positions here, as I need to talk to men outside the abbey quite often, but it is of some small importance to the brethren, for if I get my orders wrong we might end up with nothing to eat. Which reminds me – Brother?’
Edwin looked around, surprised to see that a younger monk had been sitting quietly in the corner all this time. He was near a small window which cast light on the parchments he was reading, spread out on a table, but he himself was in shadow. These monks really knew how to be silent. Frighteningly so.
The monk stood as Brother Helias beckoned him. ‘Have you finished reading the delivery list for the wine?’
The younger man nodded without speaking.
‘Good. Take it with you down to the cellar and check it against the barrels which arrived this morning. Take a piece of charcoal with you and mark off each item on the list as you see it in the cellar. Make a note of any barrels without entries on the list, or items on the list for which there are no barrels.’
The monk bowed his head, picked up a parchment and a stick of charcoal from the table, and walked out of the room. Edwin would swear that even his sandals made no sound on the floor.
Brother Helias turned back to him. ‘He will be the next cellarer after me, so he needs to learn. If the lists of what we are supposed to have don’t match what’s actually in the cellar or the stores, it can cause problems.’
Edwin nodded. ‘Yes, I know. My uncle William is the steward at my lord’s castle in Conisbrough, and he checks everything very carefully. I often help him with his additions and calculations.’
‘Ah, you do, do you? An apprentice cellarer yourself? Well then …’ Brother Helias allowed a smile to crease his face as he rocked back on the bench, an expression of concentration on his face. ‘Tell me, if I ordered three ten-gallon barrels of wine at fourpence a gallon, four ten-gallon barrels of ale at a penny a gallon, and eight pounds of pepper at four shillings a pound, how much would —’
‘Two pounds, five shillings and fourpence, Brother, though William would balk at paying four shillings a pound for pepper.’
Brother Helias gaped at him. Edwin shrugged. ‘Sorry, Brother, I didn’t mean to be impertinent. Adding up like that is something I’ve always been able to do – I don’t know why.’
‘It’s a gift from the Lord, that’s what it is. If you ever decide to become a monk, my son, ask them to let you work with the cellarer.’ He continued staring and then shook his head as if to clear it. ‘I am sorry I allowed myself to change the subject. Levity is not a desired trait among the brethren – precept fifty-four, as Father Abbot would no doubt say. I shall confess my transgression later.’
He looked serious, but Edwin thought he could discern the ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth. It was nice to think that at least some of the monks might still be real people underneath. Which brought him back to the fact that he still knew nothing about the man whose death he was supposed to be looking into. ‘But anyway, back to Brother Alexander, if I may. Did he also have dealings with people outside these walls?’
Brother Helias sighed and crossed himself. ‘Yes, he did. As the master of the lay brothers he was always out and about. Only half of our lay brothers actually work here in the abbey – the others are scattered round and about in different granges, like separate farms – and so he would visit each in turn to check up on their work.’
‘And was he popular? I mean, might there have been any of the lay brothers who didn’t like him?’
Brother Helias looked shocked. ‘My son, none of the brethren could possibly have wanted to kill Brother Alexander. The whole notion is impossible.’
Edwin hastened to soothe him. ‘I’m sure they wouldn’t, Brother, but the fact is that somebody killed him, and the more I can find out about him and what he did, the better. Especially if he had contact
Edwin looked around, surprised to see that a younger monk had been sitting quietly in the corner all this time. He was near a small window which cast light on the parchments he was reading, spread out on a table, but he himself was in shadow. These monks really knew how to be silent. Frighteningly so.
The monk stood as Brother Helias beckoned him. ‘Have you finished reading the delivery list for the wine?’
The younger man nodded without speaking.
‘Good. Take it with you down to the cellar and check it against the barrels which arrived this morning. Take a piece of charcoal with you and mark off each item on the list as you see it in the cellar. Make a note of any barrels without entries on the list, or items on the list for which there are no barrels.’
The monk bowed his head, picked up a parchment and a stick of charcoal from the table, and walked out of the room. Edwin would swear that even his sandals made no sound on the floor.
Brother Helias turned back to him. ‘He will be the next cellarer after me, so he needs to learn. If the lists of what we are supposed to have don’t match what’s actually in the cellar or the stores, it can cause problems.’
Edwin nodded. ‘Yes, I know. My uncle William is the steward at my lord’s castle in Conisbrough, and he checks everything very carefully. I often help him with his additions and calculations.’
‘Ah, you do, do you? An apprentice cellarer yourself? Well then …’ Brother Helias allowed a smile to crease his face as he rocked back on the bench, an expression of concentration on his face. ‘Tell me, if I ordered three ten-gallon barrels of wine at fourpence a gallon, four ten-gallon barrels of ale at a penny a gallon, and eight pounds of pepper at four shillings a pound, how much would —’
‘Two pounds, five shillings and fourpence, Brother, though William would balk at paying four shillings a pound for pepper.’
Brother Helias gaped at him. Edwin shrugged. ‘Sorry, Brother, I didn’t mean to be impertinent. Adding up like that is something I’ve always been able to do – I don’t know why.’
‘It’s a gift from the Lord, that’s what it is. If you ever decide to become a monk, my son, ask them to let you work with the cellarer.’ He continued staring and then shook his head as if to clear it. ‘I am sorry I allowed myself to change the subject. Levity is not a desired trait among the brethren – precept fifty-four, as Father Abbot would no doubt say. I shall confess my transgression later.’
He looked serious, but Edwin thought he could discern the ghost of a smile at the corner of his mouth. It was nice to think that at least some of the monks might still be real people underneath. Which brought him back to the fact that he still knew nothing about the man whose death he was supposed to be looking into. ‘But anyway, back to Brother Alexander, if I may. Did he also have dealings with people outside these walls?’
Brother Helias sighed and crossed himself. ‘Yes, he did. As the master of the lay brothers he was always out and about. Only half of our lay brothers actually work here in the abbey – the others are scattered round and about in different granges, like separate farms – and so he would visit each in turn to check up on their work.’
‘And was he popular? I mean, might there have been any of the lay brothers who didn’t like him?’
Brother Helias looked shocked. ‘My son, none of the brethren could possibly have wanted to kill Brother Alexander. The whole notion is impossible.’
Edwin hastened to soothe him. ‘I’m sure they wouldn’t, Brother, but the fact is that somebody killed him, and the more I can find out about him and what he did, the better. Especially if he had contact
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