‘And how did this constitute an exceptional case for members of your community to venture out?’
‘The bishop asked if selected members of my community could advise and guide these foreign women during their stay in the city. There was a visit to the Roman amphitheatre that needed several of our Sisters to attend, in order to escort the visitors.’
‘Was Sister Valretrade one of those?’ asked Eadulf as the thought occurred to him.
‘If we had realised then that she could not be trusted, we would…’ cut in Sister Radegund and fell silent as Abbess Audofleda cast her a withering glance.
‘Had we realised that she had commenced this…this affair,’ the abbatissa went on, ‘she would not have been given the task of escorting the wives of the foreigners.’
‘When did you find out about this affair? Was it before she disappeared?’
Abbess Audofleda stamped her foot. ‘This is too much! We have been patient. The questions are now ended.’
‘Why do you not allow your stewardess to reply?’ Eadulf demanded.
‘Because I choose not to,’ replied Abbess Audofleda. ‘Now remove yourself from this place.’ Her jaw was thrust out and her lips set in a thin line.
There were so many more questions Eadulf wanted to ask, but he saw that it was useless. He looked coldly at her.
‘It is your choice, Abbess. Of course, we will mention your lack of co-operation in our report to the Venerable Gelasius in Rome.’
He turned to see Sister Radegund look anxiously at the abbess, who merely tossed her head.
He walked to the door.
‘I am sure you will find your own way out,’ called the abbess rudely.
Outside, Eadulf paused. He felt frustrated at having learned little more than what he had already suspected-that Sister Valretrade had not written the note and that she had not left of her own free will.
Striding off along the corridor to the stairs that led to the main doors of the building, he heard a soft voice call on him to wait a moment. Eadulf turned. An attractive young girl in religious robes stood in the shadows of a deep alcove. She gestured quickly towards him in a conspiratorial way.
‘Stay a moment, Brother. I need to speak to you.’
Chapter Fifteen
The girl reached out a hand and pulled him into the alcove. Her expression was anxious.
‘I saw you go to the abbatissa’s room. Are you the Saxon who is the companion of the Hibernian woman who is investigating the deaths in the abbey?’
‘I am. Who are you?’
‘My name is Inginde.’
‘Ah, of course.’ Eadulf glanced quickly round. ‘Perhaps now is not a good time to speak. Sister Radegund might come after me at any moment to ensure I have left the building.’
‘I just wanted to know if you had any news of Valretrade yet?’
‘We are still looking,’ he told her, ‘but you can be assured that she did not leave this place of her own free will. The note she left was certainly not in her own hand.’
The girl’s eyes widened. ‘How could you know that?’
‘A scribe will tell you that each person has their own style of forming letters. I have ascertained that she did not form the letters in her note.’ He paused as a thought struck him. ‘Is there any place in this building where she could be kept out of the sight of the community here?’
‘You mean as a prisoner?’ breathed Sister Inginde.
‘As a prisoner,’ confirmed Eadulf.
The girl shook her head immediately. ‘There is nowhere that one can hide in this place. I know every corner of it. No, you must accept that poor Valretrade has left this abbey-and who knows where she has been taken.’
‘I understand that other women and their children have also disappeared from this community recently.’
‘It is so,’ Sister Inginde conceded. ‘We were told they no longer wished to live by the Rule of the abbatissa.’
‘Has anyone mentioned the villa of Lady Beretrude in this connection?’
The girl looked shocked. ‘Lady Beretrude? I don’t understand.’
‘Could those who have disappeared from here have been taken there?’
Sister Inginde regarded him curiously for a moment. ‘Do you know that Sister Radegund is related to…’ she began.
There was the noise of a chamber door opening.
‘Don’t worry. We are near a solution, I promise.’ Eadulf felt reckless, trying to reassure this sweet-faced, anxious girl. ‘We think the answer might lie at Beretrude’s villa. I promise all will be revealed soon.’
The girl did not answer but sank back into the shadows as Eadulf turned and hurried off along the corridor.
The voice of Sister Radegund called suspiciously from behind him. ‘You are slow in making your departure.’
‘I think I took a wrong turning.’ Eadulf turned and tried to look apologetic.
‘Then I will show you the way.’ Sister Radegund brushed by him with a purposeful stride. He followed her meekly.
‘I was surprised that you and Abbess Audofleda were not at the reception given by Lady Beretrude yesterday,’ he said, trying to open a conversation.
‘It was only for the delegates to the council and their advisers,’ Sister Radegund snapped.
Eadulf felt he could chance some boldness, remembering what Brother Budnouen had told them.
‘I wondered whether Lady Beretrude had not invited the abbess because she had an objection to her previous life in Divio.’
Sister Radegund stopped and gasped. A red hue had come to her cheeks.
‘My…Lady Beretrude is…’ she began, and suddenly became confused.
‘You were about to say…is your mother? You bear a close resemblance to her.’ Eadulf felt he had nothing to lose by making the guess.
Sister Radegund recovered quickly.
‘Lady Beretrude is my aunt. I am not ashamed of it. And you seem to know a great deal.’
‘I need to know more,’ Eadulf pressed, but she had turned swiftly and did not answer him. They came to the main door and Sister Radegund bent to draw back the bolts. Eadulf opened his mouth to speak again but she simply pointed through the open door.
‘Vade in pace,’ she said in dismissal.
Eadulf had no recourse but to leave.
Fidelma was dozing when Eadulf arrived back at the hospitia of the abbey. Outside the door sat a muscular young religieux from Imleach who had been placed on watch by Abbot Ségdae. Eadulf exchanged a few whispered words with him and decided to let Fidelma continue to sleep. Sleep was always a good healer. He would go instead to the library in search of Brother Sigeric.
Brother Sigeric was not in the scriptorium but he found the steward, Brother Chilperic, seated there looking over some columns of figures on a clay board. The steward glanced up with a rueful smile.
‘The accounting of the abbey,’ he said, laying down his stylus. ‘It is a job I dislike. Running the affairs of the abbey is much like being a trader. The bishop is very particular that we do not enter into debt.’ He paused. ‘Can I help you, Brother?’
Eadulf was about to say, ‘No,’ when a thought occurred to him. ‘Do you know Brother Andica?’
‘Of course,’ came the immediate response. ‘Why do you ask?’
‘I met him a short while ago.’
‘He is one of our stonemasons. An excellent artisan.’
‘Is he from these parts?’
‘A Burgund? Yes, he is. Why?’
‘I would have thought that a stonemason could demand good fees in a city like this and never be out of work. But I suppose he wanted to serve the Faith, a man with religious zeal?’
‘Not really. He is not very devout. He is more concerned with pride in his city and his people. I fear that pride will one day get the better of him.’
Eadulf raised an eyebrow in silent question, and the steward grew confidential.