The Butcher of St Peter's: (Knights Templar 19) by Michael Jecks Page A
Authors: Michael Jecks
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an officer of the King,’ Daniel said.
‘Quite true, unless the officer concerned is himself breaking the law,’ Baldwin observed.
‘I was there to stop a fight, that’s all. I acted as I should. I suppose I could have stopped him … but what can a man
do when some fool tries to stab him? What would you have done?’
‘Cut off his arm,’ Sir Peregrine said coolly. ‘But not his head.’
‘He tried to stab me. There were witnesses.’
Baldwin glanced at Cecily again, and she saw the coldness in his eyes. There was a piercing quality to them that she wasn’t
sure she liked. Then she saw them narrow in a gentle smile again. ‘Any man who can give life to such a pretty child cannot
be all bad.’ He turned from her again, and Cecily saw how the smile fled his face. ‘But a man who slaughters a drunkard unnecessarily
has evil within him. I trust you will not seek to hurt any more men, sergeant, for next time we shall see you arrested.’
‘Aye. I am a sergeant. I can be condemned when I am attacked,’ Daniel said coldly. ‘Yet who will protect me?’
‘You seem admirably competent at defence,’ Sir Peregrine murmured.
‘What could cause you fear?’ Baldwin asked.
Cecily said, ‘The man who comes at night.’
Sir Peregrine glanced down at her as though surprised that a child should speak in his presence. Baldwin, though, grinned
at her kindly, with an inviting nod. ‘Who do you mean? A friend of your father’s?’
Cecily suddenly realized that she might have spoken too soon, and she looked to her father. To her surprise, he appeared less
angry, almost relieved. He too nodded to her. ‘You tell them.’
‘There is a man who comes at night when everyone is asleep. He comes into our houses and looks at us all.’
Sir Peregrine smiled broadly. ‘A ghost, then? You’ve been having mares, child.’
Baldwin was about to chuckle when he caught sight of Daniel’s face. ‘Is this true, man?’
‘He breaks in every so often. Not every night, but now and again.’
‘Has he been seen?’ Sir Peregrine demanded.
‘I’ve seen him, so’s Cecily here. If you want more, speak to anyone round here. Several of us have caught him in our homes,
Reginald Gylla for one. It’s not only me.’
‘Why does he break in?’ Baldwin asked. ‘Is he a common draw-latch, or is there some other reason?’
Daniel looked over at his daughter, and this time there was no anger in his expression. She could see what looked oddly like
a tear in the corner of his eye. ‘Come here, child.’ Putting his arm about her, he continued: ‘There is a story that he’s
a man who lost his own family years ago in the famine: Estmund Webber. There are so many … he just covets the kids.’
‘He intends no harm, then?’ Peregrine said.
‘Not yet,’ Daniel said. ‘But a man who walks abroad at night and enters your house is enough of a cause for fear, isn’t he?’
Baldwin’s eyes went from her father to Cecily’s own face ashe agreed. ‘It is never good to learn that a man can break into your home with impunity. Not when you have children to protect.
Tell me, though. Do you have no locks, no bars? How does he enter?’
‘I have bars on the shutters and doors, but there is one which is old and wooden. I’ll show you.’
He rose, setting Cecily down on her feet, then led the way out through the rear door to the small chamber where his children
slept. ‘Look!’ he said, and strode to the barred window at the back of the room. ‘He climbs in here.’
‘What of the shutter?’ Baldwin asked. ‘Do you not lock that if you fear an intruder?’
‘Certainly we do. The shutter used to be a simple dropping board, with a thong to latch it closed, but the man was opening
it. He must have used a long knife to push up the bar.’
‘I saw it!’ Cecily squeaked. ‘A big long dagger, it was.’
‘Aye, well,’ Daniel confirmed. ‘So I had my men put up these new ones instead.’
He
‘Quite true, unless the officer concerned is himself breaking the law,’ Baldwin observed.
‘I was there to stop a fight, that’s all. I acted as I should. I suppose I could have stopped him … but what can a man
do when some fool tries to stab him? What would you have done?’
‘Cut off his arm,’ Sir Peregrine said coolly. ‘But not his head.’
‘He tried to stab me. There were witnesses.’
Baldwin glanced at Cecily again, and she saw the coldness in his eyes. There was a piercing quality to them that she wasn’t
sure she liked. Then she saw them narrow in a gentle smile again. ‘Any man who can give life to such a pretty child cannot
be all bad.’ He turned from her again, and Cecily saw how the smile fled his face. ‘But a man who slaughters a drunkard unnecessarily
has evil within him. I trust you will not seek to hurt any more men, sergeant, for next time we shall see you arrested.’
‘Aye. I am a sergeant. I can be condemned when I am attacked,’ Daniel said coldly. ‘Yet who will protect me?’
‘You seem admirably competent at defence,’ Sir Peregrine murmured.
‘What could cause you fear?’ Baldwin asked.
Cecily said, ‘The man who comes at night.’
Sir Peregrine glanced down at her as though surprised that a child should speak in his presence. Baldwin, though, grinned
at her kindly, with an inviting nod. ‘Who do you mean? A friend of your father’s?’
Cecily suddenly realized that she might have spoken too soon, and she looked to her father. To her surprise, he appeared less
angry, almost relieved. He too nodded to her. ‘You tell them.’
‘There is a man who comes at night when everyone is asleep. He comes into our houses and looks at us all.’
Sir Peregrine smiled broadly. ‘A ghost, then? You’ve been having mares, child.’
Baldwin was about to chuckle when he caught sight of Daniel’s face. ‘Is this true, man?’
‘He breaks in every so often. Not every night, but now and again.’
‘Has he been seen?’ Sir Peregrine demanded.
‘I’ve seen him, so’s Cecily here. If you want more, speak to anyone round here. Several of us have caught him in our homes,
Reginald Gylla for one. It’s not only me.’
‘Why does he break in?’ Baldwin asked. ‘Is he a common draw-latch, or is there some other reason?’
Daniel looked over at his daughter, and this time there was no anger in his expression. She could see what looked oddly like
a tear in the corner of his eye. ‘Come here, child.’ Putting his arm about her, he continued: ‘There is a story that he’s
a man who lost his own family years ago in the famine: Estmund Webber. There are so many … he just covets the kids.’
‘He intends no harm, then?’ Peregrine said.
‘Not yet,’ Daniel said. ‘But a man who walks abroad at night and enters your house is enough of a cause for fear, isn’t he?’
Baldwin’s eyes went from her father to Cecily’s own face ashe agreed. ‘It is never good to learn that a man can break into your home with impunity. Not when you have children to protect.
Tell me, though. Do you have no locks, no bars? How does he enter?’
‘I have bars on the shutters and doors, but there is one which is old and wooden. I’ll show you.’
He rose, setting Cecily down on her feet, then led the way out through the rear door to the small chamber where his children
slept. ‘Look!’ he said, and strode to the barred window at the back of the room. ‘He climbs in here.’
‘What of the shutter?’ Baldwin asked. ‘Do you not lock that if you fear an intruder?’
‘Certainly we do. The shutter used to be a simple dropping board, with a thong to latch it closed, but the man was opening
it. He must have used a long knife to push up the bar.’
‘I saw it!’ Cecily squeaked. ‘A big long dagger, it was.’
‘Aye, well,’ Daniel confirmed. ‘So I had my men put up these new ones instead.’
He
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