The Outlaw's Tale by Margaret Frazer

Author:Margaret Frazer
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: murder, mystery, historical fiction, church, catholic, christian, outlaw, robin hood, historical mystery, nuns, merry men, frevisse, margaret frazer, history mystery
Publisher: Justin Alexander

Chapter Twelve

“Now what was that about?" Sister Emma queried from the bed. “Dame Frevisse, what were you thinking of to do that? You've upset her. It takes both guest and host to make a visit gracious."

Not even illness could daunt Sister Emma's Wise Sayings. Distracted, Frevisse went to soothe her with assurances that it was a family matter that had alarmed Mistress Dow, not something she, Frevisse, had done.

“I should hope not!" Sister Emma declared. “What Domina Edith is going to say about this I don't want to think about, and we certainly don't want to make it worse by causing trouble for this family." Frevisse's conscience twitched with the realization that she had never written her second letter. Sister Emma chatted on, “This is a fine house, judging by what little I remember of it and this room, which I gather this isn't the best one." Maud and Bess, probably glad to escape their duties to Sister Emma for a while, were the length of the room away; Sister Emma dropped her voice to a whisper to ask, “Who are these people we're staying with?"

Keeping her own voice low, Frevisse answered, “Nicholas brought us here, you remember that. Master Payne is someone he does business with, and is doing him the favor of taking us in. They've been very kind to us, Master Payne and his family. Mistress Dow is his widowed sister."

“They certainly have all the comforts they could want. Who is this Master Payne?"

The answer to that took up the little while until darkness had fully come and Magdalen returned. Frevisse tried to tell only as much as would content Sister Emma without rousing other questions. Deliberately she left out anything about the murder, and, as it happened, Sister Emma tired easily. After some exclamations about what the world was coming to when no more than a steward could rise to live like a knight – why, her own brother lived hardly so well as this! - she subsided to a drowse that had deepened to sleep by the time Magdalen returned.

Clearly Magdalen was in no better mind than when she left. To her quick orders her women brought the truckle beds out from under the great bed, readying first the room and then Magdalen and then themselves for bed. Magdalen paced while they did, stood still only long enough to be undressed and wrapped in her bedrobe, and refused any help with combing out or braiding her hair. “Let it be," she said impatiently. “Go away for a while. Or you can go to bed, if you want, Bess, since it's ready. But I don't want to talk or be bothered. Go away."

Frevisse caught the looks the two waiting women exchanged. Clearly this was not Magdalen's usual way or temper. But Maud obediently left, and Bess chose to crawl into the truckle bed at the foot of the great bed and curl up with whatever thoughts she had.

Frevisse presumed to go to where Magdalen sat near the small fire against the evening's damp chill, her hands clenched into fists.

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