The nunnery must always be known for fair dealing. —The Rule of the Order of the Handmaids of St. Lucy Max left Lord Lislelivet ten minutes later, none the wiser as to who might have wanted to poison the man—except in a general sort of way—and why. Lord Lislelivet may have been no one’s idea of a man to spend a lazy summer day with, but he did not rise to the category of killable villain, so far as Max could see. Max was drawn to visit the medieval church, officially the Abbey Church of St. Lucy. The nuns would have finished their morning prayers by now and would be in the chapter house, confessing their faults to their sisters and receiving their penances, and being assigned their daily chores. Max took the outer walkway to the main door of the church, which remained open to all visitors. There would be another door near the altar that led into the chapter house and further inside to the cloistered area, and this by tradition and necessity would be barred to outsiders. He moved reverently down a side aisle toward the small Lady Chapel, with its sanctuary lamp indicating the presence of the sacrament.
