Brother Cadfael 02: One Corpse Too Many

Aline assured him serenely. 'I have no complaint, you have been considerate indeed. But I'm sorry for those who have had goods distrained. Is the same thing happening in the town?'
    'It is,' he said ruefully, 'and will go on tomorrow, but the abbey may be at peace now. We have finished here.'
    'And you did not find her? The girl you had orders to search for?'
    'No, we have not found her.'
    'What would you say,' asked Aline deliberately, 'if I said that I was glad?'
    'I should say that I would expect nothing else from you, and I honour you for it. I know you could not wish danger or pain or captivity to any creature, much less a blameless girl. I've learned so much of you, Aline.' The brief silence was charged, and when he resumed: 'Aline -' his voice sank so low that Godith could not distinguish the words. She did not want to, the tone was too intimate and urgent. But in a few moments she heard Aline say gently:
    'You must not ask me to be very receptive tonight, this has been a harrowing day for so many. I can't help but feel almost as weary as they must be. And as you! Leave me to sleep long tonight, there will be a better time for talking of these matters.'
    'True!' he said, resuming the soldier on duty as though he squared his shoulders to a load again. 'Forgive me, this was not the time. Most of my men are out of the gates by now, I'll follow them, and let you rest. You may hear marching and the carts rolling for a quarter of an hour or so, after that it will be quiet.'
    The voices receded, towards the outer door. Godith heard it opened, and after a few exchanged and inaudible words, closed again. She heard the bolt shot, and in a few moments more Aline tapped at the bedroom door. 'You can safely open, he's gone.'
    She stood in the doorway, flushed and frowning, rather in private perplexity than displeasure. 'It seems,' she said, and smiled in a way Adam Courcelle would have rejoiced to see, 'that in sheltering you I've done him no wrong. I think he's relieved at not finding you. They're all going. It's over. Now we have only to wait for Brother Cadfael and full darkness.'
    In the hut in the herbarium Brother Cadfael fed, reassured and doctored his patient. Torold, once the first question had been answered so satisfactorily, lay down submissively on Godith's bed, and let his shoulder be dressed again, and the gash in his thigh, already healed, nevertheless be well bandaged and padded. 'For if you're to ride into Wales this night,' said Cadfael, 'we don't want any damage or delays, you could all too easily break that open again.'
    'Tonight?' said Torold eagerly. 'Is it to be tonight? She and I together?'
    'It is, it must, and high time, too. I don't think I could stand this sort of thing much longer,' said Cadfael, though he sounded almost complacent about it. 'Not that I've had too much of the pair of you, you understand, but all the same, I'll be relieved when you're well away towards Owain Gwynedd's country, and what's more, I'll give you a token from myself to the first Welsh you encounter. Though you already have FitzAlan's commendation to Owain, and Owain keeps his word.'
    'Once mounted and started,' vowed Torold heartily, 'I'll take good care of Godith.'
    'And so will she of you. I'll see she has a pot of this salve I've been using on you, and a few things she may need.'
    'And she took boat and load and all with her!' mused Torold, fond and proud. 'How many girls could have kept their heads and done as well? And this other girl took her in! And brought you word of it, and so wisely! I tell you, Brother Cadfael, we breed fine women here in Salop.' He was silent for a moment, and grew thoughtful. 'Now how are we to get her out? They may have left a guard. And anyhow, I can hardly be seen to walk out at the gate house, seeing the porter will know I never walked in that way. And the boat is there, not here.'
    'Hush a while,' said Cadfael, finishing off his bandage neatly, 'while I think. What about your own day? You've done well, it seems to me, and come out of it none the worse. And you must have left all open and innocent, for there's been no whisper about the old mill. You caught the wind of them soon, it seems.'
    Torold told him about the whole long, dangerous and yet inexpressibly tedious day of starting and stopping, running and hiding, loitering and hurrying. 'I saw the company that combed the river bank and the mill, six armed men on foot, and an officer riding. But I'd made sure there was no sign of