The Handfasted Wife by Carol McGrath

Author:Carol McGrath
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Accent Press
Published: 2013-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

21

Oxford

March 1067

Master: What fish do you catch?

Fisherman: Eels and pike, minnows and burbot,

trout and lampreys.a

Ælfric’s Colloquies, in A Choice of Anglo-Saxon Verse, edited and translated by Richard Hamer

Footsteps outside their cell were followed by an urgent rap on the door. ‘My lady, are you awake?’

Elditha threw the coverlet over her shoulders, hurried to the door and opened it a crack. ‘Padar?’

‘Who is there?’ Ursula sat up on her pallet.

‘Hush, Ursula. It’s only Padar.’

‘My lady, we must leave or you will be discovered.’

‘You know, then, that the abbot returned last night.’

‘I rowed in on his heels. Guards by the boats challenged me.’

‘What did you say?’

‘That I was fishing.’

‘In February!’

‘Not unusual. I said that a cook wanted a fish for the abbot’s breakfast. I told them that there had been a rumour that pike lay upstream, though I never caught any …’

‘How do we avoid the guards?’

‘Cover yourselves with those monks’ robes and walk out. If challenged, I’ll say I am rowing novices to Oxford. Hurry, Brother Thomas is waiting for us by the orchard door.’

Elditha pulled the loose novice habit over her head, snatched the sealskin bag from the table and packed the lapidary underneath her treasure box, pushing it deep inside her pack. Then she threw the monk’s cloak over her gown and cloak. ‘Thank Mary, this garb is wide enough to cover all of me and more. In any case these robes will keep us warm. The river will be freezing. Hurry, Ursula.’

Ursula nodded, but, as was usual, she took time to fold the covers from her pallet. She tidied Elditha’s bed and only then did she pull the voluminous garments over her slim frame. The monks were still singing as they hurried out of the cell.

Padar lifted the pack from Elditha and led them along the corridor, past closed doors, to where the monk waited with a lantern. Brother Thomas lifted his bundle of keys and unlocked the orchard door. As she slipped by him, he whispered, ‘You have it safe, my lady?’

Elditha pointed to the pack.

‘Blessings, my lady. May St Christopher guide you to safety.’

‘Thank you, Brother Thomas. Thank you a thousand times. And may your kindness to us be rewarded in Heaven.’

Padar lifted the lantern, hurried them through the door and along an avenue of apple trees. Their twisted trunks appeared bare and menacing, reminding Elditha of the danger ahead of them. They continued down the slope to the river, where a large rowing boat was waiting. Elditha looked over at the wharf and saw why Padar was worried. The guards by the moorings opposite were awake and alert and a familiar voice was shouting.

‘You haven’t seen it. There it is.’ Brother Francis pushed past the guards and lifted a silver censer from a boat. ‘You will do penance for your neglect … If it is ruined …’ He trailed off and he stroked the object as if it were a prized hawk.

Padar lifted a warning finger to his lips as they climbed into their boat, but the priest spun around.

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