Dissolution

'Then society is wicked,' she said with sudden cold anger. 'I have thought so for a long time.'

I stood up. 'It is the world God has made for us, for weal or woe we must live in it. Would you hold Mark back, prevent his advancement? If you encourage him, that is what will happen.'

'I would do nothing to hinder him,' she said hotly. 'I would do nothing against his wishes.'

'But he may wish for something that would hinder him.'

'It is for him to say. Though, if we are not to speak, he can say nothing.'

'Would you spoil his chances? Really?'

She studied me closely, so closely I felt uneasy as I never had in my life under a woman's look. At length she gave a heavy sigh. 'Sometimes it seems all those I love are to be taken from me. But perhaps that is a servant's lot,' she added bitterly.

'Mark said you had a swain, a woodsman who died in an accident.'

'If he had not I would be secure in Scarnsea, for landlords do nothing but cut down woods these days. Instead I am in this place.' Tears appeared in the corners of her eyes and angrily she wiped them aside. I would fain have held her to me and comforted her, but I knew it was not my arms she wanted.

'I am sorry. It is in the world's nature that often we lose those we love. Alice, it may be the monastery has little future now. What if I were to try and find a post for you in the town, through Justice Copynger? I may be seeing him tomorrow. You should not be here, where these terrible things are happening.'

She wiped her eyes and gave me a strange look, full of feeling. 'Yes, I have learned here the depths of violence in mankind. It is a frightening thing.' I see that look before me now as I write, and shiver at the memory of what was to come.

'Let me help you away from it.'

'Perhaps, sir, though it will be hard to pay that man respect.'

'I understand. But, I must say again, it is the way of the world.'

'I am afraid here now. Even Mark is fearful.'

'Yes. And so am I.'

'Sir, Brother Guy said some other things were found in the pond as well as the girl's body. May I ask what they were?'

'Only a robe, which seems not to hold the clue I hoped for, and a sword. I am having the pond drained to see what else may be there.'

'A sword?'

'Yes. I believe the one that killed Commissioner Singleton. It had a maker's mark that should make it possible to trace, but I would need to go to London to follow that up.'

'Don't go, sir, please,' she said with sudden feeling. 'Don't leave us. Sir, I beg forgiveness if I have been impertinent with you, but please do not go. It is only your presence here that ensures my protection.'

'I think you exaggerate my powers,' I said gloomily. 'I could not save Simon Whelplay. But I do not see how I could get there in this snow without taking a week upon the road, and I do not have that amount of time.'

Her face filled with relief. I ventured to lean over and pat her arm. 'It touches me that you have such faith in me.'

She withdrew her arm, but smiled. 'Perhaps you have too little faith in yourself, sir. Perhaps in other circumstances, without Mark –' She left the sentence unfinished, lowering her head demurely. I confess my heart was thudding. We stood on the knoll in silence for a moment.

'I think we should go back now,' I said, 'rather than try to reach the river. I am expecting a message from the Justice. And, Alice, I will do something for you, I promise. And – thank you for your words.'

'And you for your help.' She smiled quickly, then turned and led the way back down to the bog. The return journey was easier; we had only to step in the footprints made earlier. Following behind her, I gazed at the back of her neck, and once I nearly reached out and touched it. I reflected that it was not just monks who made fools of themselves and could easily turn into hypocrites.

An awkwardness had descended on me, and we said little on the way back. But at least it felt a warmer silence than on the way out. At the infirmary hall Alice left me, saying she had duties to attend to. Brother Guy was dressing the fat monk's leg. He looked up.

'You have returned? You look cold.'

'I am. Alice was very helpful, I am grateful for her assistance.'

'How is your sleep?'

'Much improved, thanks to your good potion. Have you seen Mark?'

'I passed him a few moments ago. He went into your room. Take the potion a few more days,' he called after me as I left the hall, trying to decide whether to tell Mark of my talk with Alice. I reached our room and opened the door.

'Mark, I have been out –' I broke off, staring round. The room was empty. And then came a voice, from the empty air it seemed.

'Sir! Help me!'

CHAPTER 24

'Help!' There was an edge of panic in Mark's muffled voice, which to my confused mind seemed to issue from empty space. Then I saw the cupboard had been pulled out a little. Peering behind, I saw a door in the panelled wall. With difficulty, I dragged the cupboard out.

'Mark! Are you in there?'

'I'm shut in! Open it, sir! Quick, he may come back!'

I twisted the handle, which was old and rusty. There was a click and the door opened, letting out a draught of dank air. Mark shot from the darkness, dusty and dishevelled. I stared into the blackness a moment, then back at him.

'God's flesh, what has happened? Who may come back?'

He took deep whooping breaths. 'I closed the door behind me when I went in, then found it couldn't be opened from inside. I was trapped. There's a spyhole there; someone was spying on us earlier. I saw you come through it and called out.'

'Tell me what happened, from the beginning.' At least, I thought, he had been shocked out of his sulk. He sat down on the bed.

'After you left, I spoke to Prior Mortimus about clearing the pond. They are draining it now.'

'Yes, I saw that.'

'I came back here to fetch my overshoes. While I was putting them on I heard sounds again.' He looked at me boldly. 'I knew I was right.'

'Your ears are sharper than your wits to shut yourself up like that. Go on.'

'It always seemed to come from the cupboard. I thought to pull it out to see what lay behind and found that door. I went inside with a candle. There is a passageway and I was going to find where it led. I closed the door lest someone come in, but as I pulled it shut the draught blew out the candle and left me in darkness. I put my shoulder to the door, but it wouldn't budge.' He reddened. 'It unmanned me. I hadn't my sword. But without the candle I could see a pinpoint of light – there's a spyhole there, cut in the panelling.' He pointed to a tiny hole in the wall. I stood up and inspected it: from the inner side it looked like a nail hole.

'How long were you shut up?'

'Not long. By God's mercy you were only a few minutes. Did you go on the marsh?'

'Yes. There have been smugglers out there – we found a fire. I had a talk with Alice, we will speak of it later.' I lit two candles from the fire and passed him one. 'Well, shall we try this passage again?'

He took a deep breath. 'Yes, sir.'

I locked the door of our room against intruders, then we squeezed behind the cupboard and opened the door. Within lay a dark, narrow corridor.

'Brother Guy said there was a connecting passage from the infirmary to the kitchen,' I said, remembering. 'Closed off at the time of the Great Pestilence.'

'This has been used much more recently.'

'Yes.' Within I could see a pinpoint of light where the spyhole had been cut through the wooden panelling. 'This gives a clear view of the room. It looks recently cut.'

'Brother Guy chose our room for us.'

'Yes. Where anyone could spy on us, overhear us.' I turned to the door. It had the type of latch that can be opened from the outside only. 'Let us make safe this time.' I pushed it almost shut, but inserted my handkerchief into the gap to prevent it closing on us.