The Hunter’s Tale by Margaret Frazer Page B

Tom?”
     
    ‘Um-hum,“ Tom murmured. His eyes were closed again. ”There’s Sir William’s will, and deeds, and rent statements, and papers that look left over from Sir Ralph’s lawyer-days. I’m still reading through them. It’s killing me.“
     
    Idly, Hugh asked, “What were you doing in the strong-chest, Miles?” The iron-bound, padlocked box was kept under Sir Ralph’s… under Tom’s bed, to hold what ready money there was and whatever deeds, charters, and suchlike as were worth safe-guarding.
     
    ‘I had him fetch me some pence yesterday,“ Tom answered, rather than Miles. ”To pay old Wat for turfing that place where the stream bank had started to slide. He made good work of it. Wat, I mean.“
     
    ‘Sir William’s will was lying right on top of everything else,“ Miles said, ”and I was curious.“
     
    ‘You were snooping,“ Tom said lazily and not as if he minded.
     
    Miles sat up, stretched his back and crooked his neck as if they were stiff, and asked, “What did you think of the will?”
     
    ‘I thought it read pretty much like Father’s.“ Tom sounded not in the least interested. ”He’ll have to make a new one, now Sir Ralph is dead and can’t be his executor. But if Philippa and I are married soon enough, he won’t have to bother with deciding who’s to oversee her marriage in his place.“
     
    ‘You’re thinking you’ll marry soon?“ Hugh asked.
     
    Tom rolled his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “Might as well, since we’re going to do it sooner or later anyway and none of us are much interested in a year’s mourning for Sir Ralph anyway, are we?”
     
    ‘If Sir Ralph had a copy of Sir William’s will in his safekeeping,“ Miles said, ”don’t you suppose Sir William has a copy of Sir Ralph’s?“
     
    “I suppose.” Tom did not sound like he was supposing it very hard.
     
    ‘Then he must have known everything that was in it long before Master Wyck told us. Just as Sir Ralph must have known what was in his will, too,“ Miles persisted.
     
    Still lazily, Tom granted again, “I suppose.”
     
    Hugh looked up, frowning warily. Miles was going somewhere with this.
     
    Miles reached over and shook Tom’s knee. “But remember how Sir William tried to put off Master Wyck telling us about it?”
     
    ‘He thought it was too soon to be burdening Mother with it,“ Tom said. ”That’s all.“
     
    ‘Was it?“ Miles demanded. ”What about Selenger?“
     
    Tom finally drew himself up straight in his chair. “What about him?”
     
    ‘Mind how he was here so often before she went away? Always coming to see her? Keeping her company for half an afternoon at a time?“
     
    ‘Yes,“ Tom granted.
     
    ‘I half-thought…“ Hugh started, thought better of saying it but knew there was no going back, and finished slowly, ”I’ve half-thought she went with Ursula to be away from him.“
     
    Tom was deeply frowning now. “She never said that, did she?”
     
    ‘No. It was just something I… felt.“
     
    Carefully, as if he had considered the words for quite a while, Miles said, “He’s been to the nunnery to see her.”
     
    ‘To see Mother? Don’t be witless,“ Tom protested. ”Why would he go without telling us he was? Or else, when he came back, tell us how she is?“
     
    Miles held silent, waiting for them to figure it out for themselves. Tom took hardly longer than Hugh did to see where Miles was going; but while Hugh said nothing, Tom protested more strongly, “Miles, don’t try that one. He’s not angling for her, if that’s what you’re going around the bush to say.”
     
    ‘Then why did he go?“ Miles said.
     
    ‘I don’t know.“ Tom was impatient about it. ”A letter from Elyn. Complaints from Lucy. Sir William wanting to ask her something. I don’t know.“
     
    ‘Why not ask if we had any word to send her?“ Miles demanded. ”That would be courtesy.“
     
    Tom made an impatient gesture at him. “Give it over,