Iris Collier - Day of Wrath

She began to calm down and was looking at him now without resentment. ‘All right, I’ll come. But remember that there must be full co-operation between us. We’ve got to trust one another; only then can we make any progress. Now I think I ought to tell you that there are a lot of things going on in this village that you don’t know about. I’m not easy about Bess Knowles’s death and I think there’s someone else who could be in grave danger.’

‘Then you must tell me. I couldn’t bear it, Jane, if we were not friends. I need your intuitive powers, your intelligence, and your local knowledge. So, until three, my dear friend, Jane.’

He kissed her lightly on the cheek and she didn’t draw away. They left the solarium together and he watched her ride away on Melissa. Slowly he mounted Harry, which one of the lay brothers had fetched for him, and rode off towards his house. As he rode along the street, he noticed groups of people, mostly women because the men were working in the fields, standing around deep in conversation. They didn’t look up as he went by and he could sense the atmosphere of suspicion and distrust. At the top of the street, clustered round the village well, there was the usual crowd of women. They always called out cheerful greetings as he went past, but not today. Something was going on, and he needed to know what it was.

* * *

‘So that, Jane, is the whole sorry story. Am I forgiven for not briefing you sooner?’

They were sitting on the stone bench in the herb garden. Above them the sky was still cloudless; it was hot, and all around them the bees were frantically going about their summer tasks. The Tower and the rack seemed a long way away now, but Nicholas knew that it would be fatal to relax in a false sense of security. Time was running out.

‘I can see that you’ve been a bit preoccupied, and yes, of course I forgive you. I’m sorry about Mortimer; and even more sorry for his wife. What makes people become traitors, I wonder?’

‘Because they can’t go along with the King’s policy and think it’s their duty to get rid of him.’

‘And what makes them think they’re right and everyone else is wrong? It sounds a bit arrogant to me. However, fortunately Mortimer didn’t get very far; let’s hope this Ultor gets no further. I can see now why Matthew had to go; and I still think Bess was an innocent victim, although we can’t prove anything. And now there’s another person who could be in danger, but I don’t know whether she has any connection with the conspiracy or whether she’s simply a victim of local prejudice.’

‘Who is she, Jane?’

‘The village is full of rumours – all ale-house gossip – about a harmless old woman: Agnes Myles.’

‘What are they saying about her?’

‘That she’s a witch; that she puts curses on the hens so that they don’t lay eggs, and babies are born with twisted backs when she looks at them; and now they’re saying that she’s responsible for your fall in the woods.’

Nicholas stared at her in amazement, then gave a great shout of laughter. Jane looked at him sharply.

‘Don’t laugh. You know how serious these charges can be. You’ve only got to ride over Marchester Heath and see the bodies swinging on the gibbets to know how many witches were hanged over the last few months. Probably, like Agnes Myles, their only crime was that they knew more about healing than other people. It doesn’t do to be old, live on your own, and be clever.’

‘Then, Jane, we must ensure that that fate doesn’t happen to you.’

‘Will you be serious, just for once. And don’t think I’m being stupid. Agnes is in real danger. They say she can change her shape and that’s what frightened Harry. What he saw in the woods was an evil spectre.’

Nicholas threw back his head and laughed until tears came into his eyes. ‘Stop glaring at me, Jane. What Harry saw in the woods was a trick of the light, a patch of shade that appeared to move. Don’t listen to village gossip, Jane; you should be above that sort of thing, an intelligent girl like you. They’ll soon come round to old Agnes when they fall sick with a fever or their joints stiffen up when it starts raining in the autumn.’

‘If you’re going to patronise me, Nicholas, then there’s no point in me being here.’

To his surprise she stood up, shook out her skirt and walked off smartly towards the garden door. Nicholas jumped up and ran after her.

‘Jane, stop. Don’t take offence. I’m actually paying you a compliment when I said you were intelligent. And don’t get annoyed because I can’t share your concern over Agnes Myles. Just let the gossips get on with it. They’ll soon get bored with the whole subject. Please don’t go. I value you too much to let you walk away like this.’

The door handle was stiff and Jane tugged at it furiously; but it didn’t budge. Nicholas took hold of her arm.

‘Come back to our seat, Jane, and tell me why you think Agnes is in danger. I’m sorry I laughed at you, but it’s a long way from local gossip to standing in front of the Justices at Quarter Sessions.’

‘I’ll come back as long as you take me seriously. I don’t believe in witches; and I don’t usually listen to gossips. But you asked me to be your eyes and ears in the village, and this is what I’ve been doing. And I don’t like what I’ve been hearing. And it isn’t just because Agnes is a friend of mine.’

She brushed his hand off her arm and they walked slowly back to the bench.

‘I hope you’re right in thinking that these rumours will die down. But doesn’t it strike you as odd that people should pick on Agnes at this particular time? Matthew, Bess. Is number three to be Agnes?’

‘Jane, Matthew and Bess were witnesses to Mortimer’s treachery. Why on earth should anyone want to silence Agnes?’

‘Why indeed? That’s what’s bothering me.’

They sat in silence. Above them two larks poured out their spring song in rapture. Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief. He and Jane were once more a team. But he’d have to watch his step. He’d never met a girl like her before.

‘You could be right, and there’s only one way to find out. Get back to Agnes and talk to her. Make a note of everything she says and we can go over it later. Maybe a pattern will emerge. Let me know if anything occurs to you. I’ve got to go to Portsmouth today to see Southampton. He’s the King’s Admiral of the Fleet, and I must make sure he steps up his security arrangements. He’ll need to have extra bowmen on duty and some of these new-fangled cannoneers, they fire hand-cannons, you know. The Germans use them a lot. They’re a bit slow, and don’t always hit their target but, by heaven, when a lump of lead or stone lands on a man it pierces his armour and makes a great hole in him.’

Now Jane began to smile. ‘Are there really such men who carry cannons and hold on to them when they fire?’

‘Oh yes. Soon every soldier will be equipped with one of these harquebuses as they’re called. The longbow will be obsolete in a few years.’

‘Has Southampton got any cannoneers?’

‘Bound to. The King’s all for these new inventions. Might help him to win more battles. But they’ve got to get them to fire with greater accuracy. I still think the longbow’s best when speed matters. However, let’s not waste time discussing modern warfare. You get back to Agnes Myles and find out who she’s been seeing over the last few days, and I’ll get off to Portsmouth.’

They got up and walked over to the door. This time, Nicholas opened it.

‘How can I get in touch with you, Jane? Your father won’t take kindly to me coming to your house.’

‘He’ll be rude and abusive. I’ll try and report to you daily. I could leave a message with Geoffrey, but he’s out and about so much that I might not catch him. I know – Brother Benedict – he can be our messenger boy. Because he’s only a visitor he’s not under such a strict Rule as the other monks are. I can send him up here with a message when I need to speak to you, and you can give him a message by return.’