Crowner's Dilemma - Part Eleven

[ismenin]

Hello, hello! Good morning - nay, afternoon - from sort-of-sunny Wales. It can't make up its mind, properly. Ah, a beam of lambent light cometh through ye window. Goooood!

I have been wasting time this morning writing a sort-of humerous fic set in Uberwald, one of Terry Pratchett's Discworld countries. Dunno if it'll be understandable to non-Pratchett fans, but I will post it here when I've finished it, if anyone wants it. It is a DomLijah, natch. DomLijah the Gay Vampires of Uberwald, with assorted other guests.

It's darn cold here, today, so I'm off for some warm soup as soon as I post my latest part. So without further ado, here it is....




Thanks to ladysunrope for beta. :D



Part - Eleven

No-one had any thoughts on the subject. To suggest that Odilla had another lover was patently absurd. She had neither the time nor the opportunity for more dalliance. Matt said his times with her were always brief and infrequent.

"She could not get away," he shook his head, sadly, remembering his lost love. "She said she was being watched, and she dared not."

"The Lady Gertruda, I have no doubt," Dom sniffed, but it was plain to see that Elijah had other things on his mind, for he was staring out of the window, an abstracted look on his face.

"We must make sure that those under my charge inside Beauvallet, and without, are kept safe," he said, at last.

"Where are Ben and Red?" Dom asked, understanding Elijah's concern. "They should be sent away. Neither of them has come into contact with the sick, and I do not want them to now."

Elijah got to his feet. "They have gone for a few days on the river, with my water-bailiff, whose holdings lie a few miles east of here. There is much to do on the river, and its surrounding area, and Kenric has two sons our boys' age. They will be safe with them. I shall send word of the sickness, and order them to stay away until we are sure the...plague...is gone from us. That will be best, I think."

Dom agreed. “Where do we go now?" he asked, as they left the room.

"I have orders to give. After the sick men are brought in, and the messenger returned from the sheriff, the drawbridge must be raised, and no-one allowed over it - further than the outer hedges - until the sickness has passed. The sick, of course, will be allowed in, if any come or are brought from nearby.
I will send a man to the abbey, informing my aunt of the state of things, here." Elijah wasted no time in setting these orders in motion, but before the groom had left to take the message to the Abbess Gertruda, Astin hurried into the Hall to report that an ostler had come from the abbey, but had refused to cross over the bridge.

"They have taken the sickness at the abbey, my lord. Three sisters and the other ostler are down with it," the steward panted, as he had run in to convey the message.

"Has the man gone?" Elijah asked quickly. "If not, tell him the case is the same here, and we are raising the bridge until all is well again. If they have any future messages from the abbey, tell him to call out from the other side of the moat, and they will be answered. Put a man on watch for visitors. Go!"

Astin rushed out again, and Dom and Elijah went to examine the ordering of the large room that the duke had thought would make a suitable hospital. Here they found Dame Wenna overseeing the laying of pallets for the sick. The fact that she had ordered six to be made up worried Dom.

"You are expecting more sick, Dame Wenna?" he asked, as she piled pieces of white linen onto a table set against the wall.

She pressed her lips firmly together. "Better to be prepared, I say. We cannot know what will come to us." She lowered her voice. "I do not think it wise to let it be generally known that Master Barebone thinks it is the plague come amongst us. We have some girls here who would think they had taken with it just by hearing it named - aye, and some lads, too, with more hair than wit."

Elijah promised to inform Astin not to spread the knowledge abroad. "But, Wenna, there must be many who heard the ostler cry out over the bridge about the abbey's sickness, and heard Astin's reply."

"True," Wenna replied, "but perhaps they have the sense to keep such doleful news to themselves."

It was a forlorn hope. As they returned to the Hall, they passed a girl carrying a wooden pail in one hand, and wiping her eyes with the other. She pressed herself, hard, into the wall as the men walked by, and seemed, Dom said, as they sat by the table, to be holding her breath.

"Perhaps she thinks one can catch a contagion from the breath," he grinned.

Elijah smiled back, but shook his head. "Who knows how these things are passed on?" he said, pouring out two goblets of watered wine, and handing one to Dom.

They sat for a moment, in silence, then Elijah sighed. "Well, this will not get our present problems solved, nor the murders, either," he commented, nibbling on a slice of honey and plum pastry. "If Matt did not carve those initials, who did?"

"It will be impossible to discover that if we cannot leave the castle," Dom pointed out, reasonably. "We had better put our minds to the things assailing us now..." he broke off as Astin came in to say the sick men were being carried to the new hospital.

"Send the other men in here," Elijah ordered, and in a few moments, the remnants of Matt's band were stood by the table, silent, and completely subdued by the grandeur of their surroundings.

