Field of Blood

'Would you like to re-phrase that, sir?' he snarled.

'I, I… meant as drunk as a lord, er, my lord!'

Guffaws of laughter broke out in the court. Sir Henry banged the heel of his boot against the floor. Tipstaffs, waving white wands, moved threateningly towards both spectators and jury.

'We have heard the evidence,' Sir Henry bawled. 'Members of the jury, look upon the prisoners. Do you find them guilty or not guilty?'

'Guilty, my lord.'

'On all three counts?'

'All of them, my lord, on all three counts. But, my lord …'

'We recommend mercy for the youngest.'

'I'll show him mercy. Tipstaffs, bailiffs, take the prisoner named,' he pointed to the youngest, 'away from the bar. He is to be exiled from this kingdom within a week. He is not to return for seven years on pain of forefeiture of life and limb!'

The fortunate prisoner was unmanacled and pushed to one side of the court. The young lawyer was profuse in his thanks; hands clasped, he kept bowing in Brabazon's direction. Everyone found the proceedings amusing but, when one of the clerks brought out a black silk cloth for the judge to place over his skullcap, a deathly hush fell on the court. Athelstan repressed a shiver.

'Thomas Shawditch, Richard Hadfield, you have been found guilty of the most heinous crime of the murder of three men at the Malkin tavern in the Poultry. Do you have anything to say before sentence of death is passed?'

One of the prisoners extended his hand and made an obscene gesture in the direction of the judges.

'Thomas Shawditch, Richard Hadfield,' Sir Henry continued undeterred. 'It is the sentence of this court that you be taken back to your cells and, on a day fixed by this court, no later than the feast of St Edward the Confessor, you are to be taken to the common scaffold at Smithfield and hanged by your neck until dead! May the Lord have mercy on your souls! Bailiffs, take them down!'

The prisoners shouted obscenities and curses but the bailiffs secured them, assisted by a few royal archers, and they were bundled out of the hall. Sir Henry now removed the black silk cloth and scowled at both jury and spectators.

'I hope my court,' he bellowed, 'will not be disturbed by further mockery and merriment. Bailiff, bring in the next prisoner!'

Alice Brokestreet's name was called. There was a slight delay before Athelstan glimpsed a shadowy figure come through the door escorted by two archers. She was brought to the bar of the court and manacled there by her wrists. She was dressed in a shabby grey gown, hair pulled back and tied by clasps in a tight knot. Athelstan's heart sank. He accepted the proverb 'Never judge a book by its cover' but Alice Brokestreet aptly summarised Sir John's whisper of 'trouble in petticoats'. She was sour-faced with high cheekbones, bold-eyed, her lower lip aggressively jutting out. She certainly seemed to nurse a secret and had no terror of the court or the charges levelled against her.

'Read out the indictment!' Sir Henry bellowed. 'And make it quick!'

The clerk jumped up as nimble as a grasshopper and fairly gabbled out the indictment, that Alice Brokestreet had killed Nicholas Tayilour in the Merry Pig tavern within the octave of the Feast of the Assumption.

'How do you plead?' the clerk asked Alice.

'I wish to go on oath,' came the tart reply.

A book of the gospels was brought, the oath hastily administered.

'Well?' Sir Henry leaned forward.

'My lord.' Brokestreet closed her eyes as if reciting lines. 'I wish to plead for mercy from God, the King and my peers.'

'On what count?'

Athelstan could see Sir Henry was deeply interested in the unusual turn of the proceedings.

'I plead guilty,' Alice said. 'But I killed in self-defence. I wish to approve.'

'Do you know what that means?' 'Yes, my lord. I have committed a terrible crime but I know of another who has done worse.' 'Continue. But be specific'

'I accuse,' Brokestreet's voice rose, 'Kathryn Vestler, owner of the Paradise Tree, of the horrible murders of Margot Haden and Bartholomew Menster.'

Athelstan turned quickly. Mistress Vestler was sitting upright in shock.

'When did these murders occur?'

'Over two months ago, my lord.'

'And how do you know?'

'I helped bury their cadavers beneath an oak tree in Black Meadow which runs behind the tavern down to the Thames.'

'And how did these murders occur?'

'Margot was a chambermaid at the tavern. Bartholomew was a clerk of the records in the Tower. He was attracted to her and often visited the tavern. Mistress Vestler became jealous of their friendship. One night they stayed late, well after the chimes of midnight. I was roused from my sleep by Mistress Vestler.' She paused as her former employer began to weep noisily.

Sir Henry's head turned like a guard dog ready to attack.

'Silence in court!' he thundered. Master Hengan put his hand on Mistress Vestler's shoulder.

'Hush,' he whispered. 'This is nothing but trickery!' 'Continue.'

'I was brought down to the taproom. Bartholomew …' Brokestreet's voice faded. And Margot were both slumped over the table. Mistress Vestler had administered a deadly potion.'

'No! No! No!' The accused woman jumped to her feet, eyes staring. She shook her hands. 'These are lies! This is not true!'

Sir Henry caught Sir John's eye and smiled thinly. His gaze shifted.

'Master Hengan, it is you, is it not?'

'Yes, my lord.'

'And this Mistress Vestler? Well, remove her from the court and compose her. But not too far: we may soon want words with her.'

Hengan, assisted by Sir John, helped the shaken, moaning woman to her feet, out of the makeshift gallery and down into the well of the court. Sir John returned to sit beside Athelstan.

'I am glad you are here. We may have need of your expertise,' Sir Henry cooed, as his pebble-black eyes moved to Athelstan. 'And your good secretarius. I saw you come, Sir Jack.'

Sir John leaned over to hide behind the man in front while he took a generous swig from the miraculous wineskin.

'If I wasn't so busy, Sir Jack,' Sir Henry called out without even glancing across, 'I'd ask for a drink from that myself!'

Before any eyebrows could be raised or questions asked, he gestured at Brokestreet to continue.

'The tavern was silent. The night was a black one, no moon, no stars.'

'Which month, Mistress Brokestreet?'

'I believe June, my lord: sudden storms had swept in.'

'You have a good memory?'

'My lord, Mistress Vestler said the rain would make the ground softer.' 'Proceed!'

'We brought a handcart into the taproom and placed the two corpses on. We took them out around the side of the tavern, through the herb gardens and into Black Meadow.'

'If it was so dark,' Sir Henry interrupted, 'how could you see?'

'Mistress Vestler lit lantern horns: two if I remember correctly. One she placed at the entrance to the meadow, the other at the foot of the great oak tree.'

'And the corpses?'

'We wheeled them out together. Mistress Vestler had a mattock and hoe. We dug a shallow pit and threw the corpses in. My lord, I was afeared. Mistress Vestler is a cunning woman and she threatened me. I later left her service and she gave me good silver to keep my mouth closed.'

'Heavens above!' Sir John whispered. 'I remember Bartholomew Menster. He was quite a senior clerk in the Tower. People wondered what had happened to him.'

Brabazon lifted the sprig of rosemary to his nose, sniffing at it carefully, eyes intent on Brokestreet. Sir John might be right, Athelstan reflected: the chief justice had a heart of flint but he was no man's fool. He had not taken a liking to the prisoner at the bar.

'You do realise what you are saying?' Sir Henry asked, lowering the sprig of rosemary.

'It is a very grave matter,' one of the other justices now asserted, 'to go on oath and accuse another citizen of hideous murder.'