Read Online Brother Cadfael 11: An Excellent Mystery by Ellis Peters - Free Book Online
Authors: Ellis Peters
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with a wry little smile. 'No, I had my reasons for coming so far north. This shire and this town I knew as a child. A few years only, but they are the years a man remembers later in life. Never trouble for me, Nick, I'm very well here, as well as any other place, and better than most. Let us speak rather of you. How have you fared in your new service, and what has brought you here to my bedside?'
'I've thrived, having your commendation. William of Ypres has mentioned me to the queen, and would have taken me among his officers, but I'd rather stay with FitzRobert's English than go to the Flemings. I have a command. It was you who taught me all I know,' he said, at once glowing and sad, 'you and the mussulmen of Mosul.'
'It was not the Atabeg Zenghi,' said Brother Humilis, smiling, 'whose affairs sent you here so far to seek me out. Leave him to the King of Jerusalem, whose noble and perilous business he is. What of Winchester, since I fled from it?'
'The queen's armies have encircled it. Few men get out, and no food gets in. The empress's men are shut tight in their castle, and their stores must be running very low. We came north to straddle the road by Andover. As yet nothing moves, therefore I got leave to ride north on my own business. But they must attempt to break out soon or starve where they are.'
'They'll try to reopen one of the roads and bring in supplies, before they abandon Winchester altogether,' said Humilis, frowning thoughtfully over the possibilities. 'If and when they do break, they'll break for Oxford first. Well, if this stalemate has sent you here to me, one good thing has come out of it. And what is this business that brought you to Shrewsbury?'
'My lord,' began Nicholas, leaning forward very earnestly, 'you remember how you sent me here to the manor of Lai, three years ago, to take the word to Humphrey Cruce and his daughter that you could not keep your compact to marry her? - that you were entering the cloister at Hyde Mead?'
'It is not a thing to forget,' agreed Humilis drily.
'My lord, neither can I forget the girl! You never saw her but as a child five years old, before you went to the Crusade. But I saw her a grown lady, nearly nineteen. I did your message to her father and to her, and came away glad to have it delivered and done. But now I cannot get her out of my mind. Such grace she had, and bore the severance with such dignity and courtesy. My lord, if she is still not wed or betrothed, I want to speak for her myself. But I could not go without first asking your blessing and consent.'
'Son,' said Humilis, glowing with astonished pleasure, 'there's nothing could delight me more than to see her happy with you, since I had to fail her. The girl is free to marry whom she will, and I could wish her no better man than you. And if you succeed I shall be relieved of all my guilt towards her, for I shall know she has made a better bargain than ever I should have been to her. Only consider, boy, we who enter the cloister abjure all possessions, how then can we dare lay claim to rights of possession in another creature of God? Go, and may you get her, and my blessing on you both. But come back and tell me how you fare.'
'My lord, with all my heart! How can I fail, if you send me to her?'
He stooped to kiss the hand that held him warmly, and rose blithely from the stool to take his leave. The silent figure in the shadows returned to his consciousness belatedly; it was as if he had been alone with his lord all this time, yet here stood the mute witness. Nicholas turned to him with impulsive warmth.
'Brother, I do thank you for your care of my lord. For this time, farewell. I shall surely see you again on my return.'
It was disconcerting to receive by way of reply only silence, and the courteous inclination of the cowled head.
'Brother Fidelis,' said Humilis gently, 'is dumb. Only his life and works speak for him. But I dare swear his goodwill goes with you on this quest, like mine.'
There was
'I've thrived, having your commendation. William of Ypres has mentioned me to the queen, and would have taken me among his officers, but I'd rather stay with FitzRobert's English than go to the Flemings. I have a command. It was you who taught me all I know,' he said, at once glowing and sad, 'you and the mussulmen of Mosul.'
'It was not the Atabeg Zenghi,' said Brother Humilis, smiling, 'whose affairs sent you here so far to seek me out. Leave him to the King of Jerusalem, whose noble and perilous business he is. What of Winchester, since I fled from it?'
'The queen's armies have encircled it. Few men get out, and no food gets in. The empress's men are shut tight in their castle, and their stores must be running very low. We came north to straddle the road by Andover. As yet nothing moves, therefore I got leave to ride north on my own business. But they must attempt to break out soon or starve where they are.'
'They'll try to reopen one of the roads and bring in supplies, before they abandon Winchester altogether,' said Humilis, frowning thoughtfully over the possibilities. 'If and when they do break, they'll break for Oxford first. Well, if this stalemate has sent you here to me, one good thing has come out of it. And what is this business that brought you to Shrewsbury?'
'My lord,' began Nicholas, leaning forward very earnestly, 'you remember how you sent me here to the manor of Lai, three years ago, to take the word to Humphrey Cruce and his daughter that you could not keep your compact to marry her? - that you were entering the cloister at Hyde Mead?'
'It is not a thing to forget,' agreed Humilis drily.
'My lord, neither can I forget the girl! You never saw her but as a child five years old, before you went to the Crusade. But I saw her a grown lady, nearly nineteen. I did your message to her father and to her, and came away glad to have it delivered and done. But now I cannot get her out of my mind. Such grace she had, and bore the severance with such dignity and courtesy. My lord, if she is still not wed or betrothed, I want to speak for her myself. But I could not go without first asking your blessing and consent.'
'Son,' said Humilis, glowing with astonished pleasure, 'there's nothing could delight me more than to see her happy with you, since I had to fail her. The girl is free to marry whom she will, and I could wish her no better man than you. And if you succeed I shall be relieved of all my guilt towards her, for I shall know she has made a better bargain than ever I should have been to her. Only consider, boy, we who enter the cloister abjure all possessions, how then can we dare lay claim to rights of possession in another creature of God? Go, and may you get her, and my blessing on you both. But come back and tell me how you fare.'
'My lord, with all my heart! How can I fail, if you send me to her?'
He stooped to kiss the hand that held him warmly, and rose blithely from the stool to take his leave. The silent figure in the shadows returned to his consciousness belatedly; it was as if he had been alone with his lord all this time, yet here stood the mute witness. Nicholas turned to him with impulsive warmth.
'Brother, I do thank you for your care of my lord. For this time, farewell. I shall surely see you again on my return.'
It was disconcerting to receive by way of reply only silence, and the courteous inclination of the cowled head.
'Brother Fidelis,' said Humilis gently, 'is dumb. Only his life and works speak for him. But I dare swear his goodwill goes with you on this quest, like mine.'
There was
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