The Elephants Of Norwich Part 21

*Nothing. I had my ear pressed to your door.'

*But while you were doing that, someone was overpowering Hermer and stealing my priceless wedding gift. They must've made some sort of noise.'

*I didn't hear them, my lord,' whispered Clamahoc. *Truly, I didn't.'

*Who else was in the house at that time?'

*n.o.body, as far as I know.'

*Then how did Hermer and those gold elephants disappear?'

*It's a mystery.'

*Don't you dare lie to me, Clamahoc,' said the other, waving the flame close to his victim's face again. *Tell me everything you know about Hermer's death.'

*There's nothing to tell, I swear.'

*You were the one who brought his hands back in that box.'

*I found it lying outside your door, my lord.'

*Did you put it there in the first place?'

*No!' protested the other as the torch made his eyes smart. *If I'd known what was in that box, I'd never have looked into it. The sight of those hands turned my stomach.'

*Be glad that I don't cut off your own hands and hang them up in front of you.'

*Please don't!' begged Clamahoc. *I'll do anything for you.'

*It's too late.'

*But it isn't, my lord. It's true that I spied on you but I can work against the lord Mauger instead. I can find out things that will be of use to you,' the man gabbled, desperate to avoid further punishment. *I can mislead them, if you wish. I can give false information to Drogo. I'll do anything, if only you'll spare me.'

Richard de Fontenel handed the torch back to the servant and toyed with his whip. He looked at the sweating face and blood-covered torso in front of him. Clamahoc had suffered enough for the time being. He might yet come in useful. His master turned to the two brawny men in attendance on the beating.

*Lock him up without food,' he ordered. *Just give him water.'

After one final swipe with his whip at Clamahoc's back, he walked quickly away.

To travellers who had come all the way from Winchester, it was a relatively short ride. The lady Adelaide lived in the hundred of Humbleyard, slightly to the east of Heigham. It was attractive countryside, making the journey from Norwich a source of pleasure and curiosity. Alys and Golde were accompanied by four of Ralph's men, for whom it was an easy a.s.signment and a welcome change from the long ride to the abbey of St Benet.

*What did you think of him, Golde?' asked Alys.

*Of whom?'

*Richard de Fontenel.'

*I thought him a veritable ogre.'

*Could the lady Adelaide ever love such a man?'

*The question I'd ask is whether or not he could ever love her,' said Golde with scepticism. *All that interests a man like him is power. That's what he loves. Power over his servants, power over his rivals and power over his wife.'

*She must see that.'

*The lady Adelaide is an astute woman. She sees everything.'

*Then why does she let such a man near her?'

*He's one of two suitors, remember. We haven't seen the other yet, though Ralph tells me that the lord Mauger is every bit as abominable.'

Alys gave a wan smile. *It makes me feel grateful for Gervase.'

*Yes,' said Golde. *Ralph may not have wooed me with a pair of gold elephants but he's a paragon compared with that oaf who interrupted our banquet the other night.'

*Which one of them will the lady Adelaide choose?'

*I don't know, Alys. Let's hope that she tells us.'

They rode on until the manor house rose up before them in the middle distance. Constructed of local flint, it was a long, low building with large windows and a thatched roof whose eaves undulated gently like golden waves. At the front was an avenue of trees and shrubs, at the rear a well-tended garden. It was an impressive house, larger than the one that Golde shared with Ralph on his Hampshire estate and much bigger than the modest abode in Winchester where Gervase and Alys lived. The visitors were duly struck with the size and solidity of the exterior. Once inside the house, however, they had even more cause for approbation.

*What a beautiful house, my lady!' exclaimed Golde admiringly.

*Thank you.'

*There's so much colour and ornament.'

The lady Adelaide nodded. *I could never live in drab surroundings.'

*It's more comfortable than the castle,' said Alys in wonderment.

*Give the lord Roger more time and that will be improved out of all recognition. It was only built of timber in the interests of speed. When a stone fortress is erected, I'm sure it will be more daunting on the outside and more opulent within. That, at least,' she said with a confiding smile, *was what the lady Matilda told me. Norwich is still growing. It's only a matter of time before Bishop William moves his seat here.'

*Why, my lady?' Golde wanted to know.

*Thetford is too small a town from which to administer a diocese.'

*Is it?'

*Can you imagine anyone wanting to build a cathedral there? Norwich is the only fitting place for such a structure. Come back in five or ten years and we'll have a stone castle and the foundations of a magnificent cathedral.'

They were seated in the parlour of the house. Golde and Alys had both worn their finest attire but it seemed dowdy beside the pale blue silk chemise and gown of the lady Adelaide. A gold necklace and a large brooch sparkled in the sunlight that flooded in through the open shutters, and her fingers were adorned with rings. The lady Adelaide looked supremely at home in a room that featured oak furniture, splendid wood carvings, a series of tapestries on the walls and some gleaming gold plate, worthy of display in any cathedral. Sitting in the middle of it all, she exuded wealth and sophistication. As she talked about the future of Norwich, her visitors were astonished at how well-informed she was.

