Brewer's Tale, The (23 page)

Alas, he was right. The luxury of danger and excitement was denied me. Yet I still bore the burden of responsibility — if not for Tobias, then for Karel and Betje.

‘What I do know,' he stifled a hiccough, ‘is that you make a fine ale.'

Had I heard him correctly?

Tobias chuckled. ‘I never really believed you'd be pliable, that you'd surrender to my wishes easily. God knows, I've deep unease about these plans of yours. I want more than anything to dissuade you, to demand you go to Hiske. But, I have already lost so much — Mother, Father,' he hesitated as his thoughts tripped to darker corners, ‘and now you tell me if I seek to prevent you from brewing, then I will lose you too. You would walk away rather than comply. I couldn't bear that.'

He waited for me to correct him, to say I would never allow such a thing to sever our relationship. God forgive me, I couldn't reassure him, for it would have been an untruth.

With a deep sigh that shuddered through his entire frame, he reached again for my hand. This time, I didn't resist.

‘Anneke, you have to promise me: if this doesn't work, if you can't pay Lord Rainford, if anything should go wrong, you'll give away the brewing here in Elmham Lenn and go to Hiske — aye, aye, I know she's a damn thief, I know she's a gossip and a shrew, but she's family and she wouldn't dare to abuse that, no matter what you think. If needs be, you must put aside what she's said and done, your history with her and swallow your pride — at least until such time as I can fetch you. If not for your own sake, then for me and the twins.'

So, Tobias didn't know the full extent of my agreement with Lord Rainford. Relief washed over me, making me temporarily limp in his arms. And, as I'd already concluded, what Hiske had done was inconsequential in the greater scheme of things.

I craned my neck and kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you, Tobias. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You won't regret this. You have my word. If this venture does not provide, I won't brew in Elmham Lenn ever again.'

And thus, my fate was sealed.

HOLCROFT HOUSE

The day after Martinmas

The year of Our Lord 1405 in the seventh year of the reign of Henry IV

I
t was a dreary grey light that crept through my shutters and prodded me awake the following morning. With a groan I tumbled out of bed, washed, dressed and, with the brittle air nipping at me, raced across the garden and into the brewery. My breath streamed in a nacreous mist as I honoured the corner crones and, quickly prodding and blowing the glowing embers in the kiln into flames, sang the ale into life long before the rest of the house was astir.

Ignoring my pounding head and the lassitude that made it difficult to raise my arms, to drag one foot before the other, I found little pleasure in my tasks. Tobias's words of the night before came back to me. If I failed, then I would never brew again but, if the brewing proved to be successful, well, perhaps I'd be doing it for a very long time …

Pushing aside my physical discomfort, I picked up the ale-stick and imagined the corner crones winking at me. If this was to be my destiny, then I'd best get on, regardless of how I was feeling. Christmas-tide was approaching and the demand for ale would grow tenfold over the period. I intended to take advantage of this by increasing production. Standing over the mash vat, pushing the ladle through the grain-tea, knowing there was still wort to boil and malt to dry, I finally conceded, as Adam and Will joined me, that I would need to employ extra people as soon as possible. It was too late to take advantage of the hiring fair, so I would have to spread the word through town. It would be hard to find someone now, as those who'd been unsuccessful finding employment would head to Norwich, London, Gloucester and other centres to seek work before the winter set in.

Looking a little worse for wear, Tobias appeared mid-morning. Waiting for a ship from Exeter to arrive and take them to Rotterdam, he and Sir Leander were in town for at least a couple of days, and his master allowed Tobias some free time till then. Quashing my surprise, I accepted Tobias's offer of help happily, and asked him to carry the sacks Master Perkyn had delivered earlier into the brewery. I also had him stoking the fire and even allowed him to stir the mash while Adam poured the heated water into the tun and, after he'd done that, to rake the grain. After a while, I wandered over to the malthouse door and, wiping my hands on the apron, leaned against the doorframe. Watching my brother in his bare feet with his sleeves rolled and his hose hitched, I noted his broad shoulders and flushed cheeks.

