Forsaken Soul

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“Yew,” Sister Anne said, then bent over the corpse again.

Those attending her remained silent as the sub-infirmarian continued her examination.

“Unless we find a witness, I should only make a tentative conclusion about the poison. Other evidence might point to another method.”

“I saw vomit inside the hut,” Thomas said, his voice low as if he feared humiliating the dead woman with what he had discovered. “Outside the door, her bowels had loosened. In the dark, I could not examine thoroughly, but the odor was strong. What I did not find was any potion. There was some ale in a jug, but it had turned and was probably undrinkable. I smelled it. Perhaps we can find more after the sun rises.”

Anne nodded. “I am grateful for your observations, Brother. Note, too, that her lips are blue, and, if you come closer, you will see that her pupils are enlarged. This poison takes effect quickly…” She hesitated, glancing at Eleanor, Ralf, and Thomas in turn. “She aborted. Either that was her intent, and she took more of the herb than was wise, or else she was murdered. The purpose is not evident in the results.”

In the flickering light of the hospital chapel, Ralf’s eyes narrowed, perhaps from the candle smoke or even from anger.

“I am troubled that two people, so well-known to each other, have died by the same method and with little time in between,” Thomas said, his words still softly spoken.

Eleanor watched her monk as if carefully considering his words, then turned away. Although the lateness of the hour should have cast the pallor of fatigue on the prioress’ cheeks, her color was high. “If she intended to abort, why was she found outside on the hard ground?” she asked, her voice trembling. “What woman would lie near a public road when she had the comparative ease of her pallet close by? Is it not strange as well that no evidence of the drink was found, if she deliberately took the poison?”

“I doubt she would have chosen to lie in the path as any form of penance,” Thomas said. “She had shown no inclination to atone for her sins. Thus I find her place of death most troubling.”

“Would we even question any of this if Martin had not been killed?” Ralf folded his arms in disgust.

“Why do you say that? Because she was a harlot?” Anne rested one hand gently on the corpse. “All mortals have souls, even if they are filthy with the Devil’s touch.”

The crowner did not reply.

“I incline to a presumption of murder,” Thomas said. “Were we to assume she intended to abort, I doubt Ivetta would have been ignorant of the dosage needed. According to old Tibia, whores are familiar with the methods, having the need and, as a consequence, the experience. Perhaps yew is one way to get rid of a quickening, but is it not a dangerous one? Surely there are safer means to accomplish that intent, and surely she would have known them. I do not think she would have taken too much of any remedy, and I doubt she would have used yew. Thus I suspect a foul motive.”

“There are safer methods, Brother, and she might well have been experienced with them. Nonetheless, I cannot agree that she would have known the correct dosage. When my husband and I were apothecaries, we treated enough women who thought they knew these matters well and almost died as a result.” Anne turned around to examine something on the body.

“I suspect she either killed herself deliberately, maybe from despair,” Ralf suggested, “or else wished to rid herself of the child and died accidentally. Maybe she took the poison in the ale, not caring how it tasted. Does a sweet drink matter when someone commits self-murder or wishes to abort quickly?”

Eleanor stared at the face of the corpse which was frozen in gape-mouthed horror. “I agree with Brother Thomas, Crowner, and fear we have not one, but two, murders to solve. I do not think this woman died by accident because of an abortion attempt, nor do I believe she committed self-murder. Ivetta loved the quickening life inside her, as she loved the man she named father to this new soul. In this, I think she told the truth, although I have doubts about other things she said and had planned to call her back for questioning.” She glanced up at Anne “Was there any sign of struggle? Might she have been forced somehow to take this poison?”

“There is minor bruising on the buttocks and arms, but none of that recent, my lady,” Anne replied. “In her profession, such marks would not be unusual.” Her tone was subdued.

“When I looked around her dwelling, I found nothing to suggest violence, other than what I mentioned.” Thomas hesitated. “There was a freshly killed chicken by the door, yet she kept no fowl. I point that out because it seemed odd.”

