The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett [504]
There was silence. William walked slowly down the steps and across the kitchen courtyard. His words had sounded to Aliena like a sentence of imprisonment. The crowd parted for him. He threw a smug look at Aliena as he passed her. They all watched him walk to the gate and mount his horse. He gave an order and trotted away, leaving two of his men standing at the gate, looking in.
When Aliena turned around, Philip was standing beside her and Jack. “Go to my house,” he said quietly. “We must discuss this.” He went back into the kitchen.
Aliena had the impression that he was secretly pleased about something.
The excitement was over. The builders returned to work, talking animatedly. Ellen went to the house to be with the grandchildren. Aliena and Jack walked through the graveyard, skirting the building site, and went into Philip’s house. He was not yet there. They sat on a bench to wait. Jack sensed Aliena’s anxiety for her brother, and gave her a comforting hug.
Looking around, Aliena realized that year by year Philip’s house was slowly becoming more comfortable. It was still bare by the standards of an earl’s private quarters in a castle, say, but it was not as austere as it had once been. In front of the little altar in the corner there was now a small rug, to save the prior’s knees during the long nights of prayer; and on the wall behind the altar hung a jeweled silver crucifix that must have been a costly gift. It would do Philip no harm to be easier on himself as he got older, Aliena thought. Perhaps he would be a little easier on others too.
A few moments later Philip came in, with a flustered-looking Richard in tow. Richard began speaking immediately. “William can’t do this, it’s mad! I found Alfred trying to rape my sister—he had a knife in his hand—he almost killed me!”
“Calm down,” Philip said. “Let’s talk about this quietly, and try calmly to determine what the dangers are, if any. Why don’t we all take a seat?”
Richard sat down, but he went on talking. “Dangers? There are no dangers. A sheriff can’t imprison an earl for anything, even murder.”
“He’s going to try,” Philip said. “He’ll have men waiting outside the priory.”
Richard made a dismissive gesture. “I can get past William’s men blindfold. They’re no problem. Jack can be waiting for me outside the town wall with a horse.”
“And when you reach Earlscastle?” said Philip.
“Same thing. I can sneak past William’s men. Or have my own men come out to meet me.”
“That sounds satisfactory,” said Philip. “And what then?”
“Then nothing,” said Richard. “What can William do?”
“Well, he still has a royal writ that summons you to answer a charge of murder. He’ll try to arrest you anytime you leave the castle.”
“I’ll go everywhere escorted.”
“And when you hold court, in Shiring and other places?”
“Same thing.”
“But will anyone abide by your decisions, knowing that you yourself are a fugitive from the law?”
“They’d better,” Richard said darkly. “They should remember how William enforced his decisions when he was the earl.”
“They may not be as frightened of you as they were of William. They may think you’re not as bloodthirsty and evil. I hope they would be right.”
“Don’t count on it.”
Aliena frowned. It was not like Philip to be so pessimistic—unless he had an ulterior motive. She suspected that he was laying the groundwork for some scheme he had up his sleeve. I’d bet money, she thought, that the quarry will come into this somehow.
“My main worry is the king,” Philip was saying. “In refusing to answer the charge, you’re defying the crown. A year ago I would have said go ahead and defy it. But now that the war is over, it won’t be so easy for earls to do as they please.”
Jack said: “It looks as if you’ll have to answer the charge, Richard.”
“He can’t do that,” Aliena said.“He’s got no hope of justice.”
“She’s right,” Philip said. “The case would be heard in the royal court. The facts are already known: Alfred tried