The Wildcats of Exeter Read online

  ‘Did you ever visit the lord Nicholas, Saewin?’

  ‘Yes, Master Bret.’

  ‘How often?’

  ‘Two or three times at most. The lord Nicholas liked to know what was going on in the city and I was able to inform him. It is part of my job to make myself available to important barons in the area.’

  ‘What did you think of the manor house?’

  ‘It is a beautiful dwelling.’

  ‘Had you been there before when Engelric owned it?’

  ‘Several times.’

  ‘And spent a night there, perhaps?’

  ‘Only once. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Curiosity.’

  ‘It has not made me prejudiced in favour of Engelric,’ said the reeve defensively. ‘I was never a close friend of his but he was one of the leading thegns in Devon and one cannot refuse hospitality. Until this dispute began, I had not spoken with Engelric for some time.’

  ‘I believe you,’ said Gervase. ‘When you visited the lord Nicholas, I wonder if you saw him with a large wooden box?’

  Saewin's face was motionless. ‘A box?’

  ‘One in which he kept business documents.’

  ‘I do not recall seeing such a thing.’

  ‘But you would recall it had you done so.’

  ‘Naturally.’

  They set off again. Gervase waited until they turned a corner before he sprang the next question on him, watching closely for a reaction.

  ‘Do you live alone, Saewin?’

  ‘Yes, Master Bret. My wife died some years ago.’

  ‘I am sorry to hear that. No children, then?’

  ‘None, alas.’

  ‘Do you have nobody to keep you company?’

  ‘A servant.’

  ‘Nobody else?’

  ‘Only my dog.’

  Gervase's interest sharpened. ‘Your dog?’

  ‘Yes,’ said the reeve. ‘I have always loved dogs.’

  Berold was almost surly when Ralph Delchard sought him out. The jester was eating a meal in the kitchen and was not at all pleased to be hauled away from his food. When they reached the stables, Ralph made sure that he took the horse which his wife had been riding when she was thrown. Berold led him along the route which he and Golde had taken on that occasion. The jester was uncommunicative.

  ‘Where is the sheriff?’ asked Ralph.

  ‘Who knows?’

  ‘I was hoping that you did, Berold.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Is he still at the castle?’

  ‘He may be.’

  ‘You are usually at his side wherever he is.’

  ‘Am I?’

  ‘Have any arrests been made in connection with the murders?’

  ‘Ask him.’

  ‘I have no idea where the sheriff is,’ said Ralph in exasperation, ‘but I suspect that you do, Berold. Am I right?’

  ‘Right to suspect me, wrong to harry me.’

  ‘What has been going on here in Exeter?’

  ‘Turmoil.’

  ‘Why are you so infuriating today?’

  ‘I try to be infuriating on most days, my lord.’

  ‘Be warned,’ said Ralph. ‘I am in no mood for prevarication.’

  ‘Good. That means you will not prevaricate.’

  Ralph stifled a protest as the East Gate came in view. He recalled what Golde had told him about her own visit to the siege tunnel.

  ‘My wife tells me that you were not eager to show her the tunnel.’

  ‘No, my lord.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I can think of much more interesting things to show a beautiful woman than an ugly hole in the ground.’

  ‘You did not go near the tunnel, she told me.’

  ‘Why should I?’

  ‘Were you afraid of something?’

  ‘I am always afraid.’

  ‘Of what?’

  ‘Life. Death. Benedictine monks. The sheriff's rage. Forked lightning. Being forced to listen to a sermon from Bishop Osbern. Marriage. The smell of lavender. Poisoned food. Bad ale. Jesting before an assembly which does not laugh. I am afraid of everything.’

  ‘Then you would do well to fear my temper,’ said Ralph, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck, ‘for it has been shortened by a ride to Tavistock and back. I am looking into the murder of my friend, Berold. Turn that into a jest and I will crack your head open.’

  ‘You will find it empty, my lord.’

  ‘Why were you so reluctant to visit the siege tunnel?’

  ‘Because I am superstitious.’

