‘You weren’t alone?’ Simon repeated slowly. He coughed and turned away as the implications of the priest’s bitter tone came home to him. ‘And you were hit on the backside. Ah, I see!’
‘What would you have done, Bailiff? Just the same as me, I expect. I leaped up, pulled down my robe and tried to find the little bastard. That was why I was barefoot, because I had taken my shoes off while I was… with Petronilla. I fastened them on again in a hurry, and one came off as I chased after him.’
Lady Katharine felt her face harden as she became aware of the suppressed laughter all about her. She had an overpowering urge to scream at them; they weren’t there for enjoyment, they were there to find the murderer of her boy!
‘What happened then?’ probed Baldwin. Alone of the men in the room he displayed no signs of amusement, to the lady’s appreciation. He knew how painful this interview must be for her and wished to treat it with as much dignity as possible for her sake.
She looked back to her ‘priest’. The title, one supposedly of honour, made her curl her lip.
Stephen lifted a hand and let it fall as if in sorrow. ‘I caught up with him where the track leads down to the road. There was a large branch lying nearby, and I bent Herbert over a rock and whacked him with it. I told him that if he ever did something like that to me again, I’d see to it that he wouldn’t be able to sit for a week. That was all.’
‘What, you left him there?’ Simon asked.
‘Bailiff, my woman was back down at the stream. I wanted to make sure she was all right, for God’s sake!’
Lady Katharine saw Sir Baldwin gaze at Petronilla.
‘It’s true,’ she said. ‘I have been seeing Stephen for months, and I wanted to talk to him because I have discovered that I am with child. But then his passion overwhelmed me, and I-’
“I think we understand that,‘ Baldwin interrupted smoothly. ’But how long was he gone, and how was he when he returned?‘
‘He was gone long enough for me to stand and pull my clothes back,’ she asserted defiantly. ‘I heard the boy cry out when he was caught, and saw Stephen strike him, and I could hear him crying still when Stephen came back to me.’
Lady Katharine had to swallow to keep the sob from bursting out of her. The talk of her boy being beaten, his punishment being spoken of so casually, made her feel physically sick with longing to see him again, to have a last opportunity to cradle him in her arms and soothe his hurts.
‘And you both left together?’ Baldwin asked.
‘Yes,’ Petronilla said.
‘But why didn’t you search for your shoe?’ Simon asked.
‘I couldn’t find it,’ Stephen said. ‘I did go back briefly to seek it, but I was unsuccessful.’
‘So you walked back to the manor without a shoe?’
‘I thought it had to be a punishment from God for forgetting my vow of chastity,’ Stephen said stiffly. ‘I returned for a better look as soon as I had a chance, as you saw, but there was still no sign of it.’
Lady Katharine averted her face from the man. As he spoke, he had glanced towards her as if hoping to see some sign of forgiveness – but how could he expect her of all people to give him that comfort; it was an insult to her son’s memory. However, the bailiff’s next words caught her attention, and she slowly turned to face him.
‘But Anney’s son said…’ Simon stumbled, and then was silent as he saw Lady Katharine’s face.
She stared at the bailiff and the knight, who had caught his sleeve with an urgent warning, but too late. ‘Anney’s son…’ she repeated, and looked at her maid with horror.
Anney met her gaze with an almost amused sneer. She had thought Simon would accuse someone else – she’d hoped the bailiff would find the priest guilty – but now her last hope was gone and there was no further alternative. With a loud sniff, Anney stepped forward with a dignified mien. ‘What of it? Why shouldn’t a son protect his mother?’
‘What are you saying, Anney?’ asked Baldwin quietly.
Lady Katharine saw Anney smile. It looked like a mask of pure evil. Her face was as white as that of a witch or a ghost. The heart beat twice as fast in Lady Katharine’s breast as she heard her maid gleefully announce, ‘I’m saying that I killed Herbert! And I’d do it again.’
And then Lady Katharine screamed once, and fell senseless.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Instantly all was bustle as the women went to the lady’s side to try to assist, and the men stood fidgeting, wondering what should be done. Daniel pushed through them all and picked his mistress up, lifting her as easily as if she were a mere child herself. Saying nothing, he turned and walked to a large bench near the fire, laying her down gently.
‘Petronilla?’ Baldwin called. ‘Fetch feathers.’ The girl gave an understanding nod. Burning feathers beneath a fainting person’s nose would waken them. Only when she had gone did Baldwin look for Anney.
She stood at the back of those who crowded around, the smile still fixed to her face, as if she was pleased with the result of her words. Seeing him watching, she raised an eyebrow in polite enquiry, and gestured towards the door. Nodding, Baldwin followed her out and into the yard behind, Edgar at his side.
‘You know why, of course,’ she began. ‘It was because the fool allowed my son to drown.’
‘I had heard of that,’ he agreed. ‘But why should you demand his life as well? He was no more than a baby of three years old when that happened. Wasn’t it enough that you had seen one child killed unnecessarily, without demanding the death of another?’
‘If he had called out, done anything, my Tom would be alive Row,’ she hissed. ‘You expect me to forget that? To be grateful that I have a position here in the manor, looking after her who gave birth to the boy who killed my son?’
‘This murder won’t bring your boy back.’
‘No, but the revenge warms me, Sir Knight! Haven’t you ever wanted to hurt someone, or even kill them, to avenge an awful wrong?’
He couldn’t meet her eyes; he was himself tainted with a murder he had committed as retribution against one of those who had destroyed his Order.
‘I see you have,’ she crowed. ‘Well, then, don’t condemn me, Sir Knight, for doing the same.’
‘But why wait so long? Why kill the child now, so soon after his father died?’
She faltered for a moment, but then the cold sparkle returned. ‘I had lost my husband when my boy died. Why should she be protected when I had lost everything, eh?’
‘You had not,’ he reminded her. ‘You may have lost a husband and a son, but you had Alan still. He was there to care for you, and yet you killed Lady Katharine’s child just when she was at her most defenceless. That was truly wicked.’
‘Perhaps – but he killed my Tom, and I could never forgive him that. Why should I? Herbert deserved his death.’
‘How can you suggest such a thing? He was a boy, not a murderer or felon, just five years old!’
‘Well, I see I shan’t convince you,’ she said with a shrug. ‘But remember, I was prepared to kill to avenge my boy, and I’d be happy to do it again.’
He nodded. There didn’t seem much more to say. He told Edgar to take Anney to the storeroom and to lock her inside. As an afterthought, he instructed Edgar to release Edmund, and to bring the farmer to the hall. Then, sighing, and with a sense of deep despondency, Baldwin made his way back indoors.
Edmund was sunk in a gloomy reverie when he heard the steps approach, and the door rattled to the sound of the bolts being shot back. The night had been hellish. He had only been given a jug of ale, no more, with his pottage, and he hadn’t slept well. Tired, fearful, his mind filled with visions of what might await him, he cringed as the door opened to show only Edgar and Anney.