Edward Marston - The Wildcats of Exeter

‘Would you tell the truth to such a man?’ said Albreda.

‘You will need to wait, my lady. To choose the right moment.’

‘There will never be a right moment with Baldwin.’

‘Then we must get those letters back ourselves,’ said Golde.

‘You must have some idea who is behind this blackmail.’

‘None. I have been racking my brains to think who it might be.

My husband is the sheriff and that means we have many enemies simply by dint of his office. Any one of them could want to drive a wedge between us.’ She gave a forlorn sigh. ‘You told me to find the blackmailer but I do not even know where to begin.’

‘With the letters themselves. Where were they kept?’

‘I do not know. The lord Nicholas promised to destroy them.’

‘But cherished them too much to do so. They would have been hidden somewhere at his manor house so that his own wife would not see them. Someone must have found them after his death.’

‘Or stolen them,’ said Albreda as a possibility dawned. ‘Baldwin mentioned that there had been a robbery at the house. It did not strike me at first but now I begin to wonder. Suppose the thief broke in to steal my letters to the lord Nicholas?’

‘How would he know that they were there?’

‘Because he delivered them.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I could never trust anyone from the castle to bear such letters to the lord Nicholas. We had to use someone else. Someone whose discretion could be relied upon entirely,’ she said as she delved into her memory. ‘An honest man who would never dare to open any letter which passed between us, however curious he might be, and would divulge to nobody that he had been employed by us on like errands.’

‘Did you know such a man?’

‘The lord Nicholas did.’

‘Who was he?’

‘Saewin the Reeve.’

Loretta was in the garden, walking slowly between the well-tended beds of flowers and noting with pleasure the complete absence of weeds. Birds were perched in her fruit trees, hopping from branch to branch beneath the foliage. Insects were buzzing in the sunshine. When Saewin was shown out to her, she drew his attention to her pond. ‘Do you like fish?’ she asked.

‘Only when they are on a plate, my lady.’

‘They are beautiful creatures when you get to know them. So much more dependable than human beings. They never lie to you.’ She gave him a look of disapproval. ‘Why have you come?’

‘You asked me to make enquiries of the commissioners.’

‘And?’

‘I spoke with Master Bret a while ago,’ said Saewin, wilting slightly under her censorious gaze. ‘No decision has been reached and there is no tilting in favour of the lady Catherine. On the other hand, Master Bret did ride out to the manor house today. I gather that he spoke with the lady Catherine herself.’

‘This is sour news.’

‘I felt that you should hear it all the same, my lady.’

‘What did they talk about?’

‘He would not tell me.’

‘Did you press him?’

‘Too hard, my lady, and it earned me a reprimand. That is one of the things I came to tell you. I can no longer ferret out information about this dispute for you. My integrity is being compromised.’

‘What integrity?’ she said with scorn.

‘That is unkind!’

Loretta subjected him to such an intense scrutiny that he began to feel uncomfortable. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow. Her voice was low and accusatory. ‘You have betrayed me, Saewin.’

‘No, my lady!’

‘I hoped that I could count on your loyalty.’

‘And so you can.’

‘My husband helped to put you in the position which you now hold,’ she said with withering contempt. ‘I am glad that he is not alive to see how unworthy and corrupt you have become.’

‘I am neither of those things!’ he protested.

‘Then why have you turned against me? You know how important it is for me to regain the holdings that were tricked out of my son. You know how long I have waited for this opportunity. It means everything to me.’

‘I appreciate that, my lady.’

‘Then why do you favour my rivals?’

‘I do not.’

‘Why did you visit Engelric yesterday and spend so long in his company? What plot were the two of you hatching against me?’

‘I merely went to tell him that the commissioners had suspended their sessions. He was entitled to know that, my lady.’

‘But was he entitled to have so much of your company?’

Saewin hesitated. ‘We had … other matters to discuss.’

‘So I have gathered.’

‘But they are nothing to do with this dispute.’

‘I have only your word for that, Saewin.’

‘You have always found it reliable in the past, my lady.’

‘That was before I heard about the other visit you paid.’

‘Other visit?’

‘Last evening,’ she said quietly. ‘You called on Asa, did you not?’

‘No, my lady.’

‘Called on her and stayed there well into the night. Why, Saewin? What kind of blandishments did she offer you? Why would you visit that harlot if not to claim your reward for helping her with her suit?’ She raised a hand to silence his reply. ‘Engelric and Asa. The two fellow Saxons involved in this dispute. Your two soulmates. Yet you have the gall to talk about integrity!’

‘I confess that I visited Engelric,’ he said quickly, ‘but mostly on business unrelated to this dispute. I went nowhere near Asa’s house. I spent last evening alone in my own home. Ask her. Asa will confirm that we never even met yesterday.’

‘I have a more reliable witness than Asa.’

‘Do you?’

‘Yes, Saewin. He saw you enter and leave her house. So you are guilty of lies as well as treachery.’ She looked over his shoulder. ‘While you were there, he also saw a candle being lighted in her bedchamber. Why was that, I wonder?’ She gave a nod.

‘There is my witness. He stands behind you, Saewin. You were caught by one of your own.’

When the reeve swung round, Eldred gave him a vacant grin.

Gervase Bret had a long wait before Engelric returned, but he did not mind. It gave him time to reflect on all the information he had gathered that morning and to decide what to do next. He was left alone in the parlour of the house where the old Saxon was staying with his friend. Small, bare and dark, it presented a stark contrast to the luxury of the manor house he had visited earlier.

The contrast would not have been lost on Engelric himself.

When the old man came back, he was surprised to find Gervase there.

‘Why have you come?’ he asked.

‘I need to ask you some questions.’

‘I told you all that I could at the shire hall.’

‘Yes,’ said Gervase respectfully, ‘but we only discussed the ownership of the holdings at Upton Pyne. I wish to touch on the wider issues.’

‘Of what?’

‘Murder and conspiracy.’

Engelric did not blench. ‘You lay these charges at my door?’

‘No. I merely want you to understand the seriousness of my enquiries. At the shire hall, you spoke under oath. I would like equal honesty here.’

‘You will have it, Master Bret,’ said the other, eyes glistening.

They sat opposite each other in the gloomy parlour. The house was very similar to the one in which Gervase had been born and brought up. He felt at home, but Engelric’s pride was clearly hurt at being found in such a mean dwelling. He had a faint air of embarrassment. Gervase took note of it, then plunged straight in.

‘What sort of relationship did you have with the lord Nicholas?’

‘A frosty one.’

‘Did you exchange hot words with him?’