The Wildcats of Exeter d-8

by Edward Marston

  She brushed it aside and rose to her feet.

  ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I had a bond with Nicholas Picard. The strongest bond a woman can have. When I could not get my property back from him by legal means, I chose another way. I seduced him.’

  She smiled at the shocked expression on Gervase’s face. ‘It was not difficult. He had a weakness for a pretty face and I flatter myself that mine can still turn a man’s head. Besides, he had been sniffing around me for years and his attentions became more obvious after my husband died. He was such a vain man, Master Bret. He thought he would be doing me a favour. It never crossed his mind that I was only letting him enjoy my favours in order to get my property back.’

  ‘But you never managed that.’

  ‘I came close,’ she said. ‘Very close. He promised to restore those holdings to me a number of times but always drew back at the last moment. Then he made his mistake.’

  ‘He told you that you would never secure that property.’

  ‘In effect. He lost interest in me. He came to break off our romance, though he lacked the courage to do that properly. I have my pride. I am no Asa to be cast off like a dirty garment. The lord Nicholas betrayed me. He had to pay for that, Master Bret.’

  ‘So you gave instructions to Eldred?’

  ‘He will let nobody harm me.’

  ‘Did you order him to steal that box?’

  ‘I had to,’ she said simply. ‘It contained letters which the lord Nicholas made me write to him. I had to flatter his vanity. He told me that they were safely locked away in a box in his bedchamber and that he carried the only key on his person. It was important for me to retrieve my letters before someone broke open the box and found them. You and your colleagues might not have looked so favourably upon my claim had you known of a romance between the lord Nicholas and myself, especially as my letters contained more than one reference to the holdings in Upton Pyne.’

  ‘Had Eldred been to the manor house before?’

  ‘No, but I had. I described it to him in detail.’

  ‘Then he charmed his way past the guard dogs and took the box.’

  ‘It was more than a box, Master Bret,’ she said with a high laugh. ‘It was a treasure trove. There were letters in there from over a dozen women. The lord Nicholas had an obsession about keeping trophies. Some of the letters were from Asa. I got Eldred to translate them. He may not be able to speak but he can read and write. When I realised what I was holding, I used them to the best advantage by sending them to you. Asa’s claim was fatally weakened.’

  ‘So is yours now, my lady,’ he reminded her.

  Loretta gazed at him with a mixture of hate and resignation, then she turned away and moved across to a large wooden chest which stood against the wall. There was an air of defeat about her now. Gervase moved up behind her. Loretta’s shoulders sagged.

  ‘The rest of the letters are in here, Master Bret,’ she whispered.

  ‘I will show you what was in that box.’

  Lifting the lid of the chest, she slipped a hand into it and felt around for something. When it came out again, however, it held no letters. Loretta had a dagger in her grasp and she swung round to strike wildly at Gervase. He leaped back with a cry but the point of the dagger ripped its way through his sleeve and drew blood. Gervase hurled the letters into her face then grappled with her, twisting her wrist until she dropped the dagger. Alerted by his yell, the two men-at-arms came in from the hall to lend their aid. Loretta was quickly overpowered.

  Gervase was panting but relieved as he stood before her. ‘These men are from the lord Hervey’s retinue,’ he said. ‘They would like to know why he was killed as well.’

  ‘It was none of my doing,’ she protested. ‘He stumbled on Eldred by complete chance and learned more than was good for him. I was sorry to hear of his death. Had he lived, I might now be the rightful owner of the property that was taken away from me. It was within my reach.’

  ‘Not any more, my lady. Take her to the castle. The sheriff will wish to hear more about that chance meeting.’

  The men escorted her out and Gervase became aware of the blood which was seeping through his sleeve. The wound was not deep. He tore a strip of cloth from his apparel to bind it up.

  Ignoring the pain, he picked up the letters and began to read the first of them. As soon as he realised that it was from the lady Albreda, he remembered his earlier conversation with Golde. He was holding the correspondence with which Loretta intended to blackmail the sheriff’s wife. Gervase intruded no more into her past. Holding the letters over the candle one by one, he let them burn until they floated harmlessly to the stone floor.

