The Elephants of Norwich

Chapter Eleven

Gervase Bret was slightly concerned about his wife. When the visitors dined with their hosts that evening in the hall, Alys was unusually subdued and had little appetite for the rich fare that was served. Though she assured her husband that she was well, he sensed that she was putting on a brave face in order to conceal some malady. Once back in their chamber, however, Alys seemed to recover her spirits at once. She was bright, talkative and almost exuberant. Seeing the anxiety in his eyes, she gave him a kiss and squeezed his arms by way of reassurance.

‘Stop worrying about me, Gervase,’ she said. ‘I feel fine.’

‘You didn’t appear so in the hall.’

‘That was only because I was so shy. You must remember that this is in the nature of an adventure to me. I’ve never stayed in a castle before as the guest of a sheriff and his wife. I know they’ve both been very hospitable but I feel a little overwhelmed.’

‘You’ve no need to be, Alys.’

‘I’m taking time to get used to the honour.’

‘It’s no more than you deserve, my love,’ he said, fondly. ‘Make the most of it in the same way that Golde does. She’s always completely at her ease.’

‘I do admire her for that, but I’m more reserved than Golde. It was the same when we visited the lady Adelaide. Golde was quite relaxed while I found it an effort to join in the conversation.’

‘Why?’

‘The lady Adelaide has that effect on me, Gervase. She’s so beautiful.’

‘Beside you, she’s practically invisible,’ he said, loyally.

Alys laughed. ‘That’s not what Ralph thinks-or any of those men who were at the banquet on our first night here. The lady Adelaide enchanted them all in a way that I could never match. It’s very sweet of you to flatter me,’ she said, beaming gratefully, ‘but I won’t pretend that I can compete with her. And it wasn’t just the lady herself. It’s the house where she lives. It’s sumptuous, Gervase.’

‘Golde found that ostentation rather tasteless.’

‘It overpowered me. I felt so small and insignificant.’

‘Well, you’re neither of those things to me,’ he said, enfolding her in his arms. I’ll admit I had grave doubts about asking you to join me on this visit but they’ve all faded away now. I’m so glad that you came.’

‘Are you?’

‘Very glad, my love.’

‘Does that mean I can ride out with you tomorrow?’

‘Tomorrow?’

‘Yes,’ she said, smiling. ‘Golde has offered to go with you to the Henstead hundred and I want to come as well.’

Gervase hesitated. ‘That might not be such a good idea, Alys.’

‘Why not?’

‘To begin with, it’s a taxing ride.’

‘No more taxing than the ride from Winchester to Norwich.’

‘I don’t think you’ve fully recovered from that yet.’

‘Of course I have.’

‘I’d rather you stayed here and rested.’

‘But I don’t want to rest,’ she said, breaking away from his embrace. ‘I’ve seen little enough of you during the day since we got here. All that I want to do is to ride beside you, Gervase. If you can take Golde, why reject your own wife?’

‘It’s not a case of rejection.’

‘Then what is it?’

‘Diplomacy, my love.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘But you were there when I explained it,’ he reminded her. ‘I have to speak to the Saxon woman Olova again.’

‘You don’t think she was responsible for the crime, surely?’

‘No, but I’m convinced she’s holding back information that may be valuable to us. She wouldn’t divulge it in the presence of lord Eustace but she may do so to another Saxon woman like Golde.’

Alys grew petulant. ‘What you’re saying is that I’d be in the way.’

‘Not at all.’

‘Your own wife would be an embarrassment to you.’

‘That’s not the case at all,’ he insisted. ‘It’s just that you’re likely to make Olova feel uncomfortable and that wouldn’t serve our purpose at all.’

‘Then I’ll make sure that she doesn’t even see me. It’s easily done. When we get there, I’ll stay completely out of sight.’

‘No, Alys.’

‘You just don’t want me to go, do you?’ she challenged.

‘It wouldn’t be appropriate, that’s all.’

‘Is it more appropriate for me to stay here on my own?’

‘I’m afraid it is.’

‘So you’re forbidding me.’

‘Of course not.’

‘Then why do I feel so hurt and neglected?’

Gervase fell silent as he struggled with the dilemma. To leave his wife behind on the morrow would make her upset and resentful. Taking her with him, however, involved a number of risks, not least of which was that she would distract him from the work in hand. Gervase knew that he would not be able to concentrate properly if he was worrying about his wife’s safety and comfort. He thought about the sad, pale, uncommunicative woman who had sat beside him in the hall earlier on. Alys might be in a more buoyant mood now but a long ride that began at dawn would be an ordeal for someone who never enjoyed the most robust health. His wife was putting him to the test. He had to be firm.

