Brother's Blood

by C. B. Hanley

  She snorted. ‘Him? Blind, deaf and stupid.’

  Edwin acknowledged her point. ‘And how did you get the habit in the first place?’

  ‘Oh, they might hate women and not allow them to soil their fine religion, but they don’t mind giving them their dirty laundry to wash, do they? Oh no, that would be too menial for a monk to do, even a lay brother, so they must lower themselves to find a woman to do it.’ She was becoming more agitated, but Martin didn’t think Edwin was in any danger. It was not him she was railing at.

  ‘So, you took this habit last wash day. And to start with you hid it here? In your cottage?’

  She nodded.

  ‘So why did you move it? When we first went to the cave it was not there, I’m sure of it. We only found it the second time.’

  Anabilia began to look more uncomfortable. ‘I was afraid.’

  ‘Afraid? Of whom? Of us?’

  Anabilia looked directly at Martin, and he realised that she had known all along that he was there. ‘When armed men come visiting, they don’t often stop to ask what’s what or who’s done what. They just kill, burn and move on.’ Her eyes bored into him, and it was he who looked away first.

  Edwin was continuing. ‘So, you were afraid of us, afraid we’d come back and find out about the stolen habit and about your visit. There’s not much hiding place in your cottage, so you decided to move it elsewhere.’

  She nodded. ‘I didn’t know about the cave until the day I took you there. All I’d ever seen was Brother Alexander disappearing several times after he’d been to visit me, and once on a moonlit night last week. But when I saw you going back and forth into it and calling to each other, I decided to go and look, so I waited until you were gone and then went to have a look myself. There was nothing there and Brother Alexander was dead by then, so I thought it was as good a hiding place as any. How was I to know you were going to come back?’

  There was silence for a few moments.

  ‘So, you’re going to tell the abbot about this, are you? So he’ll find an excuse to stop my corrody, throw me out to starve?’

  Edwin shook his head. ‘No.’

  She looked surprised. ‘No? And what’s in it for you, this keeping silent?’

  His voice was innocent. ‘Does there have to be something in it for me?’

  Even Martin wasn’t fooled by that, so he wasn’t surprised when the sharp old woman snorted. ‘Just tell me what you want, boy, and have done with it. I have little enough to give you.’

  ‘Your prayers for my success, perhaps. Oh, and tell me what you saw while you were in the abbey.’

  Her eyes narrowed. ‘All right.’ She leaned forward again and whispered in his ear for some moments.

  Edwin sat back with a slight smile on his face. ‘Thank you. That knowledge may come in useful.’

  She started to rise. ‘All knowledge is precious. Now, if you’ve finished, go away and leave me on my own.’

  She groaned her way to her feet and made her way inside the hovel. Martin looked at Edwin, who had not moved, and wondered why the smile had widened across his whole face.

  Chapter Twelve

  Edwin wasn’t quite sure how he found himself outside the abbey gates again. Had he really ridden all that way without noticing? He dismounted and led the horse through the gate once Brother Thurstan had managed to open it, and then stood in silence while Martin took the animals to the stables.

  ‘You’ve thought of something, haven’t you?’

  Edwin jumped. ‘How did you sort the horses out so quickly?’

  ‘I didn’t. You’ve been standing here like stone for ages.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘So, have you?’

  ‘Have I what?’

  ‘Thought of something. You’ve got that look on your face.’

  Edwin considered. ‘Actually … yes, I think I have. But I don’t want to speak too soon. I’d rather think about it overnight to get it all straight in my head before I do anything about it.’ He looked around him, belatedly aware of his surroundings. ‘It is evening, isn’t it?’

  Martin clapped him on the back. ‘Are you that far gone? It is. Now come on, let’s go and find something to eat.’

  Edwin roused himself enough to think that Martin didn’t sound as cheerful as he might at the idea of an evening meal and the possibility of getting out of the abbey if he, Edwin, was right about his suspicions. Indeed, Martin was looking about him now, as if searching for someone.

  ‘Who are you looking for?’

  ‘Nobody.’

