from it oozed out into the one room that served as kitchen, living, and sleeping quarters for the family.
I ducked under bunches of dried herbs and onions that hung from the rafters. “Joan said you were not able to come to Mass, because you had the ague. But I’m glad to see you’re recovering a little.”
Ralph was sitting hunched in the chair in the furthest corner of the room. I was more than a little surprised to see him out of bed. I’d sufferedmarsh-ague once myself and I’d not been able to lift my head from the pillow.
“She shouldn’t have troubled you,” Ralph muttered angrily. He glared at his wife, who stood with her back to the bolted door. I turned to catch her mouthing something at Ralph that I was not intended to hear. There was no obvious sign of fever upon him, but it was hard to see his face clearly by the feeble light of the single rush candle that was burning. Although it was only mid-afternoon, the shutters were tightly fastened.
“And …” I hesitated. “I saw your little daughter Marion in the stocks this morning.”
Joan buried her face in her hands. “There was no call for D’Acaster’s steward to put her in the stocks. She’s only a bairn. I know she shouldn’t have gone out so early. But she’s so small it’s the only way she can glean anything, otherwise the bigger ones push her aside and take it all. I don’t know how we’re going to pay the fine … as if I haven’t got enough to worry about. What with Ralph being …being sick …” She trailed off with a frightened glance in her husband’s direction.
“I believe the fine’s been paid,” I told her. “I heard the leader of the house of women paid it.”
Joan gaped at me in disbelief. “Why?”
“I understand they are women of great charity. She must have taken pity on the child.”
“We don’t need charity from the likes of them,” Joan muttered angrily. “I’ve told the bairns a dozen times never go near them. It’s dangerous to go mixing with outlanders.”
“On this occasion I think you should be grateful, Joan, and I trust you’ll not refuse the Church’s charity.” I uncovered my basket. “I’ve brought you a little mutton, Ralph. I though Joan might make a broth of it for you, if you couldn’t take solid food.”
Joan darted forward to take the meat. “You’re a good man, Father, no matter what they say.”
“And what do they say, Joan?” I asked grimly.
“Nothing, Father,” she said hastily. “Village tattle. Me and Ralph, we take no notice.”
“All the same, I’d like to hear it.”
Joan plucked at her skirt. “Tongues wag; you know that, Father. I heard tell that your last position was in the Cathedral at Norwich, a good living by all accounts. People have been wondering why you left … to come to a parish like this.”
“And do they have an answer?” The band was tightening around my chest again.
“They say … well, some say, that you were banished here on account of …” She looked desperately at her husband, but he did not come to her rescue. “On account of being caught … begging your pardon, Father, in bed with … with a nun, that’s what they say.” She caught up the bottom of her sacking apron and covered her face with it, too mortified even to look at me.
My breath came out in a great snort of laughter. They both looked at me in surprise. “No, no—I can assure you I was not caught in bed with a nun. Or caught anywhere else with a nun, for that matter.”
My chest still ached despite the relief. Once it set in, the pain would take hours to subside. Every day since I’d come to the miserable little village I felt as if I was being stalked by a beast which any moment might pounce on me. Every time I looked into the villagers’ eyes I wondered if somehow they’d found out, if the Bishop’s Commissarius had deliberately let it slip. It was the kind of thing he’d relish doing if it served his purpose.
Joan was watching me, evidently
I ducked under bunches of dried herbs and onions that hung from the rafters. “Joan said you were not able to come to Mass, because you had the ague. But I’m glad to see you’re recovering a little.”
Ralph was sitting hunched in the chair in the furthest corner of the room. I was more than a little surprised to see him out of bed. I’d sufferedmarsh-ague once myself and I’d not been able to lift my head from the pillow.
“She shouldn’t have troubled you,” Ralph muttered angrily. He glared at his wife, who stood with her back to the bolted door. I turned to catch her mouthing something at Ralph that I was not intended to hear. There was no obvious sign of fever upon him, but it was hard to see his face clearly by the feeble light of the single rush candle that was burning. Although it was only mid-afternoon, the shutters were tightly fastened.
“And …” I hesitated. “I saw your little daughter Marion in the stocks this morning.”
Joan buried her face in her hands. “There was no call for D’Acaster’s steward to put her in the stocks. She’s only a bairn. I know she shouldn’t have gone out so early. But she’s so small it’s the only way she can glean anything, otherwise the bigger ones push her aside and take it all. I don’t know how we’re going to pay the fine … as if I haven’t got enough to worry about. What with Ralph being …being sick …” She trailed off with a frightened glance in her husband’s direction.
“I believe the fine’s been paid,” I told her. “I heard the leader of the house of women paid it.”
Joan gaped at me in disbelief. “Why?”
“I understand they are women of great charity. She must have taken pity on the child.”
“We don’t need charity from the likes of them,” Joan muttered angrily. “I’ve told the bairns a dozen times never go near them. It’s dangerous to go mixing with outlanders.”
“On this occasion I think you should be grateful, Joan, and I trust you’ll not refuse the Church’s charity.” I uncovered my basket. “I’ve brought you a little mutton, Ralph. I though Joan might make a broth of it for you, if you couldn’t take solid food.”
Joan darted forward to take the meat. “You’re a good man, Father, no matter what they say.”
“And what do they say, Joan?” I asked grimly.
“Nothing, Father,” she said hastily. “Village tattle. Me and Ralph, we take no notice.”
“All the same, I’d like to hear it.”
Joan plucked at her skirt. “Tongues wag; you know that, Father. I heard tell that your last position was in the Cathedral at Norwich, a good living by all accounts. People have been wondering why you left … to come to a parish like this.”
“And do they have an answer?” The band was tightening around my chest again.
“They say … well, some say, that you were banished here on account of …” She looked desperately at her husband, but he did not come to her rescue. “On account of being caught … begging your pardon, Father, in bed with … with a nun, that’s what they say.” She caught up the bottom of her sacking apron and covered her face with it, too mortified even to look at me.
My breath came out in a great snort of laughter. They both looked at me in surprise. “No, no—I can assure you I was not caught in bed with a nun. Or caught anywhere else with a nun, for that matter.”
My chest still ached despite the relief. Once it set in, the pain would take hours to subside. Every day since I’d come to the miserable little village I felt as if I was being stalked by a beast which any moment might pounce on me. Every time I looked into the villagers’ eyes I wondered if somehow they’d found out, if the Bishop’s Commissarius had deliberately let it slip. It was the kind of thing he’d relish doing if it served his purpose.
Joan was watching me, evidently
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