church.”
“How do you know that?”
For some indefinable reason, Alan felt he had been put on the defensive. He lifted his chin a little as he answered. “I know it because Bernard told me that Lord Gilbert had been murdered and that I should send for the sheriff. And I came close enough to see Lord Gilbert’s body for myself, so I knew that what Bernard said was true, my lord.”
Hugh nodded and regarded Alan thoughtfully. “What did you think had happened?”
“I did not know what had happened, my lord, but Bernard was holding a knife in his hand, and the knife had blood on it.”
“Did you think that Bernard had killed the earl?”
“I thought he might have, my lord,” Alan replied deliberately. “But, as I have already said, I didn’t see him do it. I only saw him kneeling there.”
Hugh nodded gravely. “I see.”
His gray eyes studied Alan for a moment in silence. Alan stared back at him a little defiantly. He felt as if he were being interrogated, and he did not like the feeling. He was also slightly intimidated, which he liked even less.
Hugh said, “I have known Bernard Radvers for almost all my life, and I cannot and will not believe that he has done this thing of which he stands accused. I have come to Lincoln to see if I can discover the real culprit. I would be grateful if you would tell me anything you know that might have a bearing on this business.”
Alan said stiffly, “I know nothing except what I have already told you, my lord.”
Hugh looked as if he did not believe him. “I see.Well, if you should think of anything, or hear anything, I hope you will come to me.”
“Of course, my lord,” Alan said, even more stiffly than before.
An oddly bleak look came across Hugh’s face. “And now,” he said, “I suppose I had better join the others.”
“I believe they are waiting supper for you, my lord,” Alan said.
“That was kind,” said Hugh, but he did not sound as if he meant it.
Gervase Canville’s town house was one of the newer stone buildings in Lincoln. It was two-storied, and boasted one attic window in its steeply pitched roof. The street door was on the ground floor, which contained the kitchen and the storerooms. The main living room, the solar, was on the second floor, and featured a fireplace built into the wall immediately over the front door. The smoke from the fireplace escaped through flues fashioned to come out on each side of the outside buttress.
Along with other furniture, the room contained a table with four carved chairs set around it. It was at this table that Alan served supper to the sheriff, his son, and his guest.
Gervase had owned the house for less than a year and he was exceedingly proud of it. Alan suspected that he had invited Hugh to stay in order to show off his house to the prospective earl.
Supper was a simple but ample meal. Alan was surprised by how abstemiously Hugh ate. It was almost rude, the squire thought disapprovingly, to eat so little when so much was provided.
The meal only served to confirm Alan’s earlier unfavorable impression of Hugh de Leon. Most particularly, the squire did not care for the way Lord Hugh treated Sir Richard. The sheriff’s son spent the entire evening going out of his way to be friendly and courteous, and instead of responding in kind, Lord Hugh was closemouthed and chilly.
As he was undressing Richard for bed later that night, Alan commented tentatively, “Lord Hugh is not very talkative, is he, my lord?”
Richard gave his squire a charming, rueful look. “He has never talked very much to me, I’m afraid.”
“Why is that, my lord?” Alan asked in genuine bewilderment.
Richard smiled and reached out to tousle Alan’s flaxen hair. “Not everyone thinks I’m as wonderful as you do,” he said with amusement.
“They certainly do, my lord!” Alan replied immediately.
Richard shook his head. “Hugh and I have known each other since we were children together at the Minster
“How do you know that?”
For some indefinable reason, Alan felt he had been put on the defensive. He lifted his chin a little as he answered. “I know it because Bernard told me that Lord Gilbert had been murdered and that I should send for the sheriff. And I came close enough to see Lord Gilbert’s body for myself, so I knew that what Bernard said was true, my lord.”
Hugh nodded and regarded Alan thoughtfully. “What did you think had happened?”
“I did not know what had happened, my lord, but Bernard was holding a knife in his hand, and the knife had blood on it.”
“Did you think that Bernard had killed the earl?”
“I thought he might have, my lord,” Alan replied deliberately. “But, as I have already said, I didn’t see him do it. I only saw him kneeling there.”
Hugh nodded gravely. “I see.”
His gray eyes studied Alan for a moment in silence. Alan stared back at him a little defiantly. He felt as if he were being interrogated, and he did not like the feeling. He was also slightly intimidated, which he liked even less.
Hugh said, “I have known Bernard Radvers for almost all my life, and I cannot and will not believe that he has done this thing of which he stands accused. I have come to Lincoln to see if I can discover the real culprit. I would be grateful if you would tell me anything you know that might have a bearing on this business.”
Alan said stiffly, “I know nothing except what I have already told you, my lord.”
Hugh looked as if he did not believe him. “I see.Well, if you should think of anything, or hear anything, I hope you will come to me.”
“Of course, my lord,” Alan said, even more stiffly than before.
An oddly bleak look came across Hugh’s face. “And now,” he said, “I suppose I had better join the others.”
“I believe they are waiting supper for you, my lord,” Alan said.
“That was kind,” said Hugh, but he did not sound as if he meant it.
Gervase Canville’s town house was one of the newer stone buildings in Lincoln. It was two-storied, and boasted one attic window in its steeply pitched roof. The street door was on the ground floor, which contained the kitchen and the storerooms. The main living room, the solar, was on the second floor, and featured a fireplace built into the wall immediately over the front door. The smoke from the fireplace escaped through flues fashioned to come out on each side of the outside buttress.
Along with other furniture, the room contained a table with four carved chairs set around it. It was at this table that Alan served supper to the sheriff, his son, and his guest.
Gervase had owned the house for less than a year and he was exceedingly proud of it. Alan suspected that he had invited Hugh to stay in order to show off his house to the prospective earl.
Supper was a simple but ample meal. Alan was surprised by how abstemiously Hugh ate. It was almost rude, the squire thought disapprovingly, to eat so little when so much was provided.
The meal only served to confirm Alan’s earlier unfavorable impression of Hugh de Leon. Most particularly, the squire did not care for the way Lord Hugh treated Sir Richard. The sheriff’s son spent the entire evening going out of his way to be friendly and courteous, and instead of responding in kind, Lord Hugh was closemouthed and chilly.
As he was undressing Richard for bed later that night, Alan commented tentatively, “Lord Hugh is not very talkative, is he, my lord?”
Richard gave his squire a charming, rueful look. “He has never talked very much to me, I’m afraid.”
“Why is that, my lord?” Alan asked in genuine bewilderment.
Richard smiled and reached out to tousle Alan’s flaxen hair. “Not everyone thinks I’m as wonderful as you do,” he said with amusement.
“They certainly do, my lord!” Alan replied immediately.
Richard shook his head. “Hugh and I have known each other since we were children together at the Minster
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