  Ralph released him. ‘Go on.’

  ‘The place is believed to be haunted.’

  ‘By whom?’

  ‘Men who fought and fell during the siege.’

  ‘Norman soldiers?’

  ‘Saxons. There were incidents.’

  ‘What kind of incidents?’

  ‘The kind that mean nothing in themselves, my lord, but which build to a pattern when taken together. Some boys were frightened away when they tried to play in the tunnel.’

  ‘By what?’

  ‘A weird noise, they claimed. One man was found lying unconscious there. A second was thrown from his horse, as your good lady was. A third swears he saw a ghostly figure at night. A fourth claims that he saw a flame coming from the entrance. And so it goes on.’

  ‘Why did you not warn my wife?’ said Ralph angrily.

  ‘Nothing would have stopped her wanting to see the tunnel.’

  ‘But it might have saved her from an accident.’

  ‘She saw my reluctance.’

  They came out through East Gate and approached the siege tunnel. Berold hung back once again, but Ralph nudged his horse forward until it was close to the mouth of the tunnel. The animal did not shy or back away. Ralph dismounted and peered into the cave. It was almost three feet in height and wide enough for a man to scurry along underground in a crouched position.

  ‘How far does it go?’ he asked.

  ‘It went all the way to the city wall at one time,’ said Berold, ‘but they filled much of it in.’

  ‘Did nobody search the place after the incidents of which you speak?’

  ‘Yes, my lord. Nothing was found.’

  Ralph took out his sword and ducked low to enter the tunnel. It was dark and dank. His shoulders brushed the walls and dislodged dust from the rock. He struggled on, using his sword to tap the ground in front of him. When it met an obstruction, he came to a halt and reached out a hand to feel a large boulder which had been rolled into the tunnel. It stopped him going any further but he had no wish to do so. The stench which hit his nostrils was foul. It made him hold his breath and back hurriedly away. Coming quickly out of the tunnel, he grimaced violently and inhaled fresh air as if his life depended on it.

  Berold was highly amused by his expression of utter disgust. ‘With a face like that,’ he said, ‘you could have been a jester.’

  Troubled and embarrassed, Golde went in search of the lady Albreda. She found her walking around the perimeter of the courtyard for exercise with a gentlewoman in attendance. When she saw the urgency with which Golde was hobbling towards her, she came to a halt and dismissed her companion immediately.

  ‘What ails you, Golde?’

  ‘We must talk again about that letter, my lady.’

  ‘I have been doing my best to put it out of my mind.’

  ‘You must show it to your husband,’ said Golde, ‘as soon as possible. It is the only way to stave off the threat of blackmail and it will also spare my blushes.’

  ‘I do not understand.’

  ‘In taking me into your confidence, you oblige me to lie to my own husband. When Ralph asked me if I had seen you while he was away, I was forced to hold back the truth from him. He sensed it at once and taxed me with dishonesty. That has never happened before.’

  ‘I am sorry I put you in such a position, Golde.’

  ‘Your problem is mine writ large, my lady. Conceal something
of importance from your husband and he will surely catch wind of it in time. His fury will be all the greater. Tell him now.’

  ‘I dare not, Golde.’

  ‘Then let me tell him on your behalf.’

  ‘That would make the situation even worse,’ said Albreda, wringing her hands. ‘Baldwin would be enraged if he thought I had discussed with someone else an intimate matter between husband and wife.’

  ‘Would you rather submit to blackmail?’

  ‘I must.’

  ‘Is it worth the cost?’

  ‘I would give everything I have to get those letters back again.’

  ‘But how do you know that you would get them?’ said Golde. ‘A person who can enjoy making you suffer in this way can hardly be trusted to honour his side of the bargain. You may end up paying a large amount of money and being betrayed in return.’

  ‘That is a risk I will have to take.’

  ‘It is not necessary.’

