Michael, JECKS - The Tournament of Blood

At Baldwin’s side, Simon had listened with astonishment. He had thought that there was nothing which could surprise him about the events at this tournament, but now he heard his own servant talk, he realised how little he had actually seen. Glancing away from the scene, he saw that Lord Hugh and Sir Peregrine were talking quietly. Sir Peregrine soon walked down the slope to the Coroner’s side. Sir Roger looked at him irritably, then down at Sir Walter’s body as the banneret muttered in his ear, and Simon saw the Coroner’s eyes rise to meet Lord Hugh’s wooden stare.

‘I find that Sir Walter killed Benjamin Dudenay, Wymond Carpenter, Hal Sachevyll and Sir William of Crukerne before killing his wife and himself.’

While the Coroner declared his findings and began to itemise the taxes that would be levied upon the local people for harbouring the killer and seeing the King’s Peace broken, Baldwin watched Lord Hugh up on the slope. He was aware of Simon behind him, but didn’t move.

‘Lord Hugh wants no more discussion or deliberation,’ Simon said.

‘No. He wants the whole affair ended. And Christ save the poor devil who tries to find out more – or who accidentally forces Lord Hugh to consider the murders again.’

‘Why has he done this, do you think? Just because of the shame of seeing his tournament ruined?’

Baldwin sighed. ‘Politics, that is why. Lord Hugh cannot afford to leave the King with the impression that his spies died because of their spying. No, Lord Hugh does not know why they died, but this explanation is convenient. The Coroner has recorded that Sir Walter killed them because of their gambling which stole some of his wealth. That suits Lord Hugh.’

His mood appeared gloomy – and oddly, Simon had the impression that he was holding something back. Possibly it was just because of the bruising from his fight. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘Battered, but all right apart from that,’ Baldwin said shortly. He glanced about the courtyard. Seeing Sir Edmund, he said, ‘Come with me a moment, Simon.’

Sir Edmund was still kneeling at Lady Helen’s side, but as Simon and Baldwin approached, he had got to his feet and was beginning to turn away.

‘May we speak to you, Sir Edmund?’ Baldwin called.

‘If you must.’ The knight’s face was ravaged with grief and regret.

‘I was sorry to hear of your love for the lady,’ Baldwin said quietly ‘It must have been a terrible shock to find that she had married while you were away.’

‘What business is that of yours?’ said Sir Edmund, passing a hand over his eyes.

‘Sir Edmund, be easy,’ Baldwin told him. ‘I do not wish to offend.’

‘Then be more careful with your words!’

‘Naturally you are unhappy.’

‘How would you feel? The only woman I ever loved is dead.’

‘It is natural to be sad. It must have been an appalling shock.’

‘She told me she had married Sir Walter and she wouldn’t break her vows. I don’t think she loved me any more!’

‘You met her here, didn’t you?’

‘It was not easy, but yes, we met a couple of times. I persuaded her to meet me. First on the night that Hal was killed, and then on the night that Sir William died. I used Andrew as my emissary, and he looked after her, made sure no one else saw her with me.’

‘How did you arrange that?’

‘Easily enough. We waited until the bulk of the men in the hall were drunk, when the noise from the musicians and dancers had grown loud. Then we could wander in the dark outside.’

‘Didn’t Sir Walter notice his wife’s absence?’ Baldwin asked with surprise. Sir Walter had not seemed the sort of man to be tolerant of a wife’s nocturnal meanderings.

‘He drank heavily. She left him when he was largely pissed, but she said he always remained at table while other knights stayed. He wouldn’t get up in case others thought him weak with wine. She could judge how much more he would drink and made sure she was in the tent before he returned from the hall.’

Baldwin nodded. ‘Andrew brought her to you.’

‘Yes. Both nights.’

‘To ensure your privacy?’

‘I didn’t want some scruffy churl turning up and interrupting us.’

‘Like her husband?’ Baldwin said wryly.

After a moment Sir Edmund burst out, ‘I could have made her happy – I could! That braggart, that swaggering swine, was no good for her. How could he be? She was constantly on her guard. She couldn’t love him . Jesu! A filthy moron like him? Whereas I would have wrestled a dragon barehanded to prove my love for her. What more could a knight do? Yet I have lost her, this time for ever. Now I am lost.’

‘There is always hope, my friend,’ Baldwin said compassionately. ‘I lost a lord when I was younger, and thought my life was over, but now I have a wife and child and a new lord. There is always hope.’

‘Perhaps for you.’

‘And for Andrew.’

‘Yes, for him too.’

Baldwin paused. ‘Did Andrew tell you about Squire William’s attack on Lady Helen?’

‘No. If I had heard, that young man would have regretted his foul impertinence.’

Simon was peering at him in concentration. ‘Sir Edmund, on the night William died, what of him? Did you see him?’

‘He walked off after the singer. That was the last I saw of him.’

‘Odo the Herald, you mean?’ Baldwin asked, surprised.

‘Him, yes.’

‘What then?’

‘I returned to the hall. If I am honest, I’d have liked to have met Sir Walter so I could kill him and win her back. But I didn’t.’

‘And William?’

‘I expect he was up here at the castle with Odo. If you want to confirm it, ask your own servant, Bailiff, he was there too. I could not have killed Sir William.’

Simon nodded. He would trust Hugh’s word. ‘Did you see anything else?’

‘One thing. I saw Odo return to the hall a while later. I know it was not long after, for I had only just grabbed a pot of wine from the bar. In that time Odo came back in.’

‘A herald could walk about the field with ease,’ Simon noted, looking at Baldwin.

Baldwin nodded. ‘And if he needed to conceal himself, all he need do would be to pull off his tabard and pull on a scruffy tunic. Do you remember saying you thought Sir Walter was a villein because he was dressed in so shabby a manner? Well, Odo could hide his identity swiftly.’

‘Why should he wish to kill, though?’ Simon asked. ‘What was his motive?’

Baldwin turned to Sir Edmund again. ‘You said you first met Odo in Europe?’

‘Yes. He was there as herald at various places. I learned to trust him.’

‘I recall you told me you met him again in Exeter. Was that while the King’s Justices held their court?’

‘Yes. It was good to see a familiar face down here. He was delivering the first of the invitations to this tournament. I met him in a tavern and asked him to ensure that I was invited here.’

‘I see. When you first met abroad, did he say why he had left England?’

‘He wanted to forget a terrible experience, he said. In fact, he said he almost had. He joked about it. Said that when he left England he had been a great portly fellow, but with every pound in weight he lost, he felt as if he was shedding memories as well.’

‘And when did you meet him?’

‘When?’ The knight thought for a moment. ‘Before I met Andrew, I suppose, so it would have been during my first year abroad. Yes, it must have been 1317.’

‘And he had himself only recently arrived just then?’

Sir Edmund drew his brows together. ‘I don’t know who told you that. I recall him saying he’d been there for some years already. Yes – that was why he spoke about his weight. He said that it was dropping each year while he lived in France.’