Hildegard heard voices behind them and, turning, saw Hubert and Ulf in their unwieldy craft grinding heavily onto the bank. Ulf jumped out at once and Hubert needed no urging to do the same. Together they tried to shift the boat off the mud but it was stuck fast. There was nothing they could do.
On the other side close to the temporary beach where the boats were tied, the Sheriff strode down with his men. They sank up to their knees as they gazed helplessly after the receding boat with their captive in it accompanied by their escaped prisoner back from the dead.
He waded over to join the two men. ‘They won’t get far.’
Josiana glanced at Hildegard. ‘I wonder on what premise he bases that assumption?’
‘It seems to me they might get far enough … But I still don’t see what we can do.’
They went over to hear what the men were discussing only to find they intended to post lookouts to see which way the boat would go, west towards the haven where the Austin friars might be expected to stop them or east, down towards Hull with its river pilots and the port authorities on watch to prevent anyone leaving the realm without paying their tolls.
‘They’ll soon have the incoming tide to contend with,’ Hildegard pointed out. ‘I doubt that Rogella will row east.’
The Sheriff said it was a good enough guess to send men in the opposite direction towards Haltemprice Priory, there to rouse the no-good friars to action.
As he sent his men to follow his instructions he told them he would follow after but had something to do first. Then he begged a brief meeting with the Prioress.
She invited Hildegard and Josiana to attend them. ‘Don’t bother about the mud,’ she advised when they all trooped over the tiles into her immaculate private chamber.
First thanking her for the hospitality shown his men the Sheriff told her he had some information for her.
‘It’s about that novice of yours, the poor unfortunate who was ravished by the fellow we’re now pursuing.’
‘Yes?’ The Prioress gave him a sharp look with her all-seeing eyes.
Shifting somewhat on account of some unconfessed sin, perhaps, he cleared his throat. ‘My lady, I have the duty to tell you that the girl has been found and is as safe and well as can be expected. Escaping the clutches of her attacker she managed to struggle on to Beverley where she has an aunt. This aunt, being a strong-minded widow-woman, gave her brother, the girl’s father Sir Roger de Campany, a piece of her mind.’ He paused to explain, ‘I was there and heard every word.’
‘Do go on, if you will.’
The Sheriff drew himself up. ‘This is it.’ In a prim voice slightly higher than usual he said, ‘“While I respect the Prioress at Swyne,”’ he bowed slightly, ‘“a nun’s life isn’t for everybody.”’
‘“You should know that our Bella is not cut out for such a life.”’
‘“You must buy her back. I shall leave you to grieve by yourself for what you have done to Rogella. You’re a cruel man, Roger, and she copied you, knowing no better. She tried her utmost to oust her twin in your heart. But you have no heart and now you’ll reap what you sow. I shall keep Bella with me until she has recovered from her ordeal and for as long after that as she wishes. I’m sure that when the time comes my side of the family will put together enough money to give her a suitable dowry, to your shame. Now get off with you. Get yourself into Beverley Minster and pray to St John that you will become a better, kinder man, and I suggest you pray sincerely for the redemption of your eternal soul.”’ The Sheriff bowed when he finished. In a normal voice he said, ‘That’s exactly what she said, my lady, not a word of a lie.’
‘I congratulate you on the totality of your recall.’
When he left the Prioress remarked to Hildegard, ‘Let’s hope this aunt, a healer-woman I know and respect, remembers the uses of pennyroyal.’
Hildegard agreed.