“Well, Beltrane bade us all look to Jeshua for orders, while he had to keep his bed, and we would do so willingly, but until my lord your father gets home the Jew has no authority –”

“Who says so? My father gave him letters when he left us at Glannaventa to ride to Castle Rose. You all knew he came from the duke, and if Beltrane appointed him head steward he has all the authority he needs. Does someone query it?”

“My lady, Count Madoc does. He has spoken of dismissing him. And some others of us as well.”

“Indeed? Count Madoc to dismiss my father’s men?”

“He made that threat, my lady. And his men are taking much upon themselves about the estate. There are … there are complaints, my lady.”

“Such as?”

For the first time the man looked away. He mumbled something, his eye on his dusty boots.

Alice, taking breath to speak sharply, let it go again, and said quietly: “Adam, I am not a child. And with my father ailing, I am mistress of Castle Rose. Complaints? Do you mean from the women?”

“Well, there’ve been incidents. Bet’s man got into a fight, but that’s happened before. And yes, there’ve been others. But it’s not just that. The count’s men, there’s some heavy drinkers there, and trouble from time to time. But nothing serious yet, my lady, nothing to knock my lord over the way it did. It was only – we all thought you’d have been home a week or more past, but with you coming here to St Martin’s first, Beltrane thought it would be best if my lord would give him a letter, a paper of some sort, showing that Jeshua and the others of us had his word to keep things right for him till he got home. That’s really all the message I brought, and how was anyone to know it would overset my lord the way it did?”

Alice turned away and went quickly over towards the window. Her hands were clenched tightly at her sides, her pulse racing, quick with anger. She knew perfectly what had shocked her father into this collapse. Madoc, over-ready in his arrogance to claim Alice, and with her the rich inheritance that he was eager for, had presumed a claim before it was even discussed, and was sure enough of her, and of himself, to let his men, by all accounts, use her home like an outland camp.

Well, he had overreached himself. In its way, the news was good. There would be no need, now, to persuade the duke to call off any discussion of that marriage. Nor, surely, to sanction a different one? No need even to wait for a winter wedding to free her father for the holy life he longed for. It should be mercifully easy to set his mind at rest.

She turned back to face the man, who saw with surprise that she was smiling. “Well, Adam, it’s obvious that we must stay here longer, until my father is well enough for the journey home. But I’ll do what I can. I’ll give you letters for Beltrane and for Jeshua. They will give Jeshua the authority to act in my and my father’s name until Beltrane’s well again. I doubt if Count Madoc will ignore the duke’s seal.” She smiled again, and Adam had the swift impression that the sun had suddenly come out through cloud. “They tell me you rode all night.”