Michael JECKS - The Leper's Return

Baldwin sighed. “You may well find that an apology to John will prevent him from taking you to court. For my part, so long as you ensure that he is furnished with money while he recovers, I will not try to take matters further. This is all a ridiculous mess. In future, don’t take the law into your own hands. If you are aggrieved, take your case to court and seek redress there.”

“Redress, Sir Baldwin?” asked Coffyn, looking up at the knight blankly. “Redress for losing my wife? What redress could I expect for having had my life taken, for having my future wrested from my hands, for having my opportunities for wedded happiness stolen? What hope is there for me, Sir Baldwin?”

Ralph left the chapel. He could see the limping figure of Rodde making his way from the gate, heading back to his room. The brother wondered whether to have a talk with him. Rodde was spending too much time outside the hospital for his liking; lepers were supposed to remain within their walls, devoting themselves to prayer, not wandering the roads whenever it took their fancy. Ralph considered, but decided not to speak to him yet. Rodde and Quivil both appeared to need time to themselves. If they were shown compassion, Ralph thought, they might come to appreciate God’s mercy, and find their own salvation within the hospital grounds.

Having deliberated over this for a minute or two, Ralph was about to go to his little room when he heard voices at the gate. Tutting to himself at this interruption to his routine, he turned to seek the source. His mouth fell open in astonishment.

“What is this?” he demanded.

“She wants to come in to see Rodde, the new one. I told her she can’t, but she won’t listen.”

“Lady, it’s impossible. This is a leper hospital, somewhere for men who have been inflicted by the disease. You mustn’t come in.”

“Brother, I would like to speak with you.”

“Very well,” Ralph sighed. “Wait there, and I’ll fetch a cloak.”

He signed to the gatekeeper to keep it closed and marched off to his room. His cloak was on top of his chest, and he pulled it over his shoulders. The sun was already dying in the west, and with its passing the warmth of the day was rapidly fading.

“Here I am, madam. Now,” he opened the gate and passed out, “What is the matter? Why make such a fuss here?”

“You have an inmate here, a man called Rodde, I believe?”

“Why, yes. He came here a few weeks ago,” Ralph said. He caught sight of the smith standing nearby and listening to her words with interest. Ralph frowned at him, and began to walk up the hill away from the town itself, circling the perimeter of the compound. “He came from somewhere in the north. Luckily his illness is not far progressed, and he has his own money, so he is little drain on the hospital’s resources. But what is your interest in him?”

“I wish to see him in the hospital.”

“I fear that isn’t possible.”

She smiled and reached for her purse.

“That’s not the difficulty, Lady,” Ralph declared hotly. He resolutely stuffed his hands into the sleeves of his robe as if to prevent their temptation. “I am afraid that the inmates are only allowed a certain kind of woman to visit them.”

“A certain kind, Brother?” she asked softly with a raised eyebrow.

“Not that kind, Lady,” he snapped, “They aren’t permitted to cross the gate at all. No, the only women allowed in here are the relatives of inmates, and even then they are only allowed in during daylight so that nothing untoward can happen.”

“You have that young girl in to help.”

“You mean Mary? She’s different – she’s the housekeeper.”

“I had thought that the housekeeper to a lazar house should be a woman of mature appearance, who couldn’t be attractive to the inmates and tempt them to lascivious thoughts or acts; someone who should be known for good conversation, but little else.”

Ralph shot her a look. “That’s true,” he admitted. “But when no one else will lift a finger to help these poor souls, it’s necessary to use whoever will volunteer.”

“She does look very young.”

“Her age is not something that bothers me. More important is her keenness to provide comfort to the men in there.” Realizing the equivocal nature of the phrase, he reddened, continuing hurriedly, “What I mean is, she helps to keep the chapel clean and tidy, and assists me in my duties such as they are. She has already indicated that she might wish to go to a convent and offer her life to God.”

“She is so young.”

“She’s old enough to love her God,” he returned piously.

“But I should still like to come into the house to see Thomas.”

“Mistress…”

“My name is Cecily.”

“Well, Mistress Cecily, I am afraid you may not. It is not permitted.”

“I know the rules well enough. Relations can go through your doors.”

“Yes, mothers and sisters may.” Ralph saw with relief that they had almost returned to the gate of the hospital. Soon he would be able to leave this woman behind and return to his work. Her next words halted him in his tracks.

“What about wives?”

He gaped. She raised an eyebrow and cocked her head.

“I… but this is quite impossible!” he stammered.

“Am I so undesirable, Brother?” she murmured.

“You intentionally misinterpret my thoughts, Mistress! It is still not possible for you to enter.”

“But why? I thought that the wife of a man could not be separated from him.”

He sighed. That was the drift of the law as it related to normal men and women, it was true, but a leper’s wife was different. The leper, once consigned to his doom, had been declared dead. His will had been executed on his entrance to the leper house.

“If you were married to him,” he tried to explain, “you are now legally his widow. You can have no claim on him, just as he can have no hold on you. You should find yourself a new man, someone who’s untainted.”

“Brother, I love him. Who are you to tell me I should leave him alone now? He is sick, and I can comfort him better than any other.”

“But you have no rights with him any more. He is no longer your husband.”

“Brother,” she said coldly, and turned to face him. He could see the anger bubbling beneath her calm exterior. “He is my husband. Your church married us before God, and here, before God, I affirm my love for him. If he is to be nursed until his death, I, his wife, shall be at his side. I demand the right to join him in your hospital.”

Jack watched the two argue with disgust. It was appalling! That a young woman, perfectly healthy and attractive, and wealthy enough as well, could actually want to go and stay with the perverts and sinners in the hospital was grossly offensive. A good, normal girl like Cecily should want to spend her time with strong, rich men. The smith couldn’t quite consider himself a suitable mate for her, as the gulf in their status was too broad, but he was clear in his own mind that he was significantly better for her than any leper.

He marched back to the town. His abhorrence of what he had heard lent speed to his feet. It was only as he came to the eastern outskirts that he slowed, an idea striking him with sudden force.

It was impossible that any woman could want to sleep with a leper. Such a thing was ridiculous, and yet here in Crediton, two women, both of them attractive enough, appeared to want to do just that. Jack knew he wasn’t stupid: there must be some reason why these two wanted to go into the hospital. Love he could discount. He couldn’t believe that any woman could of her own free will choose a diseased and defiled creature like a leper as the focus of her love. There must be another reason.