conveniently believed – I decided to take action before you had time to begin an inquiry. I sent my best man, Alan of Norwich, to deal with you, but he failed miserably. On my orders, Egil returned to look for you, but he met with his unfortunate accident.’ He turned to Edward. ‘You are lucky to escape that marriage, my friend!’
Bartholomew saw Langelee tense and shoot Edward a nasty glance.
‘And was it you Julianna heard talking at the abbey, and who later set fire to the guesthall?’ asked Michael, oblivious to the exchange between Julianna’s suitors.
Harling sighed. ‘Of course not. Had that been me, we would not be having this conversation now – you would have died in the fire. Those were a couple of clerks who work at St Mary’s Church, and who have let me down badly with their bungled attempt on your lives.’
‘And another attempt was made when that puny little fellow tried to knife me,’ said Michael. ‘And, simultaneously, someone else was waiting to shoot Matt with a crossbow outside Gonville Hall.’
‘The man with the crossbow was me,’ said Harling. ‘When John came running out as though the Devil himself was after him, I guessed he had revealed something he should not have done and so I shot him instead. Bartholomew was not an immediate threat at that point, and I knew I could come back for him at a later date.’
‘But how did you know I would visit Gonville?’ asked Bartholomew, easing himself up slightly when Langelee’s attentions seemed to be more on considering Edward’s association with Julianna than on Harling’s revelations, ‘Did Colton tell you he had summoned me?’
Harling sighed. ‘Think, man! I had just killed Philius. Who was Master Colton going to call to help him under such circumstances? All I had to do was wait, because I knew either you or Michael would come. And I was right.’
‘I see why the Abbess did not object when I suggested we might stay longer at Denny,’ said Michael. ‘She, of course, knows all about what you are doing and was perfectly happy to see us roasted alive in her guesthall. She even used Julianna’s wiles to keep us there instead of reprimanding her lewd behavior as any good Abbess would have done. I was very wrong about her – I thought she was noble and saintly.’
‘What lewd behaviour?’ demanded Langelee, removing his hefty foot from Bartholomew and moving towards Michael. Bartholomew scrambled to his feet. ‘You slander that fine woman’s name, Brother.’
Michael stood his ground. ‘She offered to perform “little services” if we remained at Denny. It is possible that her intentions were innocent, but they certainly would not sound so to a worldly ear.’
‘But you are a monk!’ exploded Langelee. ‘You are not supposed to possess a worldly ear!’
‘I was referring to the Abbess,’ said Michael primly. ‘Master Harling’s partner in crime. She was your accomplice, I assume.’
‘Naturally,’ said Harling. ‘I needed someone of intelligence and integrity whom I could trust in all this. She has proved herself superb. Who would ever guess she was involved? You did not – until now, and now it is too late to do anything about it.’
‘And where is Deynman?’ demanded Bartholomew, suddenly weary of Harling’s boasting.
‘Deynman? You mean Gray? I never had him. You were right when you said I was bluffing – he is probably in some tavern. But enough of this. Langelee, you volunteered to dispatch them for me. Do so, and then return to Michaelhouse to await payment. You will forgive me if I do not stay. But do not take long over it – all this must be completed before any more of the night is lost.’
He turned and strode out of the room, followed by Edward and the lay sister who held Dame Pelagia by her arm. Langelee drew a long hunting knife and turned towards Bartholomew.
Chapter 12
The room was silent except for Langelee’s heavy breathing and the receding footsteps of Harling and his associates as they made their way up the dark street with Dame Pelagia. Bartholomew glanced at Matilde, who was trying not to look frightened, and wished with all his heart that he had never had the idea of secreting the elderly nun with the woman he regarded as one of his most dear friends. Langelee kicked the door closed with one foot and tightened his grip on the long hunting knife.
‘Watch him,’ Langelee ordered the sergeant, gesturing with a flick of his head at Michael, who was clearly poised to lunge. Langelee’s attentions were fixed on Bartholomew.
In a movement that was lightning quick, Langelee had crossed the room and struck the sergeant a heavy blow on the side of the neck. The sergeant crumpled into a heap. Bartholomew gazed from the unconscious sergeant to Langelee in bewilderment, an expression mirrored in the faces of Michael and Matilde.
‘We do not have much time,’ said Langelee urgently. ‘We must help Tulyet. Then we must try to save Dame Pelagia.’
‘But what–?’ began Michael.
Langelee opened the door and peered out into the darkness. ‘No time for that,’ he said. ‘Suffice to say I am loyal to the King.’ He turned to Matilde. ‘Bind this man securely and lock your door when we have gone. Open it to no one but the Sheriff.’ He leaned down, kissed her fully on the lips and was gone, leaving Bartholomew and Michael in utter confusion. Matilde scrubbed at her mouth in distaste. ‘Hurry!’ came Langelee’s voice from the street.
Dazed, they followed him outside. Cynric emerged from the darkness, his face anxious.
‘What is happening?’ he whispered. ‘The Vice-Chancellor has escaped and the Sheriff is chasing shadows by the river.’
‘Bartholomew?’ called Langelee. ‘Follow Harling with Cynric. Michael, you go to the castle for reinforcements. I will head down to the river and see what might be done to help Tulyet.’
With serious misgivings about leaving Matilde alone with the unconscious sergeant, and even greater ones about pursuing Harling, Bartholomew followed Cynric to Bridge Street, Michael panting along behind. Ahead of them, moving shadows in the darkness showed where Harling and his accomplices were hurrying Dame Pelagia towards the Barnwell Gate, presumably aiming for the open Fens to the north of the town.
‘Matt, we will never find them if they escape that way,’ groaned Michael. ‘The Fens are a labyrinth of hidden channels and secret causeways. My grandmother!’
‘Go to the castle,’ said Bartholomew, giving the monk a shove to get him moving. ‘Tell Tulyet’s deputy to send someone after us before we all get lost in the marshes.’
‘How do we know we can trust Langelee?’ asked Michael, grabbing Bartholomew’s sleeve. ‘He might be leading us into another trap.’
‘We have no choice,’ said Bartholomew, watching the dwindling shadows in the distance. ‘Had he meant us harm, we would be dead by now. And you had better ask Tulyet’s deputy to relieve him – assuming of course that the deputy is not one of these traitors among Tulyet’s garrison.’
He pushed Michael in the direction of the castle, and slipped away after Cynric towards the town gate. Distantly, there came the sound of men fighting, and Bartholomew hoped Michael’s message to the deputy would be in time to relieve the beleaguered Sheriff.
The Barnwell Gate was deserted, and Bartholomew assumed the guards were in Harling’s pay until he saw the dark outline of a body lying on the floor inside the hut. His physician’s instincts urged him to tend to the man, but Cynric dragged him on and out through the gate and into the open country beyond the town.
It was a cold night, with heavy clouds piling up against each other in readiness for yet another downpour. Here and there, however, patches of clear sky could be seen, with stars flickering against the blackness of space. At times, the moon was visible, sliding out to bathe the countryside is a soft, silvery light. The pathway was treacherous with thick mud from the rains of the afternoon, and Bartholomew skidded and slipped like a drunk, his fear of losing sight of the moving shadows ahead making him clumsy and incautious.
Near the town, small homesteads were scattered along the road, frail, vulnerable shacks with reed-thatched roofs and wattle-and-daub walls. Beyond them stretched their strips of fields, carefully hoed and lined with rows of winter vegetables. Doors opened slightly as they went past, and shadows could be seen moving behind the boarded windows as their occupants prepared to defend their kingdoms against those who would steal their