‘I’m sorry, Alys,’ he said calmly, ‘but you’ll have to remain here.’

‘Why?’

‘Because that’s what I’ve decided. You promised that you wouldn’t interfere with my work if I let you come to Norfolk with us and you’re been scrupulous in keeping that promise until now. There’s a conflict here between duty and pleasure. You know which one I must choose.’

‘Yes,’ she said, gloomily. ‘You’re always so dutiful.’

‘I have to be, Alys. This is no enjoyable ride into the country that we make tomorrow. It’s part of a search for the truth about a serious theft and a brutal murder.’

‘I know that.’

‘And since Olova is also implicated in one of the disputes that we have to settle in the shire hall, it impinges on my work as a royal commissioner. We were appointed by the King himself. He expects diligence and commitment from us.’

Alys was deflated. ‘It might have been better if I hadn’t come at all.’

‘That’s not true.’

‘But I’ll be so lonely tomorrow.’

‘Visit the market again. Or take the opportunity to rest.’

‘If you say so,’ she agreed with a disconsolate nod.

‘And you won’t be wholly alone. Brother Daniel will be here.’

‘What about Ralph? Is he going with you?’

‘No,’ said Gervase with a smile. ‘He’ll be confronting another redoubtable woman. Ralph will be calling on the lady Adelaide tomorrow. He thinks it’s high time that she knew the truth about the wedding gift she was offered.’

‘The two gold elephants?’

‘The lord Richard didn’t buy them in France at all. They were deliberately stolen from the abbey of St Benet, much to the chagrin of the man who brought them back from Rome-Jocelyn Vavasour, soldier turned anchorite.’

‘He’s the man that Ralph and the lord Eustace tracked down today.’

‘Yes. He’s engaged in a hunt of his own now.’

When he first saw the visitor, Brother Joseph did not even recognise him. Hirsute and ragged, the man knelt in prayer in the empty church and looked more like a beggar than anything else. Compline had long since ended another day at the abbey and most of the monks had retired to their dormitory, but the sacristan had stayed behind to putaway all the vestments and holy vessels before sitting in contemplation beside the chest in which the valuables were kept. A scuffling noise had alerted him to the presence of someone in the abbey church. Taking the candle with him, Joseph went quietly into the church and walked silently down the nave. The circle of light suddenly included an unknown man, kneeling in submission before the altar and reciting a prayer to himself in Latin. It was only when the visitor rose to leave and turned to face him that the sacristan had an idea of who he might be.

‘Bless my soul!’ he said, holding up the candle. ‘Is that you, my lord?’

‘I answer to no title, Brother Joseph,’ said Vavasour. ‘I’m plain Jocelyn now.’

‘You’ve changed so since we last met.’

‘Outwardly, perhaps. Inwardly, I’m still the same miserable penitent.’

‘When did you arrive?’

‘Shortly after Compline.’

‘I should have been told,’ said the sacristan, flapping his arms like a black swan struggling to take flight. ‘I could have given you a proper welcome. Come. Let us talk.’

He led the guest into the vestry and offered him a seat. Vavasour preferred to stand, making it clear that it was not a social visit. An outbreak of guilt sent Brother Joseph into a paroxysm of apologies.

‘I don’t blame you,’ said Vavasour, silencing him with a soft touch on his shoulder. ‘You couldn’t stand guard over those elephants twentyfour hours a day, Brother Joseph. What I wish to hear, from your own lips, is what actually happened.’

The sacristan composed himself before relating details that caused him the utmost distress. Interweaving his account with more apology, he explained how they had no choice but to conclude that the traveller who stayed the night there had been the thief. Vavasour pressed him for a description of the man then shook his head.

‘Your guest was lying to you, Brother Joseph. I’ve met this Starculf and he’s not the man you just described to me. Someone was using his name as a convenient disguise.’

‘Who would do that?’

‘I don’t know, but I intend to find out.’

‘We were so dismayed that your precious gift went astray, Jocelyn. It grieves me more than I can say. My only consolation is that the lord sheriff is now aware of our loss. He sent a man called Ralph Delchard to the abbey.’

‘I’ve met the lord Ralph. He seems honest and capable.’

‘He assured me that the treasures would be found and returned.’

Vavasour was emphatic. ‘I’ll make sure that they are, Brother Joseph. Nothing else would have torn me away from my little hut in the marshes.’ A distant smile showed through the beard. ‘I’m very happy there. It’s home and church to me.’

