The Elephants Of Norwich Part 22

*Where?'

When she felt Golde's gentle nudge, Alys bit back her reply. *I don't know,' she said with a shrug. *I'm not sure that I want to know. It was such a foul murder. I just want them to arrest the culprit. We'll all sleep safer in our beds then.'

*The lord sheriff thinks that the steward was killed by the man who stole the elephants,' observed Golde, watching the lady Adelaide. *Would you still want to possess them, knowing that they'd provoked a murder?'

*Of course.'

*I wouldn't,' put in Alys.

*Nor me,' said Golde.

*That's only because neither of you actually saw them. Or held them in your hands, as I did.' The lady Adelaide's eyes ignited. *They were like nothing I've ever seen before. As for provoking a murder, the elephants can hardly be blamed for that. Men kill for l.u.s.t or gain. Would you condemn a woman because her beauty led a man to kill for her sake? That would be absurd. Why be so coy about those gold elephants?' She looked from one to the other. *If they'd provoked a dozen murders, I'd still want to own them. In some ways, it would give them even more value.'

Alys was shocked but Golde was simply intrigued, wondering if there were aspects to the woman's character that had been carefully concealed until now. In that one fleeting moment, the lady Adelaide had not looked quite so incongruous a partner for Richard de Fontenel. The conversation returned to the visitors' impressions of Norfolk. Both of them spoke at length about the journey they had endured and the cordial welcome they had received. Alys talked movingly about their visit to the market. The open hostility she had met still worried her at a deep level. It was only when they were leaving that she and Golde realised that they had failed in their mission.

Each of them had been asked by their respective husbands to sound out the lady Adelaide about her two suitors. Golde was to ask questions and Alys was to listen to the answers, but neither of them had fulfilled their duty. Riding back to the castle at a leisurely pace, they reflected on their visit and reached the same conclusion. Instead of finding out more about the lady Adelaide, they had been manipulated into volunteering information about themselves and their husbands. The invitation was not as innocent as it had at first seemed. Golde and Alys had not gone to the house simply as honoured guests.

They were there to be interrogated.

Chapter Nine.

Ralph Delchard was soon regretting his decision to embark on a hunt for Jocelyn the Anchorite. Forced to leave the castle when he was only half awake, he missed the comfort of a soft bed and the presence of his wife beside him. He also began to have doubts about the wisdom of searching for a man who, whatever else he might be, was obviously neither a thief nor a murderer. The confidence of the night before had vanished and he was sceptical about his chances of finding the anchorite at the exact spot suggested by Gervase Bret. Because he had retained a tiny pocket of land, it did not mean that Jocelyn Vavasour still inhabited it. All sorts of motives might have prompted him to hang on to the last vestige of his estates. The instinct that prompted Ralph to go there now seemed like recklessness. The further they went, the less certain he became, chiding himself for setting out on what might well be a long, wasted journey.

The one saving grace was that Eustace Coureton had volunteered to accompany him, intrigued, like Ralph, by the notion of a soldier's becoming a hermit. Defying his years, Coureton was up early and without complaint. Four of his men rode with two from Ralph's escort to give the search party some flexibility and to safeguard the two royal commissioners who rode at the head of the little cavalcade. They went north-west from the city, making the most of the early start before the sun was fully up to dazzle their eyes and set the sweat running beneath their hauberks. Flat terrain made for swift progress. They met no obstacles on the way.

Sensing his friend's mood, Coureton tried to cheer him up. *I'm sure that this visit will be profitable,' he said.

*Will it?' moaned Ralph. *What if we don't find the man in the Holt hundred?'

*Then we look elsewhere.'

*Why, my lord?'

*Because it's important.'

*What can he tell us?'

*When and for what reason he gave those gold elephants to the abbey.'

*It was when he took leave of his senses and became an anchorite.' Coureton smiled. *I can see that such a life has no appeal for you.'

*What's the point of needless suffering?'

*It isn't needless. You should talk to Brother Daniel.'

*No, thank you,' said Ralph, rolling his eyes. *I like the man as much as I could bring myself to like any Benedictine but I heard all that Brother Daniel had to say on our ride to the abbey. On the way back, I heard it all for the second time.' He gave a quiet chuckle. *At least, he didn't try to quote Horace at me.'

*Is that a complaint?'

*No, it was a gasp of relief.'

