04 Angel of Death by Unknown

Author:Unknown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-03-13T14:13:04.468000+00:00

9

'Master de Eveden,' Corbett began. 'I am here on the king's business. Tell me, did you hate de Montfort?'

De Eveden paused before answering. 'Yes, I think I did.'

'Why?'

'He was arrogant.' 'In what matters?'

'In all matters,' the priest snapped. 'He exercised his authority. He liked to display his knowledge. He came constantly to the library demanding to know which manuscripts we held, where they were stored, how they were cared for.' De Eveden paused as if searching for words. 'There was something about the man. Something secretive, hypocritical.'

'You believe he was a hypocrite?'

De Eveden looked squarely at Corbett. 'Yes, I did.'

'Why do you say that?'

'At times, at night he went out by himself. No one knew where.'

'Was he the only priest who went out at night?' Corbett asked.

'No, he had visitors here. Oh, he kept them well away from us. There was a woman, whom he often met in the church. They would stand in the nave talking. It was always after vespers, when the place was deserted.'

Corbett thought of the woman he had seen on the day of de Montfort's death.

'Do you know who she is?'

'No. She was always richly caparisoned like some fat palfrey, silks and velvets. You could smell the stench of her perfume from the choir stalls.'

'You often sat there?'

'Yes, I did,' Eveden replied. 'I spied on de Montfort, if that is what you are saying. I hated the man.'

'Do you know the relationship between de Montfort and his strange woman visitor?' Corbett asked.

'No, I do not. I suspect she was his mistress.'

'But, Sir Philip Plumpton …' Corbett said slowly, 'he insinuated that de Montfort was a sodomite and attempted to corrupt the young priest, Blaskett.'

De Eveden snorted with laughter.

'It wouldn't take much to corrupt Blaskett!'

'What does that mean?'

'Ask him yourself, Clerk. I am not here to answer questions about him.'

'Yes, that's right,' Corbett continued. 'You are here to answer questions about de Montfort. Tell me, in the days before de Montfort's death, did you have any argument with your dean?'

'No, I tried to avoid him.'

'On the day he died during the mass, you drank from the chalice and passed it back? Is that correct?'

'No,' de Eveden replied quickly. 'I did not. Remember, I was standing immediately on de Montfort's right. After me, Ettrick drank from the chalice before handing it to de Montfort who gave it to the other three. They touched and drank from it after I did.'

'Ah, yes,' Corbett said, 'when the chalice finally returned you were standing next to it, as you said, immediately on de Montfort's right.'

De Eveden smiled. 'You forget one thing, Clerk - de Montfort had already taken the' chalice and drunk from it. He did not do so again.'

'How do you know that?'

The man seemed lost for words. 'That was the rite.'

'But you didn't actually see him not drink from it?'

'I didn't see him drink from it again,' de Eveden emphasized. 'Anyway, what are you saying? Do you think de Montfort would have just stood there and let me

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