Crowner's Dilemma - Part Thirty

[ismenin]

Hello there! A sunny Sabbath morning, and the world is fair! Lovely!

I have finished CD! It has been such fun doing it, and, as you know, at one time I had no idea who had committed any of the murders, so I'm glad it worked out. It would have been awful if I had had to stop and say 'Sorry! But I don't know whodunit!' :D

So here we are - the last part. I do hope you like it. Hugs to my Faithful Readers - and commenters! Wibble!



Thanks to ladysunrope as always, for her excellent beta and suggestions. She is too cool!


Part - 30


The next morning, after breakfast, Astin brought Elijah's new steward to meet his master. Elijah recognised the man; tall, fair, with a clear, open expression and a ready smile.

He freely admitted that he could neither read or write, but that Astin was willing to teach him to tally, and to order goods as needed. "It will not take me long to master writing, my lord duke," the man said, frankly. "I can already hold long lists in my head, and I have a very good memory."

Elijah was pleased with the man. Eager to prove himself, and very willing to accept Astin as his superior in all things pertaining to castle life, it augured well for a comfortable future.


Elijah had ordered all the inhabitants of the castle to gather in the Hall. "Stop fidgeting, Astin!" he whispered to the man standing at his side. "You know full well that it has to be done."

Astin pursed his lips. "If you say so, my lord," he said quietly, resigned to his fate.

Elijah did not correct him. The man was uncomfortable with his new station in life - but that would pass.

"I desire to make known to you all," Elijah said to the assembled throng, "that Astin, who has been my faithful and trusted steward for many years, now, and who was much respected by her Grace, my mother, to whom he was devoted, has been lately proved to be the son of my late father, the duke, and has, therefore, been accepted by me as my half-brother, for which acceptance am I right glad. The written proofs of this relationship has been examined and ratified by his Grace, the Archbishop."

"I beg you all will accord Messire Astin de Woode all the deference due to his altered position in life, and that you will continue to hold him in the high esteem with which he has ever been regarded, both within Beauvallet, and without."

"He is to be, henceforth, the Comptroller of the Duke's Households, with more responsibility concerning my affairs, and more powers to act in my name. He will be known to you all as Messire de Woode, unless he gives permission for you to address him differently. I have promoted Nerian, here, as steward, and trust you will all aid both these good men in the execution of their new and several duties. God bless you all."

After the Hall was clear, Nerian asked permission to leave to oversee the kitchens, and Astin stood, not sure what he should do next. He was still somewhat dazed by the reception the news had been accorded. Most had smiled and nodded their acceptance and a few had cheered his good fortune, even if it was quickly stifled after a few stern looks from more traditional retainers who prided themselves as being unperturbed no matter what.

"I think," said Elijah, with laughter in his eyes, but in a whispered tone, "that we should show his Grace the treasure, and that you Astin, should make an inventory of it. But mind," he said, seriously, "no-one else is to even guess at its presence."

Vincent stared at his brother. "Treasure?" he hissed in astonishment. "What treasure?"

They all repaired to the duchess's office, Astin having the forethought to bring cups and wine with him, stopping in the pantry on the way. Elijah smiled at his half brother’s diligence. It would appear that Astin would not easily relinquish his care and consideration for others, regardless of his station in life.

They all trooped into the secret room, leaving the door open as the air was stale inside.

"God's boots!" Vincent exclaimed in astonishment, "you never mentioned this to me, you rogue!"

Elijah laughed as he sat down to read the other volume of his mother's journal, whilst Astin went off to procure parchment, ink and quills. "That is because I never knew of it. I would have told you if I had. Mother kept it a secret, it appears. Whether my father knew of it might be told within the pages of these books."

"Much good can come of this, Vincent. I will give you some for the poor, to be shared out in foodstuffs, clothing, housing and education as your good priests see fit."

Vincent clasped Elijah's around the shoulders. "Very well thought of, Lij! All I ask is that this time you do not send all your wealth to Richard for his damned Crusade."

Elijah grimaced. "There is no danger at all of that. He has wasted enough on that fetch. We will do good, here, as he spends England’s other resources at Outremer."

Dom picked up a neckchain with two dozen rubies upon it the size of chestnuts. When Astin returned with parchment, ink and pens, Dom said, "I will help Astin catalogue this chest. We will take everything out of it, and mark it as it goes in. Vincent, will you help?" Then Dom shot the bolt of the outer door to, so that they were safe from detection.

Elijah reluctantly put the book away. "I will work with Astin, you work with Vincent, Dom. And do not let his Grace do the writing. You know what an illegible hand he has!"


