Read Online [Roger the Chapman 03] - The Hanged Man by Kate Sedley - Free Book Online

of her husband's death, and also that of her child. Her only son.’ There was a poignant silence, during which I guessed he was thinking not of Colin Walker, but of his own son, Clement. The alderman continued bravely: 'Therefore, when this trouble came upon them; when William Woodward came back, as it were, from the dead, I felt obliged to investigate his story in the hope that it might prove to be true. If it were, then no blame could be attached to either him or his family.' He raised his earnest glance to mine and leaned slightly forward in his chair. 'I have done much business over the years with the Irish of the eastern seaboard, from Waterford up as far as Dublin, which is the trading ground of Bristol men. Many of these acquaintances have become good friends, for the Irish are a friendly people.'
    'I doubt if those sold into slavery to them think so,' I put in drily.
    The alderman smiled. 'In most cases you would be wrong. Oh, there are cruel masters, I don't deny. What nation can claim to be free of cruelty? But in general, the Irish treat their servants as friends, all sitting down to table together and eating from the same dish. You look incredulous, as well you might, but I assure you that it's true. I have seen it with my own eyes and know it to be the general custom. Many Bristol men and women, sold into slavery in Ireland, have found a happiness there they did not know at home. And although,' he added hastily, 'I cannot condone something that is a crime against both Church and State, its consequences are not always to be deplored.'
    Realizing that my remark had caused him to digress, I prompted, 'So you made inquiries of your Irish friends regarding William Woodward?'
    'I did indeed, and very thorough they were, too. But no sighting of anyone resembling him could be recollected in any of the slave markets held in March last year. These markets of necessity take place in secret, but are well attended; and if my immediate informant had not been present, he always knew of someone else who had.' Alderman Weaver leaned even closer, thumping the arm of his chair. 'I feel sure in my own mind that an elderly man with severe head injuries would not have been overlooked, if only for the simple reason that his appearance would have provoked ridicule from the onlookers. Furthermore, there appears to have been no talk of a runaway slave in the latter half of August, and I am assured that such news does get about.' His gaze became yet more earnest. 'Mistress Walker has doubtless told you in what condition her father returned to her, and indeed, I saw William for myself on more than one occasion. The blows he had received to his head had addled his wits; and while I believe a man in his state could, by instinct, make his way home on foot, I am extremely doubtful of his having the ability to find a ship's master willing to transport him across water. Sailors are too superstitious. And if he had found someone, William had no money with which to pay for his passage.'
    I realized with dismay that I had given very little thought to William Woodward's return journey, and silently upbraided myself for the lapse. This latter argument of the alderman seemed to me a more telling one than any he had hitherto advanced, although taken altogether, his reasoning convinced me that I must look elsewhere for the truth concerning the old man's disappearance. It seemed unlikely that he had ever been in Ireland.
    I stood up. 'Thank you for your time and patience,' I murmured humbly, still shaken by the fact that I had obtained but half a story from Margaret Walker, and determined to remedy this omission as soon as possible.
    My recent illness, I decided, must have blunted the sharpness of my mind. The alderman also rose, anxious to be away to the weaving sheds and the waiting aulnager. I went on, 'If I am to help Mistress Walker discover what really happened to her father, I shall need to make more inquiries. But I hesitate to intrude upon the