‘Abbot Alfwold will be delighted to see you.’

‘I’ll not be able to stay long. My search will begin early.’

‘Where will you go?’

‘Everywhere.’

‘But the lord sheriff and his men have searched in vain so far.’

‘I know people and places that they may have overlooked.’

‘Those elephants of yours have brought us such joy,’ said the sacristan, eyes moist with sadness. ‘It’s remarkable that something so small can occupy so large a place in our hearts. It’s not their value as gold pieces. It’s what they represent.’

‘The penance of a sinful man.’

‘Your pilgrimage to Rome purified you, Jocelyn.’

‘Not completely,’ sighed the other, ‘but I have a second chance of redemption now. If I can recover those little elephants and return them to the abbey, I hope that God will forgive my past misdeeds and offer me His succour. This isn’t simply a search for missing property, Brother Joseph,’ he declared. ‘It’s a mission.’

It was a dry morning but dark clouds obscured the sun and held the threat of rain. As he rode through the outer edges of the estate, Ralph Delchard looked up at the sky.

‘I hope that we’re not in for bad weather,’ he sighed. ‘Gervase and Golde have a long ride ahead of them this morning. They’ll be soaked to the skin.’

‘It may hold off,’ said Eustace Coureton. ‘If it doesn’t, we’ll get wet as well. It would be a great pity if two royal commissioners turn up at the lady Adelaide’s door looking like a pair of drowned rats. She’d refuse to admit us.’

‘She’s far too gracious to turn us away, Eustace.’

‘How gracious will she be when she has heard what we have to say?’

Ralph grinned. ‘It’ll be interesting to find out.’

With four men by way of an escort, they rode at a brisk trot so that they could take stock of the land through which they were passing. Dispensing with their hauberks for such a relatively short journey, they wore bright tunics under their mantles. Verdant pasture stretched out to their left, dotted with hundreds of sheep who were in skittish mood. Harvesting was taking place in the fields to their right, the men so busy with their scythes and sickles that they did not even raise their heads to look at the passing riders.

The two commissioners continued on their way until the house finally came into view. Ralph emitted a whistle of admiration. ‘Now I can see what Golde meant when she said that it was magnificent.’

‘Yes,’ said Coureton. ‘Rather more so than the anchorite’s hut.’

‘That had a certain charm,’ observed Ralph with light sarcasm. ‘Not that it worked on me, I hasten to say.’

‘Doesn’t self-denial have any attraction for you?’

‘Only when it’s practised by someone else.’

‘I don’t think you’ll find the lady Adelaide is an example of it.’

‘I agree. At heart, I fancy that she’s something of a sybarite.’

When they got closer, servants come out to take charge of their horses while they went inside. Concealing her surprise at their sudden arrival, the lady Adelaide welcomed them into the parlour as if they were expected guests. They were offered seats and refreshment soon arrived. The conversation had a neutral tone to it at first.

The lady Adelaide occupied a chair that was built like a small throne. ‘I was so pleased that your wife could visit me yesterday, my lord,’ she said.

‘Yes,’ replied Ralph. ‘Golde had a very enjoyable time.’

‘I’m glad to hear that.’

‘She was impressed with your lovely house but even more impressed with you.’

‘Indeed?’ said the other with a self-deprecating laugh. ‘There was no reason.’

‘It was kind of you to invite her and Alys to call on you.’

‘I wanted to be able to speak to them both at leisure. It was a pleasure to get to know them a little better and, indirectly, to learn more about you and your colleague, my lord. You’re honoured guests in Norwich.’

‘Even though we came at an awkward time?’ asked Coureton.

‘A grisly murder is hardly a cordial welcome,’ she agreed, quietly.

‘That’s what brought us here today,’ said Ralph, becoming serious. ‘The murder and the crime that preceded it. I understand that you were present in the lord Richard’s house when those gold elephants disappeared?’

‘Yes, my lord. It was a great shock to both of us.’

‘Did you know where the gift actually came from?’

‘Somewhere abroad,’ she said. ‘The lord Richard brought them back when he returned from Normandy. They were exquisite.’

‘So we’re given to understand.’

‘I’m surprised that anyone was ready to part with them.’

‘They weren’t, my lady,’ said Ralph, choosing his words. ‘The lord Richard was correct to say that they came from abroad. The objects were made in Venice and sold in Rome before being presented to the abbey of St Benet at Holme.’

She was astonished. ‘That can’t be true.’