"You are welcome to my home," Elijah said in a friendly voice. But Dom, more used to hearing his lover speak, was aware of the steel behind the silk. "You will be made comfortable, here, and will be well fed. However, I expect you to comport yourselves whilst you are here in the manner in which all my servants are expected to behave. No unwelcome lewd behaviour towards the maids or the lads, no fighting, no spitting, no drunkenness. No stealing. Anyone found stealing, or committing other crimes, will be confined until the danger is past. There is a very serviceable dungeon here, if any feel the need to inspect it." He smiled as he said this, and there was a slight scuffling sound from the men's feet, men, obviously, of late subject to few restrictions. There were several answering grins, but no darkling looks.

"You will help with the work of the castle, which, as you may see, is a big place and takes a great deal of upkeep. The sheep you have been given care of are being shepherded into the pens in the lower bailey, where we will use them for food whilst our confinement lasts. You may go there to tend them, or be set to other tasks if you wish. Is that clear?"

"Yessire!" every man said, eager to keep a place where a dry roof over his head, and hot, nourishing food in his belly, was of paramount consideration.

"You will be allowed access to your sick companions, and to see Master Matthew, two by two - that is, if he wishes to see you. I will have Wat sent down directly, and you may speak to him. But for now, here is my steward, Master Astin, ready to take you to your quarters. His word is as my word. You will obey him in all things. Now, go and eat, and rest for an hour. Then he will find you suitable tasks, I am sure."

They all tugged their forelocks at him, bowed, and followed Astin out of the Hall - quite cheerily, Dom thought.

As Astin escorted the men out into the servants' regions, Dom's newly-appointed body servant came hurrying in through the main door. He bowed low to both men, but spoke to the duke. "My lord, the Sheriff is at the far end of the bridge. He would have rode in, but I told him you had ordered no-one to pass. Will you come to him?"

***

The bridge was still down, but St Aubin remained mounted on his horse, at the far end. Elijah and Dom walked to within speaking distance, and stopped.

"I thank you for your message of warning, my lord duke," the sheriff called out. "If you are willing, I will come in. After all, I have been in contact with the sick ostler at the abbey. If I am to succumb, it will happen, now, whether or not I have been in your company."

Elijah bowed. "Do you come, if you so wish. You are welcome to my home," An answer which, if not strictly true, was at least good manners.

As the man rode past them into the outer bailey, Dom said, quietly, that he would run up and tell Wat to keep to the back staircase, if he needed to come down. "I think St Aubin might wonder why a man, so obviously a low servant, was allowed use of the front stairs," Dom murmured as they strode forward to meet their guest.

He waited to greet the visitor, made an excuse after all courtesies were dealt with, and vanished for a few minutes. When he returned, the two men were seated by the fireplace, where a low fire was burning, despite it being midsummer.

"Stone takes a long time to warm," Elijah smiled at both his companions. "Even in hot weather, a small fire is welcome in this Hall."

St Aubin nodded, as if acknowledging that such small-talk was necessary on social occasions, but soon came to the arrival at Beauvallet of the sick merchant.

"I know Hugh de Bray, slightly. He is a wealthy cloth merchant in Canterbury. So if you allow me to see your sick man, I may be able to tell which one of the two it may be," he said after Elijah had outlined the matter of the man's collapse at the roadside.

"Do you wish to do so, now, or wait until after dinner?" Elijah, ever the polite host, asked.

St Aubin shrugged. "Now is as good a time as ever, my lord. If it pleases you."

***

It was plain to see that the man was in a far worse state than Matt had been. He was as pale as milk, and sweating so much, the sheets had been changed, John told them, solemnly, so many times, it was pointless to do so again. "I am afraid, your Grace," the apothecary bowed to Elijah," that he will not last the night."

Elijah sighed. "Do you recognise him, sheriff?" he asked, looking sadly on the man in the bed. "It would be kind in us to tell his family where he may be."

St Aubin shook his head. "It is not de Bray. Therefore I expect it is Corbald, but, not knowing him, I cannot be sure."

They left the sick-room and returned to the Hall. "I am wary, my lord, of sending to Canterbury at this present," St Aubin remarked as they sat. "It may be it has escaped the sickness, and I would not bring it there."

Elijah agreed. "I have his trappings, here. The saddle-bags and the contents. Perhaps you may take them with you, when you leave, and later - when the sickness has passed - you may present them to de Bray, for further clarification of the man's identity, and to give to his family, of course. It is very sad."

St Aubin assented, then Elijah subtly brought the conversation around to the happenings at the abbey. "Have you been to the abbey, today, sheriff? Do you know if the abbess is afflicted? She is my aunt, you must know, and His Grace of Canterbury will be very concerned for her welfare, as am I. Is she well?"