  There was no point trying to get more out of Martin once he set his jaw like that and Edwin had plenty else to think about, so perhaps they were better just going back to the guesthouse and eating. He led the way.

  Once inside they were greeted by Aylwin, who was still at the table with a much drier-looking set of pages.

  Aylwin met Edwin’s questioning glance. ‘Oh, don’t worry, I haven’t been here all day. It was still too wet to look at this morning so I went to talk to the new master of the lay brothers – the abbot has finally appointed one – and I came back to it about an hour ago.’

  Edwin and Martin sat down on either side of him. ‘What is it?’ Martin came out of himself long enough to be curious.

  ‘A wool ledger.’ Aylwin pointed. ‘Look, it got very wet and now it’s dry again some of the pages are stuck together in a big lump, and a lot of the ink has run, but you can still make out some of it, if you know what to look for.’ He grew enthused as he indicated various aspects.

  Martin’s interest faded as quickly as it had appeared and he ran his eyes over the pages without much enthusiasm as he turned to Edwin. ‘Is this important for what we need to find out?’

  Edwin nodded slowly. ‘If I’m right, then yes, it could be the key to the whole thing.’

  Aylwin looked puzzled. ‘Even though I can’t find anything wrong with it?’ He made a helpless gesture. ‘I mean, of course, I can’t see all of it, or anything like all of it, but from what I can see it just looks like a perfectly normal wool ledger.’

  Edwin reached for the bowl which Brother Amandus had obligingly put before him. ‘Oh yes,’ he said, distantly, ‘its very normality is what gives the whole thing away.’

  It was like being behind a veil, away from the rest of the world. He ate without tasting; watched without really seeing as Martin reached for the bread and passed some to Aylwin; listened without hearing as Martin spoke. ‘There’s no point trying to talk to him while he’s like this. I’ve seen it before. Just let him think it out and he’ll be back to normal tomorrow.’

  Edwin belatedly noticed that Sir Philip was also sitting at the table, although he was as far away from the rest of them as he could get. That awoke him from his thoughts and with some effort he pushed the veil aside. Now was as good a time as any to test one of his theories.

  He addressed the knight directly. ‘Good evening, Sir Philip.’

  He received a reply which was not much more than a grunt – the bare minimum of civility which might be accorded to a fellow guest. Aylwin made a surprised noise. ‘Come now …’

  Without taking his eyes off the knight, Edwin reached into his purse, felt around for the metal chape, and placed it deliberately on the table in front of Sir Philip.

  Aylwin leaned forward. ‘What’s that?’

  Edwin felt Martin shifting into a position of readiness beside him. Perhaps he should have told Martin first what he intended to do. Too late now.

  Sir Philip had already reached for his scabbard, so he evidently knew what it was. ‘Where did you get that?’

  ‘I found it in the lay brothers’ range.’

  ‘Well, you have my thanks, I’d been looking for —’ he started to reach out for it.

  ‘On the stairs which lead up to the parlour there.’

  The hand froze in mid-air.

  Edwin continued. ‘A place you wouldn’t expect to go, if you were
just a knight who was staying here while his horse recovered.’

  Sir Philip sat back and folded his arms. ‘What business is it of yours where I go? Who do you think you are?’ His tone was scornful.

  Edwin had sometimes watched the earl and Sir Geoffrey playing a game called chess. He didn’t know exactly how it worked – although he thought he’d quite like to learn – but he had seen the way that they stared at each other while they were absorbed in it. He felt the same concentration now, gazing intently at his opponent as Martin and Aylwin almost faded from view. It was his move.

  He kept his voice soft. ‘I am the man who is here to find a killer and bring him to justice.’

  As he expected, Sir Philip lost his temper. He jumped to his feet and laid a hand on his dagger.

  All was chaos. Aylwin cried out with shock. Martin threw himself between Edwin and the knight. Brother Amandus ran in and squawked as he saw the scene, rushing to try and placate anyone and everyone.

  Edwin didn’t move.

  Sir Philip had not gone so far as to draw his dagger. He raised a pacifying hand to Brother Amandus and a threatening one to Martin before taking his seat again. Martin took up a position standing behind the knight.

