Michael JECKS - Belladonna at Belstone

“So Joan did murder her?”

“No. But when Moll died, Joan was convinced it was Margherita. And when she heard Katerine telling the same story, spreading it among the novices, Joan decided to protect her candidate for the prioressy by killing off the story at its source.”

“What about Agnes?”

“I think Joan was mad. She couldn’t bear to see her priory being ruined, and she thought that the place was falling about her ears; she wanted Margherita to take over Lady Elizabeth’s job. That way, she thought, Belstone would be protected. But Agnes was a threat. If news of her behaviour with Luke should get out, Sir Rodney wouldn’t dream of supporting the place.”

“Surely Sir Rodney would take a more pragmatic attitude? He wanted a place for his bones, and at least St Mary’s is near his home.”

“He would be very pragmatic, I think. He’d think only the priest can hold Mass over his chapel; Luke, a man who has been subverting novices and enjoying their bodies. Surely the least desirable priest in the country.”

“So Joan thought she should kill Katerine and Agnes to protect the convent?”

“And to protect the woman she loved.”

Constance shook her head in slow disbelief. “So you think Margherita…”

“No!” Simon said. “She was innocent; she swore that on the Bible, although she wouldn’t swear a lie about taking the money.”

“Then who?”

“What happened on the night Moll died?”

“I gave out dwale before Compline.”

“To all your patients? Did you do that every night?”

“Not usually. But Elias was coming to see me.”

“Was it the same mixture you gave to all?”

“All of my patients had the same.”

“What then?”

“Elias arrived some time after, and when I went to the door, he made a sign to be silent. He had heard Margherita behind him. Soon she was there, but she stood on the landing for some time before knocking at my door.”

“She’d have been listening to see if the man was in with Lady Elizabeth.”

“After a while she came and banged on my door. She was so noisy.”

Simon drew in a breath. “Where was Elias?”

“In my chamber.”

“Margherita didn’t see him?”

“I blocked the door and pushed her out, talking to her on the landing.”

“And then?”

“I told her not to be so silly and went back to Elias,” she said, avoiding his gaze. “I had to tell him about our child, and he hugged me and began planning our departure from the convent.”

“Did he leave you then?”

“No. We were together all the time. I didn’t sleep,” she asserted with a maidenly blush. “When it was near the time for the bell we rose and went down to the cloister; he needed time to get back to the canonical cloister, and I had to wash.”

“Moll was alive then? So you left him when you went to the laver?”

“Yes, but I’d seen him go to the church already.”

“What would have stopped him turning and returning to the infirmary?”

“There was no need!”

Simon looked away. “What if Margherita’s noise had woken Moll, for example, and she saw Elias there?”

Elias sat alone on a bench near the frater. Simon saw him from the church’s door and crossed the grass to him.

“Elias, Joan is dead. She confessed to the killing of Katerine and Agnes.”

“I had heard. News like that gets around quickly.”

“I thought you could help me with Moll’s death.”

“Me?” Elias attempted a surprised note, but only succeeded in sounding peevish and fearful. “Why me?”

Simon stared at his boot. “Because you were in the room with Constance. Joan was asleep – the dwale – and Margherita knocked on the door but was turned away by Constance. But Margherita made a lot of noise. I think Moll woke and saw you.”

Elias closed his eyes and let his head fall into his hands. When he looked up it was with a kind of resolution. “I saw her eyes widen. You don’t know what she was like! She stored up anything to threaten other people. Any sort of information; it didn’t matter what, so long as it served to make her look holy.

“Margherita banged on the door and Constance kept her from entering. I think Margherita was pleased Constance was alone because it confirmed her thoughts about the prioress. When she’d gone, that was when Constance came back and told me about our child. That was when I realised how much of a threat Moll was. If she was to tell the prioress, we’d be separated for ever. Constance would be sent away to another convent, and I’d be shipped to a strict monastery in Scotland or Ireland. I’d never see my own child.

“The only thing in my mind was that Moll could ruin everything. It kept going round and round in my head, that I was to have a child, and that Constance and I should try to run away and escape. And that Moll threatened us both, and our child.”

“How did you kill her?”

Elias swallowed hard. “I sat on her chest and held a pillow to her face until she stopped breathing. Then I slit her artery.”

“And this was while the church service went on? You were alone in there?”

“Before the church service. Constance and I went down, and I walked off towards the church, but it was as if I was pulled back to silence Moll. I didn’t want to, but she threatened our future lives.”

Simon nodded and stood.

Elias gripped his robe. “You don’t have to tell anyone, Bailiff. Leave it to me to confess. I shall, I swear, just as soon as I…”

Simon shrugged himself free. “I was sent here to investigate a murder. Do you expect me to keep the truth from the bishop?”

It was two days later that Bishop Stapledon stood in the chapterhouse and eyed the nuns with a scowl.

“You have heard the story, God help us all. Does anyone have any further comments?” he rumbled.

Margherita stepped forward. Her head was lowered, as it had been for the previous days, and her voice was muted. “I beg forgiveness from my sisters. I have behaved appallingly, and don’t deserve to be forgiven, but I have confessed my sins and the good bishop has given me my penances.”

“Sister Margherita has insulted the whole convent,” Stapledon said. “She has shown herself to be contemptible and cannot continue as treasurer. As well as her personal penances, she must demonstrate her absolute humility. I have decided that for the next year she must lie at the door to your church at every service. You will all step over her on your way inside.”

“I have returned all the money I took,” Margherita said, and her voice trembled. “And I have thrown away my chest.”

“As will the rest of you,” Stapledon growled. “This is a convent. Your Rule forbids private possessions. Likewise, when the roof has been mended, any partitions will be taken down. You are all equal here, and all will have the same space, the same belongings…”

Lady Elizabeth could not help her mind wandering as he continued. Would there be mention of her dog? Ah yes.

“And no more dogs! The only pets suitable for you are cats, because at least they perform a useful function. But you won’t have them in the church during services or at any other time.”

Lady Elizabeth winced, but wasn’t overly concerned. Princess was not going to be thrown from the convent. She would remain with the prioress, no matter what the bishop said.

Stapledon moved on. In this speech he covered every aspect of their Rule, and when he was sure they understood, he turned to watch Bertrand while he wrote furiously confirming the bishop’s commands. Bertrand did not look happy, Lady Elizabeth noted with pleasure.

Neither did some of her nuns. Denise had not recovered from the bailiff’s accusation that she might be a murderer, and she stood glowering bitterly at her place. Constance was unhappy too. The nun stood with her face cast down, like a young novice accepting a severe sentence after misbehaviour. Lady Elizabeth shook her head slowly. So young to be so unhappy, but she had taken the vows. The prioress frowned, but was drawn away from dangerous thoughts by the Bishop’s raised voice: