Threads of Treason (26 page)

‘
But she’s a traitor too.’

‘
You’ve got this all wrong,’ said the Aethling. ‘I was, indeed, interested in the Priory of St Thomas the Apostle – that is true. I was looking for someone. Back home I received a letter from a distant cousin of yours that their daughter was missing. Her family did not want to alarm anyone as they thought she’d gone to a religious establishment in England. They asked me to make enquiries as they knew my sister, Christina, is in holy orders over here. When I spoke to her, she suggested I tried St Thomas’s.’

Therese sat down, her mind racing. If this girl went to St Thomas’s then, ‘The Impostor was a Norman,’ she blurted out. ‘The Norman Knight who left our ship in the storm and visited the Impostor’s grave was not an Anglo-Saxon’s lover, but a Norman’s.’ She looked at Edgar. ‘The girl you were looking for was our Impostor.’

Edgar Aethling looked baffled.

‘
What is the meaning of this?’ asked Bishop Odon of Therese.

‘
Your Grace, there cannot be a plot to destroy the embroidery and to steal it. If the Anglo-Saxons wanted it destroyed all they had to do was leave it in the fire. Why put it over the back wall?’

‘
But you told your Abbess that the person setting light to the panels was Sister Hilda, an Anglo-Saxon.’

‘
I know, but listen, Your Grace,’ she implored him. ‘On the last day I cleaned the sewing room on my own. This was my opportunity to see it at long last. I lifted the cover and was enchanted by the quality of the work and the brightness of the threads. But it did not take me long to see what it depicted.’

‘
It showed the coronation of William the Conqueror,’ said Odon. ‘I commissioned it. So, of course, I know what is on it.’

‘
But the coronation was not an auspicious occasion. There was confusion at the combined English and Norman voices hailing the new king. The guards outside reacted and buildings were set on fire.’

‘
The panel should not have shown that.’

‘
It didn’t. But even I in my convent in Bayeux have heard the story. Everyone would have known it to be a lie.’

‘
That confirms that the Anglo-Saxons are behind it.’

‘
No, Your Grace, I think the opposite. I think a fellow Norman, someone loyal to the king. Whoever did it did not wish their King to be remembered thus.’

‘
This is absurd,’ said Odon.

‘
I do believe, Your Grace, that the plot was never more than to destroy this one panel.’

Robert de Curthose stood up and addressed the room in a formal manner. ‘This, I’m afraid is an unfounded assumption. It does not stand up to examination. For one thing, no-one knew what was on the last panel. Bishop Odon kept the matter a secret.’

‘
Secrets get out,’ said Therese flatly.

‘
And, anyway,’ continued Robert, ‘If I felt that the panel design was inappropriate I would simply speak to my uncle and I am sure, as a man of reason, he would make suitable adjustments.’

‘
You are not being accused of anything Robert,’ said Odon.

‘
The perpetrator is not within Bishop Odon’s immediate circle,’ said Therese.

‘
You have not explained away Hilda – the Anglo-Saxon.’ Odon was frowning at Therese – his face was thunderous. She felt her knees weaken.

‘
After the Impostor fell to her death,’ she said, ‘the conspirators could not place another of their own in danger so they tricked an Anglo-Saxon sympathiser into doing it. Hilda was already involved by her actions on that day. They did not realise, though, about the secret room, which Hilda learnt about at the last minute through my thoughtlessness. I thought, from what Sister Hilda had said, or rather not said, in the burning room that she’d stolen the key for the Impostor. It didn’t seem to matter who from. But now I realise she hadn’t stolen the key. Someone else had left it for the Impostor.’

‘
So there is still someone at St Thomas’s who was involved?’ demanded Odon.

Therese turned to Ursula. ‘Who did you give the key to, Prioress Ursula?’

‘
Well, I was going to give it to Sister Winifred, but she wanted to run some errand or other, so I gave it to,’ she paused briefly, ‘Sister Ethelburga, as she was then. I always assumed it must have been stolen from her. She’s always been so reliable, so efficient.’

