*By taking details from another goldsmith who actually saw the objects.'

*At the lord Richard's house?'

*No, my lord,' said Judicael. *At the abbey of St Benet at Holme.'

Mauger Livarot needed a moment to absorb the shock of the announcement. *Did I hear you aright?' he said, dagger lifting again. *Are you telling me that these gold elephants belonged to the abbey?'

*They were holy objects, brought back from Rome.'

*Then how did they come into the lord Richard's greedy hands?'

*I don't know, my lord.'

*Did he buy them from the abbey?'

*Hardly,' said the other. *Abbot Alfwold would never part with holy treasures. How they went astray, I've no idea. But when they're found, the lord sheriff will no doubt restore them to their rightful owner.'

Livarot was not sure whether to be pleased or annoyed at the tidings. *Did the lord Richard say why he wanted two gold elephants made?'

*I understood that he wished to give them to someone, my lord. I thought at first that he meant to present them to the abbey but now I'm not so sure.'

*Well, whoever it is won't receive them from the lord Richard.'

*But I have a commission.'

*It's just been cancelled.'

*You can't speak for the lord Richard.'

*I'm not,' said Livarot, grinning to himself. *I'm speaking for the lady to whom they were due to be presented. When she was offered the original pair she was very taken with them, but there was a significant omission. The lord Richard somehow forgot to mention that they were stolen property.' He sheathed his dagger and gave a laugh of triumph. *When she learns the truth, she'll be livid.'

*They were stolen from the abbey,' said the lady Adelaide, pulsing with quiet fury.

*I didn't know that,' he replied.

*You must have done.'

*No, Adelaide. I bought those elephants in France.'

*Then how did they get there from the abbey of St Benet?'

*Who can say?'

*You can, Richard. Stop lying to me.'

*I'm not lying,' he said, trying to conceal his embarra.s.sment beneath an affectionate smile. *I'd never lie to you, Adelaide. I bought those gold elephants because I wanted the best for you. I knew that you'd appreciate them.'

*I dida"until I heard that they were stolen property.'

*Who told you?'

*Ralph Delchard, one of the royal commissioners.'

*Why is he poking his nose into this?'

*That's irrelevant. The point is that I now know the truth about this so-called wedding gift. You had those elephants seized from the abbey so that you could wave them in front of my eyes to entice me into marriage.'

*But I didn't. I swear it.'

*That was despicable!'

Richard de Fontenel had been delighted when he saw the lady Adelaide riding towards his manor house, but that delight turned swiftly to misery when he learned the purpose of her visit. Having brooded overnight on what she saw as a reprehensible act, she had decided to confront her erstwhile suitor. He had never seen her in such an angry mood. She moved around his parlour with her eyes smouldering.

*And to think that I was tempted,' she said, her voice full of selfreproach. *I let myself be dazzled by two pieces of gold.'

*Purchased especially for you, Adelaide.'

*Stolen especially for me.'

*Not by me.'

*No, you'd use one of your underlings for that. Hermer, probably,' she speculated. *From what I hear, he was corrupt enough for anything.'

*What do you mean?' he said, stung by the remark.

*Your steward had a reputation.'

*He gave me excellent service.'

*So I begin to see.'

*Hermer was killed because of his loyalty to me,' he reminded her. *Murdered and mutilated. He went quickly on to the attack. *And do you know who was responsible for that? The man you recommended to me, my lady, Starculf.'

*There's no proof of that.'

*There's ample proof.'

*Starculf is no longer in the county.'

*Then why is the lord sheriff sending out men in search of him? He's the prime suspect. Roger Bigot a.s.sures me that he has evidence enough to convict the villain.'

*Starculf is no villain.'

*Yes, he is,' retorted the other. *That's why I dismissed him.'

*Wrongfully.'

*Are you telling me how to manage my estate?'

*No, my lord,' she said, backing off slightly. *But I know Starculf better than you. He was a mere youth when my husband took him on. I saw him grow to manhood. He was honest and straightforward. Starculf had integrity.'

*Killing my steward?' he shouted. *Is that an example of his integrity? And why did he have to cut off Hermer's hands? Tell me that. Starculf is a vicious animal who deserves no mercy. I'll be searching for him myself.'

The lady Adelaide was dismayed. She had lost her momentum and been thrown on the defensive. The one person she did not wish to talk about was Starculf. It was important to regain the initiative in the conversation.

