Ellis Peters - Brother Cadfael's Penance

BROTHER CADFAEL'S PENANCE

Ellis Peters

The Twentieth Chronicle of Brother Cadfael

Digital Edition v2 HTML February 13, 2003

Copyright 1994 by Ellis Peters

The right of Ellis Peters to be identified as the Author of thework has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.

All characters in this publication are fictitious and anyresemblance to real persons, living or dead is purelycoincidental.

CONTENTS

^

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter One

^

The Earl of Leicesters courier came riding over the bridgethat spanned the Severn, and into the town of Shrewsbury, somewhatpast noon on a day at the beginning of November, with threemonths news in his saddle-roll.

Much of it would already be known, at least in general outline,but Robert Beaumonts dispatch service from London was betterprovided than anything the sheriff of Shropshire could command, andin a single meeting with that young officer the earl had marked himas one of the relatively sane in this mad world of civil war thathad crippled England for so many years, and run both factions, kingand empress alike, into exhaustion, without, unfortunately,bringing either sharply up against reality. Such able young men asHugh Beringar, Earl Robert considered, were well worth supplyingwith information, against the day when reason would finally breakthrough and put an end to such wasteful warfare. And in this yearof the Lord, 1145, now drawing towards its close, chaotic eventshad seemed to be offering promise, however faint as yet, that eventhe two cousins battling wearily for the throne must despair offorce and look round for another way of settling disputes.

The boy who carried the earls dispatches had made thisjourney once before, and knew his way across the bridge and up thecurve of the Wyle, and round from the High Cross to the castlegates. The earls badge opened the way before him withouthindrance. Hugh came out from the armory in the inner ward, dustinghis hands, his dark hair tangled by the funneled wind through thearchway, to draw the messenger within, and hear his news.

Theres a small breeze rising, said the boy,unloading the contents of his satchel upon the table in theanteroom of the gatehouse, that has my lord snuffing theair. But warily, its the first time hes detected anysuch stirring, and it could as easily blow itself out. And it hasas much to do with whats happening in the East as with allthis ceding of castles in the Thames valley. Ever since Edessa fellto the paynims of Mosul, last year at Christmas, all Christendomhas been uneasy about the kingdom of Jerusalem. Theyrebeginning to talk of a new Crusade, and there are lords on eitherside, here at home, who are none too happy about things done, andmight welcome the Cross as sanctuary for their souls. Ivebrought you his official letters, he said briskly, musteringthem neatly at Hughs hand, but Ill give youthe gist of it before I go, and you can study them at leisure, fortheres no date yet settled. I must return this same day, Ihave an errand to Coventry on my way back.

Then youd best take food and drink now, while wetalk, said Hugh, and sent out for what was needed. Theysettled together confidentially to the tangled affairs of England,which had shifted in some disconcerting directions during thesummer months, and now, with the shutter of the coming winter aboutto close down against further action, might at least bedisentangled, and open a course that could be pursued with somehope of progress. Youll not tell me Robert Beaumontis thinking of taking the Cross? There are some powerful sermonscoming out of Clairvaux, Im told, that will be hard toresist.

No, said the young man, briefly grinning,my lords concerns are all here at home. But this sameunease for Christendom is making the bishops turn their thoughts toenforcing some order here, before they make off to settle theaffairs of Outremer. Theyre talking of one more attempt tobring king and empress together to talk sense, and find a means ofbreaking out of this deadlock. Youll have heard that theearl of Chester has sought and got a meeting with King Stephen, andpledged his allegiance? Late in the day, and no easy passage, butthe king jumped at it. We knew about it before they ever met atStamford, a week or so back, for Earl Ranulf has been preparing theground for some time, making sweet approaches to some ofStephens barons who hold grudges for old wrongs, trying tobuy acceptance into the fold. Theres land near his castle ofMountsorrel has been in dispute with my lord some years. Chesterhas made concessions now over that. A man must soften not only theking but all those who hold with the king if hes to changesides. So Stamford was no surprise, and Chester is reconciled andaccepted. And you know all that business of Faringdon andCricklade, and Philip FitzRobert coming over to Stephen, in despiteof father and empress and all, and with a strong castle in eitherhand.

That, said Hugh flatly, I shall neverunderstand. He, of all people! Gloucesters own son, andGloucester has been the empresss prop and stay as good assinglehanded throughout, and now his son turns against him andjoins the king! And no half-measures, either. By all accounts,hes righting for Stephen as fiercely as he ever fought forMaud.

And bear in mind, Philips sister is wife to Ranulfof Chester, the courier pointed out, and these twochanges of heart chime together. Which of them swept the other awaywith him, or what else lies behind it, God he knows, not I. Buttheres the plain fact of it. The king is the fatter by twonew allies and a very respectable handful of castles.

And Id have said, in no mood to make anyconcessions, even for the bishops, observed Hugh shrewdly.Much more likely to be encouraged, all over again, tobelieve he can win absolute victory. I doubt if theyll everget him to the council table.

Never underestimate Roger de Clinton, saidLeicesters squire, and grinned. He has offeredCoventry as the meeting-place, and Stephen has as good as agreed tocome and listen. Theyre issuing safe conducts already, onboth sides. Coventry is a good center for all, Chester can make useof Mountsorrel to offer hospitality and worm his way intofriendships, and the priory has housing enough for all. Oh,therell be a meeting! Whether much will come of it isanother matter. It wont please everyone, and therellbe those wholl do their worst to wreck it. Philip FitzRobertfor one. Oh, hell come, if only to confront his father andshow that he regrets nothing, but hell come to destroy, notto placate. Well, my lord wants your voice there, speaking for yourshire. Shall he have it? He knows your mind, said the youngman airily, or thinks he does. You rank somewhere in thelist of his hopes. What do you say?

Let him send me word of the day, said Hughheartily, and Ill be there.