As she prayed, Eleanor grew more ashamed of her uncharitable feelings toward Mistress Emelyne, whose only sins were worldly wealth and an abundance of friendliness. Ashamed, she squeezed her eyes shut. How great was her need to purge herself of arrogance and unkind judgments!
The widow now slowly rose, her gaze still lowered. Her hands remained folded.
The prioress stood as well and faced the woman with a more sincere smile than she had been previously wont to grant.
Mistress Emelyne looked over her shoulder, and then leaned closer to the prioress. “Is it true,” she whispered, “that our beloved king plans to visit Walsingham soon before he, himself, invades Wales?”
Eleanor turned her face away so the widow would not see her disappointment. Did this woman really have a more devout nature, or was she so bound by worldly interests that news of kings and wars could distract her even in these sacred places?
But the woman’s question pricked at Eleanor. Her father, Baron Adam, had said nothing of this in his last missive from the Welsh border, but, unaware that his daughter planned a journey to Walsingham, he might have omitted the news. On the other hand, she had received no message that the king would visit Tyndal Priory as part of any tour of East Anglian religious sites. If King Edward was planning to visit a shrine so close to her own priory, and she remained ignorant of it, his main purpose was likely quite secular. A stop at any holy site would be brief.
Of course she knew that King Edward had sent an army across the Welsh border. Her eldest brother, Sir Hugh, was currently with Mortimer’s troops at Llywelyn’s new castle at Dolforwyn. In charge of supplies, Baron Adam was worried about having adequate crossbow bolts, war horses, and carts.
Eleanor looked back at Mistress Emelyne with what she hoped was an innocent expression. “I know nothing about that,” she said. “Where did you hear this news?”
The widow’s eyes widened with surprise. “The rumors are rife in Norwich, my lady. Since I heard that your brother stood at the king’s right hand, I assumed he told you all.” Her lips puckered as if she had bitten a sour cherry. “It is time the Welsh barbarians were taught a lesson about their rebellious ways!”
“Sir Hugh would never tell me any details about such an endeavor.” Eleanor lowered her eyes with feminine meekness. Her reply was truthful. Her brother had said nothing. It was her father, but she would remain silent about anything he had told her.
Mistress Emelyne nodded and then gazed back at the holy wells. “I care little about wars, battles, and the other affairs of men, events often deemed great, unless the actions are taken against heretics and unbelievers. Even the Welsh are Christians, I’ve been told. Yet it speaks well of our noble king that he might travel to these holy places so favored by his father. Surely God will now favor him on this solemn endeavor.” She nodded gravely. “Like King Henry, our present king is a most Christian prince! Did he not go on pilgrimage to wrest Jerusalem back from the bloody hands of the Infidel?”
Certainly his father had been imbued with great faith, Eleanor thought. Although she had not known King Henry III until after he had begun to fail in health and mental strength, her father had told favorable tales of him. Yet Baron Adam, quick-witted though he remained, was still a man who looked wistfully over his shoulder to a time before his beloved wife died in childbirth and his heir returned from Outremer divested of joy. Eleanor suspected that his views of the dead king were deeply colored by those things they shared in more youthful and happier days.
As she considered this further, she wondered if she, too, would have preferred that less bellicose king to the current ruler, no matter how devout Edward was and in spite of King Henry’s many faults.
“His father did spend much time here and donated to the upkeep of many shrines,” the prioress said at last. “This was one, I believe.”
“Then our current king will most certainly visit Walsingham!” The widow’s hands fluttered with excitement. “I wonder when he is expected. I did not see any preparations in the town for his arrival. Usually the streets are cleansed until the very earth shines, so that the hooves of his steed may remain unsullied by the excrement of common beasts.” Suddenly, she stretched her hand out as if to beg something of the prioress. “I would like to remain if he is to come. Do you not long to do so as well?”
The prioress bowed her head, allowing Mistress Emelyne to conclude that she had responded in any way the widow wished.
