Bernard Knight - Figure of Hate

Life in the unhappy manor had to go on much as before, however, as there was little alternative to a feudal routine that had been largely unchanged for centuries, even though Saxon earls had been replaced by even harsher Norman lords. The freemen and villeins tilled the same soil and herded the same animals. The cottars thatched their roofs and shoed the beasts and the miller ground their flour. In the churchyard, Hugo quietly rotted away with the others and Patrick the priest mumbled his Latin prayers and covertly swigged his wine.

In the yard behind the manor house, Robert Longus hammered new links into Ralph's coat of mail, repairing it ready for the next tournament, and his assistant Alexander ground and stropped the edges of various swords and daggers until they were sharp enough to be used for shaving. Agnes was back in the laundry hut, pounding clothes, towels and bedding in tubs of hot water with a dolly-stick and throwing them over racks outside to dry. She missed her occasional penny from the lord, but made do with the odd ha'penny from a quick tumble behind a barn with some of the wealthier villeins.

Into this scene of uneasy normality, John de Wolfe intruded once more on the Tuesday after his return from Wales. The coroner's team was augmented this time by Eustace de Relaga, trotting behind on a smart palfrey provided by his uncle, again contrasting sharply with the moth-eaten old nag ridden by Thomas de Peyne. They dismounted in front of the manor house to be confronted by Ralph Peverel, who stood at the top of the steps and seemed reluctant to move aside.

'What do you want now, Crowner?' he snapped rudely. 'I thought we'd seen the last of you.'

John climbed the few wooden steps and stood close to Ralph, looking down at him from his few extra inches in height.

'I am on the King's-business, as always. Have you any disagreement with that?'

It was an infallible door-opener, as any denial could be construed as disloyalty, if not treason. The middle brother grudgingly stood aside, but not without further protest.

'Why do you persist in persecuting our family? Don't you think we've suffered enough?'

'Your brother Hugo was murdered and his slayer is still at large. And I have strong reasons for thinking that another man here is a killer.'

'You mouth the same nonsense every time, Crowner! If the murderer of my kinsman is to be found, then we are the ones to find him — not you outsiders. And as for your delusion that Robert Longus was involved with the death of this fairground merchant, I tell you once again, he was within my sight all the time you claim him to be robbing and killing this fellow.'

John was tired of the repetitive bandying of words with this truculent man and pushed past him into the hall, beckoning Gwyn and the other pair to follow.

'I hear that this lordship is once more in dispute. Until the King's justices decide otherwise, I will assume that Sir Odo is the senior figure in this manor. Tell me where he can be found, please.'

Ralph scowled. 'Odo was disqualified months ago by your precious justices, Crowner. Thus by default I am the rightful lord of Sampford Peverel and you will deal with me!'

John slowly shook his head. 'Not so, sir. The courts gave preference to Hugo over Odo, not over you! They may come to a different judgment this time — and until then, I will accept the eldest as the inheritor.'

Ralph went red in the face. 'Then find him yourself, damn you!' he snarled, and walked out of the hall and clattered down the steps.

'Nice fellow, that!' quipped Gwyn, grinning after his retreating figure. 'His language is not fit for the ears of innocent young virgins like you, Eustace!'

The Cornishman had decided to treat the new apprentice with light-hearted baiting, not out of any malice, but to reassure Thomas that he was the old and trusted favourite.

De Wolfe had advanced into the hall and was glad to see the bailiff coming out from behind the serving screens at the far end.

Waiter Hog greeted the coroner civilly and invited them all to sit at table and partake of food and drink, calling for a servant to attend to them.

He sat with them after Eustace had been introduced and brought them up to date on the few happenings that were relevant. The main one was the arrival of Reginald de Charterai and his open courtship of Lady Avelina.

'You say he is now staying in Tiverton? I must call upon him to get news of Matilda's safe delivery to Normandy.'

'I doubt you'll need to go that far, Crowner. He's more than likely to escort the ladies back this afternoon. Beatrice has been acting as a chaperone recently — she seems to relish getting out of this place as much as possible, though usually it's with young Joel.'

When they were refreshed and had made sure that their horses were being fed and watered, John explained the reason for his visit. By now the steward, Roger Viel, had joined them, but there was no sign of any of the Peverels.

'I wanted to know if anything had transpired over the killing of Sir Hugo — and also to question Robert Longus and his assistant, about the murder near Exeter. They will have to come to the city soon when I resume the inquest. I had no time to hold it before I journeyed to Wales.'

Roger Viel shrugged. 'There's nothing new about our dead lord and master. Somehow it seems that it never happened. No one even mentions his name if they can help it — especially his widow, who seems happier than she ever was.'

'That's because she's having this great romance with young Joel,' commented the bailiff,' with uncharacteristic sarcasm.

'There was that business about the grave again,' added the steward, as an afterthought. John looked at him quizzically, but it was Walter who answered.

'You remember the scandal about the shit and the dead rat in the grave … we all know who did that, but no one owned up to it. Well, a few days after the burial, Father Patrick went out early in the morning and found two dead crows, some stinking offal and pig's guts from the village midden draped across the grave mound.'

'He wasn't a popular man,' added Roger, superfluously.

'Do you think there was any connection between whoever desecrated the grave and the killer?' asked de Wolfe.

The bailiff and the steward looked at each other, then grimaced in doubt.

'Who can tell? I'm damned sure the rat and the turd came from either Warin Fishacre, Godwin Thatcher or Nicholas Smith,' answered Waiter.

'They had serious scores to settle with Hugo for raping Maud Fishacre and unjustly hanging Godwin's son,' added the steward. 'But it doesn't prove that any of them killed him.'

There was the sound of hoofs cantering into the bailey outside and Gwyn wandered over to the door to look out. He groaned and looked back towards de Wolfe.

'You're going to like this, Crowner! Your brother-in-law has just arrived. He's talking to brother Ralph outside and doesn't look pleased at what he's hearing!' A moment later, the dapper figure of the former sheriff stormed into the hall, his face like thunder. He was closely followed by Ralph, and the pair advanced upon de Wolfe. Gwyn stood stolidly alongside his master, but Thomas and Eustace slunk back a few paces.

'Can't you leave these people in peace, de Wolfe!' snarled Richard. 'Everywhere you go, you stir up trouble. For Christ's sake, mind your own business. Go back to Exeter where you can play at being God with that lazy oaf Furnellis, who that mad justiciar appointed in my place!'

'That mad justiciar? I must remember to give him your opinion of him when I next see the archbishop,' said John mildly. 'He is the prime agent representing the King in this country, so are you saying our sovereign is also out of his mind?"

De Revelle opened his mouth, then closed it again, defeated by John's frequent ploy of dangling the threat of sedition over him whenever he spoke out of turn.