‘
So overlooked,’ said Prioress Ethelburga rising. She ran for the door.

‘
Detain her,’ said Odon.

A guard caught her by the arm.

‘
It had to be Prioress Ethelburga,’ said Therese. ‘She protected Hilda after the inking incident. I suspect she had to stop Hilda inking the panel when Ursula and the Impostor left the sewing room because others were already behind her. It did not take much for Prioress Ethelburga to persuade her to take another opportunity to destroy it, and be rid of me at the same time.’

‘
Who is behind this?’ Odon asked Prioress Ethelburga.

She looked at the King’s sons flanking Odon. ‘Ask them,’ she said.

Therese was aware of Abbess Eleanor rising to her feet next to her. She could see she was trembling slightly.

‘
I wish to direct a question to Prince William Rufus?’ the Abbess asked Odon.

The Bishop nodded.

‘
On the night of the fire that destroyed the Priory of St Thomas the Apostle, Prince William Rufus and his guards left Christchurch Abbey and headed out in the direction of St Thomas’s. I wondered why he went.’

Odon turned to the bright red headed man on his left. ‘Yes,’ he said. ‘You never answered me that question. Let us have your answer.’

‘
You sent me word yourself,’ complained Rufus.

‘
I’m afraid I did not,’ said Odon. ‘So how was the news relayed to you.’

‘
My guard told me. Roger!’ Rufus pinned a pale, steely stare at the tallest of his guards.

Roger made no movement.

Therese looked around the room. The stirring had worked, but they weren’t quite there yet. The porridge was still and settling heavily and without resolution. She wondered how long Bishop Odon would indulge her forwardness, but he would have to, for she still had plenty to say. ‘Your Grace, may I ask Prioress Ethelburga how she gets her instructions?’

Odon seemed pleased that the heat seemed to be shifting away from the King’s sons seated next to him. ‘Carry on,’ he said.

So Therese repeated the question to the Prioress, but she would not reply. ‘It does not matter,’ said Therese. ‘Because Abbess Eleanor and I have seen the communications taking place. Please, Your Grace, could you bring in Brother Richard of Caen.’

Odon nodded at the guards at the door and Brother Richard was brought in directly. The militia handled him roughly into the space in front of the Bishop.

‘
Brother Richard, I believe to be innocent in all of this,’ said Therese. ‘May I question him?’ she asked Odon.

‘
Carry on,’ said Odon. He seemed much calmer now.

‘
Brother Richard of Caen, you carry letters to and from the various building sites you visit?’

‘
This is usual practice,’ said Brother Richard straightening his tunic over his extended belly.

‘
Do you bring messages from Prioress Ethelburga to Christchurch Abbey?’

‘
I do and back again.’

‘
Who do you hand them to?’

‘
Brother David deals with all the letters here, but the ones from Prioress Ethelburga are directed to him personally. Does that help?’ he asked as the Prioress wriggled against the guard who still gripped her tightly as they stood to one side of the door.

‘
I object,’ said Brother David. He dropped his pen and the document he’d been writing slipped to the floor.

‘
No, this makes sense,’ said Abbess Eleanor. ‘Brother David went to great lengths to stop me seeing Archbishop Lanfranc. I did get to see him the other night and it was clear that he had not been kept informed of anything that had happened at the Priory of St Thomas. What other reason would Brother David have for keeping these matters secret if he himself was not involved in them.’

‘
Abbess Eleanor has also seen Brother David in deep conversation with one of Prince William Rufus’s guards,’ explained Therese. ‘Do you recognise which one, Abbess?’

The older nun examined the three of them. They stood haughtily with their faces tilted away from Therese and the Abbess. Abbess Eleanor shook her head. ‘I cannot be sure. He was tall, but compared to Brother David they all look tall. I don’t think he was fair.’

‘
I will not tolerate this.’ Rufus jumped up. ‘I have had nothing to do with this affair. The whole matter would be instantly settled by removing these Anglo-Saxon troublemakers. I can have them put to the sword and that will be the end of it.’

