Candace Robb - A Spy For The Redeemer

‘Why?’

‘He would be first knight. Their presence insults him.’

‘That is silly.’

‘He has some secret he keeps close to him. Hast thou observed him with servants?’

‘What sort of secret?’

‘He keeps it well. Didst thou observe him with servants?’

‘I did. He was solicitous of Tildy. Showed respect to Daimon. Is he too lenient with the servants?’

Magda sniffed. Frowned out of the window. ‘He showed a different face to thee, Magda thinks. He is a Janus, then. Mayhap that is why Tildy does not trust him.’

‘She said nothing to me.’

Magda shook her head. ‘It is a thing happens slowly — doubts, questions. She thinks he finds being steward of Freythorpe Hadden to his liking. But Daimon stands in the way.’

It took a moment for Lucie to catch the implication, which then outraged her. ‘Has Tildy lost her wits! You have told her that Daimon’s confusion was my fault. Harold is a good man. He would never poison a man to steal his post. He has no need.’

Despite her age, Magda had piercing eyes, which were now locked on Lucie’s. ‘How thou dost protest, Mistress Apothecary. Dost thou know Galfrey so well?’

‘You know that I do not. But I judged him to be a good man. What has he done to deserve such suspicion?’

‘Naught but that he is too comfortable.’

‘Tildy is a foolish girl.’

‘Nay. She is loyal to thee. It is far easier for her to believe a stranger could make such a mistake than that thou couldst.’

Lucie saw the truth in that. ‘Forgive my temper.’

‘Thou hast much on thy mind. A little temper is a good thing. But Magda is not finished. Dost thou know Colby, John Gisburne’s servant?’

‘The thief who is always pardoned?’

‘Aye. He appeared at Freythorpe yesterday and asked for the borrowed steward. He told him that Nan’s son Joseph was about.’

‘It was good of John Gisburne to warn my steward.’

‘Aye. Too good of him.’

‘Why would you doubt it?’

‘It seems a long way to send a servant with such information. Does Gisburne owe thee such a favour? Didst thou save his life?’

‘No. You do have doubts about Harold.’

Magda wagged her head. ‘Magda does not like Gisburne’s interest in this.’

Neither did Lucie. John Gisburne had never been particularly friendly to the family. ‘Perhaps he knows Harold Galfrey well. He did recommend him to Roger.’

Magda picked up her scarf, pushed herself away from the table. ‘Magda must see whether her home has floated away.’

‘I wish you would stay until Jasper returns.’

But Magda was already winding her scarf. ‘It is best to reach Bootham Bar before the gatekeeper closes it.’

‘God bless you for everything, Magda.’

‘Magda enjoyed the hearth and the food. Nan curses the sod, but she graces the kitchen.’

Goodwife Constance opened Roger Moreton’s door. She was a tiny woman, hardly more than a child in stature, though her face was lined with age. Her nose had apparently continued to grow after she stopped, for it would suit an amazon. Or an eagle. ‘Oh, what will you think of the master. He is not at home. But come in, I pray you, and I shall see that you have wine to soothe you and a goodly chair in which to wait.’

Brother Michaelo bowed to her. ‘Perhaps I am too early?’

‘Not at all. I pray you, come in.’

Constance showed him into a large room with a brazier and several chairs of excellent design, large carved backs, embroidered cushions on the seats. Master Moreton had elegant taste.

‘The master will return anon,’ babbled the woman, ‘for certain, he has not forgotten. It is only that Mistress Wilton’s aged aunt is missing and they are worried about the poor woman. She is not as she once was. Master Moreton is helping Jasper de Melton in his search.’

‘Dame Phillippa missing?’ Michaelo crossed himself. Remembering her confusion at the manor, he understood their concern. ‘I shall be patient.’

This, then, was to be Michaelo’s penance — to sit here, waiting for a merchant, listening to this woman’s chatter. He resigned himself to his punishment, though he would have preferred to be left alone to pray for Dame Phillippa.

Weary of waiting and needing a distraction, Lucie went into the kitchen to see the children. But Hugh was already asleep in Kate’s lap and Gwenllian curled up on a bench in the corner with her favourite rag doll.

‘I should put them to bed,’ Kate whispered, ‘but they are so peaceful where they are.’

‘Let them rest. When you grow weary, or Jasper comes in, take them up to bed.’

Lucie tore some bread from the loaf on the table and went back out into the hall to pace as she chewed.

She was trying to focus on Magda’s news, consider what she should do, but she could not keep her mind from worry about Phillippa. All that could be done was being done. But if any ill befell her aunt, Lucie could not bear it. It would be her fault. She should have understood how much Phillippa wished to return to the manor. Was she lying in a ditch? Sweet Jesu. An elderly neighbour had been found last week in a rain-swollen ditch by the edge of the road in the Forest of Galtres. It was said that her family had refused to escort her to the house of an old friend in Easingwold who lay dying. Folk already gossiped about Lucie. What would they say about this? Catastrophe loomed in the shadows.

When she heard someone fumbling with the latch on the hall door, she ran with pounding heart to open it. God be thanked, it was Jasper and Dame Phillippa. Weeping with relief, Lucie hugged her aunt, guided her to a chair while chiding her for not telling anyone she was going out.

‘I was praying,’ Phillippa said, ‘at many churches. Why did the lad bring me home?’

Lucie glanced up at Jasper.

‘Kate has kept the pottage warm and there is a good loaf of bread. Bring some for you and Dame Phillippa.’ Lucie turned back to her aunt. ‘What is this about?’

‘I mean to pray in every church in York that the Lord might hear my need and tell me where I hid the parchment.’

Phillippa began to wriggle out of her cloak. Lucie helped her.

‘Why every church?’

‘I cannot believe the Lord would ignore a prayer from every church in York.’

‘How many did you manage?’

Phillippa closed her eyes and straightened a finger for each church as she recited, ‘The minster, St Michael-le-Belfry, St Christopher’s Chapel, St Helen’s, St Martin’s. Master Moreton and Jasper interrupted me there and insisted that I come along with them.’

This was not one of Phillippa’s confused moods. Lucie had learned a valuable lesson this evening. She would not treat her aunt like a child again, simply forbidding, not discussing. ‘Next time, please ask one of us to accompany you. I promise you we shall.’

Jasper placed a bowl of pottage and a chunk of the soft centre of the loaf before Phillippa, poured her a cup of wine and added some water.

‘You are the best lad,’ Phillippa said, patting his hand. ‘I pray you forgive an old woman’s fit of anger.’

Jasper hunched his shoulders. ‘I do not like my plans interrupted either.’ He slipped on to the bench beside her.

Lucie asked after Roger Moreton.

‘He remembered a guest, who had already waited a good while,’ said Jasper with a mouth full of bread.

‘I shall go to his house with a basket of flowers tomorrow to thank him,’ Lucie said. She would also ask him about Harold’s relationship with John Gisburne. ‘Wait for me down here,’ she told Jasper. ‘I shall see the children off to bed, and aunt, and then we shall have the talk I promised.’

Michaelo drank little wine. He was comfortable — Goodwife Constance had noted how he winced when he leaned back in the chair, thrown up her hands in horror that he had not told her he was suffering and offered elegantly embroidered cushions to ease him. But that was the trouble. Michaelo had slept well the previous night, thanks to Brother Henry’s sleep draught, but one night’s rest did not compensate for his long bout of penitential sleeplessness, and he feared that wine and a comfortable chair might undo him. The goodwife wished to hear all about Wales, so he kept himself awake by talking, giving her lengthy, detailed descriptions of the castles, palaces, great houses and abbeys in which he had stayed on his pilgrimage.