Read Online The Clerk’s Tale by Margaret Frazer - Free Book Online

from his own clerking that the clerk writing away at the table would not see that and said, barely to be heard, “No one. No, there wasn’t anyone. He’d only just begun here.”
     
    Goaded by his uncertainty, Frevisse would have prodded him for more. Master Christopher only said, “Thank you. You are welcome to sit down,” and Master Gruesby did, with the heavy suddenness of legs giving way.
     
    The priory’s gardener, Master Garner, was called next, an elderly man who rose stiffly from his place on a rear bench and came forward to stand before the jurors and answered Master Christopher’s question as to his name and all with a briskness that suggested he more probably demanded his plants to grow rather than simply encouraged them. When asked, he swore to deal in no lies and when questioned agreed that, yes, there was a lock to the side door to the infirmary garden and, yes, it was kept locked and there were but two keys to it, that he knew of.
     
    ‘Who has those keys?“
     
    ‘The infirmarian be one who does, I understand. The other be my lady prioress. It’s my lady gives it to me when there’s work needed in that garden there. Turning garden beds, carrying out refuse, things like that. Only she didn’t have the key that day, I know.“
     
    That made an interested stir among most of the onlookers but Master Christopher merely asked, “Do you know who did?”
     
    ‘She did.“ Master Garner pointed up at Lady Agnes. ”Still does, for all I know.“
     
    All heads turned and lifted to look at her. Undiscomfited, Lady Agnes slightly bowed her head to Master Christopher who slightly bent his in return but turned back to ask Master Garner, “So you were never at the door that day and so far as you know, it was locked or should have been?”
     
    ‘Aye, sir, it should have been.“
     
    Master Christopher thanked and dismissed him and held out a hand toward his clerk, who handed him a paper from which he read a sworn statement from Sister Joan, presently infirmarian at St. Mary’s priory, that the key to the infirmary garden’s door had not been out of her possession that day nor any other and to the best of her knowing the door had been locked as it should have been. That done, he handed the paper back to his clerk and turned again to look up at Lady Agnes.
     
    ‘My lady, rather than ask you to come down, may we give you oath and have your answers from up there?“
     
    ‘With thanks for your kindness, sir, yes,“ Lady Agnes granted.
     
    When she was sworn, Master Christopher asked, “ ”Is this true you presently hold the prioress’s key to the door in question, my lady?“
     
    In a carrying voice, easily heard throughout the hall, she answered, “It is.”
     
    ‘Why?“
     
    She explained with admirable briefness about her visits of kindness to Sister Ysobel.
     
    ‘Has the key ever been out of your keeping?“
     
    ‘Not since Domina Matilda trusted it to me. I keep it with my own household keys and they are always with me.“
     
    ‘Did you use the key the day that Master Montfort was killed?“
     
    ‘Did I go to the infirmary garden, you mean. No, I did not.“
     
    Master Christopher thanked her, she welcomed him, and the stableman was called who had seen Montfort cross the stableyard; but, no, he swore it was only Montfort he’d seen go that way until Master Gruesby came and, yes, he’d been there in the stableyard, at one task and another, a good half of an hour and more and would have noticed anyone else going that way, he was certain, sir, and was certain, too, that no one had come out from there either, not until Master Gruesby did, calling for help, almost as soon as he’d gone in.
     
    He was thanked and dismissed in his turn and Master Christopher looked at a paper in front of him, then looked to Master Wilton as master juryman and asked, “Have you made inquiry if anyone was seen entering the garden from the outside of the nunnery?”
     
    The man stood up again.