‘Hush your noise!’ Nigel turned his back despairingly, stroking the lame horse’s sweating flank. ‘I wish to God I’d never in life set eyes on you, to come to this pass, but I’ll not leave you. If you must be dragged back—you think they’ll be far behind us now?—we’ll go back together. But let’s at least try to reach Stafford. Let’s leave this one tethered to be found, and ride and run by turns with the other…’
His back was still turned when the dagger slid in between his ribs from behind, and he sagged and folded, marvelling, not yet feeling any pain, but only the withdrawal of his life and force, that laid him almost softly in the grass. Blood streamed out from his wound and warmed his side, flowing round to fire the ground beneath him. He tried to raise himself, and could not stir a hand.
Janyn stood a moment looking down at him dispassionately. He doubted if the wound itself was fatal, but judged it would take less than half an hour for his sometime friend to bleed to death, which would do as well. He spurned the motionless body with a careless foot, wiped his dagger on the grass, and turned to mount the horse Nigel had ridden. Without another glance behind he dug in his heels and set off at a rapid canter towards Stafford, between the darkening trees.
Hugh’s officers, coming at speed some ten minutes later, found half-dead man and lamed horse and divided their forces, two men riding on to try to overtake Janyn, while the remaining pair salvaged both man and beast, bestowed Isouda’s horse at the nearest holding, and carried Nigel back to Shrewsbury, pallid, swathed and senseless, but alive.
‘…he promised us advancement, castles and commands—William of Roumare. It was when Janyn went north with me at midsummer to view my manor—it was Janyn persuaded me.’ Nigel brought out the sorry, broken fragments of his confession late in the dusk of the following day, in his wits again and half-wishing he were not. So many eyes round his bed, his father erect and ravaged of face at the foot, staring upon his heir with grieved eyes, Roswitha kneeling at his right side, tearless now, but bloated with past weeping, Brother Cadfael and Brother Edmund the infirmarer watchful from the shadows in case their patient tried his strength too far too soon. And on his left Meriet, back in cotte and hose, stripped of the black habit which had never fitted or suited him, and looking strangely taller, leaner and older than when he had first put it on. His eyes, aloof and stern as his father’s, were the first Nigel’s waking, wandering stare had encountered. There was no knowing what went on in the mind behind them.
‘We have been his men from that time on… We knew the time set for the strike at Lincoln. We meant to ride north after our marriage, Janyn with us—but Roswitha did not know! And now we have lost. Word came through too soon…’
‘Come to the death-day,’ said Hugh, standing at Leone’s shoulder.
‘Yes—Clemence. At supper he let out what his business was. And they were there in Chester, all their constables and castellans… in the act! When I took Roswitha home I told Janyn, and begged him to send a rider ahead at once, through the night, to warn them. He swore he would… I went there next morning early, but he was not there, he never came until past noon, and when I asked if all was well, he said very well! For Peter Clemence was dead in the forest, and the gathering in Chester safe enough. He laughed at me for being in dread. Let him lie, he said, who’ll be the wiser, there are footpads everywhere . .. But I was afraid! I went to find him, to hide him away until night …”
‘And Meriet happened upon you in the act,’ said Hugh, quietly prompting.
‘I had cut away the shaft, the better to move him. There was blood on my hands—what else could he think? I swore it was not my work, but he did not believe me. He told me, go quickly, wash off the blood, go back to Roswitha, stay the day out, I will do what must be done. For our father’s sake, he said… he sets such store on you, he said, it would break his heart… And I did as he said! A jealous killing, he must have-thought… he never knew what I had—what we had—to cover up. I went from him and left him to be taken in guilt that was none of his…’
Tears sprang in Nigel’s eyes. He groped out blindly for any hand that would comfort him with a touch, and it was Meriet who suddenly dropped to his knees and took it. His face remained obstinately stern and ever more resembling his father’s, but still he accepted the fumbling hand and held it firmly.
‘Only late at night, when I went home, then I heard… How could I speak? It would have betrayed all… all… When Meriet was loosed out to us again, when he had given his pledge to take the cowl, then I did go to him,’ pleaded Nigel feebly. ‘I did offer… He would not let me meddle. He said he was resolved and willing, and I must let things be…’
‘It is true,’ said Meriet. ‘I did so persuade him. Why make bad worse?’
‘But he did not know of treason… I repent me,’ said Nigel, wringing at the hand he held in his, and subsiding into his welcome weakness, refuge from present harassment. ‘I do repent of what I have done to my father’s house…and most of all to Meriet… If I live, I will make amends…’
‘He’ll live,’ said Cadfael, glad to escape from that dolorous bedside into the frosty air of the great court, and draw deep breaths to breathe forth again in silver mist. ‘Yes, and make good his present losses by mustering for King Stephen, if he can bear arms by the time his Grace moves north. It cannot be till after the feast, there’s an army to raise. And though I’m sure young Janyn meant murder, for it seems to come easily to him as smiling, his dagger went somewhat astray, and has done no mortal harm. Once we’ve fed and rested him, and made good the blood he’s lost, Nigel will be his own man again, and do his devoir for whoever can best vantage him. Unless you see fit to commit him for this treason?’
‘In this mad age,’ said Hugh ruefully, ‘what is treason? With two monarchs in the field, and a dozen petty kings like Chester riding the tide, and even such as Bishop Henry hovering between two or three loyalties? No, let him lie, he’s small chaff, only a half-hearted traitor, and no murderer at all—that I believe, he would not have the stomach.’
Behind them Roswitha emerged from the infirmary, huddling her cloak about her against the cold, and crossed with a hasty step towards the guest-hall. Even after abasement, abandonment and grief she had the resilience to look beautiful, though these two men, at least, she could now pass by hurriedly and with averted eyes.
‘Handsome is as handsome does,’ said Brother Cadfael somewhat morosely, looking after her. ‘Ah, well, they deserve each other. Let them end or mend together.’
Leoric Aspley requested audience of the abbot after Vespers of that day.
‘Father, there are yet two matters I would raise with you. There is this young brother of your fraternity at Saint Giles, who has been brother indeed to my son Meriet, beyond his brother in blood. My son tells me it is the heart’s wish of Brother Mark to be a priest. Surely he is worthy. Father, I offer whatever moneys may be needed to provide him the years of study that will bring him to his goal. If you will guide, I will pay all, and be his debtor still.’
‘I have myself noted Brother Mark’s inclination,’ said the abbot, ‘and approved it. He has the heart of the matter in him. I will see him advanced, and take your offer willingly.’
‘And the second thing,’ said Leoric, ‘concerns my sons, for I have learned by good and by ill that I have two, as a certain brother of this house has twice found occasion to remind me, and with good reason. My son Nigel is wed to a daughter of a manor now lacking another heir, and will therefore inherit through his wife, if he makes good his reparation for faults confessed. Therefore I intend to settle my manor of Aspley to my younger son Meriet. I mean to make my intent known in a charter, and beg you to be one of my witnesses.’
‘With my goodwill,’ said Radulfus, gravely smiling, ‘and part with him gladly, to meet him in another fashion, outside this pale which never was meant to contain him.’