Page 6 of Sacred Virtues
When the bread is finished and mead drunk, Theobald stands.
“Is that better?” His kind smile is directed at me, and I bask in it for a moment. Few people in my life care enough to ask.
“Yes, thank you.” I rise and we say goodbye to Francis and Sean, who also exchange smiles. It’s a strange feeling that even though they should view me as the enemy, they’ve made me feel welcome. We make our way back towards the abbey and towards another building set apart from the main complex.
“This is the infirmary, where anyone in the community can come for help,” Theobald explains as we cross the threshold. Here the stench is vastly different to the previous buildings we’ve entered, and I almost revisit my dinner.
“It does require a strong stomach,” Theobald says grimly and sets off to walk among the beds arranged against the walls. I clamp a hand over my mouth and nose as much as I can to block out the smell and follow him. Along with the wretched odour is the accompanying noise. Groans and wails drift across the space. There are monks and lay people scurrying between the beds, and I wend my way through them trying not to get in their way as I hurry to catch up with Theobald. He stops at every bed and has a word with the person lying there. If they’re asleep he just rests a hand on their head or arm. Everyone he speaks to seemsbrightened by his visit, as if seeing him brings a hope to their convalescence. We stop by a bed farthest from the door, which is flanked by two of the largest men I’ve ever seen—as broad as they are tall, with red-brown beards.
“Ah, Evan and Ethan, it’s good to see you,” Theobald greets them. They hold out their hands and grip his arm firmly as he shakes them. “How does your father do?”
“He’s well enough. Brother Matthew says he thinks we’re past the worst for infection, so we’re hopeful.”
“That’s excellent news.”
“Aye, he’s none too happy he’s lost a leg, but better that than his life,” Ethan says.
“God has shown him mercy,” Theobald replies.
“That and Brother Matthew is a damn fine surgeon,” Evan guffaws. “We can’t thank you enough, Father, for saving our pa. If there’s anything you need, you know where to find us.”
“Thank you. That is very kind.” Theobald bows his head before turning to the next bed. I can’t help but steal a look back at the men as we move away.
“The Brookes brothers,” Theobald says under his breath as I catch up to him. “The family are stonemasons from the next village. Their great-grandfather helped build this abbey. Their father had a block of stone fall on him and crush his leg, and by the time they brought him to us his foot was already black. He’s lucky to still be alive. But they’re made of strong stuff. Knowing old Calvin Brookes, he’s survived by sheer willpower alone.”
I barely stifle a giggle at his levity, and he shoots me a sharp glance, but I can see that customary twinkle in his eye and something flutters in my chest.
He continues his rounds, making sure he visits every bed, and eventually we exit the infirmary. I stand for a minute drawing in lungfuls of clean air.
“How are you not affected?” I ask between gasps as he stands enigmatically waiting for me to recover.
“You get used to it,” he says and lays a hand briefly on my shoulder as my breathing returns to normal.
“Come on, let’s get back inside.” He moves off and I trot to follow him, the imprint of his hand burning through my tunic.
As we reach the abbey complex I turn and stop. We’ve only walked a small part of it, but from this vantage point I can see across the landscape, from the river, to the extensive woods, across farms to heathland in the distance.
“Is this all abbey land?” I ask in wonder, and Theobald chuckles slightly.
“Most of it, up to the heath. That’s common ground. But didn’t you know this? Do you have a map?”
“Not a recent one, that’s evident,” I say. The abbey lands are far more extensive than I was led to believe. My uncle will be pleased. The thought of him brings me back to my reason for being here. I don’t know how I’d managed to forget it.
“Now I’ve seen what you have, we should talk,” I say sharply.
“My, aren’t we in a hurry?” Theobald says lightly and I scowl.
“No point prolonging the inevitable,” I say through gritted teeth. I need to remember that I hold all the cards.
He shows me into his office and takes a seat behind a table covered in papers.
“Please, take a seat.” He waves his hand towards a seat opposite, and I sink down onto it while he shuffles through some scrolls.
“Ah, here we are,” he says, selecting one and smoothing it out. “This is what I think would be a reasonable pension for us to be able to provide some continuing support to the community without the abbey.
I take the parchment and look down at it, the figures all neatly laid out and the final sum at the bottom. My jaw almost drops at the amount stated.
“Reasonable!” I exclaim. “Reasonable? This is at least three times as much as I’m authorised to offer?—”
