If that spineless oaf, Athan, had ever stood up to his mother and defended Elena as he should have done, then none of them would be in this position. Elena would be safe and all would be well. That wretch had seduced her, fathered a child by her, and then hadn't had the guts to try to save the mother of his own son from the gallows. Athan hadn't rescued Elena, but by God's blood, he should have done! Elena adored him, yet Athan would have stood next to his witch of a mother and watched the woman he claimed to love hanged before his eyes. Any bastard who did that deserved to die.
Raffe whipped around to face Osborn. Athan! Hang him.'
'Not my son!' Joan screamed. 'You can't. Take her. Take Cecily. It's her daughter who's the murderer. She's to blame. She is Elena's mother, so it's her fault if the girl turned bad. Not my boy! Not my innocent little bairn!' She fell on her son, trying to cradle him as if she could protect him.
Osborn watched them, a look of triumph on his face. 'A wise choice, Master Raffaele, we'll have you broken to the bridle yet.'
He spun on his heels, pointing at the men holding Athan. 'String him up at once, and let's be done with this before some fool tries to rescue him.'
The men dragged Athan over to a thick metal hook that hung from the curved vault of the undercroft beneath the Great Hall. A stout rope already dangled from the hook with a noose at one end. Athan shrank from it, cowering and whimpering.
With a howl of anguish, Joan threw herself on the ground at Osborn's feet, clinging to his legs, begging and pleading. Osborn gazed down at her for a moment, then, as if she was a stray dog peeing on his leg, he kicked her away.
Yesterday you were happy enough to see another woman's child hanged, so this is only justice, is it not? Perhaps you and the rest of the villagers will learn it is wiser to settle your petty squabbles among yourselves and not waste the time of great men.'
A bench had been placed beneath the noose, but Athan had collapsed on the floor, vomiting with fear. They tried to make him clamber up on to the bench, but he couldn't or wouldn't stand. In the end two men were forced to lift him bodily on to it and stand either side of him, holding him upright between them as the third placed the noose around his neck and drew the rope tight.
Athan's face was contorted in terror. He seemed to be mouthing something but no one knew if it was a plea or a prayer. All eyes turned to Osborn.
'What are you waiting for?' snapped Osborn. 'I said hang him at once.'
The two men holding Athan jumped down as the third kicked the bench from under him. He kicked and thrashed in agony, his eyes bulging, his face turning purple.
'Help him,' Joan screamed, 'help my boy.' She tried to reach him, but two servants held her back.
'Leave him,' Osborn ordered. 'Let him dance. It will be a salutary lesson to others. No one's to touch him till nightfall.'
Raffe, casting a furious glance at Osborn, ran towards the strangling lad and seized both legs in an iron grip. He pulled violently downwards. instantly the jerking stopped. Athan's head lolled to one side in the noose. The eyes glazed and fixed. It was all over. Only Joan's sobbing broke the silence.
Raffe walked slowly through the crowd of silent servants without looking at anyone. As he passed, Osborn seized Raffe's arm and yanked him round to face him.
'You'll pay dearly for that,' Osborn growled. 'And if I ever find a way to prove that you had a hand in that girl's disappearance, by God, I'll make you wish it was you who had hanged this day, not him.'
Raffe tore himself out of Osborn's grasp, his face expressionless, and continued walking towards the gate.
Behind him he heard Osborn yelling, You needn't think this death wipes out the girl's punishment. I won't rest until she's dragged back here at a horse's tail. I'll find her, Master Raffaele, sooner or later I'll find her, you can be sure of that.'
1Oth Day after the New Moon,
June 1211
St John's Wort — Mortals use this herb in love charms and to increase fertility. It is most effective when gathered on St John's