  A roar of anger interrupted them. Their gaze drifted to the other side of the courtyard where the sheriff was berating one of his men. His voice echoed round the whole castle. When the man tried to argue back, Baldwin struck him to the ground, kicked him hard, then marched away. Mounting his horse, he led a posse swiftly out through the gates. Golde was appalled by the sudden violence she had witnessed. When she turned back to Albreda, she was met by a wan smile.

  ‘Would you tell the truth to such a man?’ said Albreda.

  ‘You will need to wait, my lady. To choose the right moment.’

  ‘There will never be a right moment with Baldwin.’

  ‘Then we must get those letters back ourselves,’ said Golde. ‘You must have some idea who is behind this blackmail.’

  ‘None. I have been racking my brains to think who it might be. My husband is the sheriff and that means we have many enemies simply by dint of his office. Any one of them could want to drive a wedge between us.’ She gave a forlorn sigh. ‘You told me to find the blackmailer but I do not even know where to begin.’

  ‘With the letters themselves. Where were they kept?’

  ‘I do not know. The lord Nicholas promised to destroy them.’

  ‘But cherished them too much to do so. They would have been hidden somewhere at his manor house so that his own wife would not see them. Someone must have found them after his death.’

  ‘Or stolen them,’ said Albreda as a possibility dawned. ‘Baldwin mentioned that there had been a robbery at the house. It did not strike me at first but now I begin to wonder. Suppose the thief broke in to steal my letters to the lord Nicholas?’

  ‘How would he know that they were there?’

  ‘Because he delivered them.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I could never trust anyone from the castle to bear such letters to the lord Nicholas. We had to use someone else. Someone whose discretion could be relied upon entirely,’ she said as she delved into her memory. ‘An honest man who would never dare to open any letter which passed between us, however curious he might be, and would divulge to nobody that he had been employed by us on like errands.’

  ‘Did you know such a man?’

  ‘The lord Nicholas did.’

  ‘Who was he?’

  ‘Saewin the Reeve.’

  Loretta was in the garden, walking slowly between the well-tended beds of flowers and noting with pleasure the complete absence of weeds. Birds were perched in her fruit trees, hopping from branch to branch beneath the foliage. Insects were buzzing in the sunshine. When Saewin was shown out to her, she drew his attention to her pond. ‘Do you like fish?’ she asked.

  ‘Only when they are on a plate, my lady.’

  ‘They are beautiful creatures when you get to know them. So much more dependable than human beings. They never lie to you.’ She gave him a look of disapproval. ‘Why have you come?’

  ‘You asked me to make enquiries of the commissioners.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘I spoke with Master Bret a while ago,’ said Saewin, wilting slightly under her censorious gaze. ‘No decision has been reached and there is no tilting in favour of the lady Catherine. On the other hand, Master Bret did ride out to the manor house today. I gather that he spoke with the lady Catherine herself.’

  ‘This is sour news.’

  ‘I felt that you should hear it all the same, my lady.’

  ‘What did they talk about?’

  ‘He would not tell me.’

  ‘Did you press him?’

  ‘Too hard, my lady, and it earned me a reprimand. That is one of the things I came to tell you. I can no longer ferret out information about this dispute for you. My integrity is being compromised.’

  ‘What integrity?’ she said with scorn.

  ‘That is unkind!’

  Loretta subjected him to such an intense scrutiny that he began to feel uncomfortable. Beads of sweat broke out on his brow. Her voice was low and accusatory. ‘You have betrayed me, Saewin.’

  ‘No, my lady!’

  ‘I hoped that I could count on your loyalty.’

  ‘And so you can.’

  ‘My husband helped to put you in the position which you now hold,’ she said with withering contempt. ‘I am glad that he is not alive to see how unworthy and corrupt you have become.’

  ‘I am neither of those things!’ he protested.

  ‘Then why have you turned against me? You know how important it is for me to regain the holdings that were tricked out of my son. You know how long I have waited for this opportunity. It means everything to me.’

  ‘I appreciate that, my lady.’

  ‘Then why do you favour my rivals?’

  ‘I do not.’

  ‘Why did you visit Engelric yesterday and spend so long in his company? What plot were the two of you hatching against me?’

