I grunted non-committally, remembering Burl’s face, reflected in the glow from the bonfires, as he attacked the man who had insulted his wife. All the same, in one way Jenny was right. Burl could well have killed Robin by accident, in a rage — and I’d thought at one moment he was going to — but he would never deliberately seek out a man and stab him to death in cold blood.
‘You will help us, Roger, won’t you?’ Jenny asked, seemingly worried by my silence.
‘Yes, of course.’ I gave her hand a final squeeze and released it. ‘But, Jenny, you mustn’t expect too much of me.’
I couldn’t tell her that there were other forces at work here; that I didn’t think Burl’s arrest just a simple miscarriage of justice. For one thing, I had no proof to substantiate this claim. For another, it would have meant too long and too complicated an explanation. Nor could I admit that I was one of the chief witnesses against her husband. She would discover that soon enough. I got to my feet. My stomach rumbled again: I was in need of my dinner.
‘I’ll do what I can, Jenny. I promise you that.’
She thanked me with tears in her eyes and gave me a grateful hug. I felt like Judas.
To my surprise, Jack followed me into the street. ‘I’ll walk with you as far as Mistress Walker’s cottage,’ he offered. ‘The weaving sheds are closed today, in honour of the Baptist, so my time’s my own. I could do with stretching my legs.’
‘Does Master Adelard know Burl’s been arrested on suspicion of murder?’ I asked. ‘Will he penalize you for it?’
Jack laughed shortly. ‘Thomas Adelard’s interested in two things only: weaving and making money. He knows I’m good at my job, and for that reason alone he’d never terminate my apprenticeship.’ He went on uncomfortably, ‘I didn’t quite tell you the truth back there. I was awake during the night. That’s how I knew Father was there, too, in the cottage.’
‘You saw him?’
‘N-no. I heard him … him and Mother doing … well, you know! Doing what married people do.’ He coloured slightly.
‘Ah! Do you have any idea what time that would have been?’
Jack puckered his lips. ‘I don’t think I’d been asleep long. Dick was snoring and he always snores just after he dozes off. But what I’m saying is …’ He paused, unsure how to continue.
I finished for him. ‘You don’t think a man would make love to his wife and then go out and murder someone. Is that it?’
‘Well, certainly not Father. Although I don’t believe he’d kill anyone at any time, except by accident. But I can’t admit I heard them. It would embarrass Mother.’
‘It wouldn’t make any difference if you did,’ I assured him. ‘Your testimony, like Jenny’s, would be suspect.’
We were in sight of the pillory and Jack exclaimed in surprise to see Luke Prettywood standing there. ‘But why?’ he demanded. ‘He’s no longer an apprentice.’ I explained what had happened and Jack shook his head. ‘More fool he! He should know better than to be drawn into an apprentices’ quarrel, let alone assault a law officer. Another victim of cuckoo-foot ale, I suppose.’
We had reached Margaret Walker’s cottage, but as I was about to take my leave of him, I decided to make a clean breast of things and confessed that I had been summoned to bear witness against his father.
Jack flushed angrily. ‘You volunteered this information to Sergeant Manifold? I thought better of you, chapman. Just because Father’s been a bit hostile towards you lately, it’s surely no reason …’
I flung up a hand. ‘You’re jumping to conclusions. I have no choice. There’s another witness who also saw what happened, and who knows I was there. A beggarman who’s been wandering around the town for a week or so now.’
Jack’s attitude softened. ‘The stranger, do you mean? Yes. I’ve seen him. He’s not a Bristol beggar. In fact, I understand our own men have been pretty rough with him; they don’t like foreigners trying to steal their trade. I know for a fact he’s been chased out of the city on at least two occasions, and I heard he’d been given a good kicking by Long Tom and his gang.’ I could hardly conceal my glee. Jack continued. ‘It’s odd that you should mention him, though. I’ve seen him once or twice drinking in the Green Lattis and thought him a whingeing, cringing, whining sort of a fellow. Not one of your brazen kind who’ll threaten violence if you don’t put a coin in his little tin cup. But yesterday morning, I saw him in the Full Moon. I’d been sent over to Saint James’s Priory on an errand for Master Adelard. It was very hot and I was feeling thirsty, so I slipped into the Full Moon for a pot of ale.’
‘And?’ I urged as he paused.
Jack rubbed his chin, fingering a small patch of stubble which he had missed while shaving that morning. He was still young enough to be a novice at the art.
‘The stranger was there. I didn’t notice him to begin with. As I said, I was very hot, and I went to sit in the darkest, coolest corner I could find. It was early, and a fairly quiet time of day. I kept my head down, so it was a few minutes before I noticed the beggar and his companion.’
‘Companion? You mean another beggar?’
‘No. That’s the funny thing. This other man was quite well dressed. And an even funnier thing is that the beggar himself seemed to be conversing with him on equal terms. In fact, he appeared to be doing most of the talking. The second man just listened and nodded.’
‘You didn’t happen to overhear any of their conversation?’
‘I was too far away. But as I passed them when I left, I did catch one phrase. The beggar murmured something that sounded like “the Midsummer Rose” and he laughed as he said it, as if it were some sort of joke.’
‘The Midsummer Rose? Are you certain?’
‘Not certain, no. But that’s what it sounded like. I couldn’t linger. I didn’t want to attract attention to myself. All the same,’ Jack went on, worrying at his chin again, ‘it was odd. The beggarman was like a different person. Someone with authority … What do you know about him, Roger? I can tell by the look on your face that you’re not surprised by what I’ve told you … Has this anything to do with my father?’
‘No, no!’ I said quickly, which could have been the truth. Whatever Timothy was playing at, he had nothing personal against Burl Hodge. The tenter was no more than a pawn in his particular game of chess. ‘Jack, please don’t ask me any further questions. There’s a lot I’m not sure of myself as yet. You and Dick and your mother will simply have to trust me. I’ll do the very best I can to prove Burl’s innocence.’
‘All right,’ he agreed reluctantly. ‘But try not to take too long. I’d rather Father wasn’t brought to trial if we can help it. The suspense will make Mother ill.’
I gave him my hand. ‘Tell Jenny I’m a witness and why. But keep everything else to yourself.’
He nodded, returned my handshake, then went on his way.
Adela and Margaret had finished their dinner, but my place was still laid. A good thick trencher of stale bread sat next to a horn spoon, placed face downwards to prevent the devil from sitting in its bowl. The two elder children, fed and contented, were playing a game of Three Men’s Morris, with pebbles for counters on a board scratched on the cottage floor. Adam was doing his best to ruin it for them by running off with the pebbles, while even Hercules ignored my arrival, being preoccupied with outfacing Margaret’s black-and-white mongrel.
‘How’s Jenny?’ Adela looked anxious.
‘I hope you told her you’d be doing something about this ridiculous arrest,’ my former mother-in-law cut in severely, as she ladled pottage into a bowl and lifted a bacon collop from the skillet. I like bacon collops, but I’d already had two for breakfast. I thought longingly of Adela’s rabbit pie.