Forsaken Soul

Chapter Fifteen

The sound of feminine laughter shattered the concentration of the prioress at prayer. Unlike some of her vocation, Eleanor believed laughter to be one of God’s most gracious gifts to his mortal creatures. Instead of being offended at the interruption, she rose from her prie-dieu and thanked Him for His charity.

When she entered the public chambers, she saw Gytha and Signy standing near the window, their backs turned to the prioress.

How lovely the innkeeper’s niece is, Eleanor thought, as she watched the light dance in Signy’s hair, brightening the red-gold strands scattered amongst the blond. This was a woman who could easily ensnare a man’s heart.

Not long ago, Gytha had confided her suspicions that Tostig might have fallen under the woman’s spell, a development the loving sister found pleasing. Although Ralf had said nothing about it to her, Eleanor knew from other sources that the crowner had also been shown much favor by Signy in the days before he left to join his elder brother. Even now he seemed fiercely protective of her in the matter of the cooper’s death. Did an easy capturing of a man’s affection have any significance in this particular murder?

The women turned.

Signy knelt and asked for a blessing.

“Thank you for coming here,” Eleanor said. “The day is fair, and I regret darkening it with grim questions about a slaying. Nonetheless, justice demands it.”

“As does our crowner,” Signy replied, her voice betraying a hint of discontent.

“A man with many flaws.” Eleanor nodded in acknowledgement of the woman’s displeasure. “In that I would agree, but one of them is not an unwillingness to seek the truth.”

“My lady, I know I am here because I would not answer his questions the night Martin was killed. Despite my anger with the crowner, I most certainly have no quarrel with you. I will cooperate in any way so that justice may be rendered.”

At the prioress’ nod, Gytha slipped out of the room, leaving the two women to talk in private.

Eleanor poured dark golden ale from a sweating jug and passed the cool mazer to the innkeeper’s niece. “We all hold secrets in our hearts,” she said, “and I shall not stand in judgement on anything you might tell me. If it has no relevance to the death of the cooper, I will promptly forget it. Is that fair?”

Signy nodded.

“Then I may conclude that neither of us wants a killer to escape because some detail, no matter how inconsequential or even humiliating, was ignored or kept hidden out of shame or pride?”

Signy lifted the cup to her lips but failed to hide a rising color in her cheeks.

“God knows everything about us. Only His judgement matters, not the flawed opinions of mortals, including prioresses.”

“Ask what you will. I shall be honest in my answers.”

“Please tell me what you remember about the night Martin died.”

Despite the prioress’ encouragement, Signy had very little to tell. Ivetta had given more detail.

“Where did you get the food and drink? Did you deliver them directly to Martin’s room?” Eleanor asked at the end of the brief tale.

“The food was from the common pot, my lady. A stew of meat with wine, ginger, and onions. I poured the ale myself. Both I took directly up the…” Signy stopped, her lips now moving silently as if they insisted on finishing the sentence. “Nay, I did not do so!” she continued. “I stopped to speak with my uncle for a moment and put the platter and jug down on a nearby table.”

“Do you remember if anyone was sitting there?”

“Three men had just left.” She thought for a moment. “The table was empty. Had it been occupied, I might not have taken my eyes off such tempting fare, lest a man take a spoonful of something he had not paid for.”

“Who was nearby?”

“I do not recall, but anyone leaving or coming into the inn would have passed by. I was standing near the door…”

“Would your uncle remember?”

“I confess the subject of our conversation was a heated one, and he might not have noticed anything. I faced the door, not he, yet surely I would have become aware if some suspicious person had approached the platter. As for my uncle, I cannot truly speak for him.”

“Perhaps Crowner Ralf can ask him.”

“He must, I am sure.”

Eleanor deliberately took her time to sip some ale, waiting to see if Signy would continue. “What was the quarrel you had with your uncle?” she asked.

“Did I say quarrel, my lady?”

The prioress simply raised her eyebrows, sufficient reminder of the promise to speak with honesty.

Albeit with evident reluctance, the innkeeper’s niece nodded her concession. “It was about his willingness to rent a room to men who want a woman for the night. I did not like the practice.”

“I commend you in that.”

“My lady, forgive my sin in this matter, but I claim no virtue in my objection. Were I a man, I might permit the custom as well, for the little whoring does bring some extra coin. However, my uncle has no living kin and has promised the inn to me when he dies. No woman may allow whoring in her business if she does not wish to be called bawd herself.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Eleanor said. “I can also understand how this dispute might have kept you both from seeing much that went on nearby, but I beg of you to please think back and try to recall any faces, or voices, of those who might have been close to hand. Did you see someone who hesitated, even for a brief moment, by the food and drink? An odd gesture perhaps? One caught out of the corner of your eye but quickly forgotten because of the nature of your discussion?”

Signy frowned. “There were many villagers there that night with much coming and going. The way to the inn door sometimes filled with customers, and a few may have bent close to the food and drink in an effort to squeeze by others. That said, I still do not recall anything unusual.” Her lips curled into a thin smile. “Our crowner was there himself and might have seen something of note, should he bother remembering.”

Eleanor nodded with encouraging sympathy.

“In the past, I might have suggested you ask old Tibia. She always saw things others did not, and she was at the inn for a bit of stew and ale that night.” She shrugged. “But I doubt she cares any longer about what goes on around her. With all the pain she now suffers, those sharp eyes have surely dulled. It is a blessing that she still eats. Even the king’s man might notice more than she.”

The bitter tone whenever Signy mentioned Ralf was not lost on Eleanor. “After you parted from your uncle, you said you delivered the food and drink to the room but did not say if anyone was with Martin.”

“Hob and Will were there. The three were arguing. When I entered, Will made lewd remarks about me, which caused much merriment for the cooper. I immediately set the tray and jug down on the table. Normally I would stay to make sure all was satisfactory and as requested, but I was both angry and fearful. I wanted to leave.”

“Was Ivetta there?”

“She was.” Signy squeezed her eyes shut. “She was there when I brought in the tray.”

The prioress reached out and took the woman’s hand. “I beg forgiveness for the pain my next question must cause, but I would not ask for such details if I did not think they might help the cause of justice.”

Signy nodded but kept her eyes shut.

“Did any of them rudely handle you?”

Tears edged Signy’s eyes. “Martin grabbed me and told Will to…”

Eleanor forced herself to remain silent.

“Hob pulled Will away before he could do more, and the two brothers left the room. Martin and Ivetta were laughing with such foul delight, I was able to escape.”

“Were you ever alone with any of the three men?”

“Ivetta was there the entire time, my lady. She had arrived before I did and was alone with Martin after I left. While Martin held me, she was the one to lift my gown so Will could put his hand between my legs…” She burst into tears.

Eleanor pulled the innkeeper’s niece into her arms and comforted her. Perhaps that would be all she could learn, she thought, but as Signy wept, the prioress’ thoughts shifted from anger to puzzlement. Was there significance in the difference between the tale told by Ivetta and the one she had just heard from Signy?