‘Perhaps I should!’ the young boy piped back. ‘I want to be. It is my right!’

Athelstan was surprised at the precociousness of the child and, despite his tender years, the sway he held over his formidable uncle.

Gaunt sighed. ‘Brother, we are in your hands. Though I warn you,’ he gestured threateningly, ‘don’t waste my time or engage us in meddlesome, wasteful tricks. I am here for the truth!’

Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

Athelstan pointed to the chamber door.

‘My Lord of Gaunt, let us pretend that behind that door lies someone you dearly love.’

Gaunt glared back at him.

‘The door is locked and you are about to rouse them. What would you do?’

‘A simple question! I would try the door, I would knock, I would hammer, I would shout!’

‘Thank you, Your Grace. Lady Ermengilde, you heard Father Crispin come up to rouse Sir Thomas that fateful morning. What happened?’

The old dame had caught the drift of Athelstan’s words, her face losing some of its haughty composure. She narrowed her eyes.

‘I heard him come up. He tried the handle of the door of my son’s bed chamber. Then he walked away. He went to find Sir Richard.’

‘Now why was that, Father?’ Athelstan asked. ‘You went up to waken your master - he had asked to be roused early, remember? You went up as anyone would do, you tried the door, but then you went to get his brother. Why did you not try to rouse Sir Thomas Springall yourself? You tried the door but there was no sound from within. Anyone else would have pounded on the door, shouting Sir Thomas’s name. You failed to do so. You immediately walked away to rouse Sir Richard. Why?’

‘Because I thought that was the best thing to do.’

‘It was not the logical thing to do,’ Athelstan replied quickly. ‘The logical thing was to pound on the door and shout Sir Thomas’s name. You did not. It was as if you knew something was wrong.’

The priest swallowed quickly but gazed coolly around the room.

‘What are you implying, Brother?’

‘At the moment I am implying nothing. Let us proceed a little further. Sir Richard comes upstairs with other members of the household. The door is forced. And inside?’

‘Why,’ the priest replied, ‘my master, Sir Thomas Springall, lying on the bed, poisoned.’

‘And what happened then? Precisely?’

‘I went across to look at Sir Thomas.’

‘No, he did not!’ Sir Richard thrust himself forward. ‘I did that. You came into the room with me but I did that!’

‘So what did you do, Father?’ Athelstan continued.

‘I just stood there.’

‘No, you did something else.’

‘Oh, yes. I picked up the wine cup and smelt it. I took it over to the window to look at the contents because its odour was strange.’

‘And when you went to the window, you passed the chess board. Then what?’