“I came across the fields to meet you, but you didn’t see me and galloped past.”

“Oh. I think I did see you. No matter – what’s the message?”

“Earl Roland summons you to Earlscastle as soon as possible.” She took a breath and added another layer of implausibiiity. “The messenger said to tell you not to wait to eat your dinner, but take fresh horses and leave at once.” It was barely credible, but she had to get Ralph away before Wulfric showed up.

“Really? Did he say why he needs me in such a terrible hurry?”

“No.”

“Hm.” Ralph looked thoughtful and said nothing for a few moments.

Gwenda said anxiously: “So, will you go now?”

He glared at her. “That’s no concern of yours.”

“It’s just that I wouldn’t want it to be said that I hadn’t made the urgency clear enough.”

“Oh, wouldn’t you? Well, I don’t care what you would or wouldn’t want. Be off.”

Gwenda had to go.

She returned to Perkin’s house. She arrived just as the men were coming in from the fields. Sam was quiet and happy in his crib. Annet was sitting in the same place, with her dress pulled down to show the bruises on her arms. Peg said accusingly: “Where have you been?”

Gwenda did not answer, and Peg was distracted by Perkin coming in and saying: “What’s this? What’s the matter with Annet?”

Peg said: “She had the misfortune to meet Ralph and Alan when she was alone in the forest.”

Perkin’s face darkened with anger. “Why was she alone?”

“It’s my fault,” Peg said, and she began to cry. “Only she was so lazy about the laundry, as she always is, and I made her stay back and finish it, after the other women went home, and that’s when those two animals must have come along.”

“We saw them a while ago, riding across Brookfield,” Perkin said. “They must have just come from the place.” He looked frightened. “This is very dangerous,” he said. “It’s the kind of thing that can ruin a family.”

“But we’ve done nothing wrong!” Peg protested.

“Ralph’s guilt will make him hate us for our innocence.”

That was probably true, Gwenda realized. Perkin was shrewd, beneath his obsequious manner.

Annet’s husband, Billy Howard, came in, wiping his muddy hands on his shirt. Her brother, Rob, was close behind. Billy looked at his wife’s bruises and said: “What happened to you?”

Peg answered for her. “It was Ralph and Alan.”

Billy stared at his wife. “What did they do to you?”

Annet lowered her eyes and said nothing.

“I’ll kill them both,” Billy said furiously, but it was obviously an idle threat: Billy was a mild-mannered man, slim built, and had never been known to fight, even when drunk.

Wulfric was the last to come through the door. Too late, Gwenda realized how attractive Annet was looking. She had a long neck and pretty shoulders, and the tops of her breasts were showing. The ugly bruises only emphasized her other charms. Wulfric stared at her with undisguised admiration – he never could hide his feelings. Then, after a moment, he registered the angry bruises, and he frowned.

Billy said: “Did they rape you?”

Gwenda was watching Wulfric. As he grasped the significance of the scene, his expression registered shock and dismay, and his fair skin flushed with emotion.

Billy said: “Did they, woman?”

Gwenda felt a surge of compassion for the unlovable Annet. Why did everyone feel they had the right to ask her bullying questions?

At last, Annet answered Billy’s question with a silent nod.

Wulfric’s face was suffused with black rage. “Who?” he growled.

Billy said: “This is none of your business, Wulfric. Go home.”

Perkin said tremulously: “I don’t want trouble. We mustn’t let this destroy us.”

Billy looked angrily at his father-in-law. “What are you saying? That we should do nothing?”

“If we make an enemy of Lord Ralph, we could suffer for the rest of our lives.”

“But he’s raped Annet!”

Wulfric said incredulously: “Ralph did this?”

Perkin said: “God will punish him.”

“So will I, by Christ,” said Wulfric.

Gwenda said: “Please, Wulfric, no!”

Wulfric made for the door.

Gwenda went to him, frantic with fright, and grabbed his arm. Only a few minutes had gone by since she had given Ralph the fake message. Even if he believed it, she did not know how seriously he would take the urgency. There was a good chance he had not left the village yet. “Don’t go to the manor house,” she pleaded with Wulfric. “Please.”

He shook her off roughly. “Get away from me,” he said.

“Look at your baby!” she cried, pointing at Sammy in the crib. “Are you going to leave him without a father?”

Wulfric went out.

Gwenda followed, and the other men came after. Wulfric marched through the village like the angel of death, fists clenched at his sides, staring straight ahead, his face twisted into a rictus of fury. Other villagers, on their way home for the midday meal, spoke to him but got no reply. Some followed him. In the few minutes it took to walk to the manor house he gathered a small crowd. Nathan Reeve came out of his house and asked Gwenda what was happening, but all she could say was: “Stop him, someone, please!” It was useless: none of them could have restrained Wulfric even if they had dared to try.

He threw open the front door of the manor house and marched in. Gwenda was right behind him, and the crowd pushed through after them. The housekeeper, Vira, said indignantly: “You’re supposed to knock!”

“Where is your master?” said Wulfric.

Vira saw the expression on Wulfric’s face and looked scared. “He went to the stable,” she said. “He’s about to leave for Earlscastle.”

Wulfric pushed past her and went through the kitchen. As he and Gwenda stepped out of the back door, they saw Ralph and Alan mounting up. Gwenda could have screamed – they were just seconds too early!

Wulfric jumped forward. With desperate inspiration, Gwenda stuck out her foot and hooked it around Wulfric’s ankle.

Wulfric fell flat on his face in the mud.

Ralph did not see either of them. He kicked his horse and it trotted out of the yard. Alan saw them, read the situation, decided to avoid trouble and followed Ralph. As they left the yard Alan urged his horse into a canter, passing Ralph, whereupon Ralph’s horse eagerly increased its pace.

Wulfric leaped to his feet, cursing, and chased them. Gwenda ran after him. Wulfric could not catch the horses, but Gwenda was terrified that Ralph would look behind and rein in to see what the fuss was about.

But the two men were enjoying the lively energy of fresh horses, and without a backward glance they raced away along the track that led out of the village. In seconds they disappeared.

Wulfric slumped on his knees in the mud.

Gwenda caught up with him and took his arm to help him to his feet. He pushed her aside so forcefully that she staggered and almost fell. She was shocked: it was completely out of character for him to be rough with her.

“You tripped me up,” he said as he got to his feet unaided.

“I saved your life,” she said.

He stared at her with hatred in his eyes and said: “I will never forgive you.”

When Ralph reached Earlscastle he was told that Roland had not sent for him at all, never mind urgently. The rooks on the battlements laughed mockingly at him.

Alan conjectured an explanation. “It’s to do with Annet,” he said. “Just as we left, I saw Wulfric coming out of the back door of the manor house. I thought nothing of it at the time, but maybe he was intending to confront you.”

“I’ll bet he was,” Ralph said. He touched the long dagger at his belt. “You should have told me – I’d welcome an excuse to stick my knife in his belly.”

“And no doubt Gwenda knows that, so perhaps she invented the message to get you away from her murderous husband.”