“Perchance that was her fee for relieving a man of his pent-up seed,” Ralf said. “Had she suffered blows, I would look for a fellow who quarreled with the value he got for that price. Considering the method of death was poison, that possibility seems unlikely.”

The group fell silent. All eyes, except for those of the prioress, turned away from the corpse.

“We have failed you,” Eleanor said to the dead woman. “This should not have happened.”

“Do not blame yourself, my lady,” Ralf said. “Sister Anne has stated there is no reason to believe this was murder.”

“I said I could not be certain without more evidence.”

The prioress tapped her heart. “Illogical woman that I am, Crowner, this tells me it was.”

Ralf bowed. “Your heart holds more reason than most men’s minds.”

“Might not the killer be the man who had just lain with her?” Anne sounded almost hopeful as she reached for a rough cloth and covered the corpse.

“Were we to assume murder, and she had been killed by another method, that would be the obvious explanation,” Ralf replied with some reluctance. “I still argue that we do not use poison as a common weapon in this place. That was true with Martin’s death, and I see no reason to change my mind for this one either.”

“Both Martin and Ivetta, it now seems, have been killed by yew poisoning,” Eleanor said.

Thomas’ forehead furrowed with doubt as he turned to the crowner. “So you think she died accidentally from taking too much yew, perhaps in an attempt to rid herself of the child if not to commit self-murder?”

The crowner nodded.

“I still cannot believe Ivetta would choose to abort her child,” Eleanor said.

“I concur.” Anne moved slightly closer to her prioress.

The crowner did not reply but instead walked over to the body and lifted the cover to expose the face.

Thomas whispered what sounded like a prayer.

“May I be blunt?” Ralf asked, still studying the body.

“Were you otherwise, I might fear you were sickening.” The prioress’ lips turned up with a brief smile.

“Few men pay to swyve a woman big with child. How, then, would the whore live if she had no means to feed herself? To my knowledge, she was not one to hide coin in some hole under her straw pallet for the day she must earn her meat other than on her back.” He dropped the cloth back over the dead woman’s face. “That said, I shall assume I am wrong and she was more prudent. Even then, I must ask how she could care for the child with neither family nor maid to help while she plied her trade. There are few women in a village as small as Tyndal who would be willing to serve a harlot.” His expression flickered with pity. “Maybe she did love the child but realized both of them would die if she birthed it-and chose to save herself.”

“Once a woman holds life within her, she does not let go of it effortlessly.” Anne’s words were sharply spoken. “Never so casually dismiss the depth of love a mother holds for her child.”

“A woman of Ivetta’s profession does not commonly debate moral questions,” Ralf retorted.

Anne’s face turned scarlet. “You were not her confessor, nor were you the one drenched with the tears of those women John and I saved from death when they tried aborting.” She took a deep breath. “If you condemn Ivetta because she was but a wretched common woman of the village, go back to court, Crowner, where whores come in finer dress and eat enough in one day to keep any poor but honest mortal content for a week!”

“I have never thought a woman more virtuous just because she dresses in brighter colors and softer cloth, Annie. That you should know.” Ralf’s eyes softened. “I have no argument against anything you have said, but surely you must agree that some women do not rejoice when they quicken with child. I meant only that Ivetta was such a one.”

With obvious reluctance, Anne nodded. “Yet even among those who willfully rid themselves of the quickening, because they believed there was good reason for their act, most bewailed the loss far more than the sin. Motherhood holds a woman’s heart with a fierce hand, Ralf. I have known women to smile at the sight of their new babe while they lay dying of the birth.”

“Forgive me, Annie,” Ralf whispered. “I should have thought on my wife before I spoke so cruelly.”

“I think we might consider a different way of looking at this situation,” Eleanor interrupted.

“We are getting nowhere as it is.” Ralf nodded, his expression betraying hope that the conversation would move in another direction.

The prioress gestured at the crowner. “For the sake of argument, let us conclude for a moment that this death is murder. With that assumption, I have some questions for consideration.”

“Please continue, my lady,” Ralf said.

“After I talked with both the innkeeper’s niece and the prostitute, I discovered there was ill-feeling between them, and I did not sense that the reason was simply Ivetta’s trade. Can you tell me what other reason Signy would have to dislike Ivetta, or why the latter would attempt to cast suspicion on Signy in Martin’s death?”

