![[Roger the Chapman 04] - The Holy Innocents](https://fs.ageofbook.com/589862/thumbs/152x264/roger-the-chapman-04-the-holy-innocents.jpg)
well, if, in return, you will promise to call me Grizelda.'
'You have my solemn word. Now, having settled that, are you trying to tell me that you suspect Eudo Colet of murder?'
She shrugged, spreading her hands. 'He was the only person who gained by their deaths. And as I explained earlier, he had grown much greedier since Rosamund died. Money for its own sake had begun to excite him.'
'But...' I hesitated, loath to condemn any man of so horrible a crime without having more evidence of his guilt than had so far been offered me. I continued, 'There seems no evidence to suggest that he killed the children. Unless you believe Jacinta's accusation of witchcraft.' I took another long draught of water to clear my head of lingering ale fumes.
'Tell me about the day they disappeared, or as much of it as you can remember.'
Grizelda tilted her head back against the cottage wall and closed her eyes, shielding them from the glare of the sun.
'Eudo Colet and I had never got on. He could not fail, from the first, to sense my dislike of him, as did Rosammld, who grew colder towards me. We lost our closeness and became almost like strangers to one another. But I have told you this, already. After my cousin's death, the household was in disarray, as you might well imagine, but when the first shock had passed, Master Colet made it plain that he wished us all to remain as members of the household. As far as I was concerned, he would have rid himself of me if he could, but Andrew and Mary were too attached to me, and he had no affection for either child. I was still useful to him; while I swore to myself that nothing would make me abandon my dearlings.
'But things went from bad to worse between us. Master Colet and I had terrible arguments about the children. More than once, I had to protect them from his wrath, because' she sighed - 'there is no denying that they were often very impertinent to him. They liked him no more than I did and had always been as disobedient as they dared, flouting his orders. When Rosamund was alive, he had not cared overmuch, leaving them to her to discipline. Now, however, there was only myself between him and their... I'm afraid I can give it no name except naughtiness. But I knew how unhappy they both were, how desperately they missed their mother, and I defended them as best I could, often drawing away Master Colet's wrath towards myself until his temper had had time to cool a little.
'Christmas was an uneasy season, but a sort of truce prevailed between us all, so that the festivities, such as they were so soon after Rosamund's death, should not be marred. But once Twelfth Night had come and gone, and the bitter January winds and rains kept us mewed up indoors, it was as though all the evil which had festered, unspoken, over the Nativity, burst and spewed forth like the breaking of a leprous sore.
'It was a Thursday, about the middle of the month, and I had been to worship early at the Priory. I recall that as I returned home it began to snow a little, and I was hungry, wanting my breakfast. As I entered the house, I heard voices, raised in anger, coming from the upstairs parlour; Eudo Colet shouting and the children wailing. Bridget and Agatha were huddled together at the foot of the stairs, listening and wondering whether or not they ought to interfere.
'I pushed them to one side and rushed upstairs like a Fury! Oh, I admit it! It was foolish; I should have had myself more in hand before tackling Master Colet. I can't remember now precisely what we said to one another, but enough for me to feel that I could stay in the house no longer. I yelled down to Bridget to run and fetch Jack Carter. I had urgent need of his services. Then I packed my box, although by that time, with the children clinging to my skirts and begging me not to go, I was regretting my rash decision. But it was too late.
Eudo Colet would not permit me to remain in the house, even had I really wished to do so.
'By the time Bridget
'You have my solemn word. Now, having settled that, are you trying to tell me that you suspect Eudo Colet of murder?'
She shrugged, spreading her hands. 'He was the only person who gained by their deaths. And as I explained earlier, he had grown much greedier since Rosamund died. Money for its own sake had begun to excite him.'
'But...' I hesitated, loath to condemn any man of so horrible a crime without having more evidence of his guilt than had so far been offered me. I continued, 'There seems no evidence to suggest that he killed the children. Unless you believe Jacinta's accusation of witchcraft.' I took another long draught of water to clear my head of lingering ale fumes.
'Tell me about the day they disappeared, or as much of it as you can remember.'
Grizelda tilted her head back against the cottage wall and closed her eyes, shielding them from the glare of the sun.
'Eudo Colet and I had never got on. He could not fail, from the first, to sense my dislike of him, as did Rosammld, who grew colder towards me. We lost our closeness and became almost like strangers to one another. But I have told you this, already. After my cousin's death, the household was in disarray, as you might well imagine, but when the first shock had passed, Master Colet made it plain that he wished us all to remain as members of the household. As far as I was concerned, he would have rid himself of me if he could, but Andrew and Mary were too attached to me, and he had no affection for either child. I was still useful to him; while I swore to myself that nothing would make me abandon my dearlings.
'But things went from bad to worse between us. Master Colet and I had terrible arguments about the children. More than once, I had to protect them from his wrath, because' she sighed - 'there is no denying that they were often very impertinent to him. They liked him no more than I did and had always been as disobedient as they dared, flouting his orders. When Rosamund was alive, he had not cared overmuch, leaving them to her to discipline. Now, however, there was only myself between him and their... I'm afraid I can give it no name except naughtiness. But I knew how unhappy they both were, how desperately they missed their mother, and I defended them as best I could, often drawing away Master Colet's wrath towards myself until his temper had had time to cool a little.
'Christmas was an uneasy season, but a sort of truce prevailed between us all, so that the festivities, such as they were so soon after Rosamund's death, should not be marred. But once Twelfth Night had come and gone, and the bitter January winds and rains kept us mewed up indoors, it was as though all the evil which had festered, unspoken, over the Nativity, burst and spewed forth like the breaking of a leprous sore.
'It was a Thursday, about the middle of the month, and I had been to worship early at the Priory. I recall that as I returned home it began to snow a little, and I was hungry, wanting my breakfast. As I entered the house, I heard voices, raised in anger, coming from the upstairs parlour; Eudo Colet shouting and the children wailing. Bridget and Agatha were huddled together at the foot of the stairs, listening and wondering whether or not they ought to interfere.
'I pushed them to one side and rushed upstairs like a Fury! Oh, I admit it! It was foolish; I should have had myself more in hand before tackling Master Colet. I can't remember now precisely what we said to one another, but enough for me to feel that I could stay in the house no longer. I yelled down to Bridget to run and fetch Jack Carter. I had urgent need of his services. Then I packed my box, although by that time, with the children clinging to my skirts and begging me not to go, I was regretting my rash decision. But it was too late.
Eudo Colet would not permit me to remain in the house, even had I really wished to do so.
'By the time Bridget
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