*You seem to know everything about the city, my lady,' said Alys, curiously.

*I like to keep abreast of affairs. I know that women are not supposed to take an interest in such things but I don't see why men should make all the decisions.'

*I agree with that,' said Golde, firmly.

*Do you influence the lord Ralph's decisions?'

*As often as I can.'

*What about you, Alys? Your husband seems to me a most considerate man.'

*He is, my lady. Gervase is an angel. He does everything I could wish.'

*Does he discuss his work with you?'

*No,' admitted Alys. *He fears it would bore me.'

*Is that the only reason?'

*What do you mean?'

*Well,' said the lady Adelaide, casually, *when I spoke to the lord Ralph at the banquet, he told me that this was the first time Gervase had brought you with him on one of his outings as a royal commissioner. Whereas you, I believe,' she went on, looking at Golde, *have been at your husband's side a number of times.'

*That's true,' said Golde.

*So your husband is much more open with you.'

*Gervase is very open with me, my lady,' said Alys, loyally.

*He is,' confirmed Golde. *I'm sure that he wasn't deliberately trying to keep Alys ignorant of his work. What concerned him was the tedium of travel and the dangers involved. Gervase didn't want to expose Alys to either.'

*Well, I'm glad that he changed his mind,' said the lady Adelaide, sweetly. *Or I shouldn't have had the pleasure of meeting her. I'm so glad you were both able to visit me here. It was impossible to talk properly at the banquet.'

*Yes,' said Golde. *Especially when the lord Richard barged in.'

*That's his way,' said the other, tolerantly. *The lord Richard will never be renowned for his good manners but he has other things to commend him.'

*Does he, my lady?'

The arrival of a servant with refreshments saved his mistress from having to answer the question. Wine and honey cakes were served to the visitors, while the lady Adelaide looked fondly around.

*I love this room,' she said softly. *My husband and I designed it together. Geoffrey was so amenable. He kept nothing from me and always took my advice before he made an important decision.'

*Ralph is just the same,' said Golde, proudly.

*And Gervase,' said Alys, determined not to be left out of any display of marital credentials. *He's so kind and patient with me.'

*Yet he never confides in you about his work,' noted the lady Adelaide. *And I dare say the lord Ralph is equally secretive about affairs of state. Like most men, he believes that a mere woman could never begin to understand them.'

*You're quite wrong,' replied Golde, stung by the implication but remaining cool. *My husband frequently talks about his work as a royal commissioner.'

*Oh?'

*There've been times when he's deliberately sought my counsel.'

*When was that?'

*In York, for instance. Or when we visited Exeter.'

*You were excluded from those visits, I gather,' said the lady Adelaide, glancing at Alys. *Didn't you mind being left behind?'

*It was only proper, my lady. Gervase and I were not married at the time.'

*No,' said Golde, *and if they hadn't managed to speed up their deliberations in Exeter, Alys might not have been married at all. As it was, Gervase had to race back to Winchester to get there in time. He was a rather breathless bridegroom.'

Alys beamed. *But all the more welcome.'

*When will the commissioners start work in the shire hall?' asked their hostess.

*Not until the murder of Hermer the Steward has been solved, my lady.'

*There's the other crime as well,' added Golde. *The theft of two gold elephants. You've actually seen them, I believe, my lady. Are they as exquisite as report has it?'

*They were,' said the other with feeling. *I have a pa.s.sion for gold that amounts to an obsession but even I have never seen anything like those two miniatures. They were works of art. Simply to hold them in my grasp was a privilege. To possess them would be a form of ecstasy.'

*And will you possess them?'

*How can I when they've been stolen?'

*If they're recovered, I mean,' said Golde, fishing gently.

*We shall have to wait and see.'

*Would you be ready to accept them as a wedding gift?'

A noncommittal smile. *I'd be prepared to accept them, most certainly.'

The lady Adelaide deftly shifted the conversation to another topic, and her visitors gradually relaxed. They could see why suitors were drawn by her beauty but they were now able to appreciate her other qualities as well. She would be no timid wife. After one happy marriage, she would clearly impose stringent conditions before she entered into a second. Alys marvelled at her self-possession. Golde liked her candour.

*Have they any idea who the killer is yet?' said Adelaide, after a brief pause.

*No,' confessed Golde, *but my husband says that they are getting closer all the time. He's gone to search for a man called Jocelyn Vavasour today.'

The other woman sat up. *Why on earth should he do that? He surely can't suspect the lord Jocelyn of being the murderer. The man has become an anchorite.'

*So I understand.'

*What possible help can he be to your husband?'

*I'm not sure,' said Golde, sensing that she should not divulge any more details. *It was late when they got back last night and I had no time to talk to Ralph. Shortly, after dawn, he and the lord Eustace set off.'

*Didn't your husband go with them, Alys?'

*No, my lady. He's continuing the search nearer home.'