St Aubin raised his eyebrows as Elijah revealed his relationship with the abbess. "The Venerable Lady is very well, my lord," he said, in dry tones. "She ushered us off the premises with more haste than ceremony, and I cannot think it was to save us from falling ill."

He allowed himself a wry smile. "But she did not get rid of us before one of my men found a very interesting thing, my lord. Whether she knew of it, or no, I cannot tell. There was too much upset there, when I...er...left, to ask her of it."

Astin came in at that point to say that the servants were ready to serve dinner, so it was a frustrating few minutes before - seated at the table - they could speak of the subject.

"You found an interesting thing, you say, St Aubin," said Dom, trying to sound vaguely polite rather than desperately anxious. "Are you willing to share your discovery with us?"

St Aubin laughed, and Elijah smiled, but remained silent. "If you are willing to share anything if you find it, I will tell you!" he grinned.

Elijah's smile remained pinned on his lips. "Of course we will share with you any information we may gather after we are allowed back into the abbey," he said, smoothly.

Dom agreed. "It will only be fair that we do." Nothing was said about any information the two men might have discovered previously. It was obvious that St Aubin had a poor idea of their search methods.

The goose arrived, so it was a few more agonising minutes before the sheriff spoke again. "I sent my men back to the trees where I'd found the carved initials, just to see if we'd missed something," he said, thickly, around a mouthful of rich chestnut and mushroom stuffing. "And do you know, we had? Missed something, I mean." He paused, a slice of goose, impaled on his knife, was poised in the air. He was waiting, of course, to be asked.

"And what did you discover?" Elijah asked, obedient to the silent demand.

The slice of goose was eaten, and another cut. Dom could have kicked the man - he was so...so...annoying. Handsome, but annoying.

"Well, sheriff, my lord, we found - you will never guess..."

Dom wondered how it was that Elijah kept the frustration off his face and out of his voice. "I am sure it will prove to be useful information?" the duke asked, his voice sweet as honey.

St Aubin swelled with pride. "I think so," he declared. Then, realising he could hold off no longer, revealed, "we found another set of initials on another tree." He sat back, his eyes fixed on Elijah to see the effect his revelation had on the crowner.

The sheriff would have learned more if he had been looking at Dom, for he was white with shock. But Elijah - used to dissimulation at court therefore used to hiding his feelings - showed only a look of spurious interest.

Bravo, my Lij! Dom thought, as he quickly drank some wine to cover his astonishment at the news.

"Indeed," the duke commented, cutting himself a small slice of goose. "The same initials, sheriff - or different ones?" It was a bow drawn at a venture, but it hit the mark. St Aubin looked chagrined. He was looking forward to making further revelations. However, he made a swift recover.

"That is the interesting thing, my lord. This time the initials were MM on top, then the cross, then C at the bottom, surrounded by the circle as was the other. MM and C. Whomever MM is, he is a versatile lover - and a deadly one. The other murdered nun was called Claudia, was she not?"

Before Elijah could answer, Barebone came down the stairs, washed, and in fresh clothing. He bowed to Elijah, and then to the others. "He is dead, my lord duke, and Dame Wenna and I have prepared the body for burial. Will you give orders for this to be done? I cannot see that his relatives will be here for the interment, and, I know, from sad experience, he will not...keep."

Barebone refused dinner, but sat with them at the table. "I have no appetite for it," he grinned, wryly, accepting a goblet of wine from Dom. "I hope I am not called upon to witness any more such deaths. It is the greatest consolation to me that the man was not in his right mind at the end."

Elijah called Astin, and told him to ask for volunteers to carry the corpse out, and to dig the grave. "Tell the men I will pay them three shillings each for the service. The grave to be dug in the usual place, Astin, I think."

After conferring with John, it was decided the interment should be conducted immediately. "Without a priest present?" gasped St Aubin, shocked to the core. "He will not be sanctified! It will..."

"Peace!" Elijah interrupted the diatribe, his tone soft reassuring. "Our friend here is both apothecary and priest, I promise you. Corbald will not go into the eternities unblessed. or if I know John, unshrived."

"I gave him absolution for his sins, you are quite right, Elijah," said John, dropping his formal address, and smiling at the duke.

This knowledge relieved St Aubin's mind to such a degree that he cut himself a large piece of fruit and honey tart, which he consumed with obvious relish.

"Where will you bury him?" Dom asked, as the three friends rose from the table, and the sheriff licked his fingers hastily, and grabbed a sugared plum, before joining them at the fire.