‘I had the story from the abbot himself, my lady. Yesterday, we met the men who actually offered the elephants to the abbey as a gift. His name is Jocelyn Vavasour.’

‘The lord Jocelyn?’

‘He’s forfeited his lands and become an anchorite.’

‘I know. It caused us great amazement.’

‘Why was that?’

‘Jocelyn Vavasour was hardly the most devout Christian, my lord. He was only happy when he was fighting a battle or laying a siege. My husband and I entertained him here more than once. He was a strange, restless, uneasy guest. I heard tales about his going to Rome but I had no idea that he brought back a gift for the abbey.’ A thought made her sit up. ‘Is the lord Richard aware of this?’

‘He is now, my lady.’

‘I understood that he bought those elephants abroad.’

‘He may very well have done so,’ said Ralph, careful not to tell her too much. ‘He obviously didn’t realise that what he acquired in good faith was, in fact, stolen property.’

‘I see.’

She retained her composure but her mind was racing. Profound disappointment surged inside her. The gold elephants she coveted might never be hers now. If they were taken from the abbey, they would have to be returned there. Anger soon followed. The wedding gift that was dangled in front of her was no more than the booty from a monastic house and she sensed that her suitor must have known that. What remaining appeal the lord Richard still had now withered swiftly away. Curiosity soon took over. Mauger Livarot had given a pledge to recover the objects for her. Was he trying to buy her affection with stolen goods or was he unaware of their true origin? If ignorant, would he still continue his search when he knew the facts of the case? In the space of a few seconds, her attitude to both of her wooers underwent a transformation.

‘How well did you know the lord Richard’s steward?’ asked Ralph.

‘His steward?’ She came out of her reverie. ‘Quite well, my lord. It was Hermer who brought the wedding gift in on a platter.’ She pursed her lips and shook her head. ‘It was the last time that I saw him alive.’

‘How would you describe him?’

‘He was a conscientious man who did his job well. The lord Richard wouldn’t have employed him in the office otherwise. He had complete faith in Hermer.’

‘Until the man’s corpse turned up, that is,’ said Coureton. ‘He lost all faith in his steward then, my lady, and accused him of stealing the elephants from him. I think he’s learned that Hermer was innocent of that crime.’

‘If not, perhaps, of others,’ resumed Ralph. ‘What about his assistant, my lady?’

‘Starculf?’

‘I believe that you recommended him to the lord Richard.’

‘That’s true,’ she said, airily. ‘I’d no use for the man’s skills after my husband died. I don’t hunt myself and I knew that Richard de Fontenel was looking for a new falconer so I put in a word for Starculf.’

‘Was he a good man?’

‘My husband always found him so. Strong, reliable and intelligent.’

‘He must have given sterling service if he was promoted by the lord Richard.’

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘And yet he was dismissed soon after.’

‘I was sorry to hear that.’

‘Do you know what caused the rift with Hermer?’

‘No, my lord. It was none of my business. Why should it be?’

‘Because it was you who recommended Starculf in the first place,’ said Ralph, noting the way her hands had tightened slightly in her lap. ‘I would have thought you’d show some interest in his fate. Indeed, I’d expect the man to turn to you for help.’

‘I can assure you that he didn’t,’ she said briskly.

‘Even though you were probably the one person who might assist him?’

‘Starculf was my husband’s falconer, my lord. I hardly knew him.’

‘You knew him well enough to suggest his name to the lord Richard and he’s the sort of man who expects the highest standards from anyone in his service. I can’t believe that you’d recommend someone you hadn’t met and liked.’

‘I had met him,’ she admitted. ‘And I knew his pedigree.’

‘What of his character?’ said Coureton. ‘Was he a violent man?’

‘Not to my knowledge.’

‘Did you see any change in him when he worked with Hermer?’

‘Why are we talking about Starculf?’ she said with irritation. ‘He left the area some time ago, my lord, for reasons that are quite unconnected with me. I’ve no opinion to offer on the man beyond the fact that he served my husband well.’

‘Let’s go back to the two gold elephants,’ suggested Ralph. ‘Until we met Jocelyn the Anchorite, we couldn’t understand their appeal. Then he showed us some replicas he was carving out of driftwood. They were adorable creatures.’

‘Prime examples of a goldsmith’s art.’

‘And blessed by the Pope,’ said Ralph, piously. ‘Did we mention that?’

‘No, my lord.’

‘That’s why they were presented to the abbey. As holy objects.’

She inhaled deeply before speaking. ‘I was quite unaware of that.’