‘Where's Sir Leander?'

Focussed on hefting the sprouting grain, Tobias didn't answer immediately. ‘Not sure. We had some unexpected visitors early this morning and he left the house in a hurry. Didn't say where he was going, but I suspect it was to the docks.'

Grateful the man hadn't thought to accompany his squire again, I threw myself into my tasks.

Before lunch, another three barrels of ale were filled and shifted to where the temperature was more constant. I was enjoying a drink of small ale, thinking how much having one set of additional hands helped, when Iris burst through the brewhouse door.

‘Mistress, mistress, I'm sorry, I couldn't stop —' Before she had the rest out, she was pushed to one side. In her stead stood Hiske. Discarding the mourning attire we still wore, she was clothed in a dress of the highest fashion. A deep blue with long, cutaway sleeves and a matching hood, it shed years from her. A furred cape was tied under her chin and a small purse dangled from a gloved wrist. Married life evidently agreed with her, she looked better than I ever recalled.

‘
Ja,
' she said, her eyes sweeping the room, her face screwed up in displeasure as she took in my patched kirtle, stained apron and unruly hair. ‘I always suspected you'd find your level.'

Adam drew himself upright, looking to me for instructions. Anger radiated from him. Squatting in front of the kiln, Tobias was but a silhouette; Hiske hadn't spied him.

Stifling my dismay, I placed my cup down on the table and wiped my hands on the apron around my waist.

‘Cousin Hiske,' I said. I made no move to welcome her. ‘I didn't expect to see you.'

‘Well, I didn't expect to find myself here.' With a loud sniff, she came down the steps and into the brewhouse, tut-tutting the entire way. ‘What would your father say, Anneke Sheldrake, if he could see the depths to which you've stooped? You, who dared turn up your nose at my offer and chose instead to become a common brewster. I can inform you now, your brother is most unhappy.'

‘There's nothing common about brewing, Cousin Hiske, as well you know. Not only did Mistress Margery Kempe from Bishop's Lynn run a brewery, but Mother's family have a long and respectable history —'

‘
Respectable?
' She gave a mocking laugh. ‘You always had a way of colouring things in such favourable hues. I was only saying to your brother yesterday that I think you'll find your father was determined to erase that particular brand of
respectability
from your past. He was always so ashamed that your mother's roots were so … so …'

‘Attached to yours?' finished Tobias, sauntering from the shadows.

Hiske recoiled. ‘M… Master Tobias … I didn't … I wasn't …'

‘I can guarantee, cousin,' continued Tobias, ignoring her stammers, ‘that when Father sought your services, he neither believed he was sheltering a thief nor someone who would exploit my sister's grief for her own ends.' He shook his head and stood, legs apart, studying our cousin. Pride filled my heart.

Hiske's eyes widened and she took a step back. ‘Master Tobias … Tobias … Forgive me. I didn't expect —'

‘To see me here? That's evident.' Tobias threw the rag upon which he was cleaning his hands to one side, narrowly missing the mash tun and came to stand by me. Together we faced the woman who'd been my torment ever since Mother died.

‘Just as
I
didn't expect to see
you
, once I saw the state you left the house in, never mind my siblings. It's only my sister's sense of family obligation, an awareness of the humiliation your crime would bring upon the family, that prevented her calling the sheriff. Peculiar you didn't mention what occurred during our delightful chat yesterday.'

Even in the dim light of the brewhouse, I could see Hiske's cheeks colour. Her eyes shifted from side to side and she swallowed.

‘I merely took what I was owed —' she began.

‘You took whatever you wanted, Cousin Hiske,' I corrected, emboldened. ‘Waiting until there was no-one present who could call you to account.'

Blustering, Hiske tried to find words and failed.

‘And for the record, there's nothing common or otherwise about my sister, my mother or our family,' said Tobias. ‘Furthermore, Anneke has my support in this — as well as Lord Rainford's. I ask that if you can't respect the Sheldrake name, you at least respect that.'

Something flickered across Hiske's face. Ribbons of ice unfurled in my stomach. Did she know about Tobias's parentage? Would she say something? Could Hiske be that cruel? I held my breath.

Regaining her composure, Cousin Hiske sniffed. ‘Whether or not someone is perceived as common is not something that you or I decide, Tobias Sheldrake. About the family or ourselves. That's a verdict the court of the townsfolk will proffer and which, as I warned your sister, you too may yet suffer.'

I understood then, God be praised, Hiske didn't know.

Tired of her negativity, I wanted Hiske and her spiteful insinuations gone. ‘Why are you here, Cousin Hiske?'

Peering into the mash tun, Hiske chose her words. ‘I couldn't credit it when, at mass this morning, the talk outside St Stephen's was not of Martinmas, but of the new brewer. They were saying how men flocked to her house like bees to pollen, how they remained drinking until well into the night, abandoning hearth, home and families — and on Martinmas — unable to resist the unnatural temptations this flame-haired siren offered. I didn't need to be told. I knew exactly whom they were discussing. I simply couldn't believe you'd be so foolish as to destroy all your prospects; ruin your father's reputation as well as your own so readily. I had to come and see for myself.' She looked me up and down with a calculated deliberateness, her upper lip curled. ‘The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree —'

‘Don't!' I strode towards her, fury propelling me. Hiske butted up against the wall. ‘Don't you dare, Hiske Jabben.' I glared at her, furious. ‘You'll not denigrate my mother's name ever again with your sly words and poisonous tongue. Thank the dear Lord I don't have to put up with them or you any more.'

‘Oh, as much as I'm loathe to disappoint you, cousin, I'm afraid that's not true,' said Hiske. ‘And, for the record,' she sneered. ‘It's
Mistress Makejoy
.'

‘What do you mean?' My fingernails dug into my palm. Sweat trickled down my back.

‘I mean that, you'd best get accustomed to my presence. Under orders from Lord Rainford —' she looked at Tobias, ‘my husband is checking your books as we speak, so both Master Makejoy and I will be frequent —'

‘He's in the office? Alone?' Without waiting for further explanations, I pushed past Hiske, who stood sniggering, and ran through the garden into the kitchen. Deep in frantic conversation, Blanche and Iris broke apart as I entered. ‘I know, I know!' I said, holding up a hand. I darted down the passageway that joined the kitchen to the hall, bolted through the hall and into the corridor. I had a vague impression of laden sacks in the corner near the shop door, what looked like bolts of fabric, and other goods bulging from the opening, as well as some objects on the floor besides, but didn't pay too much attention. Not when there were raised voices coming from Father's office.

‘— He's not here, but I am — and I'm ordering you to hand it over.' There was a dull thump and a squeak. ‘Is
that
clear?' Sir Leander sounded like a man close to losing his temper.

Pushing the door slightly, a very gratifying scene met my gaze. Master Makejoy was pinned to the far wall of the room, the ledger that I'd been using to record our expenses and income dangling from one hand while the other was covering the top of Leander Rainford's, which was attached to his throat. A pot of ink had been knocked over; a quill snapped in two lay on the floor. I gasped and then opened the door wide, letting the men know there was a witness.

Tobias, Blanche, Iris and Adam gathered behind me. Tobias inhaled sharply.

‘Sir Leander, I beg you, please …' Master Makejoy's voice cracked. He raised the ledger. ‘Take it, dear sweet Lord, take it.'

Snatching the ledger from his trembling hand, Sir Leander held it over his shoulder without looking around. ‘Mistress Sheldrake? If you please?' In two steps, I had it safe in my hands. I clutched it tightly.