“The matter of the whoring at the inn,” Ralf suggested. “Signy did not approve. Martin, if not Ivetta as well, profited from it.”

“Is that cause for killing?” Anne asked.

“Even if it were, how are both deaths connected? Now that Martin is dead, there would be no more whoring at the inn and certainly not with Ivetta,” Thomas added.

“That is the trouble,” Ralf said. “I do not think the deaths are related. Even if each is murder, the killers must be different.”

The sub-infirmarian pointed to the corpse. “Poison was used in both cases, and it is probable that the poison is the same one. The reasons might be different for each death, but I suspect the murderer is the same person.”

Thomas turned to Ralf. “And as you said, the method is unique. Therefore, Sister Anne must be right. There is only one murderer. Would you agree?”

“I admit there is merit in the argument.”

Eleanor began to pace. “Despite all, I cannot see what motive there could be in slaying both Martin and Ivetta.”

“The blacksmith said Martin planned to replace Ivetta with Signy. If Martin was more to Ivetta than a source of steady business, would she have seen the innkeeper’s niece as a rival?” Anne asked.

“Then she might have killed Signy, Annie, not the reverse.”

The prioress stopped and considered her words before continuing. “If the two women were rivals for the cooper’s affections, Signy might have sought retribution for something said or done before Martin was killed. What if she knew that Ivetta was pregnant and decided to destroy the prostitute’s child in revenge? What if she gave the woman some herb in a drink and left, not knowing the result would be more calamitous than she intended?”

Ralf shifted uncomfortably. “Signy would never do such a thing, my lady. A woman may have poisoned Martin, but I think it far more likely that the harlot killed herself, willingly or no.”

“Do you think Ivetta killed the cooper and then herself?” Thomas asked.

Ralf shrugged. “I would not be surprised.”

“Although my meandering thoughts may be flawed, Crowner, I am equally convinced that Ivetta would not kill either her child or the father of that babe. She mourned the death of Martin and found comfort in bearing his child.”

“She was the Devil’s creature, my lady.”

“As are all of us, Ralf. Never forget that. Robert of Arbrissel, our Order’s founder, followed the example of God’s Son and spent time winning over the souls of many prostitutes. Their eagerness to listen to him suggests that their hearts might be more likely to understand God’s message than many deemed less sinful. For this reason, and charity, I cannot condemn Ivetta more than others.”

The crowner opened his mouth, seemingly to protest, but then fell silent. Instead, he nodded.

Eleanor went on. “You may dislike the idea of a man using poison as a murder weapon, but that might also be a clever device to avert discovery. For instance, Will might have wished to kill Martin after the latter publicly mocked his manhood. Could the blacksmith have felt his humiliation so keenly that he killed the cooper and then Ivetta, a woman who witnessed his impotence and possibly ridiculed him as well?”

“Although Will may be obsessed with his sexual failures, I never thought him quick enough in wit to be that devious, my lady.” Ralf suddenly turned to Thomas. “I forgot to ask you. Did you ever query the old woman about what she might have seen at the inn that night?”

“Her pain has been too great when I came with her potion. I did not wish to trouble her with murder.”

“I was hoping she had seen some odd thing that might lead us to a killer we have yet to consider.” The crowner shrugged. “But if she suffers that much, I doubt she would remember anything of value. Pain that severe must sharpen the soul’s fear of God’s judgement while it dulls interest in more trivial worldly matters.”

“What of Hob?” Eleanor asked. “Might he have had reason to kill?

“Of the two brothers, he is possessed of greater wit. He is also loyal to his brother, even if he does not always follow his lead any longer. Maybe he did something to protect…” The crowner angrily rubbed his eyes as if they annoyed him. “The suspects grow in number. Will cannot be entirely discounted. Nor, it seems, can Hob.”

“Nor Signy,” Eleanor added with sadness.

Ralf bowed his head in weary resignation.

Silence fell with the bleak chill of sea fog on everyone in the room.