‘I’m sure you were,’ he continued. ‘If you had not been, you’d have been horrified when the lord Richard offered them to you as a wedding gift. You’d have demanded that they be returned to the abbey immediately.’

‘Of course.’

‘I can’t imagine that you’d accept anything that bore the slightest taint.’

‘That’s quite right, my lord,’ she said, levelly. ‘I, too, have high standards.’

Her manner had become condescending. Ralph resorted to bluntness. ‘High standards, my lady?’

‘Extremely high.’

‘Then why did you consider marriage to Richard de Fontenel?’

The travellers were fortunate. Though the sky remained dark, only one shower actually broke out and they were able to shelter from it beneath the overhanging branches of a tree. When the rain eased off, they emerged to continue their journey with more urgency.

Gervase Bret did not make the same mistake twice. The six men who escorted them were left a short distance away from the destination. Gervase and Golde proceeded on alone until they came to the circle of thatched huts. More inhabitants were visible this time. Skalp was trying to repair one of the derelict dwellings with the help of a much older man. A third man was hacking at a length of timber with his axe. Two small children were playing in the long grass. A young woman was weaving a basket. An older one was waddling off to feed the chickens. Everyone looked up as the strangers rode into the little encampment but there was less hostility this time. Ambling forward towards them, Skalp showed more curiosity than antagonism.

‘Why’ve you come back?’ he asked.

‘To see Olova again,’ said Gervase.

‘We can’t help you.’

‘You can if you try, Skalp.’

The young Saxon indicated Golde. ‘Who’s this?’

‘A friend of mine.’

‘Why have you brought her?’

‘Come with us and you’ll find out,’ said Gervase, easily. ‘You can sit in Olova’s hut with us this time. There’s no need to lurk outside to listen.’

Skalp’s eyes flashed but he bit back a comment. He followed them across to the largest of the huts. Gervase dismounted and helped Golde down from the saddle. On his advice, she was not wearing the fine apparel that befitted the wife of a Norman lord but had chosen more homespun garments, comfortable for the journey and reminiscent of the clothing she had worn when she lived in Hereford. Olova stepped outside to give them a wary greeting and to be introduced to Golde. The visitors were invited into her hut. When Skalp tried to follow, a nod from his grandmother sent him back to his work. Inside the musty hut, the guests were waved to seats.

Olova settled into her own chair and gave them a stern warning. ‘I hope that you’ve not come to insult me as well, Master Bret.’

‘Insult you?’

‘That’s what my other visitor did.’

‘When?’

‘Not long ago. If you’d come earlier, you’d have caught him here.’

‘Did he give a name?’

‘Jocelyn the Anchorite,’ she said, chewing on bare gums. ‘I think that’s what it was. He didn’t speak our language as well as you.’

‘It’s my language as well.’

‘And mine,’ added Golde. ‘How did this man insult you?’

‘He told us about a theft from the abbey,’ said Olova.

‘I tried to do that myself,’ Gervase reminded her, ‘but you wouldn’t listen to me.’

‘I wouldn’t listen to this man and it made him very angry. I thought that an anchorite was a man of peace but this one had more of a warrior about him. When I wouldn’t tell him what he wanted, he more or less accused me of having taken those holy objects myself. That was an insult. I may loathe the abbey for the way it treated me but I’d never steal property from consecrated ground.’

‘I’m sure that you wouldn’t.’

‘We’re God-fearing people, Master Bret. We’re not thieves like the Normans.’

‘Not all Normans steal,’ said Golde.

‘Some of them stole our land, that’s all I know. I told that to the anchorite.’

‘What was his reply?’

‘That he was ashamed of his own part in the pillaging. He’d been a Norman lord himself and grabbed his share of property along with all the other vultures. At least, he had the grace to say that it was unjust. I admired him for that.’ Her voice darkened. ‘But I won’t forgive him for insulting me like that.’

‘Why did he come to you in the first place?’ said Gervase.

‘He was looking for the man that you mentioned.’

‘Starculf?’

‘The anchorite had heard rumours that he’d been seen in this area.’

‘And has he?’

‘Not that I know, Master Bret. It’s more likely that someone was up to mischief when they sent the Norman here. We have enemies. This is the kind of thing they do. I don’t believe that Starculf is within a hundred miles of here.’

‘Jocelyn is after the wrong man.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Starculf didn’t steal those treasures from the abbey.’

‘Then who did?’

‘Hermer the Steward.’

A look of sheer contempt came into her eye but she said nothing. Gervase nudged Golde. On the journey from Norwich, they had already discussed how to approach the old woman. Golde gave a sympathetic smile and leaned forward.

