Brother Cadfael 01: A Morbid Taste for Bones

the meal ever came to table. As for Jerome and Columbanus, he saw them set out with the boy, bread and meat wrapped in napkins in the breasts of their habits, and Columbanus carrying the flask with their ration of wine, and a small bottle of spring water for himself.
    "It is very little to offer," he said meekly, "but I will touch nothing but water until our cause has prevailed."
    "More fool he," said Brother John blithely, "for he may well be swearing off wine for life!"
    It was a fine spring morning, but capricious as May can be. Prior Robert and his attendants sat in the orchard until they were driven indoors by a sharp and sparkling shower that lasted almost half an hour. It was then approaching noon, the time when Rhisiart should join them. He would have a wet walk by the short path through the forest. Or perhaps he had waited for the sun's return at Cadwallon's house, which was on his way. Making allowances for that, they thought little of it when another half-hour passed, and he did not put in an appearance. But when he was an hour late for the meeting, and still no sign of him, Prior Robert's face grew both grim and cautiously triumphant.
    "He has heard the warning I issued against his sin, and he fears to come and face me," he said.
    "He had heard the warning, indeed," said Father Huw heavily, "but I saw no signs of fear in him. He spoke very firmly and calmly. And he is a man of his word. I don't understand this, it is not like him."
    "We will eat, but frugally," said the prior, "and give him every chance of keeping his promise, if something has happened to delay him. So it may, to any man. We will wait until it is time to prepare for Vespers."
    "I'll walk as far as Cadwallon's house," offered Brother Richard, "for the way is all one to that point, and see if I can meet with him, or get word if he's on his way."
    He was gone more than an hour and a half, and came back alone. "I went beyond, some way along the ride, but saw no sign of him. On my way back I asked at Cadwallon's gate, but no one had seen him pass. I feared he might have walked by the short path while I was taking the other road."
    "We'll wait for him until Vespers, and no longer," said the prior, and by then his voice was growing grimly confident, for now he did not expect the guest to come, and the enemy would have put himself in the wrong, to Prior Robert's great gain. Until Vespers, therefore, they waited, five hours after the appointed time. The people of Gwytherin could hardly say Rhisiart had been written off too hastily.
    "So it ends," said the prior, rising and shaking out his skirts like one shaking off a doubt or an incubus. "He has turned tail, and his opposition will carry no weight now with any man. Let us go!"
    The sunlight was still bright but slanting over the green bowl where the church stood, and a number of people were gathering for the service. And out of the deeper green shadow where the forest path began, came, not Rhisiart, but his daughter, sailing gallantly out into the sunlight in a green gown, with her wild hair tamed and braided, and a linen coif over it, Sioned in her church-going person, with Peredur on her heels, his hand possessively cupping her elbow, though she paid little heed to that attention. She saw them issuing in a silent procession from Huw's gate, and her eyes went from person to person, lingering on Cadfael who came last, and again looking back with a small frown, as though one face was missing from the expected company.
    "Where is my father?" she asked, her wide eyes surprised but not yet troubled. "Is he not still here with you? Have I missed him? I rode as far as Cadwallon's house, and he was on foot, so if he has left more than an hour ago he may well be home by now. I came to bear him company to church and go back with him afterwards."
    Prior Robert looked down at her in some wonder, the first flickering uneasiness twitching his nostrils. "What is she saying? Do you tell me that the lord Rhisiart set out to come to our meeting?"
    "Of course!" said Sioned, amazed. "He had said he would."
    "But he did not come," said Robert. "We've waited for him since noon, and we've seen no sign of him. Brother Sub-Prior went a part of the way to see if he could meet with him, but in vain. He has not been here."
    She caught the meaning of that without Cadfael's services. Her eyes flashed from face to face, distrustful and ready for anger. "Are you telling me truth? Or have you hidden him away under lock and key