It had been four hours by the candle-clock when Elijah called a halt. "Enough! If I see another jewel today, my eyes will burst with the strain. Come, let us leave it all exactly as it is, then we can return to it at some later time."

Dom straightened, and rubbed his back with a groan. He was glad to leave the room, although, with the window wide open, at least there had been fresh air to breathe.

Astin rushed off to make certain Nerian was not allowing the cooks to spoil the mid-day meal, an act that was unnecessary, he knew, but he wanted to see whether those he counted as his friends behaved differently now he was counted the duke's brother.

He need not have worried. His friends treated him as they always had, and the others in the kitchens behaved towards him with a flattering degree of comfortable deference.

He even found Annis there, helping with the sauces, which pleased him. She had a light touch. It might be she would find her place, and leave the laundry to others.

Red and Ben met the tired jewel-recorders at the table. They were, they said, after they had eaten, going with Nerian to take some things to those few of Matt's men who had opted to stay with the sheep at the cottages.

Vincent said he would spend some time in the chapel, recruiting his spiritual strength, which left Dom and Elijah to themselves.

Dom decided Elijah needed to rest. Elijah decided that Dom could also benefit from rest - beside him.

Red grinned at Ben, who blushed and stared at his feet.

They were fast learning the ways of the world, these two boys, Vincent thought, as he caught the glance.

He applied himself diligently to his capon.


***

A week later they left for the city, Vincent having returned to London three days before. Red and Ben sat on their ponies, awaiting Elijah and Dom, who were having a final word with Astin.

Red was almost beside himself with pleasure, having been presented with the portrait of the king, by Elijah, who said it was a pity to keep such a pretty thing hidden in a box. Red and Ben agreed. Not only was the portrait of an uncommonly handsome man, but the frame was studded with gems and pearls, and worth, as Vincent pointed out to him, upwards of three hundred pounds.

As Red had never even seen such a handsome sum before, and would not earn that much in ten years, even if he rose to be an alderman, he was smitten to silence by the generosity of the gift.

Ben was not left out, either. He had, hidden in his pack, a beautiful cross and chain, studded, too, with gems, that had been found in one of the chests. He would say his prayers to it every night and morning, he promised Elijah, reverently handling the precious gift. It was too valuable to wear.

Astin had received his immediate orders from Elijah concerning the disposition of some of the treasure hid in the castle. "Everything else, brother, I leave to your expert care. If you have any grave concerns, write to me. Several of the men know where to find me in the city, after all."

Astin nodded his assent, and then a new thought struck him. "Elijah, does this mean that if Lord Gerard, your prodigal cousin, comes begging for another ten marks to waste upon whoring, I have your authority to send him packing?"

Elijah patted his brother's shoulder. "You are in charge. It is up to you to decide what to do with the monies entrusted to you. But I, too, think they would be better spent on the needy. Do as you please, I know I can trust you."

A swift embrace, and Dom and Elijah mounted and rode into the morning sun.


They stopped briefly at the abbey to take leave of the abbess.

"I am sorry to see you leave, Lij...Dom...but I am certain you will come to Beauvallet again right soon, when, God willing, there will be no sickness or troubles to confront you."

She walked with them into the cool yard, and watched them mount. Then she remembered something.

"In which corner of your garrets did you lodge the fine gift I sent to you, my nephew?" she smiled up at him.

Elijah remembered at once the garish crucifix which had come to him in his first week in the city. "If you will forgive me, Aunt Truda, I gave it to Ben. He had a fondness for it."

Gertruda's eyes fastened upon Ben and Red, talking to the ostler further up the yard. "Odd," she commented, wryly, "I thought him a lad of better taste."

Elijah could not help laughing. "Why did you send it to me, if you thought it so ugly a thing?"

She pursed her lips but her eyes twinkled with mischief. "It was a gift - to me, personally, not the abbey - from a wealthy patron, but I thought it perfectly hideous. I knew he would be gratified that I had presented it to your Grace, he was ever a man high in the instep. He would enjoy the consequence of his gift resting in a duke's house. I thought you could hide it for me, there, in the metropolis. It was too gruesome for my delicate stomach."

On that humorous note they left, and Gertruda watched them ride out of the gate, and turn into the morning sun. They were a handsome pairing, well suited, and good both in looks and in deeds. She would miss them.


***

They rode into the city two days later, having wasted little time upon the journey.

The city folk were pleased to see them return, Elijah could plainly see, as they waved and bowed or curtseyed as they passed. He thought how different this home-coming was from the first day he arrived at the city to take up his new office. How apprehensive he had been then. The people were friendly, nowadays, and looked healthy. It was not in his nature to realise that this was largely due of his efforts in seeing that the poor of the city were fed, and removing from the church a false priest who was stealing money meant for the succour of the people.

