Free Brother's Blood by C.B. Hanley Page B

picked up most of it. This bit was evidently about the use of the church: … used for prayer and not for any other purpose … when the work of God has been completed all are to go out noiselessly … if someone wishes to make a private prayer then let him go in without hesitation and pray not aloud but with tears and with the attention of his heart .
    As the reading continued Edwin could hear the sound of cups, plates and spoons, but there was no other noise, no chat, no raucous conversation as there always was at the lower tables in the earl’s hall. He risked a glance back through the doorway. It was very strange watching so many men sitting in such complete silence. Some of them were making obscure gestures to each other.
    Brother Helias put his head close to Edwin’s. ‘Speech is forbidden at meals, but we have other ways of asking the brethren to pass the bread or the beans.’ He smiled and patted Edwin on the shoulder. ‘I must go back in – I am sometimes late anyway so Brother Prior won’t chastise me. And you’d better go back to the guesthouse if you want your evening meal.’
    Edwin realised how hungry he was. ‘Yes, of course. Thank you, Brother.’
    As he made his way to the guesthouse he saw another monk hurrying towards him, no doubt realising he was late. It was Brother Godfrey, who had come to Conisbrough to fetch him, so Edwin nodded his head and spoke a greeting as they neared each other. But Brother Godfrey looked straight past him and hurried on. Edwin stopped and turned to look after him. How strange. Obviously Brother Godfrey was in haste, but it wasn’t that he had ignored him because of that – the monk had looked right through him as though they had never met. Edwin felt again the sharp stab of reality. He was unimportant, worthless, his face not recalled, his presence not worth a greeting.
    Back in the guesthouse Edwin found Martin and the two other guests whom he had seen earlier in the day already at the table. Martin looked hot and sweaty, and he was shovelling in what looked like a meal of vegetables and beans as though he hadn’t eaten for a week, interspersed with giant gulps of ale. He looked up as Edwin entered.
    ‘Come and sit down. I looked for you a while ago but I saw you praying in the church during the service so I reckoned you didn’t need me. Come and eat.’
    Edwin sat down while Brother Amandus fussed around him placing a bowl and cup on the table. He took out his spoon, then remembered where he was and said a quick grace. The hunger he had felt earlier had dissipated after his encounter with Brother Godfrey, but he forced it all down, clearing the dish and wiping it around with a piece of bread before speaking.
    ‘Where were you?’
    Martin was still eating, having held out his bowl for a second helping, and he said something indistinct which Edwin interpreted as ‘I’ll tell you later.’
    The other two guests at the table had finished eating and were stretching their legs out in front of them while they sipped the remainder of their drinks. The knight turned his head away but the merchant called Aylwin, with whom Edwin had spoken briefly earlier, gave him a smile.
    ‘So, you and your companion are staying the night? You’re on a journey somewhere?’
    Edwin was immediately on his guard. Was that a hint of extra curiosity in his voice? Or was he just making polite conversation? After all, anyone might while away the evening in a guesthouse in idle chat.
    ‘I – er, we’re the guests of the lord abbot, so we’ll probably be here a few days.’ He rushed to cut off any further questioning. ‘And you? Are you on a journey?’
    Aylwin took another sip from his cup. ‘No, this was always my destination. I come here every year to talk to Brother Alexander about exporting some of his wool, but it was only after I arrived yesterday that I found out he’d died.’ He crossed himself and Edwin did the same. ‘But business is business and must be attended to, so