Brother Cadfael 02: One Corpse Too Many

surrender with joyful hearts, but never a glimmer of joy must show through to threaten the success. And now it lay with her to perfect the coup, and Brother Cadfael was leaving it to her. It was the greatest test she had ever faced, and it was vital to her self-esteem for ever. For this man fronting her was more than she had thought him, and suddenly it seemed that giving him up was almost as generous a gesture as this gesture of his, turning her loose to her happiness with another man and another cause, only distraining the small matter of gold for his pains. For two fine horses, and a free run into Wales! And a kind of blessing, too, secular but valued.
    'You mean that,' she said, not questioning, stating. 'We may go!'
    'And quickly, if I dare advise. The night is not old yet, but it matures fast. And you have some way to go.'
    'I have mistaken you,' she said magnanimously. 'I never knew you. You had a right to try for this prize. I hope you understand that we had also a right to fight for it. In a fair win and a fair defeat there should be no heart-burning. Agreed?'
    'Agreed!' he said delightedly. 'You are an opponent after my own heart, and I think your young squire had better take you hence, before I change my mind. As long as you leave the baggage...'
    'No help for it, it's yours,' said Brother Cadfael, rising reluctantly from his seat on guard. 'You won it fairly, what else can I say?'
    Beringar surveyed without disquiet the mound of sacking presented to view. He knew very well the shape of the hump Cadfael had carried here from Severn, he had no misgivings.
    'Go, then, and good speed! You have some hours of darkness yet.' And for the first time he looked at Torold, and took his time about studying him, for Torold had held his peace and let her have her head in circumstances he could not be expected to understand, and with admirable self-restraint. 'I ask your pardon, I don't know your name.'
    'My name is Torold Blund, a squire of FitzAlan's.'
    'I'm sorry that we never knew each other. But not sorry that we never had ado in arms, I fear I should have met my overmatch.' But he was very sunny about it, having got his way, and he was not really much in awe of Torold's longer reach, and greater height. 'You take good care of your treasure, Torold, I'll take care of mine.'
    Sobered and still, watching him with great eyes that still questioned, Godith said: 'Kiss me and wish me well! As I do you!'
    'With all my heart!' said Beringar, and turned her face up between his hands, and kissed her soundly. The kiss lasted long, perhaps to provoke Torold, but Torold watched and was not dismayed. These could have been brother and sister saying a fond but untroubled farewell. 'Now mount, and good speed!'
    She went first to Brother Cadfael, and asked his kiss also, with a frantic quiver in her voice and her face that no one else saw or heard, and that might have been of threatened tears, or of almost uncontrollable laughter, or of both together. The thanks she said to him and to the lay brothers were necessarily brief, being hampered by the same wild mixture of emotions. She had to escape quickly, before she betrayed herself. Torold went to hold her stirrup, but Brother Anselm hoisted her between his hands and set her lightly in the saddle. The stirrups were a little long for her, he bent to shorten them to her comfort, and then she saw him look up furtively and flash her a grin, and she knew that he, too, had fathomed what was going on, and shared her secret laughter. If he and his comrade had been let into the whole plot from the beginning, they might not have played their parts so convincingly; but they were very quick to pick up all the undercurrents.
    Torold mounted Beringar's roan, and looked down from the saddle at the whole group within the stockade. The archers had unstrung their bows, and stood by looking on with idle interest and some amusement, while the third man opened the gate wide to let the travellers pass.
    'Brother Cadfael, everything I owe to you. I shall not forget.'
    'If there's anything owing,' said Cadfael comfortably, 'you can repay it to Godith. And see you mind your ways with her until you bring her safe to her father,' he added sternly. 'She's in your care as a sacred charge, beware of taking any advantage.'
    Torold's smile flashed out brilliantly for an instant, and was gone; and the next moment so was Torold himself, and Godith after him, trotting out briskly through the open gate into the