  Edwin looked in Sir Philip’s eyes. ‘I never said that killer might be you, sir.’

  ‘Then what are you implying?’

  ‘Brother Amandus here told me that there are two reasons why a guest, an outsider, might go up there. The first is that it is used as an office where business can be discussed.’

  Aylwin, who was looking a bit shaken, chipped in. ‘That’s right. I have been up there myself on numerous occasions.’ He frowned at Sir Philip. ‘But you’re not a merchant.’

  ‘The hell I am!’ If anything, Sir Philip looked more insulted by this than he had been at the thought that Edwin was accusing him of murder, but he didn’t move.

  ‘And the second,’ continued Edwin as if nobody had spoken, ‘Is that the brothers of the Order are allowed to receive guests there, so they can talk to them without disturbing the rest of the abbey.’ He leaned forward. ‘Visits from relatives, for example.’

  Sir Philip’s expression now resembled the earl’s when Sir Geoffrey made a move and then said ‘check’. He looked at the faces surrounding him. ‘Very well,’ he said, grudgingly. ‘If it will put thoughts of murder out of your heads.’

  Brother Amandus started to say that he should not listen to gossip, that he should clear the table and leave, but he didn’t move.

  Sir Philip gestured at Edwin. ‘If you’re so clever, you tell me.’

  ‘Very well. You can correct me where I go wrong.’

  ‘Fine.’

  Edwin hoped to the Lord he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself. ‘You visit here regularly. This is partly because it is on the way between your manors and therefore it is a convenient place to stop.’

  Sir Philip made an irritated gesture. ‘Everyone knows this.’

  ‘But it is also because one of the monks is related to you. You stop here so you can talk to him … and ask his advice.’

  There was a flicker in the knight’s eye and Edwin knew he was right.

  He continued. ‘Your estates are … not prospering. You’re losing money.’

  Sir Philip ran one hand through his hair. ‘Yes! Yes, you’re right. I’m a warrior, not a clerk – I need someone to manage my estates properly.’

  Edwin nodded. ‘And, of course, it would be better if that someone was from your own family. To start with I wondered – a son, a nephew – but when I worked out who it was and looked at your ages … he’s your brother, isn’t he?’

  ‘Who?’ Both Aylwin and Brother Amandus spoke at once, and then tried to look as though they hadn’t.

  Sir Philip sighed. ‘It’s not a secret. Or not particularly, anyway – I just don’t like people prying into my business. Yes, Helias is my brother.’

  Edwin nodded again as the others all exclaimed their surprise. ‘And he’d make a superb steward for your estates. Just look at the work he does here as the cellarer – the abbey is prospering, there is food, drink, materials … and he organises it all.’ He looked at the knight. ‘But he doesn’t want to leave, does he?’

  Sir Philip’s irritation started to show. ‘No. He says he is content here, that he is happy. What is that when it comes to family honour and fortune?’

  ‘So this time you thought you’d stay a while longer and try harder to persuade him. And to cover up the reason for it, you pretended your horse was lame.’

  The knight threw up his hands. ‘I concede.’ He shook his head. ‘How you can possibly have worked all that out, I don’t know.’

  Brother Amandus was looking at Sir Philip, at his dark hair and build. ‘But – forgive me, my son – but you don’t look in the slightest bit alike. Nobody could possibly have guessed you were brothers.’

  ‘No, so we’ve always been told. Which is probably why not many people realise. We used to have another brother – dead, now – who was between us in age and who somehow managed to resemble both of us slightly. If you’d seen all three of us together then you might have guessed we were brothers. But Helias and I are different in looks, temperament, everything.’ He surveyed the men around him once more, looking tired. ‘So, now you know all, if you will excuse me I will go out and get some air.’

  After he left, there was silence. Then Brother Amandus broke it, realising how late it was and that he had not yet cleared the dishes. He did so now, talking to himself under his breath. ‘Never would have … so unalike … fancy Brother Helias having …’

  Edwin, too, was weary, and now his other thoughts crowded in on him.

