Free The Falconer's Knot by Mary Hoffman

Chiara, straining to see what was happening over the wall of the friary. The three other novices, unable for once to contain their curiosity, were all with her.
    The two lay brothers who had stood guard over the convent through the dark hours were now breaking their fast in the sisters’ refectory and the nuns had abandoned their daily duties. The friary seemed to be equally disordered. Once the chapel bell had stopped tolling for Ubaldo, it had not sounded again and the first three Hours of the Office had been unsaid, except by some of the brothers in private.
    There had been many comings and goings of the friars across the yard between the refectory, where they had all been assembled, and the building where the Abbot and the other senior members had their individual cells.
    ‘There goes that new novice of theirs,’ said Sister Elisabetta.
    Chiara was surprised. So Elisabetta had noticed Silvano, in spite of all her insistence on downcast eyes and lack of interest in men.
    ‘He looks upset,’ said Sister Cecilia.
    ‘Of course he does,’ said Elisabetta. ‘It’s a terrible thing to happen in a House of God.’ She crossed herself piously.
    ‘Or anywhere,’ added Sister Paola.
    ‘Perhaps he found the body?’ suggested Cecilia.
    ‘Why do you think that?’ demanded Chiara.
    ‘Only that he seems to grieve more than you’d expect for a passing visitor,’ said Cecilia.
    ‘Let me see,’ said Chiara.
    It was true that Silvano was pale; she could see that even from this distance. But that could have been from lack of sleep and he had a naturally fair complexion. Chiara knew that she was not supposed to think of the colour of a young man’s face, but she couldn’t help it. Her father, her brother, a few family acquaintances in Gubbio – these were the only men she had met and none was as fair as Silvano. He made the cluster of novices around her seem swarthy.
    ‘Sister Orsola, what on earth do you think you are doing?’ a sharp voice rang out.
    Sister Eufemia, the Novice Mistress, was bustling across the courtyard to her charges. She looked scandalised.
    ‘Come away from the wall!’ ordered Eufemia. ‘You are disgracing our sisterhood!’

    Silvano was having a gruelling time with the Abbot. Since he had arrived at Giardinetto he had received nothing but kindness from the friars, especially Father Bonsignore, who often talked to Silvano about his university days with the Baron. Silvano had felt trusted and accepted and now all that was threatened by whoever had stuck a knife in Ubaldo the merchant. Silvano cursed his luck; if Ubaldo had to have an enemy and one who followed him to Giardinetto, why hadn’t the villain used a club or some poison? Anything but a dagger in the ribs.
    Immediately, Silvano felt ashamed of his thoughts.
    ‘You admit that you did not go straight to bed after supper?’ the Abbot was asking.
    ‘I went to see Brother Anselmo,’ said Silvano and instantly regretted it. He felt the colour rising in his face, even though what he was saying was true. ‘I went to see if he was better as he said he was unwell at supper.’
    ‘So Brother Anselmo will confirm that he saw you,’ said the Abbot.
    ‘Yes,’ said Silvano faltering. ‘He said he was feeling much better and that I should go to bed.’
    He knew he was making a bad job of this and that Bonsignore was looking at him suspiciously but it was better this way than that the Abbot should know that Anselmo was not in his cell when Silvano arrived. He wondered what the Colour Master would say when questioned. And relieved as he was to feel the burden of suspicion moving away from him, the last thing he wanted was to incriminate Brother Anselmo.
    Silvano knew what it was like to be suspected of a crime you had not committed. It was a crushing feeling and one that made it difficult to appear innocent. But he knew Brother Anselmo, even after a few weeks, and he was sure that he couldn’t have murdered anyone. Anselmo had said the same