius looked at him wearily. ‘I don’t know. Luckily for me, that’s for him to decide. Now, if you will excuse me,’ he rose to leave, ‘I have prayers to say, for the good of my soul as well as that of Berold, who lies in his shroud in my church, and for his family.’

As he was leaving the room, Edwin was suddenly struck by another thought and called him back. ‘Forgive me for detaining you further, Father, but I have one more question. If you were performing a wedding ceremony, or at least pretending to’ – the priest winced – ‘where in the chapel would you have been standing?’

Father Ignatius looked surprised. ‘Why, in front of the altar, of course, with the two participants kneeling facing me.’

This is what Edwin had guessed. ‘So, you would have been facing the door?’ The priest nodded his assent. ‘And during the time that you were facing the door, did you see anyone going past in the passageway? Anyone who might have been on their way up to the roof of the keep?’

The others were unnaturally still, perhaps realising the significance of the question. Father Ignatius considered it carefully before shaking his head. ‘No. Even though I was involved in the rite, and indeed struggling with my own conscience, I would have noticed had anyone passed, for fear that they would see us. But in all the time I was there, nobody passed the door.’ He nodded a farewell and left the room.

 

Adam couldn’t quite take in the significance of what the earl was saying. By the look on her face, the Lady Isabelle couldn’t either. ‘William, what are you saying?’

He smiled. ‘I am saying, my dear, that you are not married to that good-for-nothing, that nobody can say that you are, and that we will have some suitable revenge on him for his duplicity.’ He sat back, almost smirking.

Comprehension slowly began to show on her face. She ventured a tearful smile, and then a small laugh. ‘Lord, I do believe he will have a surprise in store for him.’ Adam worked his way through the consequences, and found that the prospect was appealing to him as well. The lady continued. ‘What will you say?’

‘I don’t know yet. I’ll consider it, and decide how best to act.’

She agreed immediately. ‘Of course, brother. You will know what best to do.’ There was a slightly awkward pause during which Adam thought he might be noticed if he so much as breathed, before she spoke again. ‘Oh, if only I’d listened to your counsel in the first place! I might have spared myself all this.’

He looked serious. ‘Indeed. Perhaps now you’ll realise that I have all of our best interests at heart. Can you imagine the disaster which would follow with the estates in the hands of that toad?’ She looked contrite and on the verge of tears again. He spoke more gently. ‘But only now do I understand how much this matter of your marriage means to you. I’ve delayed too long, and as soon as I return from this campaign, I’ll give the question my full attention.’ She nodded, still looking subdued. He patted her shoulder. ‘And …’ the words came out in a rush, ‘And I give you my word that, although I shall seek a match for you which is in the best interests of our family and our lands, I shall never ask you to wed any man absolutely against your will.’

Adam had never heard of such a privilege, and he wondered at the earl’s generosity. He thought fleetingly of his own little sister, who had been toddling around last time he saw her, but who would be much bigger than that now. Would he look after her as well as the earl cared for his sister? He thought he probably would.

The earl helped his sister rise from the floor, brushing a few stray rushes off her skirts. ‘Come now, Isabelle. Tidy yourself, for you are a great lady and must have pride in your appearance.’ She straightened and assumed more dignity. ‘Better. Now, return to your chamber and ensure that you have a good night’s sleep.’ She nodded and withdrew.

The earl paced the room, but stopped mid-stride and snapped his fingers. He raised his voice and called. ‘Robert!’

As there was no reply, the earl looked around the room and seemed genuinely surprised that his squire was not in attendance. ‘Martin?’ He peered into the darkened corner where Adam and the knight were standing. ‘Geoffrey? Of course, I’d forgotten you were there. Where are those cursed boys when I want them?’

‘I am afraid I don’t know, my lord – I can only guess that they are about some business with young Edwin.’

‘Well, that’s as maybe, but I don’t want all of them away at once. Who’s that there with you – de Courteville’s squire?’

Adam trembled. The moment of judgement had come. How was he to be punished? But the earl merely spoke brusquely. ‘Good. At least someone thinks of my needs. Find Robert for me and fetch him here, there’s a good lad.’

Adam nodded, and was already moving before the earl could speak his next words.

‘Tell him to find de Courteville, wherever he’s hiding, and bring him … no, wait.’ Adam stopped at the threshold. The earl spoke in a different tone. ‘He’s probably the sort of man who prefers to lie abed in the mornings,’ – his voice dripped with contempt – ‘so tell Robert to go and find de Courteville at daybreak, or just before, and bring him to me. There are a few things I wish to say to him.’ He smiled unpleasantly.

Looking forward to being the agent of Walter’s discomfort, and fervently glad that he’d escaped the chamber unscathed, Adam almost skipped out of the room.

 

Edwin and the others were still considering the import of what they had heard when Adam appeared in the room, making them all jump. They leapt to their feet as he looked around.

‘Excuse me. I … I was told that you would all be here.’ He looked around, nervously. ‘I’ve been sent by the lord earl, to ask Robert to attend him.’

Robert gasped, and Edwin suddenly became aware of the fact that it was full dark. Robert looked stricken. ‘Our lord has been unattended all this time? How could I …’ He swept the room with a quick glance and spoke to Edwin. ‘I must go – let me know later what you talk about.’ He strode out of the room, Adam at his heels speaking of some task which he needed to perform.

After he’d left, the others looked at each other. Or rather, Edwin and Martin looked at each other, and Simon looked at the bread and cheese, which Edwin had completely forgotten about until now. He rolled his eyes. ‘Go on then.’ Simon seemed to hesitate for the barest moment, but then tucked in eagerly, leaving Edwin to wonder once again where the intended recipient of the food had got to. But he now had other matters on his mind. He looked at Martin, not sure how to start discussing the priest’s revelations. There had been so many shocks. For a while they spoke of their astonishment, of the sheer unbelievable nature of what they’d heard. A secret wedding which was no wedding at all, high-ranking nobles deceived, a priest celebrating a false marriage in the full knowledge of what he was doing – it was simply outside of anything they’d ever encountered before.

But enough of the gossip – Edwin must think of the facts.

‘So-o,’ he considered, carefully, ‘if Father Ignatius didn’t see anyone go up the stairs, it must mean that the earl was killed either before the wedding ceremony started, or after they’d finished.’

‘Agreed.’

Simon said something unintelligible through a mouthful of food; Edwin regarded him for a moment, in case he was going to repeat it, then shrugged and turned back to Martin.

‘It also means that any one of the three of them could have gone up the stairs afterwards, if they left separately, and then killed the earl. Nobody else would know anything about it.’

‘Also agreed. But why?’

‘That is what we need to find out.’ Edwin thought for a few moments before continuing. ‘But surely we can discount Father Ignatius. He’s a priest – he couldn’t kill anyone. And what purpose would it serve? Why would he want to murder the earl? It doesn’t make any sense.’

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