The Prophecy of Death

Chapter Five

Christ Church Priory

Prior Henry eyed the coroner as he approached. ‘Have you any news?’

‘Little enough.’

Coroner Robert grimaced as he pulled off his thick riding gloves and wiped his brow. It was unseasonably hot today, and he had ridden fast from the last inquest.

‘Sir Robert, please, I am forgetting my manners. Would you like refreshment? Wine?’

‘Ale if you have it, Prior. It is a little warm for exercise.’

The prior watched while one of his servants ran for the drink. The coroner appeared almost uneasy, avoiding the Prior’s eye as he stood, tapping his foot and waiting.

Soon the ale arrived, a large pewter jug and a silver goblet that looked ridiculously small in comparison. It took five refills of the goblet before the knight looked comforted and could nod to the Prior with a look of resolution on his face.

‘Very well. Can we speak here in privacy?’

‘Of course,’ the prior said.

‘Your dead man, Brother Gilbert, was undoubtedly murdered by the man who took the oil, but I am not sure that he was entirely blameless.’

‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Just this: the man who killed Gilbert was seen. Or, at least a man who appeared to have been trying to escape attention was seen on that night, running away from the convent. There is a peasant outside the city wall who’s prepared to swear that he saw a man with what looked like a damp tunic running away from the postern. He said nothing at the time because it didn’t occur to the cloth-headed fool. I daresay he was drunk and just thought that it was someone else who had been drinking. Now he has heard of the murder, he’s had fresh thoughts, though.’

‘He should have come forward sooner,’ the Prior said bitterly.

‘Perhaps. Maybe he knew something else, though, and chose not to.’

‘That sounds a little strange, Sir Robert. What do you mean by it?’

‘In the days before his death, you had guests, did you not?’

‘Yes, you know that we had the embassy for the King pass by. They were asking where the King was, and I was able to direct them to Beaulieu. They stayed one night only.’

‘In that night did you notice any of the monks speaking with the men in the embassy?’

‘Yes. Of course they did. The monks here may be devoted to God, but that doesn’t mean that they take no interest in affairs outside the convent.’

‘Clearly that’s true.’

‘What are you inferring, Sir Robert?’ Prior Henry challenged testily. He was growing uneasy at the coroner’s apparent grimness.

‘Did Gilbert have a dispute with any of the men from the party?’

‘No, he did not. Coroner, I do not like your tone.’

‘And I don’t like what I’ve been hearing. The man who saw the fellow running from here said that he was running away from the priory and heading westwards.’

‘After them? But that is ridiculous! You’re telling me that the men in the embassy could have stolen the oil? That is impossible. They were all gone the afternoon before the theft.’

‘How many King’s heralds were there in the party?’

‘With the two bishops? I don’t know … there was that chubby one, and the shorter, stocky fellow. What of it?’

‘I’ve asked about. Apparently the party rode on to an inn at Ashford. There was only one herald with the party there.’

‘I am sure there were two.’

‘I am sure you are right. One stayed behind and killed your Gilbert.’

‘What possible reason could there be for him to do that?’

‘I do not know.’

‘I think you must be mistaken, Coroner. The party riding on would have noticed if they had lost a man.’

‘In a group of how many? Fifty? A hundred? They would all believe that the man was in another part of the cavalcade. But there is another thing: the man said that the fellow’s tunic was all wet. He also said that it almost obscured the fellow’s tabard. It was the tabard of a royal herald.’

Baldwin was glad when they saw the first lights in the distance and could smell the faint tang of woodsmoke on the air.

There were few signs of civilisation so welcome to a traveller as these. The first thing he always sought out was a gibbet when abroad, because at least in a land such as Galicia or Navarre, when a man found a proof of punishment, there was also proof of law, and law enforcement. Terrifying to him was a land in which there was no respect for laws. That was dangerous indeed.

Here, though, they were approaching the city of Canterbury, and Baldwin was hopeful that they might soon be at the priory, where they might beg a room for the night before it grew dark. He was unwilling to stay in the open out here. There had been too much devastation during the terrible famine years. He had heard rumours of cannibalism here in Kent, and doubted that matters were any safer yet away from the cities.