Elijah laughed out loud, as Dom pointed out that Red and Ben, riding in front of him, were bowing to left and right, acknowledging the salutes, and returning them as if they were young lordlings themselves.

It was late afternoon, and as the group drew up outside the house in Chapel Street, Elijah saw that the sun, reflected in the mullioned windows, shone gold, and that the door was flung open, and Andrew, Will, Mary, Annie and Bean vied with each other to be first to greet the home-comers.

"I am right glad to be back!" Elijah said, clapping Andrew on the shoulder, as his servant greeted him by grasping his hand and kissing it.

He also saw that Andrew's wife was blooming. Carrying a child suited her. May be there would be more - the house was big enough, and there was space aplenty to build a house for Andrew and Mary at the back, so they could bring up their family in peace.

Ben and Red, as soon as they had greeted the household, raced off to the keep. Red to see his mother, and Ben to secrete his treasure in a place where no-one would find it.

They were home.

***

The first night was spent telling Andrew and Will of all that had happened at Beauvallet. Earlier Elijah had given the three men forty marks each from the treasure hoard to be spent in any way they chose, and Bean was anxious to buy a horse of his own, so would have to rise at dawn, he said, to be first at the horse market, providentially being held the next day.

They waited until Bean - good man though he was, he was not that deep in his lord's confidence - had left them for the night, and the two men hid none of the details that they had withheld from St Aubin. Both Andrew and Will knew what Richard was like, and would not repeat anything their master told them in confidence. The three had been companions all their lives.


As Andrew and Will made their way to their rooms, a little before midnight, Will remarked, "at least Astin - I mean Messire de Woode - will not try to lord it over us when next we return to Beauvallet. His tongue may run on wheels, and he's a fussy old bugger, but his heart is good, and he loves his lordship right well. I think he will take great care of the duke's interests."


The next morning, Dom rose early to go to the keep, kissing the still-sleeping Elijah gently before he crept from the room. He had promised to meet him outside the cathedral at noon, for it was the date appointed for the murderer and rapist, Rolf d'Harcourt, to abjure the realm, and Dom wished very much to witness this ceremony. He loved watching Elijah perform his duties as coroner. It gave him great pleasure to see his lover don the mantle of his authority.

He thought a private thought, and smiled to himself as he saluted the guards at the keep gate, and waved at Red's mother who was expertly preparing the day's meat for the stew.

It was good to get back to his appointed tasks.

***

A large crowd had gathered by the time Dom returned to the keep gates. Wuffa Catchpole, the Constable was with the sheriff. "I wouldna miss this for anything, my lord. He deserves all he gets - and more, for assaulting poor Ben, never mind the murder."

Dom agreed. Ben had not felt like accompanying them to watch the banishment. He had no desire whatsoever to see d'Harcourt's face again. With great nobility Red had decided to stay indoors with his friend. He had wanted very much to see it, but Ben was more important to him than spectacle, and his mother had promised to tell him all the details - besides what the duke would say of it, later.

Elijah had gone inside the cathedral chancel to hear the man's confession of his crimes, for it was to him, and not to the priests that the man had to declare his sins.

Dom came just in time to hear d'Harcourt confess to the crimes of murder and rape. The first thing that Dom thought, as he stared at the man from his place at Elijah's side, was that the man looked far from repentant of his crimes. His mouth held a smirk about it, which Dom did not like.

Red's mother passed the two men as they made their way out into the fresh air. She was taking the abjurer a last bowl of soup, as she had done every day of his confinement in sanctuary. Elijah had ordered it before they had left for Kent, adamant that the feeding of the prisoner, which usually fell upon the citizens of the city, should fall neither upon them, or upon the priests.

"I will be right glad when that creature is outside our demesne, Lij," Dom growled as they stood at the bottom of the cathedral steps. "And God aid the place where he eventually ends up. He is an evil man."

Elijah nodded, but there was no time for more, as the prisoner was descending the steps, dressed now in a rough, white gown, and carrying a cross of his own making. He had ordered his features into a semblance of humility, but no-one who knew the man was fooled.

He knelt before Elijah, head bowed, and the crowd, which had been inclined to jeer, and to throw missiles at the prisoner, was silenced immediately by Elijah's upraised hand and his authoritatively call of 'silence!'

Elijah demanded that the man look up at him, and d'Harcourt obeyed. Then the Coroner said, in a clear, loud voice - indicating the scriptures held by two priests, "Lay your hand upon the Book."

