man didn’t need telling twice. He took the cup in both hands and gulped down half its contents before passing it to his companions. Behind me I heard Jane give another snort.
‘Why are you always so cynical?’ I frowned returning to her. ‘Are you so consumed by your own grief that you have no compassion for others?’
‘Compassion!’ she sneered. ‘I saw no compassion last night.’
‘If you are referring to the unfortunate incident between Abbot Samson and Father Ralf then I’m afraid that was Ralf’s fault. God knows the Sisters of Saint George are poor enough. They can’t afford the loss of a single pot. Father Abbot was justly angry on their behalf at the wanton waste.’
I didn’t believe a word of what I was saying any more than she did but I had a duty of loyalty to my superior. It doesn’t do to break ranks before servants whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter. It gives them ideas.
‘Ralf wor blind . He can’t help accidents. Now he’s dead acause of it.’
‘Hardly that ,’ I said. ‘And I’m sure had father abbot known Ralf was so ill he would have tempered his words. He couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen. No-one could.’
‘Could he not?’ she sneered
I was beginning to lose patience with the woman. ‘Jane you are being unjust. I’ve known Abbot Samson for fifteen years and I can tell you there is no man living with greater compassion.’
‘Fifteen year ?’
‘Yes.’
She leaned towards me over her mule’s head. ‘I know’d Sam Tott’ton for nigh on forty year an’ I say ’twere malice.’
My jaw dropped open. ‘Forty years? Are you sure?’
She just grinned back at me. A thought suddenly came to me:
‘Jane, where is your home village?’
‘Tott ’ton, same as Samson. Same as Ralf. There now, Brother Knows-it-all,’ she smirked. ‘What d’ye think on that?’
I had to admit it was a shock. I’d never been to Tottington but I knew it was a small village. Could they all have known each other in childhood?
‘Tell me Jane, when you first saw Ralf this morning, what condition was he in?’
She looked at me suspiciously. ‘Why’re you asking that?’
‘Just answer me.’
‘He wor as Sister Benjamin left him.’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t mean in the cellar. I mean when you first saw him.’
‘That wor when I first saw him.’
‘No, ’ I said patiently. ‘When you discovered him - in the priesthouse.’
‘I weren’t at the priesthouse.’
‘But Abbot Samson said -’ I stopped. ‘Never mind. Well if you didn’t find Ralf, who did?’
‘Mother Odell.’
I drew back a little at that. ‘You’re saying Mother Odell discovered Ralf’s body? In the priesthouse? Mother Odell? This morning? Mother Odell?’
She pursed her lips at me as though I were an imbecile.
‘She do that when I aren’t there. Looks in on Ralf.’
‘ Ah yes. Ralf said you were off sulking somewhere.’
She shook her head. ‘Weren’t sulking. Ralf didn’t want me last night.’
‘ Now I know you’re lying,’ I said. ‘You left because you were upset - understandably under the circumstances but nevertheless neglectful. Your duty was to be with your master.’
She glared at me. ‘Jane don’t lie. I were waitin’ in the porch to take Ralf home. It were him sent me away.’
My instinct was that she was lying in order to shift the blame away from her. After all, had she been with Ralf overnight she might have been able to save his life. But why would she lie about finding his body?
When at last Samson emerged he was red-cheeked and exuding bonhomie having clearly enjoyed the prior’s log fire - and doubtless a cup or two of the prior’s wine. By contrast Jane and I in contrast were sitting sullen and silent astride our mounts.
Samson pulled a face at me. ‘What’s the matter with you? Not still sulking about being left out in the cold, are you?’
But it wasn’t that. There was something very mysterious about the whole Ralf
‘Why are you always so cynical?’ I frowned returning to her. ‘Are you so consumed by your own grief that you have no compassion for others?’
‘Compassion!’ she sneered. ‘I saw no compassion last night.’
‘If you are referring to the unfortunate incident between Abbot Samson and Father Ralf then I’m afraid that was Ralf’s fault. God knows the Sisters of Saint George are poor enough. They can’t afford the loss of a single pot. Father Abbot was justly angry on their behalf at the wanton waste.’
I didn’t believe a word of what I was saying any more than she did but I had a duty of loyalty to my superior. It doesn’t do to break ranks before servants whatever the rights and wrongs of the matter. It gives them ideas.
‘Ralf wor blind . He can’t help accidents. Now he’s dead acause of it.’
‘Hardly that ,’ I said. ‘And I’m sure had father abbot known Ralf was so ill he would have tempered his words. He couldn’t have predicted what was going to happen. No-one could.’
‘Could he not?’ she sneered
I was beginning to lose patience with the woman. ‘Jane you are being unjust. I’ve known Abbot Samson for fifteen years and I can tell you there is no man living with greater compassion.’
‘Fifteen year ?’
‘Yes.’
She leaned towards me over her mule’s head. ‘I know’d Sam Tott’ton for nigh on forty year an’ I say ’twere malice.’
My jaw dropped open. ‘Forty years? Are you sure?’
She just grinned back at me. A thought suddenly came to me:
‘Jane, where is your home village?’
‘Tott ’ton, same as Samson. Same as Ralf. There now, Brother Knows-it-all,’ she smirked. ‘What d’ye think on that?’
I had to admit it was a shock. I’d never been to Tottington but I knew it was a small village. Could they all have known each other in childhood?
‘Tell me Jane, when you first saw Ralf this morning, what condition was he in?’
She looked at me suspiciously. ‘Why’re you asking that?’
‘Just answer me.’
‘He wor as Sister Benjamin left him.’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t mean in the cellar. I mean when you first saw him.’
‘That wor when I first saw him.’
‘No, ’ I said patiently. ‘When you discovered him - in the priesthouse.’
‘I weren’t at the priesthouse.’
‘But Abbot Samson said -’ I stopped. ‘Never mind. Well if you didn’t find Ralf, who did?’
‘Mother Odell.’
I drew back a little at that. ‘You’re saying Mother Odell discovered Ralf’s body? In the priesthouse? Mother Odell? This morning? Mother Odell?’
She pursed her lips at me as though I were an imbecile.
‘She do that when I aren’t there. Looks in on Ralf.’
‘ Ah yes. Ralf said you were off sulking somewhere.’
She shook her head. ‘Weren’t sulking. Ralf didn’t want me last night.’
‘ Now I know you’re lying,’ I said. ‘You left because you were upset - understandably under the circumstances but nevertheless neglectful. Your duty was to be with your master.’
She glared at me. ‘Jane don’t lie. I were waitin’ in the porch to take Ralf home. It were him sent me away.’
My instinct was that she was lying in order to shift the blame away from her. After all, had she been with Ralf overnight she might have been able to save his life. But why would she lie about finding his body?
When at last Samson emerged he was red-cheeked and exuding bonhomie having clearly enjoyed the prior’s log fire - and doubtless a cup or two of the prior’s wine. By contrast Jane and I in contrast were sitting sullen and silent astride our mounts.
Samson pulled a face at me. ‘What’s the matter with you? Not still sulking about being left out in the cold, are you?’
But it wasn’t that. There was something very mysterious about the whole Ralf
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