Had she to choose, she would prefer not to remain here for any royal visit. Although King Edward and her brother remained friends, Queen Eleanor did not favor the prioress’ eldest brother quite so highly. Sir Hugh was inclined to an unseemly reluctance when it came to doing all the queen wished of her husband’s courtiers. The most glaring example was Sir Hugh’s recent refusal to marry one of her ladies-in-waiting. This refusal by Sir Hugh to comply had caused a quarrel between king and queen, and the king did not like such upsets. Were he to meet with Eleanor, she was sure he would firmly urge her to persuade her brother to honor the queen’s desire. That was a request she ardently wished to avoid.
“Oh, do say that you are planning to stay!” The widow’s voice intruded on the prioress’ thoughts. “I would consider it an honor to serve you if you did.”
Whatever your talents, they do not include subtlety, Eleanor thought with annoyance. “You are most kind, Mistress Emelyne, and I am grateful for your offer, but I do not know when King Edward plans to arrive. As you noted, his visit does not seem imminent if Walsingham has prepared nothing in expectation of it. I shall leave as soon as my penance is done. There is much demanding my attention at Tyndal Priory.”
The widow grasped her hands together with evident regret. “I grieve to hear that, my lady. May I ask how much longer I may enjoy your edifying company? I feel so fortunate to have met you on this pilgrimage.”
Eleanor was stung by a spark of outrage. This woman’s tenacity bordered on the perverse, and she resented the way this woman treated her. I am not a saint, whose company gives the devout a taste of Heaven, the prioress thought, nor am I a conduit to the powerful of this realm. If the widow hopes for a meeting with the king as an attendant to this prioress of Tyndal, she will be sadly disappointed.
Eleanor glanced heavenward and hoped God would agree that she ought not encourage this woman with false and worldly hopes. And, she prayed with fervor, I should not remain in her company if, in so doing, she turns her thoughts so quickly to less devout matters.
The prioress cleared her throat. “I do not know the date of my departure. That is up to Brother Thomas and my sub-prioress, who is under instruction to send word if my presence is needed.” Eleanor bit her tongue over the last remark which bordered on a lie. Sister Ruth had been given that directive, but the sub-prioress would do anything, short of selling her soul to the Prince of Darkness, to avoid sending for the prioress who had replaced her years ago as head of the priory.
The look on Mistress Emelyne’s face suddenly became unreadable. “I beg forgiveness if I have offended, my lady. It was not my intent to pry,” she said in a tone that, for her, was strangely calm.
Eleanor assured her that she was not offended in any way, and after the usual courtesies the two women parted.
Watching Mistress Emelyne leave the shrines, Eleanor frowned in thought. This widow had just revealed a sharper perception than the prioress believed she owned.
Then gazing back at the chill waters of the holy wells glittering with promise in the pale light, she felt troubled by that discovery but was uncertain why she ought to be.
Chapter Thirteen
As Gracia sat cross-legged in the clean straw of the stable loft next to the inn, a tear wiggled down her dirty cheek. Angrily, she swiped it away.
The red-haired monk had given her food again. Of the many who believed it an obligation to offer her charity, he was one of the few who had done so with gentleness robed in courtesy. There was no hint of grim duty in his gift, nor any trace of disdain. Perhaps that was
the reason she suffered a growing affection for him, or maybe it was his vague resemblance to one of her dead cousins, but the attachment was a dangerous flaw in one who must survive on the streets. Pilgrims went back to the towns they left. Kin died. She had made this mistake of attachment with Sister Roysia, and should have learned from the error.
She scoffed at herself, trying to eradicate the weakness, but this fondness was stubborn and resisted her efforts, retreating to a smaller corner of her heart where it mocked her attempts to banish it. Sliding onto her stomach and burrowing into the dry straw to remain unseen, she tried distracting herself by watching the men who entered and left the pilgrim’s inn.