  ‘I merely went to tell him that the commissioners had suspended their sessions. He was entitled to know that, my lady.’

  ‘But was he entitled to have so much of your company?’

  Saewin hesitated. ‘We had … other matters to discuss.’

  ‘So I have gathered.’

  ‘But they are nothing to do with this dispute.’

  ‘I have only your word for that, Saewin.’

  ‘You have always found it reliable in the past, my lady.’

  ‘That was before I heard about the other visit you paid.’

  ‘Other visit?’

  ‘Last evening,’ she said quietly. ‘You called on Asa, did you not?’

  ‘No, my lady.’

  ‘Called on her and stayed there well into the night. Why, Saewin? What kind of blandishments did she offer you? Why would you visit that harlot if not to claim your reward for helping her with her suit?’ She raised a hand to silence his reply. ‘Engelric and Asa. The two fellow Saxons involved in this dispute. Your two soulmates. Yet you have the gall to talk about integrity!’

  ‘I confess that I visited Engelric,’ he said quickly, ‘but mostly on business unrelated to this dispute. I went nowhere near Asa's house. I spent last evening alone in my own home. Ask her. Asa will confirm that we never even met yesterday.’

  ‘I have a more reliable witness than Asa.’

  ‘Do you?’

  ‘Yes, Saewin. He saw you enter and leave her house. So you are guilty of lies as well as treachery.’ She looked over his shoulder. ‘While you were there, he also saw a candle being lighted in her bedchamber. Why was that, I wonder?’ She gave a nod. ‘There is my witness. He stands behind you, Saewin. You were caught by one of your own.’

  When the reeve swung round, Eldred gave him a vacant grin.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Gervase Bret had a long wait before Engelric returned, but he did not mind. It gave him time to reflect on all the information he had gathered that morning and to decide what to do next. He was left alone in the parlour of the house where the old Saxon was staying with his friend. Small, bare and dark, it presented a stark contrast to the luxury of the
manor house he had visited earlier. The contrast would not have been lost on Engelric himself. .

  When the old man came back, he was surprised to find Gervase there. .

  ‘Why have you come?’ he asked. .

  ‘I need to ask you some questions.’ .

  ‘I told you all that I could at the shire hall.’ .

  ‘Yes,’ said Gervase respectfully, ‘but we only discussed the ownership of the holdings at Upton Pyne. I wish to touch on the wider issues.’

  ‘Of what?’ .

  ‘Murder and conspiracy.’ .

  Engelric did not blench. ‘You lay these charges at my door?’

  ‘No. I merely want you to understand the seriousness of my enquiries. At the shire hall, you spoke under oath. I would like equal honesty here.’ .

  ‘You will have it, Master Bret,’ said the other, eyes glistening.

  They sat opposite each other in the gloomy parlour. The house was very similar to the one in which Gervase had been born and brought up. He felt at home, but Engelric's pride was clearly hurt at being found in such a mean dwelling. He had a faint air of embarrassment. Gervase took note of it, then plunged straight in. .

  ‘What sort of relationship did you have with the lord Nicholas?’ .

  ‘A frosty one.’ .

  ‘Did you exchange hot words with him?’ .

  ‘From time to time.’ .

  ‘What about your sons?’ .

  ‘They found him as cruel and selfish as I did.’

  ‘Cruel and selfish enough to drive them to thoughts of killing him?’ .

  ‘Yes,’ said Engelric readily. ‘We wished him dead many a time, but that does not mean we lifted a hand to kill him. Normans can be vicious masters, as you must know. Cross them and your family will suffer for generations.’ .

  ‘How well were you acquainted with the lady Catherine?’ .

  ‘Not well at all. I only saw her once when I called at the house.’ .

  ‘Did you feel bitter to see your former home occupied?’ .

  ‘Bitter but resigned, Master Bret. It is the only way.’ .

  ‘Do your sons share that view?’ .

  ‘My sons are no more involved in this murder than I,’ said the old man with spirit. ‘And what is this conspiracy you allege?’ .

  ‘Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.’ .