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“It’s dangerous for you to be roaming the corridor. What if Sir Gregory sees you? You’ll be punished.”
“The High Sheriff is well in his cups and has already retired to his solar for the evening.”
“Oh, that’s right,” said Maira, remembering she saw the man with a servant girl in his room through the peephole. “Come inside, quickly and close the door.”
“Nay, I am not allowed in the chamber of a noble.” Cleo shook her head.
“Please. Just for a minute. You can use the secret passageway leading from this room to get back to the kitchen. The High Sheriff will never know you were here.”
“Did Sir Jacob leave yet?” Cleo stepped inside and scanned the room.
“You knew he was here?”
“Aye. Tommy and Alf told me. They saw him in the tunnels.”
“Cleo, can I ask you a few questions?”
“Of course, my lady.”
“Have a seat.” Maira pointed to a chair. Once Cleo sat, Maira placed the basket on the table and pulled out a hunk of bread. She broke off a piece and handed it to Cleo.
“That is white bread, my lady. I am a servant and eat brown bread only,” the woman told her.
“Tonight you’ll eat what I eat because you are my guest.” She handed the bread to Cleo and pulled out a goblet and filled it with wine from a decanter. Offering it to Cleo, she nodded.
“I couldn’t.”
“I insist.”
“Thank you, my lady.”
Maira sat on the chair across from the woman and they shared a meal together as they talked.
“I am wondering about Lady Catherine,” Maira told her.
“What about her?”
“So she was Jacob’s lover?” It almost embarrassed her to ask since a moment ago she had almost been the man’s lover.
“It’s not for me to say, my lady.”
“You must know. Please tell me.”
“Aye, they were lovers and would have been married if Sir Gregory hadn’t come to Durham Castle.”
“So Jacob was telling the truth.”
“When the bishop was discovered dead, Sir Jacob was blamed for it.”
“Do you think he did it?” asked Maira, digging into the basket and pulling out a sweetmeat next.
“Nay, of course not. Sir Jacob would never do such a thing and everyone knows it.”
“Everyone but the pope,” said Maira, picking up the goblet and taking a sip of wine.
“The pope and Sir Gregory have always been close. Or at least that’s what I hear.” Cleo peeked into the basket and used two fingers to snag a piece of cheese. She held it in the air as she continued talking. “Before any of us knew what happened, Sir Gregory had convinced the pope to excommunicate Sir Jacob. Jacob lost everything, even his title.”
“So I hear.” Maira didn’t like that Sir Gregory had deceived people in high positions. She thought of bringing this to the attention of her cousin, King Richard, but the pope ranked higher than the king when it came to situations such as excommunicating a knight. Nay. She had to find a way to tell the pope the truth.