‘I can understand how you feel,’ she said with quiet sincerity. ‘My father was a thegn in Herefordshire with five manors to his name. We lost them all. I was married off to a brewer. It wasn’t what my father had hoped for me. He died a bitter and disappointed man.’

‘My husband didn’t live to see the worst of it. I thank God for that.’

‘We can’t change the past, I’m afraid. We just have to accept it.’

‘You might do that but I won’t. I’ll fight to get some of my land back.’

‘You’re perfectly entitled to do that,’ Gervase put in.

‘But that’s not what brought us here,’ resumed Golde. ‘You know that Hermer was killed and I can see why you shed no tears at his passing, but even the murder of a bad man must be paid for, Olova. The taking of life is a crime.’

‘I know that.’

‘Then help us to find his killer.’

‘What can I do?’

‘Tell us why you hate the man so much.’

‘I hate anyone who steals land from me,’ said the old woman, bitterly.

‘Hermer was only a servant of someone else. He didn’t have the land for himself. I think there’s another reason why you despise him so much.’ Olova turned away. ‘We have to know what it is,’ coaxed Golde. ‘Did Hermer threaten you or beat any of the family? We know he was cruel. We met an old man called Alstan who’d been whipped by Hermer and chased off the lord Richard’s land. What did Hermer do to you?’

Olova looked first at Golde, then at Gervase. She forced herself to speak. ‘If I tell you, will you leave me alone for good?’

‘We swear it!’ vowed Gervase.

Golde nodded gently. ‘You have our word, Olova.’

The old woman was still unconvinced. She regarded them both with a mixture of suspicion and interest, unwilling to trust them yet sensing a distant bond with them. It was minutes before she spoke, hands clutched tight and voice almost a whisper.

‘You called Hermer a bad man,’ she began, biting her lip. ‘You never met him. He wasn’t bad-he was evil. Whoever killed him rid the world of an affliction. I’m not just speaking about his work for the lord Richard, though that gave him the power that he wanted. Power to bully, cheat and rob at will. But there was something else.’

‘What was it?’ asked Golde.

‘Something that will take him straight to hell.’

‘Cruelty?’

‘Lust!’ said the other woman. ‘A lust that burned inside him like a fire. We’d all heard the stories about him. Hermer took what he wanted wherever he could find it. If a young widow could not pay her rent, Hermer would exact payment of another kind. If someone caught his eye, he’d stalk her carefully for months until he had his way.’ She winced as if feeling a sudden pain. ‘Then Aelfeva came to live with us.’

‘Aelfeva?’

‘Her parents died and she had no kinfolk apart from us. We took her in. A sweet, innocent girl of no more than sixteen summers. But she wanted no favours,’ said Olova. ‘She worked hard and did more than her share of chores. Aelfeva was a joy to have around. She became part of the family. Until he laid eyes on her.’

‘Hermer?’

‘Whenever he was in this hundred, he made an excuse to call here to see Aelfeva. He stalked her until the poor girl was in a state of terror. Whenever he came, she’d run away and hide.’ Olova let out another sigh and her body sagged. ‘That was her undoing.’

‘Hermer found her hiding-place?’ said Gervase.

‘He did more than that, Master Bret. He violated the girl. We heard the screams from half a mile away. By the time we got there, of course, he’d ridden off. Aelfeva was in a terrible state. She cried for days.’

‘Didn’t you report the crime?’ said Golde, smarting with indignation.

‘To whom?’

‘The lord sheriff.’

‘What was the point?’ retorted the old woman. ‘If we’d accused Hermer, his master would have lied on his behalf. Who’d believe the word of a young girl over that of a Norman lord? There was nothing that we could do-except remember it,’ she added with a glint in her eye. ‘Besides, Aelfeva wasn’t able to bring a charge against him. The shame of it was too much for her. A few days later, she drowned herself. Skalp found her body floating downstream. He was heartbroken — it was a tragedy.’ She looked at Gervase. ‘Can you see now why I thanked God when I heard that that devil had been killed?’

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘and I’m very grateful that you explained it to us. I can see how difficult it was for you, Olova. But it’s not the end of the story, is it?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I think there’s more.’

‘No, there isn’t.’

‘Let’s hear it all, please.’

‘You already have.’

‘Tell us,’ he persisted. ‘It’s to do with Starculf, isn’t it?’