The man obeyed immediately.

Elijah continued. "Swear upon this Holy Book that you will leave the realm of England, and never return to it without the express permission of your Lord the King, or of his heirs."

"That you will hasten by the direct road to the port allotted to you, and that you will not leave the King's highway under pain of arrest or execution. You will not stay at one place more than one night, and will seek diligently for a passage across the sea as soon as you arrive at port, delaying only one tide if possible. If you cannot secure such passage, you will walk into the sea up to your knees every day as a token of your desire to cross. And if you fail in all this, then peril shall be your lot. Do you so swear?"

"I swear so to do," said d'Harcourt in an equally firm and loud voice.

Elijah indicated for the man to rise, and handed him a purse with twenty five silver shillings in it. "This will get you to France, and it may be, further. You may leave."

The man gave Elijah one last, penetrating stare before turning and making his way to the East Gate. Some of the crowd made as if to follow him, but Elijah and the sheriff stopped them.

"Let him go, good citizens," Dom said, "without let or hindrance. The quicker he is out of the city, the better it is for all concerned."

Wuffa Catchpole whispered something in Dom's ear, and Dom nodded. "We shall see, good Wuffa. If d'Harcourt is the man I think he is, it will be well, in the end."

The two guards sent to walk behind the abjurer kept a discreet distance. It was their task to see the man safely outside the city borders, and then return.

When all the crowds had dispersed, Elijah had a few words with Molly and commended her on the success of her soup kitchens, for now, she proudly told them, there were three.

"Messire Bean started another one down by the Stewes," she informed her patron, "as the profits were so great from those who could afford the money, and the money you allotted to us, my lord. He said there were many poor abiding there, who rarely came out of the district. Did we do right, my lord?" She cast anxious eyes upon the duke, but he smiled at her.

"Very right, good madam," he answered, happily, and she took in a deep breath, pleased with his gracious form of address, and his sanction of the extra kitchen.

The queue was forming again, for the second cauldron of the day was near ready, and Dom and Elijah stepped out of the way so that the poor of the city could be fed.

One elderly man stopped in front of Elijah, bent down, and kissed the hem of his tunic. "God's blessings on you, my lord! Being well fed will help some of us live through the long winter months. It is cold under the keep wall, when it freezes."

Elijah drew the man to his feet, ignoring the stench of poverty that clung to him, and spoke a kind word, and gave him four pence.

"Is there nowhere else for the poor of the city to rest, Dom?" he asked, as the man rejoined the queue. Dom shook his head.

"There are a couple of disused cow byres down near the shambles, but it is mostly the younger ones who find a place there. The older ones are too weak to fight to keep a place."

"Some of the money from my merchant ships will be given to building a refuge for these old people," he decided, in a low voice. "It is not meet that they should freeze and starve in the midst of plenty. I will set Bean to see to it, when he should return from the horse market."

When they returned to Chapel Street, Will informed them that the captains of the merchant ships had come with the four hundred pounds requested by the duke.

"They have taken the rest to Beauvallet, my lord, for Messire de Woode to keep safe, as always, and to give the allotted amount to the abbey for its upkeep," Will said.

Elijah looked at the heavy bags of gold besants resting on the table. He grinned at Dom. "First alms house comes from this bag, I think."

Dom grinned back. "Plenty there for a dozen such places, I do believe."

There was a clatter of horses hooves outside, and Bean could be heard calling encouragement to his new purchase as he led the horse around the corner to the stables.

***

They were eating dinner in companionable silence when Wuffa Catchpole knocked breathlessly upon the door. The man was fat, and no longer young, so they allowed him to catch his breath before allowing him to speak. He was also permitted to sit and drink a mug of ale, for which he was very grateful.

"I do not know if you will find the news good or bad, my lords," he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, and, reaching into the pouch upon his wide belt, he took out a small purse and put it on the table. It was the purse Elijah had given the abjurer earlier that day.

"He is dead, then," Dom said, as Elijah stared at the purse.

"He is, my lord sheriff. As you know right well, if an abjurer leave the road and try to sneak off from doing as he was appointed, he becomes a wolf's-head, and anyone has a right to slay him."

He sighed, and looked longingly at the jug of ale near his elbow, and Elijah signed for Will to pour the constable another mugful.

The mug was emptied again, before Wuffa resumed his story. "He had hardly got beyond the copse by the river - you know the one - when he decided that he'd had enough, and threw the cross into the bushes, together with the white robe. He had his ordinary clothes under it, and he left the road, and took to the fields."

"He did not know the guards were following him. He was dead within two shakes of a lamb's tail."

