The Medieval Murderers - King Arthur's Bones

‘I only learned about Mistress Spilmon and Daniel yesterday,’ she went on softly, ‘but Meurig knew, and so did you. You acquire money, but not by working. It is obvious now that you earn it from blackmail – you have been extorting money from Spilmon. And from Kyng too.’

‘Kyng?’ echoed Cole, hopelessly bewildered. ‘What does Kyng have to do with it?’

Gwenllian recalled the strange behaviour of the two men earlier, when they had jumped apart as she had turned to look at them. She had known then that their reaction was significant, and she had been right.

‘A woman cannot possibly deceive her husband for so many years,’ she began. ‘At least, not in a functional marriage. But Kyng and Spilmon are always together, which is probably why Spilmon’s wife turned elsewhere for affection. They are respected merchants, and no doubt paid handsomely to keep their relationship quiet.’

Hywel inclined his head, but there was no sign of remorse. ‘Their sordid secret has kept me in ale and meat for more than two years. But then I decided to leave Carmarthen, and needed a more substantial sum. I should have been suspicious when they agreed and poured wine to seal our bargain…’

Gwenllian was full of sorrow for what Hywel had become. ‘Your father did not teach you to capitalize on the vulnerability of others. You soil his precious memory.’

Hywel looked away. ‘Why should I care about his memory? He did not love me. He should have told me where he hid the bones, but instead he chose you – his favourite.’

Gwenllian smoothed the hair from his forehead. ‘Actually, I believe he did tell you. I think he knew it was you who was listening behind the door when he gave me his secret.’

‘The eavesdropper was Hywel?’ asked Cole, startled. ‘ He stole the bones?’

‘I did not steal them,’ objected Hywel weakly. ‘I-’

Cole ignored him and addressed Gwenllian. ‘How did you guess it was him?’

‘Because he has just admitted to knowing that Meurig told me about the bones – you are the only person I have ever told about that, which means Hywel must have been the eavesdropper. There is no other way he can have known.’

‘I was listening behind the door,’ acknowledged Hywel. ‘But how did my father know?’

‘After I discovered the bones were missing, I went to the place where he had died and lay down there. He would have been able to see shoes from where he lay.’

‘And he recognized mine,’ breathed Hywel. ‘He trusted me after all.’

‘I should have guessed this years ago,’ Gwenllian went on. ‘Because it is obvious now that the bones have been in the custody of someone who cares about them. They have not been sold for a quick profit, but have disappeared – kept safe. My other suspects would not have been so restrained.’

‘Where are they, Hywel?’ asked Cole, adding bluntly: ‘You are dying, so you had better tell someone, or they will be lost for ever.’

‘I will confide in Gwenllian,’ said Hywel softly. ‘But not you.’

Cole shrugged. ‘As you please. I will hunt down Kyng and Spilmon instead – they have committed murder here and must answer for their crime.’

When Cole’s footsteps had died away, Hywel shot Gwenllian an anguished look. ‘I have been so bitter and angry. I might not have tormented Kyng and Spilmon had I known… Things could have been so different!’

‘Perhaps you would not have stabbed my husband either. No, do not deny it – I know he was attacked to distract me while the bones were removed. You pretended to hunt for a coffin, but instead you hunted Symon – and you almost killed him!’

‘He started to turn when I came up behind him, and panic made me strike harder than I intended. I was about to fetch you, but Daniel arrived and took over. So I went to dig up the chest instead.’

‘What did you do with it?’

‘Buried it in the priory. But the whole business preyed on my conscience, and one night, in an agony of guilt, I went to my confessor.’

‘Daniel,’ said Gwenllian, beginning to understand at last.

‘He was not a good man, although he hid his dark nature well. He wanted me to tell him where I had put the bones, and when I refused he began to follow me.’

‘I know he was deceitful,’ said Gwenllian softly. ‘He said he tended the wounded on the night of the raid, but no one saw him praying. And he escaped from Symon’s sickroom with unseemly haste. I suspect he spent his time stealing – for a monk, he had expensive tastes.’

‘You are right.’ Hywel coughed wetly, struggling for breath. ‘Your fool of a husband considered him a friend, but Daniel was interested only in the fine food and wine available at the castle. And he stole in his capacity as chaplain too. John suspected, and he was going through old accounts to learn how.’

‘Is that why he eavesdropped on Symon and Daniel?’ asked Gwenllian, more of herself than Hywel. ‘But John was a thief himself – in league with forest felons, no less. Why would he work so hard to catch a fellow criminal?’

‘John was a reluctant villain – he stole because he was bullied into it. But he did not like the notion of Daniel cheating the castle.’

‘Why did John not tell us what he was doing? We could have helped.’

‘You? Do not be a fool! He was terrified of you, while Cole was Daniel’s friend. You were the last people on Earth he would have confided in. He was probably frightened of Daniel too. Incidentally, it was Daniel who stole that big gold cross from his priory.’

Gwenllian stared at him. ‘How do you know?’

‘Because the chapel is locked up as tight as a prison at night – no common thief could ever get inside. The thief had to be a monk. Besides, I saw it next to his body.’ Hywel’s voice was growing weaker.

Gwenllian frowned. ‘But you told me earlier that you saw nothing suspicious that night.’

Hywel looked away. ‘I lied – I did not want to help Cole. The cross was just lying there, so I took it, and Gilbert offered to sell it for me.’

He was fading fast, but Gwenllian still needed answers. She spoke more quickly. ‘I found a bone in Daniel’s purse. Was it one of Arthur’s? Did Daniel find where you buried him?’

Hywel managed a wan smile. ‘I gave him an animal bone – told him it was Arthur’s finger in the hope that it would make him leave me alone. He dipped it in water, which he decanted into bottles to sell as relics. But I do not have long left, so I had better tell you where I hid the chest.’

‘You have told me – in the priory grounds.’

‘I was afraid of Daniel, so I moved it. I was going to take it to Abbey Dore tomorrow – their sexton is sympathetic to Welsh interests, and where better to hide Arthur’s bones than right under Norman noses? But I came here first, to get my blood money from Kyng and Spilmon.’

Then he whispered his secret, much as his father had done two years before. After that, it was not long before he began to slip away. Just before he died, he opened his eyes.

‘Have you asked Cole for his whereabouts on the night Daniel was murdered?’

‘What do you mean?’ she demanded, recalling uncomfortably that Cole had not come directly to bed after Daniel had left – he said he had been raiding the kitchens for food.

But Hywel was dead.

Gwenllian wept when her nephew had gone, although few of the tears were for him. The night had exposed so many dark secrets that she wished she had done as Cole had ordered and remained in the castle. She came to her feet when she heard footsteps outside, and her heart began to hammer in her chest. Was it Symon, coming to ask the whereabouts of Arthur’s bones? Kyng and Spilmon, to see whether their victim was dead? But it was Boleton.