Brother Cadfael 16: The Heretic's Apprentice

somewhat reassured again, since nothing of all this seemed to be pointing in his direction, after all. "I went to bed, and left Aldwin down in the kitchen, but I wasn't asleep. I never heard him come into the hall, but I did hear Jevan suddenly shout down at him from the top of the stairs, 'What are you doing there?' and then Aldwin, down below, all in a hurry, said he'd left his penknife in the press, and he'd be needing it in the morning. And Jevan says take it, then, and get to bed, and give over disturbing other people. And Aldwin came up in haste, with his tail between his legs. And I heard Jevan go on down into the hall and cross to the press, and I think he locked it and took the key away, for it was locked next morning. I asked Aldwin later what he'd been up to, and he said he only wanted to have a look inside, and he had the box open, and then had to shut and lock it again in an hurry, and try to hide what he was about, when Jevan shouted at him."
    "And did he see what was in it?" asked Cadfael, already foreseeing the answer, and tasting its bitter irony.
    "Not he! He pretended at first he had, but he wouldn't tell me what it was, and in the end he had to admit he never got a glimpse. He'd barely raised the lid when he had to close it again in a hurry. It got him nothing!" said Conan, almost with satisfaction, as if he had scored over his fellow in some way by that wasted curiosity.
    It got him his death, thought Cadfael, with awful certainty. And all for nothing! He never had time to see what the box held. Perhaps no one had then seen it. Perhaps it was that prying inquisitiveness that set off another man's quickening curiosity, fatal to them both.
    "Well, Conan," said Hugh, "you may take heart and think yourself lucky. There's a man from the Welsh side of the town can swear to it you were on your way to Girard's fold well before Vespers, the night Aldwin was killed. You're clear of blame. You can be off home when you choose, the door's open."
    "And he did not even see it," said Hugh, as they recrossed the outer ward side by side.
    "But there was one who believed he had. And looked for himself," said Cadfael, "and was lost. Fathoms deep! And in one more day, or two, three at the most, Girard would be home, the box would be opened, what was in it would be known to all, and would be Fortunata's. Girard is a shrewd merchant, he would get for her the highest sum possible - not that it would approach its worth. But if he did not himself know where best to sell it, he would know where to ask. If it was what I begin to believe, the sum left for her in its place would not have bought one leaf."
    "And only one life stood in the way, to threaten betrayal," said Hugh. "Or so it seemed! And all for nothing, the poor wretch never did have time to see what should have been there to be seen when the box was opened. Cadfael, my mind misgives me - yesterday, when Anselm examined that box, gold leaf, purple dye, and all, Girard and the girl were present? How if one of them proved sharp enough to think as we are thinking? Having gone so far, could a man stop short now, if the same danger threatened his gains all over again?"
    It was a new and disturbing thought. Cadfael checked for an instant in midstride, shaken into considering it.
    "I think Girard never gave it much thought. The girl - I would not say! She is deeper than she seems, and she it is who has so much at stake. And she's young and kind, and sudden undeserved death has never before come so near her. I wonder! Truly I wonder! She did pay close attention, missing nothing, saying little. Hugh, what will you do?"
    "Come!" said Hugh, making up his mind. "You and I will go and visit the Lythwood household. We have pretext enough. They have buried their murdered man this morning, I have released one suspect from their retinue this afternoon, and I am still bent on finding a murderer. No need for one member rather than another to be wary of my probing, as yet, not until I have filled up the score of that day's movements for him as I took so long to do for Conan. At least we'll take note here and now of where the girl is, until you or I can talk with her again, and make sure she does nothing to draw danger upon herself."
    At about the same time that Hugh and Cadfael set out from the castle, Jevan of Lythwood had occasion to go up to his chamber, to discard and fold away the best cotte he had worn for Aldwin's funeral, and put on the lighter and easier coat in which he