  Aylwin patted him on the shoulder. ‘You’re a very clever young fellow. I’ll leave you to it now, but once you’ve solved everything else you have to tell me why the wool ledger is so important.’ He too departed.

  Martin, who had by now sat down again, finally spoke. ‘For God’s sake, next time you’re going to do something like that, tell me!’

  ‘Sorry. But I knew that if I was right then there was no danger.’

  ‘And what if you were wrong, eh?’

  Edwin felt exhausted to the very centre of his bones. ‘But I wasn’t. And now I need to think about the rest.’ The veil was beginning to descend again, and this time he couldn’t fend it off.

  ‘I take it you don’t think Sir Philip was involved?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then who?’

  Edwin shook his head. ‘Tomorrow.’ He moved over to his bed and then hesitated. ‘I don’t think I’m going to sleep much. I was going to go to the church to sit and think, but you probably don’t want me to, do you?’

  ‘Not a chance. If you do then I’ll follow you and you won’t get much thinking done anyway, so you may as well stay here where it’s warm.’

  Edwin nodded and wrapped a blanket around himself. He allowed the world around him to fade. Soon Martin was asleep and Edwin stared ahead of him as the moonlight shone in through the window. He had to be right. There was no other possible explanation. He began once more to run over in his head the way events must have played out, and to plan the trap he would spring on the morrow.

  When morning came he wasn’t sure whether he had slept or not, but despite his sandy eyes and his pounding head he knew what he was going to do.

  He shook Martin. ‘Time to get up.’

  Martin was normally a heavy sleeper but he evidently scented action in the air for he woke and rolled himself to his feet all in one move. ‘Today’s the day, isn’t it? Tell me what to do.’

  A short time later they were dressed and on their way to Chapter, for Edwin wanted to make sure that Brother Eugenius and the lay brother Sinnulph made their confessions as agreed.

  Edwin installed himself in the same position he had occupied the other day, Martin a pace behind him. The one brown robe among all the white was very noticeable, and once the initial prayers had been said, the abbot indicated that Sinnulph should
step forward.

  There was – well, Edwin couldn’t really call it a murmur of surprise, as the monks held their silence, but a kind of collective breath – as the abbot explained why Sinnulph was there, and invited him to confess.

  The lay brother assumed the penitent position on the floor and began his tale. Edwin was pleased to note that it was full, but plain and unembellished. He told the facts about his sister and her family, about exactly what had been stolen to feed them, and about the pressure he had brought to bear on Brother Eugenius, but he did not claim to have threatened violence.

  There was a profound silence as Sinnulph finished speaking and laid his head back on the floor.

  The abbot’s eyes swept the room. ‘Before I ask the rest of the brethren for their thoughts, I believe we had better hear Brother Eugenius. Step forward, if you please.’

  Nobody moved.

  Edwin was immediately on the alert, looking at the backs of everyone’s heads. He couldn’t tell who was who from here.

  The abbot sounded impatient. ‘Brother Eugenius, it is your duty to step forward.’

  By now the monks were craning their necks to look around the chapterhouse themselves, and it did not take long to confirm what Edwin already suspected: Brother Eugenius was not there.

  Abbot Reginald allowed some of his anger to show in his voice. ‘Brothers, this would appear to be unprecedented. It looks as though Brother Eugenius is too afraid to confess to his sin and has therefore evaded Chapter for that purpose. However, I will not judge him until I know what has happened – there is a possibility that he has fallen or is lying ill somewhere. Let us search the abbey for him.’ He nodded at the prior, who moved swiftly among the monks allocating them places to look and giving them permission to call out his name and to speak aloud if they found the missing brother.

  As the brethren filed out, the abbot was left in the chapterhouse with Edwin, Martin and the still-prostrate Sinnulph. The abbot looked down upon him. ‘Rise, Brother, and go about your duties for now. By the time Brother Eugenius is found it will be time for the lectio divina, so this Chapter will reconvene tomorrow.’

  Had Edwin detected a shade of sympathy in his voice? He could not be sure. Brother Sinnulph stood, bowed low, and left the room without speaking.