*I take the hint,' said Coureton, affably. *Even though my beloved poet wrote a line that describes your state of mind perfectly.'

*Me?' said Ralph.

*Yes. Post equitem sedet atra Cura.'

*Does it come with a translation?'

*It comes with my translation, though Gervase and Brother Daniel might give you slight variations of their own. My version is this. "At the rider's back sits dark Anxiety." Am I right?'

*Not quite. It's more a case of sheer irritation.'

*At whom?'

*Myself,' said Ralph, disconsolately. *My convictions don't seem so trustworthy in the light of day. I have a horrible feeling that we'll never find this elusive anchorite, and that even if we do he'll be of no practical use to us.'

*I disagree,' said Coureton. *When I woke up, I felt that fortune would smile on us this morning. We'll track the fellow down, I'm convinced of it. He is, after all, ent.i.tled to know the fate of those gold elephants. They have great significance for him. Don't forget that we're talking about someone who went all the way to Rome on foot in order to acquire those treasures. They were blessed by the Pope.'

*I don't care if they were made by St Peter and polished by the Archangel Gabriel. Popes are not held in high esteem by me. Nor,' added Ralph, grimacing, *are bishops, monks, nuns and anchorites.'

*I'll wager that Jocelyn Vavasour might be the exception.' *Will you back that wager with your purse?' Coureton laughed. *I'm not that headstrong. I'm just more optimistic than you. What I can say is that we'll most definitely find him.'

*And what do we gain from that?'

*An interesting story, to start with. Come, Ralph,' said the other, *you're as eager as I am to know why he traded in his hauberk for the holy cross. He was one of us, born and brought up in Normandy, moulded into a warrior just as we were. Why did we end up as royal commissioners while he prefers the company of birds and a Bible?'

*I'm very keen to learn that,' conceded Ralph, *but that's a personal matter. I'm just having second thoughts about his usefulness to our inquiry. How can a hermit possibly help us to solve a murder?'

*By giving us the history of the treasures whose theft started the whole business off.'

*And?'

*By telling us what he knows about some of the characters we've so far met.'

*Such as?'

*Olova,' said Coureton. *That potent lady whom Gervase and I visited yesterday. I may speak Latin and Greek but I've never felt my deficiency in the Saxon tongue more painfully than in her hut. I was longing to speak to Olova.'

*Why didn't you try a line or two from Horace on her?'

*I don't think she'd have much sympathy for n.o.ble Romans, somehow. But she and her husband did have sympathy for the abbey of St Benet, it seems. According to Gervase, they endowed the place generously.'

*Was that a case of generosity or spite?'

*What do you mean?'

*We've seen it so often, Eustace,' said the other. *Wealthy Saxons who gave property to a monastic foundation to save it from falling into the hands of people like us.'

*That wasn't what happened here, I'm sure. Olova may have been aggressive but I detected a piety about her as well. She and her husband donated that land to the abbey out of Christian impulse. That gives her an immediate connection with Jocelyn Vavasour.'

*Except that he took his Christian impulse to extremes.'

*He must have known Olova. Some of his holdings were in the same hundred as hers. He also had land in the Taverham hundred at one time so he must have been acquainted with Richard de Fontenel and Mauger Livarot. And if he knew them, he'd be familiar with their respective stewards. You see?' Coureton, reached across to pat his companion on the shoulder. *He knows almost everyone of importance. This anchorite will tell us things that we could never get from anyone else.'

*That's true,' admitted Ralph, revived by the thought.

*You can even discuss Abbot Alfwold with him.'

*And poor Brother Joseph.'

*I told you that an anchorite would be able to help us.'

*In more ways than one,' said Ralph, buoyed up. *I'd like to hear what he has to say about the movement of property in this county. A man who's willingly forfeited his lands has no vested interest. Jocelyn Vavasour will be honest and dispa.s.sionate. He'll know who stole what from whom and be prepared to name them. It may well be,' he went on, grinning as the idea took a firm hold, *that he can provide weaponry for us to use in the s.h.i.+re hall against the likes of the lord Richard and his ilk. Imagine that. It'll save us endless time.'

*Doesn't that make you glad you got up early today?'

*No,' replied Ralph, still grinning.

*It must have some benevolent effect.'

*It does, Eustace. It makes the pain easier to bear.'

