The Prodigal Son by Kate Sedley Page A

should say – when she came on a visit, told her mother the same. Sir Damien, too. But she wouldn’t listen.’
    â€˜Mother never took anyone’s advice about anything,’ Anthony interrupted with a laugh. ‘If people gave it, it only made her the more determined to go her own way.’
    The steward nodded. ‘But, of course, two years later, when everyone seemed to be proved right, her bitterness against young Jericho was extreme. He’d made a fool of her, and that she could never forgive. Her hatred of him is unrelenting.’
    â€˜This man who is now in the bridewell in Bristol,’ I said. ‘This man she has accused of being John Jericho, you don’t agree with her, Master Steward. Or so I understand.’
    He glanced sharply at me. ‘Now who do you understand that from?’
    â€˜Before I left Bristol, everyone was talking about it. Sergeant Manifold, the arresting officer, is a friend of mine.’ (Well, sort of.) ‘This man, John Wedmore, declares he was in Ireland at the time of the murder.’
    The steward nodded. ‘He’s not the guilty man,’ he said.
    â€˜But can you convince Dame Audrea of that?’
    â€˜She won’t make me testify to the contrary.’
    Anthony Bellknapp clapped his old friend on the back. ‘Good for you, George. If, that is, you can hold out against her. But unless she’s altered greatly during the past eight years, my mother can be a formidable enemy if she doesn’t get her own way. You’d do well to take care.’
    â€˜And you’d do well to heed your own advice,’ the steward retorted with a smile. ‘Your return has upset all her plans for the future. She intended to go on ruling this household even after Simon came of age.’
    â€˜He might take a wife,’ I suggested.
    â€˜Only a girl chosen by his mother.’ George Applegarth smiled. ‘Oh, Simon won’t realize it, but the mistress has always been able to twist him around her little finger.’
    â€˜Lord, yes!’ Anthony agreed. ‘That was my misfortune, that I’d never let her. She set my father against me from the moment I lisped my first word of defiance. Otherwise, I believe that he and I might – just might – have been friends. He obviously tried to make some amends to me when he knew he was dying.’ My host paused, staring into space as though reflecting on the past, but then continued, ‘Anyway, if you can bear it, George, tell me about the night of the murder. Why hadn’t you and Jenny accompanied my parents on their visit to my sister?’
    The steward shook his head. ‘I can’t rightly remember now.’ He sounded impatient. ‘There was some good reason. Jenny wouldn’t have gone, in any case. Master Simon was nine by then, and declared himself too old to have a nurse.’
    â€˜And why had the page remained behind?’
    Once again, George Applegarth made a gesture of dismissal, as though the pain of recollection was almost too much for him to bear. ‘Toothache, earache … some ailment of that nature.’
    â€˜But, of course, whatever he said it was, was faked,’ Anthony protested. ‘He only pretended to be sick in order to stay behind at Croxcombe so he could steal the silver.’
    â€˜Yes.’ George’s voice was barely audible, and I could tell that while he must inevitably relive that night over and over in his mind, he would prefer not to talk about it.
    Whether or not my host shared my perception I had no idea, but he persisted with his catechism. ‘You didn’t hear Jenny get out of bed? She didn’t try to wake you?’
    â€˜No.’ The steward took a deep breath. ‘Or if she did try to rouse me, she didn’t succeed. I blame myself. Too much ale with my supper. It always makes me sleep like the dead.’ He clamped a hand to his mouth as he realized the infelicity of this remark,