‘You say this is urgent?’
‘You should leave today.’
Simon shrugged. ‘I will go in the morning. It’ll make little enough difference in time. If I leave now I’ll scarcely quitthe vill’s boundaries before seeking an inn.’
‘You should leave at dawn, then.’
‘What can be so urgent?’
‘No doubt you will be told when you reach Tavistock,’ the man said in a haughty tone.
‘If I go tomorrow, I’ll have time to clear up some business.’
‘You needn’t worry about that. It can be sorted later.’
‘You will pay my debts with the baker and butcher, will you?’ A thought struck Simon. ‘Do you mean to say that I am not comingback here?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘If that is so, who is to take my place? Ah, I see!’
The stranger languidly reached out to touch the limewashed wall with a lip curled in disdain. ‘I have been asked to assumeresponsibilities during your absence.’
Simon frowned at the parchment in his hands. Looking away from the insufferable man was the only way to keep his temper undercontrol. The tiny writing was little help. It was difficult to read in the gloom of his chamber. ‘Stephen? You are Stephenof Chard?’
‘Yes.’
‘So you are to be in charge here when I am gone. Have I been accused of something?’
‘I am sure you will already know that, won’t you? After all, if you are guilty, you will know what you have done. And if youare not, you have nothing to fear, do you?’ Stephen didn’t bother to smile at Simon. Plainly, to his mind, Simon was an irrelevancealready, and the sooner he was gone and Stephen could take over his duties the better.
Simon was torn: there was a sense of enormous delight at the thought that he might soon be able to get home to Lydford andsee his family, but that was presently being swamped by his rising anger at this insignificant little puppy’s manner. ‘I willleave in the morning. If you want me to let you know …’
‘Oh, I don’t think I need trouble you. More important that you get off, Master Puttock. That message does require your urgentattention.’
Simon smiled, and this time his pleasure was unfeigned. ‘And I am sure that you will be able to cope with the job admirably, Master Stephen.’
‘I shall need to look through all your records, naturally. You will instruct your clerk to assist me.’
‘It will be a pleasure,’ Simon said, and stood to leave.
‘Wait! First, if you please, I would like any keys you have to this place.’
Simon smiled thinly. ‘You want to take my house? I fear not. Until I know what the affair is that demands my presence at Tavistock,you will have to find your own accommodation.’
‘I do not think that the new abbot would be pleased to hear that you slighted me in this manner.’
Simon’s smile broadened at the sly note in his voice. ‘My friend, I don’t know who you are or what you think you’ll be doinghere, but you’ve no right to anything of mine. And just now I’m not in the mood to help you at all. So I should find anotherplace to stay. There’s an inn along the roadway here. I’m sure they can help you there.’
‘It is a quiet enough place?’ Stephen of Chard looked mildly concerned at the thought of staying in a rowdy hostelry.
‘Why, of course,’ Simon assured him with his enthusiasm driving any note of dishonesty from his voice.
Exeter Castle
There was no mistaking it! Holy Mother Mary, but she couldn’t have mistaken that. There was a look in his eye that showed her he lovedher, and the way that he held on to the bowl when passing it to her, keeping hold just for that moment too long, as thoughworried she might drop it, but really only trying to keep her close … it was a miracle others didn’t see it as well!
Jen placed the bowl gently on the tray with the other bits and pieces from the meal, and walked carefully from the hall.
This was the best thing that could ever have happened to her. She had been raised, like Sarra, on a small farm at Silverton,and she’d never thought she’d ever have a job like this one. The opportunity to come and work in the city, when Sarra’s messagecame to her, was exciting, but only because it was such a wonderful place to live and work. She’d never dreamed that she mightfall in love as well.
He was so handsome, so tall and straight, and he had that wonderful confidence that came from his position in the world. Itwas marvellous to see him sitting there so languidly, as though he hadn’t a care in the world. Whereas after seven months,now Jen knew he suffered, really. It was that poisonous bitch of a wife of his. Everyone knew it: the woman tried to do allshe might to ruin his self-esteem, carping on about this or that, making his life a misery. He’d be quite within his rightsto bind her to a post and beat her unmercifully. If Jen was his wife, she’d just want to sit and gaze at him adoringly allday long … and make his life a pleasure by being on hand to fetch his drinks or foods. She would make him sweetmeats andbring them to him at his table so he could enjoy them without rising. She would make his bed such a place of joy as he couldnever have imagined. She would adore him.
And now, now she knew that he loved her too. It was in his eyes.
Sir Matthew de Crowethorne sat back in his chair and looked about him with that sense of satisfaction mingled with fear thatwas so much a part of his life recently.
His climb to success had hardly been meteoric, but if all went poorly his fall would be infinitely swifter.
When he had been made sheriff, this hall had been like the rest of the castle, dilapidated, decaying rapidly, the paint fallenoff the walls, the ceiling rotten … he had been forced to spend much of his treasure to put it into some sort of order. Now that it was complete, he was forced to contemplate losing all.
Sir Matthew had been a loyal supporter of Despenser for many years. Their fathers had known each other, and as the Despenserstar rose after the death of Gaveston, so too had Sir Matthew’s. Despenser had looked after those whom he trusted — for solong as they had nothing of value which he coveted, anyway. Those who had trinkets or lands he desired could all too easilydiscover that their possession was fleeting. Whether they chose to give them away, or waited until Despenser had contrivedto force them to give them up, was all one. Despenser was the most powerful man in the realm after the king. Some thoughthe was more powerful even than the king himself.
His greed had become known to all. Even the peasants spoke of him in hushed tones. It was no surprise that men wished to removehim. The writs spoke of a necromancer who had intended to kill the king, Despenser and five others. James of Wanetynch, themessenger, had brought them together with the other notes, including those from his peers. At first Matthew had been appalled,but then, as he began to consider the idea, it became apparent that he should act.
In Exeter, as he knew, there was one man who had the experience and expertise to help with matters of this kind. Walter hadbeen used before, when the king had needed to clip the wings of a merchant, and he had succeeded so magnificently that a threatened mutiny between the city and the king had been averted. The agent was still here, and Matthewwondered whether he could be used again.
He had a fertile brain for planning. Now he sat back in his chair and bent his mind to the question of how he might best usethe killer for the greater good, and by degrees a scheme occurred to him, one in which he could protect himself from riskwhile also ensuring that others would receive the full weight of any danger.
And he began to smile to himself — until there came a crash of metal from outside.
‘What the devil …?’
A red-faced man-at-arms peered in apologetically from the screens passage. ‘Sorry, Sir Matthew — I dropped my bill.’