She went off into a flurry of denials but Gervase was not deflected. ‘It could be important, Olova. We must know the full truth. It’s the only way we can solve this crime.’ She glared at him but her anger was tempered by wistfulness. ‘Once you’ve told us, we’ll leave at once,’ he said quietly. ‘That’s a promise.’

There was a long pause. Her breathing became heavier. She weighed her words. ‘I did know Starculf,’ she said at length. ‘He came here to apologise.’

‘Apologise?’

‘For what Hermer had done to Aelfeva. Some time after he got back, Hermer boasted about it to his assistant. Starculf was a hard man but he was an honest one as well. He taxed Hermer with what he’d done to the girl and ordered him to make amends.’ She gave a snort of anger. ‘How can anyone atone for what he did to her?’

‘Is that how the two men fell out?’ said Gervase.

‘Yes. Starculf was dismissed and driven out. He came straight here, hoping to offer his sympathy to Aelfeva, but we’d already buried her by then. Suicides don’t lie in consecrated ground, Master Bret. It was one more indignity for the girl to suffer.’

‘What did Starculf do?’

‘Apologised to us and swore to take revenge on our behalf.’

‘Was that the last time you saw him?’

‘Yes,’ she said. ‘And the last time I wanted to see him. He’d only remind me of what happened to Aelfeva and I can’t bear to think about that.’ She stood up abruptly. ‘I want you to go, Master Bret. I want you both to leave now.’

‘Of course,’ he agreed, getting up and helping Golde to her feet. ‘I’m sorry that you had to confront some painful memories but you’ve been a great help to us. Thank you, Olova. What you’ve told us explains a lot.’

‘Just go,’ said the old woman, almost pushing them out.

They bade her farewell and left the hut, hearing the sound of her sobbing as they walked away. The other inhabitants were still engaged in their work or play. Skalp was using a heavy stone to hammer a timber support into position. He spared only a glance as Gervase went past, escorting Golde on his arm. A minute later, their horses were heard setting off in the direction from which they had come. Skalp waited until the sound of hoofbeats died away before ambling slowly across to a clump of bushes near the stream.

‘You can come out now, Starculf,’ he said. ‘They’ve gone.’

Roger Bigot arrived back at the castle with his men as the two commissioners were dismounting from their horses in the bailey. The sheriff joined them and dropped down from the saddle.

‘Did you enjoy your visit to the lady Adelaide?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ said Ralph. ‘I think we enjoyed it far more than she did.’

‘That was your fault,’ said Coureton with a chuckle.

‘She was patronising us. I wasn’t going to stand for that. When she boasted that she had extremely high standards, I asked her why she was considering Richard de Fontenel as a husband.’

The sheriff laughed. ‘I can see why that upset her.’

‘It was a fair question, my lord sheriff.’

‘I dare say that it earned you a warm reply.’

‘It did,’ said Ralph with amusement. ‘But I just wanted to know why the lady Adelaide would even look at someone as disreputable as the lord Richard. Or, for that matter, at someone as devious as Mauger Livarot.’

‘They’re the only choices available to her.’

‘You mean she’s so desperate to be married that she’d rather take on a confirmed reprobate than remain a widow?’

‘No,’ said Bigot, ‘I mean that the lady Adelaide enjoys the idea of being wooed even if her suitors are not perhaps the most ideal of men. She’s kept the two of them at bay for several months now. I’m not sure that she’ll commit herself to either.’

‘I’d not put money on the lord Richard’s chances,’ said Coureton.

‘Why not?’

‘She was shocked to hear that the gold elephants came from the abbey.’

‘Did you tell her that we know who stole them?’

‘No, my lord sheriff,’ said Ralph. ‘The lady Adelaide doesn’t know that Hermer took them on behalf of his master. I thought it better to let her reach her own conclusions.’

Coureton grinned. ‘And she did. I could see it in her face.’

‘So could I, Eustace. The lord Richard’s hopes have foundered. I’d love to be there when she confronts him. The lady Adelaide has a sharp tongue when she’s roused, as we found out ourselves.’

‘What else did you learn?’ asked the sheriff.

Ralph gave full details of their visit, drawing particular attention to the discomfort she had shown when questioned about Starculf. Bigot listened with interest. When Ralph had finished, the sheriff passed on his own news.

‘There’ve been more sightings of Starculf,’ he announced. ‘I still have search parties out looking for him. We know that he’s in the area and has been for some time.’

‘How did you find that out, my lord sheriff?’ asked Coureton.

‘From a locksmith in Wymondham.’

‘Locksmith?’

