‘Are you hurt, my lady?’ he said with concern.
It had been a long but productive day in the shire hall. Three witnesses were examined and the evidence of a fourth, the abbot of Tavistock, was set against their claims. Only one more person remained to be seen and they decided to postpone his appearance until the morrow. Word was sent to Tetbald the Steward, informing him that he must be at the shire hall before the Tierce bell sounded to represent the widow of Nicholas Picard. Relevant documents would be required. Canon Hubert excused himself and took Brother Simon off to the more curative ambience of the cathedral. Exposure to two potent women, Asa and Loretta, had taken its toll of the scribe. He needed solitude.
Ralph and his companions gathered up their satchels. ‘We have learned a lot today,’ he said with satisfaction.
‘But not the most important thing,’ remarked Gervase.
‘What is that?’
‘Whether or not the murder is directly connected to this dispute.’
‘It must be, Gervase.’
‘We have not established a clear link.’
‘Do not forget Walter Baderon,’ said de Marigny. ‘There is something odd about that fellow. He was on duty at the North Gate when the lord Nicholas left that night. Baderon could easily have pursued him.’
‘At whose behest?’ asked Gervase. ‘The abbot’s?’
‘He might have had his own reasons for killing the lord Nicholas.’
‘They all have their own reasons,’ complained Ralph. ‘The abbot, that old Saxon, Engelric, the lovely Asa, the haughty Loretta and even the widow. Yes,’ he added with a smile, ‘the lady Catherine might have the best reason of all to kill her husband. She had to endure one betrayal after another. Five names to go on our list and there will be other suspects before we are done.’
‘This case must not be allowed to drag on,’ said Gervase.
‘Have no fears. We will get you to the altar in time.’
‘Not if we proceed at this pace with every dispute.’
‘Justice cannot be rushed, Gervase. A lawyer should know that.’
‘I do know it.’
‘Then stop hurrying us.’ He ran a finger across his chin. ‘Hubert was right about the lady Loretta. She was too well informed about us and our methods of questioning. I will have a word with Saewin about her. I feel there is still much to discover about the lady Loretta.’
‘And about Asa,’ said Gervase.
‘She will be your quarry.’
‘Wait! I am not the right person to chase her.’
‘You are exactly the right person, Gervase, because you are young enough to attract her but innocent enough to be immune from her charms. Hervey and I have neither of those virtues.’
Gervase was alarmed. ‘What must I do?’
‘Pry and probe. Find out all you can about Asa.’
‘How?’
‘I leave that to you, Gervase. We have every faith in you.’
‘We do,’ said de Marigny jocularly. ‘And while you pursue the ladies, I will address myself to the men. I will learn more about this Engelric and take a second look at Walter Baderon. I still think that he is holding something back about the abbot of Tavistock.’
‘That only leaves the grieving widow,’ said Ralph. ‘And her steward, of course. Tetbald. I will be interested to see what sort of figure he cuts before us. And I will be fascinated to see the last will and testament of Nicholas Picard.’ He lifted an eyebrow.
‘If such a thing exists.’
Catherine used a palm to smooth out the parchment before reading through the document again. She knew it almost by heart now, but she still enjoyed the thrill and reassurance it imparted. She did not hear Tetbald come into the parlour behind her.
‘I will need to take that with me, my lady,’ he said.
‘When?’
‘Tomorrow. Word has just come from the commissioners. I am to present myself at the shire hall before Tierce. They will want to see all the appropriate documents.’
‘Including the will?’
‘Especially that, my lady.’
She let her gaze fall on the document again then she picked it up.
‘This is what he was after, Tetbald,’ she said.
‘Who?’
‘The thief. If the will were destroyed, my claim would be more difficult to substantiate. That was why he came in search of it.’
‘I am not so sure, my lady.’
‘Why not?’
‘You are the widow of the deceased. If he dies intestate, then the laws of inheritance still favour you. Even without that will, your position would be far too strong to be challenged. No, my lady, I believe that the intruder came only for the box which he took away.’
‘He must have been a powerful man. That box was heavy.’
‘Yes,’ he agreed. ‘And it was found some distance from the house. If he carried it all that way, he was a brawny fellow.’
Catherine trembled slightly. ‘Thank heaven I did not wake!’
‘You might have frightened him away.’
‘If he was bold enough to break into my house, he would be willing enough to silence me. I had a fortunate escape, Tetbald.
Has the crime been reported to the sheriff?’
‘I sent a messenger to him this morning, my lady.’
‘Good. He may have an idea of the likely identity of the thief.’
‘We know some things about him ourselves.’
‘Do we?’
‘Yes, my lady,’ he said, checking off the points on his fingers.
‘We know that he is a strong man. Wily enough to evade our dogs. Familiar with the interior of the house. Practised at his craft. Aware of what was inside that box. One more thing. He had a key to the box.’
‘How on earth did he get that?’
‘I can only guess. When they found the box, it was open and empty. The lock had not been forced. It must have been opened with a key.’
‘No wonder we could not find it in the house.’
‘Your husband must have kept it on him, my lady.’
As a thought seized her, Catherine rose angrily to her feet.
‘Yes, Tetbald,’ she hissed. ‘And who would have known that?’
Ralph Delchard shifted at random between anxiety and reproach.
‘Why did you not send for me, Golde?’
‘You were busy at the shire hall.’
‘An injury to my wife takes precedence over that.’
‘It is not a serious injury, Ralph.’
‘It might have been,’ he argued. ‘You were thrown from your horse and stunned in the fall. You might have broken an arm or a leg.’
‘My ankle has been badly sprained, that is all.’
‘You poor darling,’ he said, kissing her cheek. ‘Does it hurt?’
‘Not really. There is a dull ache.’
‘I will leave more than a dull ache when I find the ostler who gave you that mettlesome horse. I’ll beat the villain black and blue!’
‘It was not his fault, Ralph.’
‘The animal unsaddled you.’
‘Only because it was frightened.’
‘By what?’
‘I have no idea,’ said Golde. ‘To be honest, I am trying to forget the whole incident. I felt so silly when I found myself lying on the ground like that. It was humiliating.’
Ralph stood up. ‘Berold was to blame,’ he decided. ‘It was his fooling which made your horse rear up like that. Wait until I see him. I’ll play a jest or two on him for a change.’
‘This was nothing to do with Berold,’ she insisted. ‘He was nowhere near me. And when I fell, he came to my aid at once.
Berold was kindness itself. You should be thanking him for taking such good care of me.’
‘I will take care of you now, my love.’
‘Then do so more calmly, Ralph.’
He gave an apologetic smile and knelt down beside her again.
They were in their apartment and Golde was lying on the bed, her shoes removed and one ankle swathed in bandaging. Her sleeve was torn and muddied by its sudden contact with the ground and her apparel bore other signs of the accident, but she was in good spirits.