'We have to take her home,' he said. 'Master Joseph, do you have a cart?'

The Pastoureaux leader nodded and hurried back towards the Hermitage. Corbett went over to where Selditch was taking a generous swig from Gurney's wineskin before passing it to Ranulf.

'Master physician,' he asked Selditch formally, 'the girl was raped and then garrotted?'

Selditch lowered the wineskin. 'Aye, that's bloody obvious.' His face softened. 'I'm sorry,' he muttered. 'But the girl was an angel.' He looked at Gurney. 'I'm not sure whether she was raped and then killed or whether she was first strangled and then brutally abused.' He turned and looked towards the mist-shrouded woods and back at Corbett. 'Whatever you are here for,' he said dully, 'find out the truth about this. For the devil's come to Hunstanton!'

Corbett looked up at Monck. The black-garbed clerk had neither dismounted nor made any attempt to approach the girl's body. His face was more pallid than usual and Corbett saw a muscle twitching high in his cheek. He went over and touched Monck's ungloved hand. It was cold as a block of ice.

'Lavinius?'

Monck just stared at the corpse.

'Lavinius!' Corbett hissed. He grasped the man's arm and squeezed it. 'Master Monck!'

Monck broke from his reverie and stared down at Corbett, as if seeing him for the first time. His lips curled.

'Piss off, you bastard!' he hissed.

Corbett's hand fell away. He stepped back, appalled at the fury blazing in Monck's eyes, and spread his hands in a I gesture of peace.

'She's dead!' Monck whispered hoarsely. 'She's dead! And there's nothing that bloody priest or the bloody Pastoureaux can do to bring her back!' And, tugging violently at the reins of his horse and digging his spurs in, he turned and rode off in the direction of the manor.

'Master!' Ranulf hurried over. 'Master, what's wrong?'

Corbett merely shook his head. 'It's nothing.' Corbett declared. 'Nothing at all.'