‘Yes, my lord. What puzzled me was how the man who stole the elephants and abducted Hermer actually got into the house. He must have had a key. The first thing I did, naturally, was to check on the locksmiths in Norwich itself to see if any had done work recently that might possibly be connected with the lord Richard’s house. None of them had. So we widened our search to Wymondham.’

‘I remember seeing that name in our returns,’ said Coureton. ‘Its fortunes seem to have taken a turn for the worse. Sixty plough teams are recorded in 1066 but little more than a third of that number now survive.’

‘The town was much reduced in size in the wake of the Earl Ralph’s rebellion,’ explained Bigot. ‘Wymondham suffered more than most from that unfortunate business. But it still supports a few locksmiths and we spoke to all of them.’

‘Profitably, it seems.’

‘One was given a commission a fortnight ago to make two keys for a young man who wanted them in a hurry. The locksmith remembers how intense he was. The customer didn’t live in the town. He gave his name as Alstan.’

‘Alstan?’

‘But that was the name of the old man we met on our way here,’ remembered Ralph. ‘A slave from the lord Richard’s estate. Whipped and driven out.’

‘That’s perhaps where he got the name from,’ said Bigot. ‘The locksmith had the feeling that there was something odd about the man. But he did the work nevertheless and handed the two keys over to him. Alstan paid him and left.’

‘Did the locksmith give you a description of him?’

‘A good description, my lord. I think that the customer was Starculf.’

‘What was he doing in Wymondham?’

‘Having duplicates made of keys to the lord Richard’s estate. At least, that’s what I believe. The time is critical,’ reasoned Bigot. ‘Two weeks ago, the lord Richard was still in Normandy. That would have been the perfect time for someone to break into his house to borrow his keys. Starculf knew the premises well. He wanted the duplicates made in a hurry so that he could return the originals before the lord Richard came back.’

‘That makes sense,’ opined Coureton.

‘Not necessarily,’ said Ralph, slowly. ‘Consider his purpose. Starculf needed those duplicates so that he could have access to the house in order to kill Hermer. Why wait so long until he did so? Why not attack the steward when he returned the stolen keys to the house?’

‘Because Hermer wasn’t there, my lord.’

‘Where was he?’

‘Spending the night at the abbey in order to make off with the elephants. Before that, he was absent for some days, visiting his master’s estates in the hundreds of East Flegg and Walsham. Don’t you see?’ Bigot went on. ‘Starculf deliberately chose a time when neither the lord Richard nor his steward was at home.’

‘But how could he possibly know they’d both be absent?’

‘By waiting and watching. Starculf is a cunning man.’

‘I can appreciate that,’ said Ralph. ‘He must have guessed that you’d talk to all the locksmiths in Norwich so he had the work done some distance away. And now I come to think of it there’s another reason why he didn’t kill Hermer earlier.’

‘What is it, my lord?’

‘He wanted the lord Richard to be there. To be shocked by the discovery. To suffer. Look at the way he sent the steward’s hands back in a box. That, too, was meant as a taunt to his former master. The only thing I don’t understand,’ Ralph admitted, rubbing his chin, ‘is why he stole the elephants. Starculf couldn’t possibly have known they’d be in the house.’

‘There are lots of questions still to be answered,’ said Bigot, solemnly, ‘but I feel that the villain is now identified beyond any doubt. Starculf is the killer and he’s still somewhere in the county.’

‘Are all the main roads being watched?’

‘Yes, my lord. The net is closing in on him.’

The storm caught them in open country. Alerted by the first rumble of thunder, the posse increased its speed to a gallop as it tried to outrun the threatened downpour. No cover offered itself. A second rumble of thunder was followed by a flash of lightning that made the horses neigh and roll their eyes. Rain soon followed, a heavy, relentless, blinding downpour that soaked them within seconds and formed puddles on the track. The sheriff’s officers had an important task to do but they could not perform it in the middle of a thunderstorm. When a hamlet finally appeared ahead of them, they drew extra speed from their horses with a jab of their spurs. Bent low in their saddles, they rode on through the swirling rain and cursed aloud as another flash of lightning illumined their plight.

The man hiding in the ditch curled himself into a ball until all the horsemen had charged past. It was the third posse he had encountered in the past few hours. Travelling on foot slowed him down but it made it easier for him to move unseen in the ditches or behind hedgerows. He waited until the drumming of hooves was drowned out by another roll of thunder before he hauled himself out of the little stream that was forming around his ankles. Nobody would search for him in that deluge. It was a welcome friend. Lashed by the rain, Starculf broke into a loping run and headed due east.