  Albreda was safe. He would ask Golde to tell her that.

  When Ralph Delchard and his men reached the North Gate, darkness was falling. Two of the four knights who accompanied him were carrying torches. The guards on sentry duty were surprised that they wanted to leave the city on foot at that hour.

  Ralph brushed aside their enquiries and led his men out through the gate, determination keeping fatigue at bay. They walked in the direction taken by Hervey de Marigny after his talk with the captain of the guard. It was almost pitch dark in the shadow of the city wall and they needed their torches to guide their footsteps as they scrunched through the grass.

  Eventually, they came to the siege tunnel on the eastern side.

  It looked quite eerie now, a gaping wound in the earth. When Ralph peered into it, he expected to see a forbidding gloom but instead noticed a faint glow. He remembered Berold’s mention of someone who claimed that flames had come from the hole. Taking a torch from one of his men, he bent double and went into the tunnel. In the confined space, the flaming torch gave off an acrid smell but it did not completely hide the stench which came from the end of the tunnel. Ralph moved on to the point where the boulder had stopped him earlier and was amazed to see that it had been rolled back and eased into a large cavity in the side of the tunnel. He was able to work his way forward for twenty yards or more.

  A slight bend was ahead of him and instinct warned him of the danger that lay around it. He drew his sword in readiness and moved on. The stench grew stronger and hissing noises filled his ears. When he came round the bend, he saw that the tunnel widened into a cave and his torch illumined a number of wooden cages around their walls. Animals of all kinds crouched and growled in their lairs but it was the wildcat which caught his attention. When it saw Ralph, it let out a screech of anger. Its cage was suddenly opened by a man’s hand and it came hurtling out to attack him.

  But Ralph was no careless rider, returning home alone through a wood. Nor was he a curious soldier, wishing to take a nostalgic peep at a siege tunnel. The element of surprise which had rendered both Nicholas Picard and Hervey de Marigny vulnerable to their killer did not exist here. As the wildcat leaped for his face, Ralph knocked it away with the torch, then put it out of its wailing misery with one jab from his sword. The death of his beloved pet enraged Eldred. He came out from the corner where he was lurking and flung himself at Ralph, knocking him to the ground and sending both sword and torch rolling from his hands.

  Eldred pounded away at his face with both fists but Ralph reacted swiftly. Summoning up the last reserves of his strength, he pushed his attacker off him and rolled on top. Amid the pandemonium of the watching animals, they fought with great ferocity, punching, kicking, gouging and drawing blood. Eldred snatched a dagger from its scabbard and went for his adversary’s throat. Ralph was ready for him, seizing the man’s wrist and applying such irresistible power that the weapon was turned back upon its owner until it pierced his head between the staring eyes. Only when it had been sunk to the hilt did Eldred stop struggling.

  The animals accorded their master a deafening requiem.

  Epilogue

  It took no more than a morning for the commissioners to reach their decision. Loretta’s arrest simplified the proceedings. Since her claim was summarily withdrawn, and since neither Asa nor the abbot of Ta
vistock commanded any support at the shire hall, the dispute became a battle between Engelric and the widow of Nicholas Picard. Representing the latter, Tetbald the Steward was so certain of success that his arrogance overflowed and he tried to lecture the commissioners on the laws of inheritance. It was a foolish mistake. Ralph Delchard put him firmly in his place and rejection was added to reproach when Tetbald heard that the dispute had been resolved in favour of Engelric. While the old Saxon was celebrating the return of his property, the steward had to ride home to what he knew would be a frosty reception at the manor house.

  As they took refreshment in the shire hall, the commissioners were entitled to feel that they were making progress. Ralph was jubilant.

  ‘Exeter is indebted to us,’ he said, chewing a piece of bread.

  ‘We have solved two murders and a burglary, arrested those responsible, saved a number of ladies in this city from embarrassing revelations and settled the most complicated dispute which faced us. At this rate, we will have Gervase back in Winchester a week before the marriage.’

  ‘As long as I am home on the day itself,’ said Gervase with a smile. ‘That is all that Alys will want. To have me there.’