Dom fixed an eye on his underling. "Where are they now?"

Wuffa cleared his throat. "At the keep, my lord, in case the crowner, here, be displeased with them. They dared not come themselves, but I say they did right. When he left the road and threw away his trappings, he was anyone's gift."

"Who were the guards, Constable Wuffa?" Elijah asked in a deceptively sweet tone. Dom looked at his love, but was not afraid of retribution against his officers. They had followed the law to the letter.

"Oeric and Oswald, my lord duke," came the reply. Elijah nodded. "So justice has been served, at last," he said, for he knew that Oeric was the brother of Egfrid, whom d'Harcourt had murdered by throwing him from the battlements of the keep.

"It turns full circle. Where did they bury him, Wuffa? - for I assume they did not leave him to be eaten by wolves in a field somewhere," Dom remarked, sipping his wine.

"No, my lord, they buried him, right enough."

"Well, thank you, constable. You may return to your duties," Dom said, and the man got up and left immediately.

"Ben will be relieved that d’Harcourt is dead. He never felt quite safe whilst he thought he might come for him again." He could not help smiling as a thought entered his mind "Now, where do you think - in the middle of common land - that they found a spade with which to dig a grave?" Dom wondered aloud.

"Oh, Dom, I do not doubt me that they took one along with them - just in case!"

***

Two hours later, side by side in bed, Elijah paused from kissing Dom, to wonder if the two guards had really waited until d'Harcourt had left the road, before killing him.

"Oeric is an honourable man, my Amiloun. He would have waited. And I, too, have waited long enough - look at the state of me! I shall burst if you do not aid me!"

Elijah laughed low in his throat, and teased Dom for a few more minutes before permitting him release, for which boon Dom was very, very glad.

***

The next morning Dom was catching up on the duty roster when Ben came into the room, and shyly asked for a word with him.

Dom was not used to such formality from his clerk, and wondered at it, as Ben sat on the edge of the only other chair in the room, and gazed at his master and friend.

"Sir - Dom - I no longer wish to become a priest. I have thought long and hard on the matter, and have changed my mind."

Dom was surprised. It had been Ben's ambition to become a priest. He thought of little else before...before Elijah came into his world. Elijah and...Red.

"Well," Dom said, out loud. "There is no-one forcing you, lad. What would you choose, instead?"

"I would like to become the duke's secretary," Ben revealed, in a rush. "I have been thinking of it for some while. He has a lot of documents stuffed in boxes, for I helped him sort out many at Beauvallet. Here it must be the same. A coroner has many duties."

Dom grinned. "And what of me, boy? Do you intend to leave me to fight on alone? I have as many documents as does his Grace, you know!"

Ben looked horrified. "No, no - I mean as well as being your clerk, sheriff." Then the boy looked down at his feet.

"I was thinking that in my spare time I might write the chronicles of the duke's cases. It would make very interesting reading. I would like very much to do that - to put on parchment that d'Harcourt was dead, and that his Grace had solved the cases - with your help, of course - he could in no wise have done it alone. Red said...Red said he would like to work on it also. Do you think Lord Elijah would approve?"

Dom smiled a secret smile. Elijah would approve...Dom would make sure of it.

"Come, Ben, let us go to his Lordship's house and tackle him upon the subject.


An hour later by the candle clock, Red and Ben were ensconced in Elijah's solar, compiling the first draft of the Chronicle of the Flagsheet Murder, whilst Dom and Elijah were downstairs laughing quietly over it, and preparing to go out into the sunshine and walk about for an hour.

Suddenly there was a loud banging on the door, which Will hurried to answer. In rushed a youthful officer, who saluted, very correctly, his commanding officer, and bowed low to the duke.

"My lords! Constable Catchpole sent me. There has been a murder committed in Gropecunt Lane. Outside the male...brothel, he said. A man knifed and poisoned. He begs you will both come at once!...The first finder..."

Elijah stemmed the flow. "Very well, officer - we know where it is. Go back to your duties, now. We will follow."

The young man rushed out, and John Barebone ambled in in his wake. "Another murder," he commented affably. "A man poisoned and stabbed. I think you will need me if it is a poisoning, Lij. Is that not so?"

"Ben! Red!" Dom called up the stairs, as Elijah spoke quietly to John. "Bring parchment and ink! A murder to investigate!"

The two boys raced down the stairs, and followed their masters and the apothecary out of the door.

Andrew stood in the doorway, and grinned at his brother. "No peace for the wicked!" he opined. "Always something new and exciting for them to apply themselves to, and I do believe they would not change that for all the world.”

And, still grinning, he closed the door quietly behind them.