There was little conversation with other members of their party. Their companions were a mixed group. The Bishop of Orange clearly thought himself too superior to Simon to speak with him, although he did condescend to talk to Baldwin on occasion. For the most part of their hurried journey he had maintained a stiff haughtiness, patronising the guards when he spoke to them, and irritating all who travelled with him.

The men-at-arms ranged from one scruffy churl, Pons, whom Baldwin would happily have seen fall from the ship just to see him washed, he was so foul, to one fellow who looked as though he might have been the son of an earl, because he was always immaculately dressed. This man, Jack, took one look at Baldwin early on in their travels, and appeared to wince at the sight of his old threadbare red tunic and torn linen shirt. He almost made Baldwin defensive about his style of dress. This one appeared to view the world with an eye that could discern a joke in any situation. Yet he reminded Baldwin of others, especially those who had lost their livelihoods and were forced to hire themselves out to whoever seemed to be the best new master. There were many of them since the famine of ten years ago.

Of the others he formed little opinion. There were two Flemings and a Frenchman, but they tended to keep to themselves and messed together. They were not rude to Baldwin and Simon, but Baldwin gained the impression that they were used to their master and tended to heed his moods. When he was quiet, so were they. Still, Baldwin noticed that the Frenchman in particular appeared to possess an ill humour. André appeared to lose his temper swiftly when he felt himself thwarted. Baldwin saw this when they stopped at one inn and the man-at-arms felt that his horse was not attended to speedily enough. André almost set hand to sword until a companion, the foul little one, calmed him.

Still, he had not felt as though he was in danger from any of them during their fast ride from Paris. They had not been forced to gallop, but the lightness of their loads had meant that they had been able to go at almost the speed of a King’s Messenger, some thirty to forty miles each day, depending upon the land and roads. However, although messengers were entitled to take their ease on the Sunday, the Bishop had not suggested that. After Mass, he insisted they should continue. His view was that ‘Travelling itself is not a sinful occupation on a Sunday. I look upon it as a necessary duty; the more so since we have a need to hurry in order to try to prevent another war breaking out between the English and the French.’

Baldwin was happy with this attitude. There were all too many men who’d delight in a day’s rest when they had duties to perform. He was content that while the Bishop might well be a hard man to like, an arrogant, pig-headed, stalwart noble who looked down on any man who was not worth at least two hundred pounds a year, he was also dedicated. And no Christian could ask for more than that.

They were clattering along the road into Canterbury as the light began to fade, and Simon and Baldwin, who were riding in the vanguard, could hear the sound of bells tolling.

‘My Lord Bishop, they are ringing the bells,’ Baldwin called back urgently. ‘With your permission, we shall ride on.’

‘I will send my own men. You may remain,’ came the firm response.

Baldwin took a deep breath, but decided to make no objection as two of the guards were sent on. It was the two Frenchmen: André and the scruffy little fellow, Pons.

It was a decision which he would later rue.

Beaulieu

The King motioned sulkily as he completed his meal, and his servants hurried to do his bidding.

His men swiftly finished their food and bowed their way from his presence, each carefully walking backwards so as never to show him the insult of turning their backs upon him, and while one group of young servants set about removing all the mess bowls and clutter from the tables, another set to removing and folding all the table linen. As soon as that was put away, the table tops were taken from the trestles, and all cleared away, leaving a broad, empty space in front of him.

‘It is always thus, Hugh. Always. In every detail of my life, I have been thwarted. At first it was my father, refusing to understand the depth of my love for poor Piers; then the earls took his place after his death and refused to countenance my friendship with him, even going so far as to murder him. Murder him! My poor Piers. All I have ever wanted was to be a good king, but I am prevented at every turn by fools and malcontents. Not satisfied with ruining my happiness by murdering poor Piers, they tried to make me cast you aside too.’