  ‘Wait until your wedding night. Alys will want much more than simply having you there. A marriage has to be consummated.’

  ‘God forbid!’ cried Brother Simon, choking on his food.

  ‘These are unseemly remarks, my lord,’ chided Canon Hubert.

  ‘Holy matrimony is a solemn undertaking. Do not soil it with vulgarity.’

  ‘You are right,’ said Ralph cheerfully, ‘and I apologise. I would not thank anyone for making coarse remarks about my own marriage. It has brought me nothing but joy. It is a delight to ride beside my wife when we visit each new county.’

  ‘Golde is a charming companion,’ said Gervase, ‘but she is also an asset to us. Something she confided in me proved extremely useful.’

  ‘What was that, Gervase?’

  ‘It does not matter now. The whole matter has gone up in smoke.’

  ‘The real credit must go to you and to the lord Ralph,’ said Hubert. ‘You solved crimes which left the sheriff quite bewildered.

  Brother Simon and I congratulate you.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Simon before gulping down some water.

  ‘Do not forget your own part in this, Canon Hubert,’ said Gervase. ‘That information about Eldred was critical. If you had not seen him coming to deal, with the bats at the cathedral, we might never have known that he had a gift with animals. My own suspicions had settled on Saewin.’

  ‘Mine were on that loathsome steward,’ admitted Ralph. ‘I thought that Tetbald might have killed his master in order to enjoy the favours of the widow. He behaved almost like a second husband to her.’ He gave a chuckle. ‘I would love to be there when he reports his failure to the lady Catherine. He will be fortunate to retain his office. It is pleasant to be able to sow a little discord in his life.’

  ‘Do not blame the steward,’ said Hubert. ‘It was the lord Nicholas who was chiefly responsible for all the chaos. When he was alive, he was a monster of promiscuity. When he died, a wife and two mistresses fought over his remains like animals. They were the true wildcats of Exeter.’

  ‘And all three of them failed,’ observed Simon.

  ‘But not before they left a few scratches,’ said Gervase, rubbing his injured arm. ‘I am glad that this dispute is behind us.’

  ‘So am I,’ said Ralph. ‘Hervey de Marigny’s death has been avenged and his body has been sent back to his widow for burial.

  It is time to put the tragedy behind us and work our way through all the other disputes we have come to investigate. Call in Saewin.’

  One of the guards at the rear of the hall went out and returned with the reeve. Saewin was relieved that the threat to his own position had now been lifted and there was an even greater willingness about him than before. When Ralph gave him instructions, the man nodded obediently before hurrying off on his errands. Gervase watched him go and decided that Exeter would be served by a chastened town reeve from now on — and one who might no longer be welcome at Asa’s house.

  When they had finished their repast, the commissioners resumed their seats and looked through the documents relating to their next case. A great weight had been lifted from their shoulders. Each of them was enjoying a new sense of freedom.

  ‘Baldwin is delighted by our work,’ said Ralph.

  ‘That is a surprise,’ remarked Hubert. ‘I had the distinct impression that the lord sheriff was not pleased to have us in his county. His welcome, as I recall, was short on warmth and sincerity.’

  ‘All that has changed, Hubert.’

  ‘Has it, my lord?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Ralph. ‘Now that we have helped solve the crimes and clean up the city for him, Baldwin cannot do enough for us.

  He is to hold another banquet in our honour tomorrow as a mark of his favour. You are both cordially invited, Hubert. You and Simon.’

  ‘In that case,’ said the canon, recalling the excellence of the food that was served at the castle, ‘I take back my strictures. We would be happy to accept the invitation.’

  ‘I would rather decline it, Canon Hubert,’ said Simon sheepishly.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Banquets hold no appeal for me.’

  ‘Think of it as the Last Supper,’ Ralph teased him.

  ‘I would rather eat humbler fare at the cathedral.’

  ‘Then so you shall, Brother Simon,’ said Hubert.

  ‘Though you may find yourself short of company,’ warned Ralph.

