Perhaps I shall not run for the abbacy after all, because dealing with her will not be easy.’
There was a fervent murmur of agreement from his brethren.
‘So you have your first clue, Trentham.’ Ramseye’s smile was sardonic. ‘No monk would murder Joan, as none of us are equal to managing Hagar. Perhaps the same can be said for the bedesfolk.
Ergo
, the culprit must be a townsman.’
‘Or a stranger,’ added Welbyrn, looking pointedly at the Michaelhouse men.
‘I told you,’ muttered William in Bartholomew’s ear. ‘We are about to be accused.’
‘Not these strangers,’ countered Yvo, glancing at Clippesby, who had abandoned the spider and had cornered a cat. ‘A saint would not keep company with killers.’
‘True,’ acknowledged Ramseye. ‘However, the town is full of possibilities. Spalling—’
‘Yes!’ interrupted Yvo eagerly. ‘Spalling is certainly the kind of man who would invade our most lucrative … I mean our holiest chapel and strike an old lady with a relic.’
‘He spent the morning accusing us of robbing travellers on the King’s highways,’ said Ramseye resentfully. ‘So the murder of one of our bedesfolk would just be one more instance of the malice he bears us.’
‘Accusing the abbey’s
defensores
, you mean,’ corrected Yvo sourly. ‘The band of louts that Robert hired. I wish the Abbot had listened to my advice and refrained from doing that – it does our reputation no good at all to have rough fellows like those on our payroll.’
‘They are not louts,’ countered Welbyrn irritably. ‘They are lay brothers. And we need them, given our unpopularity in the town.’
‘I certainly feel safer with the
defensores
to hand,’ agreed Ramseye. ‘However, Spalling has no right to blame us for those robberies when they are
his
fault. His followers comprise a lot of discontented peasants, all convinced that they have a God-given right to other people’s property.’
‘We must not forget that Aurifabro’s soldiers are hardened mercenaries,’ said Welbyrn. ‘Personally, I suspect that
he
is responsible for these nasty incidents on the south road.’
‘Mercenaries?’ echoed Bartholomew, bemused to learn that Peterborough seemed to be home to three separate private armies.
‘Foreigners mostly,’ explained Yvo. ‘He refused to recruit locals, on the grounds that he is at war with us and Spalling’s followers, and he was afraid he might hire spies who are actually in the pay of one of his enemies.’
‘The south road,’ mused William. ‘Do you mean the track that runs towards Cambridge? We were ambushed five times on that – it is why we have taken so long to get here. And our attackers spoke French. I heard them.’
‘It is disgraceful that honest men cannot travel in safety any longer,’ said Yvo, shaking his head sympathetically. ‘But I prefer Spalling as a suspect to Aurifabro – for Joan’s murder, as well as the robberies. That man has been a thorn in our side for far too long. We should arrest him, and bring an end to his villainy.’
‘Unfortunately, if we do, he will tell the Bishop that we are persecuting him on account of our past differences,’ said Ramseye, raising a cautionary hand. ‘And Gynewell will probably believe him. We need evidence before we clap him in irons.’
Yvo turned to Trentham. ‘Then you had better find us some by looking into how he dispatched poor Joan.’
‘No,’ said Trentham, taking his career in his hands by refusing the order of a senior cleric. ‘I do not have the ability to investigate murder. Or the time. With two hospitals and a parish to run, I am far too busy.’
‘Two hospitals
and
a parish?’ asked Michael. ‘That is a heavy burden.’
‘Too heavy,’ agreed Yvo, although he was scowling at the young priest. ‘I have been trying to appoint a second vicar, but Welbyrn says we cannot afford it.’
As the abbey was obviously wealthy, Bartholomew thought Welbyrn was lying, and that the
There was a fervent murmur of agreement from his brethren.
‘So you have your first clue, Trentham.’ Ramseye’s smile was sardonic. ‘No monk would murder Joan, as none of us are equal to managing Hagar. Perhaps the same can be said for the bedesfolk.
Ergo
, the culprit must be a townsman.’
‘Or a stranger,’ added Welbyrn, looking pointedly at the Michaelhouse men.
‘I told you,’ muttered William in Bartholomew’s ear. ‘We are about to be accused.’
‘Not these strangers,’ countered Yvo, glancing at Clippesby, who had abandoned the spider and had cornered a cat. ‘A saint would not keep company with killers.’
‘True,’ acknowledged Ramseye. ‘However, the town is full of possibilities. Spalling—’
‘Yes!’ interrupted Yvo eagerly. ‘Spalling is certainly the kind of man who would invade our most lucrative … I mean our holiest chapel and strike an old lady with a relic.’
‘He spent the morning accusing us of robbing travellers on the King’s highways,’ said Ramseye resentfully. ‘So the murder of one of our bedesfolk would just be one more instance of the malice he bears us.’
‘Accusing the abbey’s
defensores
, you mean,’ corrected Yvo sourly. ‘The band of louts that Robert hired. I wish the Abbot had listened to my advice and refrained from doing that – it does our reputation no good at all to have rough fellows like those on our payroll.’
‘They are not louts,’ countered Welbyrn irritably. ‘They are lay brothers. And we need them, given our unpopularity in the town.’
‘I certainly feel safer with the
defensores
to hand,’ agreed Ramseye. ‘However, Spalling has no right to blame us for those robberies when they are
his
fault. His followers comprise a lot of discontented peasants, all convinced that they have a God-given right to other people’s property.’
‘We must not forget that Aurifabro’s soldiers are hardened mercenaries,’ said Welbyrn. ‘Personally, I suspect that
he
is responsible for these nasty incidents on the south road.’
‘Mercenaries?’ echoed Bartholomew, bemused to learn that Peterborough seemed to be home to three separate private armies.
‘Foreigners mostly,’ explained Yvo. ‘He refused to recruit locals, on the grounds that he is at war with us and Spalling’s followers, and he was afraid he might hire spies who are actually in the pay of one of his enemies.’
‘The south road,’ mused William. ‘Do you mean the track that runs towards Cambridge? We were ambushed five times on that – it is why we have taken so long to get here. And our attackers spoke French. I heard them.’
‘It is disgraceful that honest men cannot travel in safety any longer,’ said Yvo, shaking his head sympathetically. ‘But I prefer Spalling as a suspect to Aurifabro – for Joan’s murder, as well as the robberies. That man has been a thorn in our side for far too long. We should arrest him, and bring an end to his villainy.’
‘Unfortunately, if we do, he will tell the Bishop that we are persecuting him on account of our past differences,’ said Ramseye, raising a cautionary hand. ‘And Gynewell will probably believe him. We need evidence before we clap him in irons.’
Yvo turned to Trentham. ‘Then you had better find us some by looking into how he dispatched poor Joan.’
‘No,’ said Trentham, taking his career in his hands by refusing the order of a senior cleric. ‘I do not have the ability to investigate murder. Or the time. With two hospitals and a parish to run, I am far too busy.’
‘Two hospitals
and
a parish?’ asked Michael. ‘That is a heavy burden.’
‘Too heavy,’ agreed Yvo, although he was scowling at the young priest. ‘I have been trying to appoint a second vicar, but Welbyrn says we cannot afford it.’
As the abbey was obviously wealthy, Bartholomew thought Welbyrn was lying, and that the
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