This was not an idle pastime. No one living within a finger’s span of death survived without studying the nuances of expression, tone, and actions in those better-fed. And Gracia was a clever student, far more perceptive than her age would suggest. She had survived while others, some older and a few claiming greater wisdom, had died last winter. It was fortunate that she enjoyed observing other mortals. If she missed the games played by children with families that sheltered them, she did not dwell on it.
For her, the inn was a fine school. As she sat at the entrance to beg, she considered various meanings for the interactions she observed. Then she would choose which one she thought was closest to the truth. When the merchant bent forward and clutched his mazer of wine in conversation with a competitor, was he bluffing fellowship to win a good deal, or was this a meeting of childhood friends?
When she was proven wrong, she struggled to discover the flaw in her reasoning. Without giving voice to the knowledge, she was well aware that youth’s tender innocence lured Death like a corpse did carrion crow.
Her stomach growled. It was time to beg for food.
Scrambling down from the loft, she walked to the inn. The innkeeper tolerated her presence there, allowing her to sit near the door as long as no one complained. She rarely spoke to passersby. That was unnecessary. Her skeletal form and filthy rags were expressive enough. The charitable winced as they tossed something in the direction of her hand. Others held a scented cloth closer to their noses, looked to the other side, and walked past. Occasionally, a man found her presence offensive, and the innkeeper was obliged to chase her away. When she deemed it safe, she returned to the inn.
As she approached her spot, she noticed a man standing near the entrance. Her eyes were sharp enough to see that his dark clothing was made of fine wool and the needlework was precise and even. Yet he wore no golden chain, bejeweled cross, or rings crafted to catch the light and dazzle the eye. His grayish brown hair was as fine as down, his face neither handsome nor plain. Looking at his well-cobbled boots, she briefly coveted them. A merchant, she decided. He bore no sign of titled rank, but his unmistakable affluence argued against a lowly status.
Despite being a wealthy man, he was unusually mundane. That intrigued her. Those who strode through crowds, red-faced and with clenched fists, told the world unequivocally what they thought and who they believed they were. Others, bowing their heads to hide the state of their souls shining from their eyes, were equally easy to comprehend, although they hoped otherwise. But this man gazed straight ahead without challenge, exuded neither humility nor pride, and walked with modest purpose.
I think he has secrets, she concluded.
Deciding to watch him longer, she edged closer, lowered her gaze to avoid eye contact, and slipped into her usual spot in the dirt by the inn door. It would be interesting to discover what he wished to keep hidden.
The man did not look away from Gracia as others did. Instead, he smiled at her, reached into a concealed pouch, and bent to drop a coin into her hand.
She snatched the gift before it could hit the ground and slipped the coin into a hidden place inside her robe. The movement was swifter than a falcon plunging to catch its prey.
He nodded, as if acknowledging her skill, then walked into the inn and looked around.
Gracia bent forward to better watch.
Raising his hand to greet an unseen acquaintance, he smiled broadly and slipped onto a bench just inside the doorway.
Without moving closer to the door, Gracia could not see who was across the table from him.
“I was hoping to find you,” the merchant exclaimed and waved at the serving wench. “Do you prefer wine or ale? I have found the inn’s wine to be quite acceptable.”
Gracia dared to inch nearer until she was almost at the entrance. Although she feared the innkeeper might send her away if she got too close, she hoped she could remain unnoticed long enough. This spot let her listen in secret with greater ease, but anyone leaving the inn might have to step around her.
She looked about. Few seemed interested in coming to the inn, or leaving it, but that would change. Huddling up to make herself even smaller, she knew she could not stay here long.
“I am not acquainted with you,” said the man hidden from view. His tone was petulant and also familiar.
“But I know your reputation, Master Larcher,” the fine merchant replied. “Wine, I think,” he said to the hovering serving woman. “Your best. I have spoken to the innkeeper and know what he keeps for those who enjoy a fine vintage.”
Larcher, the craftsman of pilgrimage badges? No wonder she thought she recognized the voice. Gracia did not like the man. Unconsciously, she rubbed her cheek where he had struck her once when she failed to step out of his path quickly enough.