  ‘I know that Bishop Osbern is coming to the banquet. So is Dean Jerome and others from the cathedral. You may well be the only person who does not attend the feast.’

  ‘That will content me,’ said Simon.

  ‘What about the abbot of Tavistock?’ asked Gervase. ‘Will he be there?’

  Ralph grinned. ‘I doubt it. My guess is that he has ridden off in a fit of pique. Saewin tells me that he was outraged when he heard that he would not be called before us again because we felt his claim did not merit further attention. He used some very unmonastic language.’

  ‘I refuse to believe that,’ said Hubert.

  ‘I do not,’ said Ralph. ‘The chances are that he complained of us to the bishop, then sent off letters of condemnation to the King and to the archbishop of Canterbury, calling for our instant removal. Geoffrey, abbot of Tavistock has not mastered the art of been a gracious loser.’

  ‘I have some sympathy for him,’ said Hubert. ‘There is nothing gracious about the seizure of one’s land.’

  ‘Engelric endured it with more dignity,’ Gervase pointed out.

  ‘Yes,’ added Ralph. ‘Of the five claims, I have to confess that I thought his was the weakest at first glance. I have learned better.’

  Hubert gave a complacent smile. ‘We all have, my lord.’

  ‘Where are they!’ yelled an angry voice.

  The mood of calm was shattered by the appearance of a figure at the rear of the hall. Flinging open the door, Bishop Osbern stood there in his vestments and raised a finger of doom. He shook with indignation.

  ‘How dare you insult Geoffrey, Abbot of Tavistock!’ he howled.

  ‘I have come to speak on his behalf and censure you most strongly for your appalling treatment of him. His claim has been disregarded when it should have been upheld. I demand that you restore the property to the abbey and apologise to the abbot for your gross mistake.’

  Simon was rigid with fear, Hubert was momentarily dumb-founded and even Gervase was taken aback at first, but Ralph’s rich laughter soon made all three of them take a closer look at the bishop of Exeter. Taking off his mitre, he bowed low then strode towards them with a wide grin. Berold the Jester bestowed a friendly wave upon the table.

  ‘I came to give you my blessing,’ he said airily.

  ‘Take off those vestments at once!’ ordered Hubert.

  ‘Would
you have a naked man standing before you?’ said Berold.

  ‘No!’ cried Simon.

  The jester nudged him. ‘Then I will bring a naked woman instead.’

  ‘Peace, good Berold!’ said Ralph, controlling his mirth. ‘We appreciate this episcopal visitation but we have serious work to do here.’

  ‘I came with news that you may not have heard, my lord.’

  ‘I spy another jest.’

  ‘No, my lord,’ said the other solemnly. ‘This concerns the man you killed, Eldred. As strangers to the city, you may not know his history.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He was not born mute. He was a soldier here during the siege and earned himself a place in the records for his bravery. When King William and his men surrounded the city, Eldred stood on the battlements and lowered his breeches to tell them what he thought of them.’

  ‘Saints preserve us!’ said Simon in horror.

  ‘Hervey de Marigny told us this tale,’ recalled Ralph. ‘But he could not remember what happened to the man.’

  ‘He was caught,’ said Berold, ‘and taken before the King. His life was spared but King William exacted a just punishment.

  Because Eldred preferred to speak through his nether regions, the King ordered his tongue to be cut out. That is how he came by his name.’

  ‘What name?’ asked Hubert.

  ‘Eldred the Fart.’

  Hubert spluttered and Simon hid himself in his cowl. Only Ralph and Gervase realised that Berold was once again jesting.

  Had he been the soldier in question, Eldred would never have been so devoted to a Norman lady like Loretta. They were sorry that Hervey de Marigny was not there because he would have appreciated the jest more than any of them. When they had calmed Hubert down, they thanked Berold for bringing some amusement to the shire hall, then sent him on his way.

  ‘That fool should be whipped for his insolence!’ said Hubert.

  ‘Berold is an important man in his own way,’ said Ralph. ‘He puts a smile on the face of the castle and that is a major achievement. I do not think that Bishop Osbern would have been offended. It was a flattering portrait of him.’