they’ll stay, s’long as there’s sickness in the valley.’ She sniffed. ‘Don’t have no truck with the idea of helping the sick and needy, they don’t.’
‘Ah.’ Trying to sound casual – a passer-by venturing a conversational remark – he said, ‘I’m surprised they don’t leave at least a small staff, though. After all, there must be caretaking duties and there’s security to think of…’ He trailed off, hoping she would take up the opportunity of a bit of a gossip.
She did. Putting down her kindling and folding her arms, she said, ‘Security? I don’t imagine that bothers them, not with that ruddy great drawbridge pulled up. I mean, who’s going to try to climb up there ?’ She jerked her head towards the castle’s formidable walls. ‘And why bother, that’s what I say! If them grand folks don’t want to associate with the likes of us, then there’s no call for us to go bothering them. ’
An independently-minded woman, Josse reflected. ‘Is there truly nobody within?’
‘Oh, there’s your caretakers, all right.’ She sniffed again, then suddenly her face lightened into a smile of genuine humour. ‘You’re not thinking, mate,’ she said. ‘Course there’s got to be someone inside, else how’d they raise the drawbridge?’
He grinned in response. ‘Aye. You’re right there.’
‘There’s any number of them,’ she continued. ‘Caretakers, like. But they ain’t going to come out all the while there’s food and water within. They’ll see the advantages of keeping themselves apart from the sickness, same as their precious lords and masters. You mark my word, there’ll be no comings and goings over that drawbridge till spring.’
‘I did have a faint hope of finding an acquaintance of mine here. I heard tell he lodged with the family…?’
The woman shook her head. ‘Unlikely. As I’ve already told you –’ she was eyeing Josse suspiciously now, as if trying to decide if he had evil intentions or was just plain stupid – ‘the family’s away. If your acquaintance is in there, he must be a guest of the caretakers, not the Clares.’ Another assessing look. ‘And you’ll be a better judge than me, sir, as to the likelihood of that.’
‘No, no, as you say, he can’t be. I must have been mistaken.’ Keen to allay her curiosity – he didn’t like the idea of her passing on details of her meeting with a man nosing around outside the castle and asking daft questions – he said, ‘I’m for the tavern. A mug of ale and a spell of warming my toes by Goody Anne’s fire sounds just the thing for me. I wish you good day.’ He bowed, swung up on to Horace, and set off down the track towards the river.
When he risked a glance behind him, the woman had picked up her bundle and was striding away.
* * *
The inn was bustling. There seemed to be as many people milling around in the yard as within, Josse thought as he pushed his way inside. And there was a deal of animated chattering going on, too.
Goody Anne was in the tap room, sleeves rolled up to display her well-muscled forearms, handing out jugs of ale to a band of men.
‘How goes it, Mistress Anne?’ Josse asked when, catching sight of him, she nodded a greeting.
‘Rushed off my feet, as ever.’ She gave him a friendly grin. ‘Thanks to you, sir, people haven’t been scared off.’ She winked. ‘If you get my meaning.’
He did. Standing beside her now, he said softly, ‘Glad to have been of service.’
‘Any news as to who did for poor old Peter Ely?’
‘No.’
‘And now there’s this new business. I really don’t—’ A voice demanded service, followed by a chorus of others, and, interrupting herself, Anne said, ‘You’ll have to excuse me, sir, I’m that busy.’
‘Of course.’
He took his ale and went to lean against the wall. What new business? Tuning in to conversations around him, he tried to find out.
It didn’t take long.
‘… seems she’d been there for
‘Ah.’ Trying to sound casual – a passer-by venturing a conversational remark – he said, ‘I’m surprised they don’t leave at least a small staff, though. After all, there must be caretaking duties and there’s security to think of…’ He trailed off, hoping she would take up the opportunity of a bit of a gossip.
She did. Putting down her kindling and folding her arms, she said, ‘Security? I don’t imagine that bothers them, not with that ruddy great drawbridge pulled up. I mean, who’s going to try to climb up there ?’ She jerked her head towards the castle’s formidable walls. ‘And why bother, that’s what I say! If them grand folks don’t want to associate with the likes of us, then there’s no call for us to go bothering them. ’
An independently-minded woman, Josse reflected. ‘Is there truly nobody within?’
‘Oh, there’s your caretakers, all right.’ She sniffed again, then suddenly her face lightened into a smile of genuine humour. ‘You’re not thinking, mate,’ she said. ‘Course there’s got to be someone inside, else how’d they raise the drawbridge?’
He grinned in response. ‘Aye. You’re right there.’
‘There’s any number of them,’ she continued. ‘Caretakers, like. But they ain’t going to come out all the while there’s food and water within. They’ll see the advantages of keeping themselves apart from the sickness, same as their precious lords and masters. You mark my word, there’ll be no comings and goings over that drawbridge till spring.’
‘I did have a faint hope of finding an acquaintance of mine here. I heard tell he lodged with the family…?’
The woman shook her head. ‘Unlikely. As I’ve already told you –’ she was eyeing Josse suspiciously now, as if trying to decide if he had evil intentions or was just plain stupid – ‘the family’s away. If your acquaintance is in there, he must be a guest of the caretakers, not the Clares.’ Another assessing look. ‘And you’ll be a better judge than me, sir, as to the likelihood of that.’
‘No, no, as you say, he can’t be. I must have been mistaken.’ Keen to allay her curiosity – he didn’t like the idea of her passing on details of her meeting with a man nosing around outside the castle and asking daft questions – he said, ‘I’m for the tavern. A mug of ale and a spell of warming my toes by Goody Anne’s fire sounds just the thing for me. I wish you good day.’ He bowed, swung up on to Horace, and set off down the track towards the river.
When he risked a glance behind him, the woman had picked up her bundle and was striding away.
* * *
The inn was bustling. There seemed to be as many people milling around in the yard as within, Josse thought as he pushed his way inside. And there was a deal of animated chattering going on, too.
Goody Anne was in the tap room, sleeves rolled up to display her well-muscled forearms, handing out jugs of ale to a band of men.
‘How goes it, Mistress Anne?’ Josse asked when, catching sight of him, she nodded a greeting.
‘Rushed off my feet, as ever.’ She gave him a friendly grin. ‘Thanks to you, sir, people haven’t been scared off.’ She winked. ‘If you get my meaning.’
He did. Standing beside her now, he said softly, ‘Glad to have been of service.’
‘Any news as to who did for poor old Peter Ely?’
‘No.’
‘And now there’s this new business. I really don’t—’ A voice demanded service, followed by a chorus of others, and, interrupting herself, Anne said, ‘You’ll have to excuse me, sir, I’m that busy.’
‘Of course.’
He took his ale and went to lean against the wall. What new business? Tuning in to conversations around him, he tried to find out.
It didn’t take long.
‘… seems she’d been there for
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