“I still know you not.”
“Durant of Norwich, a merchant of wine, although I invest in other merchandise if I see value in doing so.” He let those words hang in the air for a moment. “I come to this town on occasion to worship at the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, and have seen your finely crafted pilgrim badges. The nuns of Ryehill Priory are fortunate that they were given the right to the profits from the sales.”
“I do not offer a lesser price for direct purchases of the items. They are sold at Walsingham Priory for an honest one.”
The merchant indicated understanding. “Yet I think your work might also be sold in Norwich at a profit to you, as well as to me.”
There was a brief silence before Larcher responded. “Why should I be interested?”
Durant smiled. “Many vow to go on pilgrimage, a promise they never fulfill. Remember our beloved King Henry III who took the cross, swearing to go to Outremer and restore Jerusalem before his attention was directed to Gascony? He failed to fulfill his sacred vow, although he must have wished otherwise, but was left with the symbols of his oath. Surely we would not say that his promise was false because he was prevented from honoring it exactly as sworn. Was God not kind to him when He inspired his son to go in his stead? That must have brought peace to King Henry’s soul.”
Durant nodded as the woman put the jug of wine on the table. He pulled it to him, sniffed at the contents, then poured a modest serving for himself and more for the craftsman. “And so we are taught that oaths may be fulfilled in many ways. Should not the honest man have that symbol of intent to comfort him, as our former king did, when circumstances prevent him from doing precisely as he wished?”
Gracia watched Durant of Norwich close his eyes, as if in prayer, and wait. He knows his quarry, she thought, just as she knew the badge craftsman would reject nothing until he learned what was being offered and the profit he might expect. As she watched the stranger, she saw his lips curl up in a little smile as if he understood this, and she grew more eager to discover how he would play this game.
“Continue,” Larcher said in a lowered voice.
“Why not offer them the opportunity to purchase a badge to remind them of their vow and give them comfort when they cannot do as they had hoped?”
“Walsingham badges in Norwich?”
“Is Walsingham not a famous site? Is it not close to Norwich? Aye, we have the shrine of Saint William, but Walsingham draws far more despite that.” Durant shrugged. “Were I to suggest sales of your badges in London, I would not see a pro
fit. London owns too many saints and has many great shrines of its own.” He raised his hands to suggest the multitude of sites. “Saint Edward the Confessor is just one.”
Gracia twisted a little so she could see the expression on Master Larcher’s face.
He was enthusiastically scratching at the stubble on his chin.
She leaned back. She had seen Larcher do that before. It meant he smelled the chance for profit. The man from Norwich was winning his argument.
Durant poured more of the deep red wine into the craftsman’s mazer, then a splash into his own. “Of course, I would act as your agent in Norwich. A small fee per badge sold would be sufficient. You are the craftsman and thus due the higher percentage.”
“You interest me, Durant of Norwich.”
“King Edward, as I have heard, plans to visit here soon. His father honored this site with many gifts. His son will surely do the same.” Again he waited for a response.
Larcher grunted.
“Many would love to combine a pilgrimage with the chance to see King Edward, crusader and man of proven faith. If the badges were sold in Norwich, many might buy them in the passion of their desire, even if they later found they could not fulfill that wish. At least they would have the memento.” He chuckled. “As we both know, tales are often told of things that never happened, yet the badge suggests a truth.”
This time the grunt was warmer.
“You would lose nothing. Any unsold badges will be returned to you, and these could be purchased here as always. Let us say that you should receive three-quarters of the profit and I a quarter. I have a booth, and I would happily take them back to Norwich with me when I leave.” He waited. “You would receive an agreed-upon surety lest I fail to return the unsold.”
Larcher began to blink, as if he had just awakened from a dream, and cleared his throat. “You said that more would be sold before the king visits, but do you know when he will arrive in Walsingham?” He looked down at his mazer and gulped the remainder of the wine. “I do not.”
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