King's Gold

All in the castle had heard of the interrogation of Dolwyn the day before, but it gave John little pleasure. He threw his stick aside and sheathed his knife. He didn’t feel as though there was anything to celebrate about yet another man who was doomed to die.

‘You disagree? The fellow deserves his end,’ William continued, seeing John’s expression. ‘And in any case, he’s only a common churl from a vill somewhere far away. Who will miss him?’

‘His wife, his children, if he has any,’ John said.

‘He shouldn’t have killed a man and tried to hide his crime then, should he?’ William countered. He glanced about them. ‘Listen – I have spoken to the masons here, and there is work for at least another five men. If we can get even one more of ours into the castle, it will help a great deal.’

‘Right,’ John said. He felt his spirits sinking as he looked about him at the strong keep, the massive curtain walls and defences. And you think this could work?’

William ignored his pessimism. ‘I can get a message to one of our men. Then it will be up to you to keep an ear out for any suggestion amongst the garrison that a man in among them could be suspected. You understand?’

‘You really think one extra man in here will help?’

‘One additional man will always be better than none,’ William said with confidence. ‘And soon, very soon, there will be news of Stephen and Brother Thomas. They are preparing for a new battle. Yes, soon, very soon we shall be ready.’

The castle was quiet that afternoon as Baldwin and Simon and their servants left the hall, replete after their lunch.

‘Sir Ralph is with Sir Edward?’ Simon asked.

‘Yes. I agreed with him that he would look after the King-’

‘King?’

Baldwin gave a shamefaced grin. ‘If you prefer, then, Sir Edward of Caernarfon, in the mornings, while I would see him in the afternoons. There is no need for both of us to be with him all the time. And I doubt most strongly that Lord Berkeley would want more than one knight in with Sir Edward.’

‘He would not trust you to keep the knight in his chamber, then,’ Simon said lightly.

‘No,’ Baldwin said with a grin. ‘I think that he does not trust any who has shown loyalty to Sir Edward. It can scarcely be wondered at. If Sir Edward were to be rescued, what would happen to the lord? As the gaoler of our former King, I think he could imagine with great ease what his end would be, were the good knight to recover his throne. So while he is responsible for Sir Edward, he will keep those who are loyal well away from him.’

‘How long must you remain here, Baldwin?’ Simon asked.

Baldwin smiled sadly. ‘I do not know,’ he admitted. ‘Perhaps a month, perhaps two. It is not a very long sojourn, I trust. What about you?’

‘Oh, I hope to leave before too long,’ Simon said. ‘I promised I would return home before the summer is well under way.’

Baldwin nodded, but then he gave a fleeting frown. ‘What do you think of her, Simon?’

Following his gaze, Simon saw the figure of Agatha. ‘Her? Just a peasant’s widow.’

‘And upset to learn that her horse and cart were gone. So upset she travelled all the way here to try to find them.’

‘What of it?’

‘The theft of the cart surprises me,’ Baldwin said. ‘Just think: a man comes across a fellow with a cart and decides to steal it. How would he do so?’

‘Knock him on the head or stab him,’ Simon said with certainty.

‘Yes. He would not rummage through the man’s cart to find an axe. If he did, he would immediately go to the parcel at the back that clearly held weapons, wouldn’t he?’

‘Perhaps it was dark, and he couldn’t see the weapons?’

‘But if it were dark, it is even more surprising. Let us assume that it was. Ham was asleep. The killer went to his cart and felt around for a weapon. He would first have found those wrapped in the blanket, would he not? If the hatchet was under the plank, it would be the last weapon he would come across. Also, Dolwyn had a sword at his belt. Why on earth hunt for a new weapon when he already wore one?’

‘Because he didn’t want to have his guilt demonstrated? You know as well as I do that a sword can be matched to the wound it makes.’

‘Yes, but not with accuracy. No one could affirm it with certainty – and he would know that. An assailant in the dark will wish to attack first and make sure of his victim, rather than riffling through a cart in the hope of finding a weapon.’

‘But this man Dolwyn knew that there were weapons there,’ Simon said.

‘True enough. But did he know that there was a hatchet as well?’ Baldwin wondered.

‘He had been with Ham for some time, so he probably discovered that Ham kept a small axe there, and when he found Ham, he took that as being the nearest weapon to hand. Unwrapping the others would knock one against the other and make a noise,’ Simon said.

‘Yes,’ Baldwin said. ‘You must be right.’

But he was not convinced.

Father Luke rose from his place before the little altar in the chapel, and crossed himself devoutly.