But before bidding Father Anselm farewell, I returned to the church to ask if we might continue our conversation the following day. ‘There are still so many questions to which I need answers,’ I said. ‘Concerning?’ He raised a ragged eyebrow, in which black and grey hairs were inextricably mixed. ‘The disappearance of Eris Lilywhite, amongst other things.’ He regarded me thoughtfully. ‘Has Maud Lilywhite put you up to this?’ I decided to be honest with him, as I had not been with Jacquetta Rawbone. ‘Not Maud. The older Mistress Lilywhite. She’s naturally anxious to discover what’s happened to her granddaughter. But it’s partly to satisfy my own curiosity, as well.’ He nodded, turning to unlock a cupboard fixed to the wall beside the Virgin’s altar. ‘Maud wouldn’t be so anxious to know the truth, of course. That’s understandable.’ He picked up the heavy silver chalice, beautifully chased around the bowl, used at Vespers, and placed it on a shelf in the cupboard, beside its twin.