Therese thought her stirring had resulted in the porridge bowl falling and spilling its contents on the floor. This was a disaster. ‘Your Grace, I can explain.’ She caught his angry gaze and she smiled sweetly.

‘
Sit down and be silent, Prince Rufus. We will get to the bottom of this.’ Odon directed his thunderous voice at his nephew. ‘Are you women accusing Prince William Rufus of this plot?’ Odon was more incredulous than angry as he questioned Therese and the Abbess.

‘
I don’t think he is to blame,’ said Therese. ‘I think he would tell you if he thought you were doing something wrong – the same as Robert de Curthose.’

Odon flinched.

Therese paused, and took a deep breath. Courage and foolhardiness sometimes seemed inseparable. ‘What, Your Grace, do you think of my behaviour today?’

‘
It does not befit your station, but I have tolerated it because of your youth.’

‘
And so many more of my actions have been down to my naivety. I have been impetuous and inclined to do the wrong thing because of a lack of experience. I act almost before I think.’

‘
So now you are blaming yourself!’ Odon laughed.

‘
There is another prince, a younger one, who might wish to protect his father, if he was ill-advised.’

‘
Henry? Young Prince Henry!’ exclaimed Odon.

Chapter 25

Therese could see that Bishop Odon’s mind was making the same connections her own had made. He turned to Prioress Ethelburga and asked, ‘Have you been communicating with Brother David?’ Ethelburga nodded. ‘Brother David,’ continued Odon, ‘Have you been writing to my nephew, Henry?’

‘
I have. But I have only been passing on the facts.’ David’s voice tailed off into a withered wail.

‘
Facts can be displayed in any way we want them to be displayed,’ said Odon. ‘You must have had access to at least one of Prince Henry’s guard.’

‘
He was the one who advised Prince Henry,’ complained David scraping his documents together.

‘
Stay where you are, Brother David,’ directed Odon. ‘All those responsible will be dealt with, but Prince Henry will be protected. Guards, arrest him. All documents pertaining to the case shall be burnt. I will go through them myself with my own clerk. The last panel will not be remade, but the rest of the embroidery will be transported to Bayeux.’

Rufus stood up. ‘You were involved in this, Roger. This is just like you.’ He did not need to say any more as Ralph and Simon were already holding him.

‘
I did it for you, Prince William. The little prince is a popular boy. Discrediting him would have done you nothing but good.’

Therese looked at Prince William Rufus. Was he really as unknowing as he made out. It was clear no-one was going to challenge him and she had her own agenda. She gripped her hands together. She was nearly there. ‘And the prisoners?’ Therese asked looking at her friends still raggedly lined up, their heads down. The fact that she’d cleared them of suspicion had not taken away their fear.

‘
Let the Anglo-Saxons go free. They have been misjudged. But the Welsh are still a danger, they will remain in custody.’

Ursula and Alfred embraced and Sister Agnes squeezed their arms warmly. Prioress Ethelburga and Roger were quickly removed. And once the Royalty had left, the guards removed Brother David and his papers. Therese and the Abbess rushed forwards to hug Ursula, Alfred and Agnes. But while they did so Therese saw them lead away Michael and Eric. It was too late to plead for them with Odon already gone. Her heart sank.

Therese looked out of Dover Castle across the river mouth and harbour. ‘I shall miss my friends at St Thomas’s,’ she said to the Abbess who was standing next to her.

‘
They are no longer there. They have all gone to different places. Ursula has gone to Scotland with Edgar the Aethling to be with Queen Margaret. But you may see them all again someday, and you will soon be seeing Sister Miriam.’

‘
That will be wonderful, but it will not help me sleep at night,’ said Therese. She had given up trying to hide her troubled mind from the Abbess.

‘
You have done so much, Sister Therese. You have got at the truth. No-one could do more than that.’

‘
But there’s Eric and Michael still in prison for something they did not do.’