Riding in pairs, the travellers clattered over a rickety bridge and continued on their way. Their eyes were trained on the twisting road ahead. None of them thought to look over their shoulders and therefore remained completely unaware of the fact that they were being trailed by a man at a cautious distance.

The decision to make the visit had been reached after a long debate with his fellow commissioners and Roger Bigot on the previous night. Since it called for tact and diplomacy, Gervase was felt to be the best person to send on the emba.s.sy. While Ralph and Coureton were riding in the direction of the Holt hundred, therefore, he was making his way to the estate of Richard de Fontenel, accompanied by Brother Daniel and two of Eustace Coureton's men-at-arms. The monk was as talkative as ever.

*The lord Eustace speaks Latin better than I do,' he confessed.

*But for a different purpose,' said Gervase. *His interest is in ancient Rome.'

*Mine is in eternal life.'

*You have something in common, then. His pa.s.sion is for the Eternal City.'

*St Augustine wrote unforgettably about it.'

*I know, but he didn't have Rome in mind.'

Gervase was pleased to be riding beside the monk, even though the latter's shortcomings as a horseman were all too apparent. It gave the young commissioner an opportunity to ask about the discoveries of the previous day. Having already heard Ralph's version of events, he wanted to see if it tallied with that of Brother Daniel.

*Did you enjoy the visit to the abbey?' he asked.

*Very much.'

*Why?'

The monk needed no more invitation. He gave a detailed account of the journey, the architecture of the abbey and the people they met within it. Nothing he said contradicted Ralph's version but it was considerably embellished. The monk may have said little but he had looked and listened with care.

*What did you make of the sacristan?' asked Gervase.

*He was far too trusting. He should never have been taken in by a guest.'

*We're not absolutely certain that's what happened, Brother Daniel.'

*What other explanation is there?' said the monk. *Someone stole those gold elephants from the abbey. They didn't stampede out of there of their own accord. They were taken by Starculf and given to the lord Richard.'

*Even though Starculf swore revenge against his former master?'

*An intermediary must have been involved. Hermer, perhaps.'

*Starculf hated the man.'

*Those elephants came into the lord Richard's possession somehow.'

*Yes,' said Gervase. *That's why we're going to see him. But we must be sure not to accuse him of anything, Brother Daniel. That will get us nowhere. We must try to draw information out of him by more subtle means.'

*I'll leave the talking to you.'

*Watch his reactions.'

*From what I've heard about the lord Richard,' said Daniel, worriedly, *you'd be well advised to watch how close his hand gets to his sword. He's inclined to violence.'

*Only if he's provoked. Ours will be a softer approach.'

*I'm glad to hear it.'

Men were working in the fields as they drove past. They looked up briefly at the pa.s.sing visitors before returning to their work. Sheep were the only animals on view, scuttling out of their way with noisy protests. When the travellers got to the manor house, a servant met them at the door. They were soon conducted into the empty parlour. While Gervase took a swift inventory, Daniel clicked his tongue at the ostentatious display of wealth in the room.

Richard de Fontenel swept into the parlour, more puzzled than irked by their unannounced visit. Gervase performed the introductions but that only deepened the lines in their host's forehead.

*Why have a royal commissioner and a monk come to see me?' he wondered.

*We come in other guises, my lord,' explained Gervase. *I'm helping the lord sheriff to solve the crimes that have occurred here and Brother Daniel is the person who actually stumbled on the dead body of your steward.'

*I shudder whenever I recall it,' said Daniel.

*What exactly happened?' pressed de Fontenel, interested to hear. *Why did you look into that derelict house in the first place and what state was Hermer in when you saw him?'

Brother Daniel took a deep breath before he told his story once again. Gervase was grateful to him. He could see the effort that it was costing the monk but the grim details were lapped up by their host. When they were offered seats, the visitors began to feel more welcome. Richard de Fontenel wanted to know everything that the monk could tell him, making him repeat some parts of his narrative. Beneath the man's simmering anger, Gervase could sense a real affection for the dead steward.

*Thank you,' said de Fontenel at length. *I'm glad to hear it all from your own lips, Brother Daniel. It was good of you to come here.'

*That wasn't the only reason for our visit, my lord,' said Gervase, taking over. *I'm here on the lord sheriff's behalf to talk about the theft that took place.'

*Well?'

*I understand that the objects stolen were extremely valuable.'