*So you no longer accuse the lord Mauger?' she mocked. *When the crimes were first committed, you immediately pointed to him.'

*With cause. Mauger is more than capable of theft and murder.'

*But not in this instance.'

*He's no picture of innocence,' sneered the other. *Mauger had a spy working for him under my roof. A wretch called Clamahoc. What sort of a man contrives that?'

*A cunning one,' she said, calmly.

*Are you saying that you approve?'

*It's not for me to make any comment.'

*When I showed you those gold elephants, Clamahoc overheard every word that we exchanged.' He saw her wince. *Yes, my lady. A marriage proposal is something that should concern only the two people involved. How do you feel, knowing that the private remarks you made to me were then pa.s.sed on to Mauger?'

*I'm not exactly pleased,' she admitted.

*That's the man you might have taken for a husband.'

*At least he didn't order someone to steal holy treasures from an abbey.'

*Neither did I!'

*Then how did they come into your possession?'

*I bought them from a merchant.'

*What was his namea"Hermer?'

Richard de Fontenel's expression gave him away. Turning from her, he circled the room and worked himself up into a rage to deflect her from further accusation.

*Hermer is dead,' he said, punching a fist into the palm of the other hand. *Cut down and foully abused by Starculf. He was slaughtered, Adelaide, and all you can think about is a pair of gold elephants. Don't you have any concern for human life? Hermer was never popular a" he never tried to bea"but he didn't deserve to be murdered. I spoke to Brother Daniel, the monk who discovered the corpse, and he was still in a state of shock over what he saw. That was all Starculf's doing.' He rounded on her. *The man you were so keen to recommend to me. Don't you think you should accept some of the blame for what happened? Starculf was your man, after all.'

The lady Adelaide was too embarra.s.sed to answer. After meeting his accusatory glare for a few seconds, she turned on her heel and hurried quickly out of the house.

There was a flurry of activity in the bailey as Roger Bigot marshalled his men before riding out of the castle to continue the hunt. Eager to help in the search, Eustace Coureton volunteered himself and his escort. They were a.s.signed to the group led by the sheriff's deputy, Olivier Romain. It was a beautiful day. With the morning sun on their backs, the respective parties felt a surge of confidence. They were convinced that they would at last catch their elusive quarry.

Ralph Delchard and Gervase Bret had already left the castle. Accompanied by Ralph's men, they rode at a comfortable pace in a south-easterly direction. Though he responded willingly to his friend's leadership, Gervase was puzzled that they had not put themselves at the disposal of the sheriff.

*Why are we riding on our own, Ralph?' he asked.

*We make more speed this way.'

*Is that why we left before them?'

*It's part of the reason, Gervase,' said Ralph, cheerily. *I didn't want us to get too entangled in the search for Starculf.'

*But he's the man we're after, surely?'

*Indirectly.'

*I don't follow.'

*You will,' promised the other, grinning. *We'll both follow, Gervase. The lord sheriff and his men know this county well, yet they've so far failed to capture Starculf. We'll hunt more wisely. While they charge along the main roads, we'll follow someone who knows the smaller paths.'

*And who's that?'

*Jocelyn Vavasour.'

Gervase was surprised. *The anchorite?'

*He's turned huntsman now and my guess is that he has a keener nose than Roger Bigot and his officers. Find Jocelyn anda"very soon a" I think we'll find Starculf.'

*But we have no notion where Jocelyn might be.'

*Yes, we have. Thanks to you.'

*Me?'

*Didn't you say that he'd been to see Olova as well?' said Ralph. *Before that, I feel sure, he would have repaired to the abbey itself to get full details of the theft.'

*So?'

*We put ourselves in his position, Gervase. We try to get inside his head.'

*That's a troubled place to be. His mind is beset by demons.'

*They're driving him on to recover the elephants at the moment. Jocelyn Vavasour was no ordinary soldier, remember. He helped the lord Ivo to flush out Hereward the Wake from the fens. That means he knows how to stalk his prey. My guess is that he'll have looked under every bush and behind every tree. He'll certainly have talked to anybody and everybody he met along the way. If we make inquiries, it's only a matter of time before we pick up news of him.'

*Norfolk is a large county. It could take us all day.'

*I don't think so. We'll be crossing land where we know he's already been.'

*Is that why we're heading south?'

*South-east, Gervase. Towards the coast.'

*The coast?'

*That's the way Starculf will be going.'

*How do you know that?'