"In the family plot behind the castle, just within the woods, there. It is where all my family's servants and trusted retainers are buried." It was obvious, even to St Aubin, that the merchant could not be laid to rest in the family vaults, with generations of dukes and belted earls.
The four men fortified themselves with more wine, until Astin came to announce that the grave was ready, and six men plodded up the stairs to fetch down the body.

***

The interment was simple, and brief, but moving for all that. Corbald - if it was indeed he - was consigned to his eternal rest amongst the servants and minor relatives of generations of noble dukes, and they stood for a few minutes, in respectful silence, whilst the servants filled in the grave.

There were many graves there, a few headed by wonderfully crafted and carved stones, some with Celtic runes etched on them. Elijah pulled Dom slightly to the side, to show him, built into an earth mound, the beautiful carved oak door. It was set in equally intricate worked stone, and led to the crypt, and was reached by a passage under the moat, into the bowels of the castle.

"There is access from inside the castle to that, of course. The dukes of Beauvallet, and their wives and children are interred there."

They moved away, and stopped at a stone that Elijah was telling Dom belonged to his father's body servant. They saw that Barebone and St Aubin were making their way back to the castle, so the two men took a moment to discuss the revelation concerning the new carving.

"It is a puzzle, is it not?" Dom sighed. "I would very much like to see it, to compare the two. Have you any ideas?"

"No," Elijah replied, resting his hand for a moment on a stone. "I wish I did. But the present situation has chased all thought from my mind."

He patted the stone as he passed it, and Dom, intrigued, asked him why. "It was Wenna's husband. He was a good man. I remember him, he was kind to me when I was a small child, he was always laughing.

Dom read the inscription. "Memento Mori. Rest Easy, Aelfric, until the dawning." Then he started with surprise and excitement.

"Good God, Lij! Look at it - at the inscription. Can you see it?"

Elijah stared at Dom and then examined the stone. "No Dom...see what? Why..."

"Memento Mori, Lij. MM! Do you see? It was not anyone's initials, but a warning that death comes to us all!"

Elijah almost whooped with joy, then, remembering where he was, composed himself, with an effort. "I think you have found it, Dom. Well done, indeed! Let us see. Memento Mori may be translated as "remember you are mortal", "Remember you will die", or remember you must die..."

"...or "remember your death," said Dom, excitedly, grinning with delight, as they slowly walked back to the castle. “I think it is the murderer warning others what might happen to them... do you agree?"

"I do! But Dom, we must keep this to ourselves - except for John and Matt, of course. St Aubin must not get hold of this, so wipe that smug look off your face, Mortain, as deserved as it is. The man is not stupid, and will discern in a moment that something has happened to make you beam so, and will question you most straitly, I am sure, as to what engendered it in the present sad circumstances."

Dom straightened his face with an effort. "Is that more suitable, your Grace?"

They were just walking through the door, when Elijah whispered, "it is, my love. I will allow you, however, to beam at me again, when we are abed," which words acted so powerfully on Dom, that he sat, silently for the next half hour, concentrating on subduing his treacherous loins.

***

It was getting dark, and St Aubin did not linger. He refused a bed for the night, cordially, if insincerely, offered by his host. He had men to oversee, he remarked, as he thanked the duke, and bowed his farewell to the three friends.

"I will be sure to let you know if my men discover any new clues, your Grace, Sheriff de Mortain, Master...er...Father Barebone. I bid you all a good night."

"Condescending bastard!" John spat when he was sure the sheriff was out of earshot. "Did you see the smug look on his face as he said that? He thinks we are all boobies. I cannot stand the man! He's a complete nonentity!"

"He may well be," Elijah remarked as the friends took a last drink together before retiring. "However, he is far from stupid. I would be careful not to underestimate him, if I were you."

Then the lovers laughed out loud, and told John of Dom's discovery in the grave-yard.

***

It was not long after, that Dom and Elijah lay beside one another, both exceedingly weary after the accumulated dramas of the day.

"It is a great pleasure for me, my Amis, to lie beside you, like this, and talk over the day's doings in private," Elijah confessed, in a soft, loving voice. He kissed the top of Dom's head, resting as it was on his shoulder, and Dom raised his face to be kissed.

"As it is for me," he replied. "Do not let us allow stupid reticence to cloud our love ever again. Let us tell each other of things that worry us. I was a fool not to do so, I know that."

Elijah kissed him, again. "There is no need for us to tell every thought in our heads, for a little mystery is very appealing in love. But I agree - important things, we should share between us."

There was a short pause, and then:

"Amiloun, I have something I wish to tell. My body is desperate for your ministrations. Tired as we are…I was thinking…nay, hoping…

Elijah laughed; a low, sensual sound, deep in his throat. Then he laid himself on top of Dom, pressed his lover's hands into the pillow above his head, and smothered his desperate sounds with his lips.