He was more determined than ever to tell his story.
Simon tried to keep the disbelief from his voice. ‘So what you’re saying is, you were there up on the hill, but although you caught Alan and beat him, he escaped. Shortly afterwards, Petronilla arrived and tried to calm you down, and you went to sit alone by the stream to collect your thoughts, but Herbert hit you with a stone, and because of that you hared off back up the hill to deal with him, but you never-’
‘I never caught him. I tried, but he escaped from me, and I finally came back here.’
Baldwin had closed his eyes while he considered this. ‘Did he make any sound as you tried to get him?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
‘Because several people have said that they heard a boy cry out.’
‘I… perhaps it was me they heard, when that damned child hit me.’
Simon could hear Godfrey chuckle at this suggestion, and when he glanced around at the master-of-arms, he saw the weapons expert shaking his head.
Only one person in the room appeared to be happy with the evidence being given, and that was Thomas. He nodded repeatedly as the priest spoke, and now he turned to Baldwin.
‘You see? The boy I chased after couldn’t have been Herbert ~ that poor child was further up the hill being attacked by Brother Stephen here. I think that is fair proof of my innocence.’
Simon and Baldwin exchanged a glance, and the bailiff spoke after a moment. ‘It is clear that, for the moment, there is not enough evidence against any one person. However, it is also certain that the boy was murdered, so someone has been lying. When we know who, we shall proceed against them. In the meantime, I suppose there is little point in continuing for now.’
There was a moment’s silence, and then people began to filter from the room. Anney collapsed on a seat and burst into tears; the priest looked at her with loathing, which Simon could well understand, after her vehement attack on him. Stephen gave the bailiff a curt nod of his head, and left the room. Shortly afterwards, Godfrey made a remark about seeing how his master was faring, and wandered out to the kitchen.
Thomas stood before Simon and his friend, arms akimbo. ‘Well, Sir Baldwin? Bailiff? Do you have anything to say to me before I demand that you leave my house at once? It’s bad enough that you allow your servants to fight in a vulgar display in my yard, but when you also have the bald nerve to accuse me of murdering my own nephew – in front of witnesses, too! Can you think of any reason why I should not throw you from my household this instant?’
Baldwin looked up at him mildly. ‘Several, actually, yes. First is, we still aren’t sure who did commit this murder, and should you throw us out, we shall naturally have to suspect your motives and wonder again at any involvement you yourself may have had in the killing. Second, you would be intentionally jeopardising our investigation, which my friend the bailiff here might look upon as an illegal act – and since his area is the moor, it would be within his jurisdiction, so he could arrest you. Finally, there is the simple fact that we have accused you of nothing. We helped show that other people were equally capable of committing this act, and by so doing we demonstrated that it was unjust to accuse you. I think you should be offering us your thanks.’
“Thanks! I would prefer, Sir Baldwin, to see you bound and dragged from this place behind a wild pony!‘
Baldwin raised his eyebrow in a mild and amused rebuke, but his equanimity seemed to infuriate Thomas. The man was almost shouting now, he was so angry.
‘To be treated in this way, in my own damned hall, before my own servants and sister-in-law – it is an outrage, and don’t think that I won’t be making a formal complaint, Sir Baldwin. I have heard often enough of the corruption of our King’s officials, but never before have I experienced anything like this. It is a disgrace! To think that you, a Keeper of the King’s Peace, could participate in such a charade! And as for you, Bailiff, I shall be seeing your Warden as soon as possible, and demanding that you be removed from your office. Such a way to carry on!’
‘Have you finished? Only we do have much to do,’ Simon asked neutrally.
‘You think all this is in jest, don’t you? Let me tell you-’
‘Thomas, be still!’ Baldwin said. ‘Your bluster is foolish, and nothing more. As you have so politely noted, you are in the presence of one King’s officer and one Stannary Bailiff. We have every right to remain here as long as we consider fitting in order to investigate this crime, and here we shall remain until our investigation is complete. If you have any difficulties with that, you should contact whoever you think fit. Otherwise be silent! Now, Edgar, what did you do with those boys?’
Chapter Thirty-One
Jordan felt dwarfed by the size of the hall. It opened out before him, larger by far than the little church in the village, and when he glanced upwards, into the soaring height of the ceiling, he was so lost in wonder that he actually stopped dead, staring aloft.
‘Is it the first time you have been inside here, boy?’ he heard one of the seated men ask, and he snapped his head back to them, his face reddening as he realised how foolish he must have looked.
‘No, sir,’ he said. It was the dark-haired, bearded one who had spoken. He added, ‘But I’ve never looked up before.’
‘A good answer,’ Baldwin laughed, and glanced up himself. The ceiling was fabulously ornate, much more so than his own in Furnshill, with rich carving on some of the beams. It reflected the wealth and prestige of the dead squire. ‘It is worth studying, is it not?’
Alan recognised his voice. It was the man he had spoken to outside the church, the knight. He had a kind voice, Alan thought, not what he would have expected from a soldier.
‘Come on, boys. We don’t have all day.’
This was the other man, the bailiff. Alan nodded cautiously, and walked towards them both, Jordan behind him, too overwhelmed by the presence of such magnificent men to be able to think clearly, let alone speak.
‘Sir,’ Alan began, his eyes fixed on Baldwin, ‘I haven’t known what to do since the day our friend died. We were playing with him up on the hill, and I don’t know, but we thought it would be better if we kept quiet about what we saw up there.’
‘What are you doing here?’ Anney demanded on seeing her son.
Baldwin cast her a look. He was not content with her evidence, nor with her behaviour. Something rang false to him. For now he curtly ordered her to be silent, before turning to the boys.
Baldwin smiled encouragingly and motioned to him to continue.
‘Well, sir. We were up there that day. I’d got my sling, and so had Herbert, and we tried to get some birds, but we got bored, and all three of us started playing. Usually we play wars or something else, like hunting a wolf. That day I was the wolf, anyway, and Herbert and Jordan were trying to find me. Before they could, the priest caught me, and tried to beat me, but I got away.’
‘Do you know why he wanted to hit you?’ Simon asked.
‘No, sir,’ said Alan with a shrug. ‘He often thrashes me for no reason. This time, I ran and ran because he looked so angry, and I went down the hill and over the road. And while I was there, I-’
‘Shot me, you little sod!’ snarled Thomas.
Alan spun round and stared. He hadn’t seen Thomas sitting over near the fire.
Baldwin smiled at the almost comical expression of fear on the lad’s face. ‘You are safe in here, and I am sure that Master Thomas will not harm you. He wishes us to find out who killed your friend.’