Despenser nodded with a serious expression on his face. Piers Gaveston was a man who had been universally detested throughout the country. Greedy, vain, ambitious and arrogant, he had finally been captured by barons and murdered, to the King’s horror. ‘They didn’t succeed, my Lord, did they?’

‘But they shouldn’t have tried! I am their King, in God’s name. I am the man anointed by God, chosen by Him to be their ruler on earth. Do they dare set their faces against Him through me? Are they that mad?’

‘Only a fool would attempt such a crime,’ Despenser said, clenching his jaw to stifle a yawn.

‘But they do. Then there is the felon Robert Bruce and his rebellion in Scotland, and the arch-traitor, Mortimer. How has my reign become so mired with treachery and distrust? I only ever wanted to be a good king.’

‘You are a good king. The actions of a few fools and criminals cannot alter that.’

‘It all went wrong from that first moment. Do you remember that knight who died at my coronation?’

‘Come, my Lord, we have-’

‘Do not contradict me, Sir Hugh. I was delayed for a week because of that intolerable old fool Winchelsea, and all said it was because of disputes between me and the barons. Then there was a genuine argument about which earl should carry which item of the regalia, and the death of the knight when the mob pushed forward. Dear Christ, I can see it all now!’

And he could, in his mind’s eye. The press had been so forceful that a wall had collapsed, bringing down with it the royal staging and knocking down the high altar. Sir John de Bakewell was the unfortunate man who happened to be standing at the other side of the wall, and he was crushed to death. The most devastatingly unpropitious beginning to any reign.

‘It was an accident, my Lord,’ Despenser said smoothly.

‘An accident? It set off my reign perfectly,’ the King said petulantly. ‘A man dies at my coronation, and within a day, there are rumours of my displeasing my French wife’s family, and stories about my association with my best friend. How much worse could the omens have been?’

‘Yes.’

‘And it could all have been prevented.’

‘You mustn’t let yourself dwell on such matters, my Lord.’

‘Silence!’ The sudden, snapped command held the power of a man who could inflict death in a moment with complete impunity. ‘Do not presume to tell me what I may and may not consider, Sir Hugh. I am the King. Sir Thomas, Earl of Lancaster, tried to tell me what I may and may not do, and I saw him executed. Do not forget that!’

Sir Hugh bowed his head repentantly, but in his heart he laughed to himself. Just now he was the King’s sole friend, and the King would not dare to remove him. Indeed, a large consideration that swayed the King against travelling to France to pay homage for the French estates was the knowledge that to do so would almost certainly result in a rebellion against Despenser. Without the King’s protection, he was as secure as Gaveston had been on that lonely road when he was slain. And the only man who hated Despenser more than a natural-born English Lord was the French King. He detested Sir Hugh.

It all stemmed from the dreadful days after the war of the Lords Marcher. The bastards had imposed demands upon the King, first of which was that Sir Hugh should be exiled from England. That was not something he would accept. Instead, he based himself in Kent, at the coast, and set about a life of piracy. One ship he took was French, and ever since then the French King had said he was a felon. Were Sir Hugh ever to set foot on French soil, so King Charles IV had said, he would be executed immediately.

He could not travel to France with King Edward. Yet without him, King Edward was reluctant to go to France. He trusted no other man to act in his stead, but if Despenser were left, there would be a rising against him in moments, and he would be killed. That was why the King remained here in England — it was in order to protect his companion. His irritation stemmed from the knowledge that he would lose his French possessions in his attempt to protect his lover.

‘If only I had been anointed with the oil …’

‘It is over, my Lord. What is done is done, and there is little we can do to alter our destiny now we are set upon our roads.’

‘You speak like a man who has knowledge of such matters. You were not so damned sanguine when you thought your life was threatened by the possible attack of a necromancer, were you?’

Sir Hugh shrugged. He had got over it once he’d ensured that the necromancer had been killed in gaol.

‘St Thomas’s oil,’ King Edward muttered. ‘If only I’d had it then. But no. Even then the earls were plotting my downfall, weren’t they?’

‘I am sure that-’

‘Oh, silence! I am the most unfortunate monarch this land has ever seen. My reign was cursed from the first. And you know it!’