Brother Cadfael 11: An Excellent Mystery

until now, sir, but you are surely the lord of Lai. Nicholas here has told me how things stood at Wherwell. You're welcome to whatever service I can offer. And what now?'
    'My lord sheriff,' said Cruce loudly and firmly, as one accustomed to setting the pace for others to follow, 'in the matter of my sister there's ground for suspicion of robbery and murder, and I want justice.'
    'So do all decent men, and so do I. Sit down here, and let me hear what grounds you have for such suspicions, and where the finger points. I grant you the matter looks ugly enough. Let me know what you've found at home to add to it.'
    It was over-hot in the afternoon sun, and even in shirtsleeves Cruce was sweating freely. They moved back into the shade, and there sat down together, and Cadfael, hospitable in his own domain, and by no means inclined to be ousted from it in the middle of his work, went instead to bring a pitcher of wine from his workshop, and beakers for their use. He served them and went aside, but not so far that he did not hear what passed. All that had gone before he already knew, and on certain points his curiosity was already pricked into wakefulness, and foresaw circumstances in which he might yet be needed. His patient fretted over the girl, and could not afford further fraying away of what little flesh he had. Cadfael clove to his fellow-crusader in a solidarity of shared experience and mutual respect. One of those few, like Guimar de Massard, who came clean and chivalrous out of a very deformed and marred holy war. And however gradually, dying of it. Whatever concerned his welfare, body or soul, Cadfael wanted to know.
    'My lord,' said Nicholas earnestly, 'you'll remember all I told you of the men of my lord Cruce's household who escorted his sister to Wherwell. Three of the four we have questioned at Lai, and I am sure they have told us truth. But the fourth…and he the only one who accompanied her on the last day of her journey, the last few miles - he is no longer there, and him we must find.'
    They told the whole story between them, at times in chorus, very vehemently.
    'He left with her from Andover early in the morning, and the other three, who had orders to remain there, watched them away.'
    'And he did not return until late evening, too late to set out for home that night. Yet Wherwell is but three or four miles from Andover.'
    'And he alone of those four,' said Cruce fiercely, 'was so deep in her confidence from old familiarity that he may well have known, must have known, the dowry she carried with her.'
    'And that was?' demanded Hugh sharply. His memory was excellent. There was nothing he needed to be told twice.
    'Three hundred marks in coin, and certain valuables for church use. My lord, we have had my clerk, who keeps good accounts, write a list of what she took, and here we have two copies. The one we hold you should circulate in these parts, where the man is native, and so was my sister, and the other Hamage here will carry to make known round Winchester, Wherwell and Andover, where she vanished.'
    'Good!' said Hugh heartily. 'The coins can never be certainly traced, but the pieces of church ornaments may.' He took the scroll Nicholas held out to him, and read with lowered and frowning brows: 'Item, a pair of candlesticks of silver, made in the form of tall sconces entwined with the vine, with snuffers attached by silver chains, also ornamented with grape leaves. Item, a standing cross a man's hand-length in height, on a silver pedestal of three steps, and studded with semi-precious stones of yellow pebble, amethyst and agate, together with a similar cross of the same metal and stones, a little finger's length, on a thin silver neck-chain for a priest's wear. Item, a silver pyx, small, engraved with ferns. Also certain pieces of jewellery to her belonging, as, a necklet of polished stones from the hills above Pontesbury, a bracelet of silver engraved with tendrils of vetch, and a curious ring of silver set with enamels all round, in the form of yellow and blue flowers.' He looked up. 'Surely identifiable if they can be found, almost any of these. Your clerk did well. Yes, I'll have this made known to all officers and tenants of mine here in the shire, but it seems to me that in the south they're more likely to be traced. As for the man, if he's native here he has kin, and may well keep in touch with them. You say he went to do fighting service?'
    'Only a matter of weeks after he returned to my