| Saint Peter's Fair | |
|---|---|
Cover art for 1981 first edition of Saint Peter's Fair |
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| Author(s) | Ellis Peters |
| Cover artist | information needed |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Brother Cadfael mystery series |
| Genre(s) | Historical whodunnit, Crime novel |
| Publisher | Macmillan Publishers |
| Publication date | May 1981 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 224 |
| ISBN | 0-333-31050-0 / 978-0-333-31050-2 (Hardcover 1st edition) |
| OCLC Number | 7870525 |
| Dewey Decimal | 823/.912 19 |
| LC Classification | PR6031.A49 S2 1981b |
| Preceded by | Monk's Hood |
| Followed by | The Leper of Saint Giles |
Saint Peter's Fair is a Historical whodunnit by Ellis Peters. It is the fourth novel in the Brother Cadfael series of mysteries. The story is set between July and September of the year 1139, during The Anarchy, in the English town of Shrewsbury.
Contents |
It is July of the year 1139, during the period of English history known as The Anarchy. The country is wracked by civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maude. The monks of Shrewsbury Abbey are preparing for a fair in honour of Saint Peter. The body of a wealthy merchant, Thomas of Bristol, is found in the River Severn. Brother Cadfael agrees to assist the murdered man's niece, Emma, but as he investigates the mystery deepens when two more men are murdered. [1]
The events of the novel take place during the annual town fair held in honour of Saint Peter.
The novel is divided into five parts, each with its own title page and with the chapter numbers restarting at the start of each section.
13 June 1139. The feast of Saint Peter is important for Shrewsbury Abbey, which is dedicated to Saint Peter. A meeting of the monks is interrupted by Geoffrey Corviser, the town provost, and a delegation from the town's merchant guilds. They appeal to Abbot Radulfus for a share of the money raised by the fair as the civil war has taken a heavy toll on the town, parts of which need rebuilding. Radulfus listens sympathetically but his responsibilities to the monastery force him to adhere to the exact terms of the fair's charter, granted to the Abbey by the crown.
Later Cadfael watches preparations for the fair and meets Hugh Beringar and his wife, Aline, who is with child. They talk of the war. King Stephen has the advantage, the Empress Maude has strongholds in the west of England and is abroad building support for a renewed attempt on the throne.
31 July 1139. Traders arrive from far and wide for the fair. Cadfael is called to translate for Rhodri, a Welsh merchant who speaks no English. While discussing the civil war Rhodri points out a glover, Euan of Shotwick. Euan, Rhodri implies, is a spy working for Earl Ranulf. Soon afterwards a boat arrives carrying Thomas of Bristol, a wealthy and important wine merchant. The conversation between Rhodri and Cadfael ends when young men from the town arrive to cause trouble with the visiting merchants.
Philip Corviser speaks sincerely and optimistically, trying to convince the visiting merchants to support the town's cause. Thomas of Bristol dismisses the young rabble. In an effort to pursue the debate further, Philip places his hand on Thomas's arm, and Thomas strikes him. A riot then breaks out. Philip regains his senses and finds himself smitten by the beauty of Thomas's niece, Emma. Philip and his friends flee. Thomas and Emma are endangered by some rolling barrels. Emma is saved by Ivo Corbiere, with whom she immediately falls in love.
Hugh Beringar complains about his lot in life; dragging silly but basically good young men to prison. Cadfael speaks in defence of Philip Corviser, noting that he came only to speak and never made a threatening gesture. They are interrupted by Emma searching for her missing uncle, Thomas of Bristol. Hugh, Cadfael and Ivo Corbiere search for Thomas of Bristol as it is too dark for Emma to be on the streets. Corbiere stumbles across his drunken and unconscious archer, Turstan Fowler, and leaves the search to carry him back to the Abbey. The search ends when a boat arrives with the naked body of Thomas of Bristol, who has been murdered with a dagger.
Hugh, Aline and Emma discuss Thomas's death. It appears he was killed and robbed by sneak thieves. That the young men of the town committed the crime out of revenge is thought unlikely, as most were already in prison and the body not left with its clothes and valuables. Emma decides to continue trading at the fair as she believes her uncle would have wanted. Cadfael is charged to investigate the death by Abbot Radulfus who fears his decision not to aid the town may have led to Thomas's murder.
At the hearing Emma, Cadfael and Turstan the drunken archer, give testimony about what they witnessed. Turstan claims Philip issued threats against Thomas after the riot. Philip seems ignorant of the merchant's death and protests his innocence, but is imprisoned by Sheriff Prestcote. Cadfael accompanies Emma back to her boat, which has been broken into and searched by someone. Emma at first says nothing is missing, then says that several small items she did not at first notice as missing were stolen from her boat. Thomas's expensive robes are found, making theft even more unlikely. Philip is still in custody, meaning he cannot have searched or robbed the boat.
Thomas's stall has been broken into, Warin the watchman bound and gagged and the strongbox stolen. Most of the previous days takings were put on Emma's boat the night before but the strongbox contained Thomas's business papers. Cadfael deduces that the murderer is searching for something of value they believed Thomas brought with him. He suspects that Emma knows more than she is telling.
Emma wants to visit Euan of Shotwick. She claims to want a pair of gloves but Cadfael thinks she has another reason. Corbiere visits Emma, for whom he seems to have romantic feelings. Emma visits her uncle's coffin in the Abbey. Afterwards, Cadfael notices a petal on the floor from a rose she placed inside the coffin just before it was closed, and he realises someone has searched the coffin.
Euan is found dead by Cadfael and Rhodri, his neck broken. Hugh arrives and investigates the scene. With Cadfael, Hugh pieces together the situation. Thomas of Bristol and Euan of Shotwick were both spies who had come to the fair to meet and conduct some secret business, involving an item of great value. A third man arrived and killed both of them, searching in vain for the item. Cadfael considers Rhodri as a suspect but Rhodri speaks no English and Thomas spoke no Welsh, making the Welshman an unlikely suspect.
Philip Corviser is released. After his parents celebrate his return and he tidies himself up, he visits Emma to thank her for being an honest witness on his behalf. She tells him that she still wishes to see justice done for her uncle. Later Philip approaches Cadfael and tells him that he intends to retrace his steps of the evening of the murder in order to see if anyone set him up as a scapegoat for the murder.
Cadfael speaks with Brother Mark, who tells him of a man who received treatment for a knife wound to the arm. Cadfael believes that Euan managed to injure his killer with a knife on the night of the last murder. The man is identified as Ewald, a groom in the employ of Ivo Corbiere. Cadfael informs Hugh and together with the Sheriff and Corbiere they confront the man, who steals Corbiere's horse and tries to escape. Corbiere orders Turstan, who gave evidence against Philip at the hearing, to shoot Ewald, who is killed.
Corbiere justifies his actions, saying that Ewald was a murderer and as his master, he had the right to administer justice to his bondsman. Cadfael reports to the Abbot, confirming Ewald was a murderer but warning that he does not think Ewald acted alone. Later Cadfael comforts Brother Mark, who is distressed that someone whose injuries he recently tended was killed so soon afterwards.
Philip questions his friends seeking to learn what happened during the night he cannot remember. They account for the early part of the evening and tell him he went to Wat's Tavern afterwards. Wat, the proprietor, tells him that Turstan only drank a single measure of ale that evening and was sober when he followed Philip out of the tavern. Philip recalls that this is not what Turstan claimed when he gave evidence at the hearing. Later, while trying to find the place where he passed out from drink, Philip stumbles across the scene of Thomas's murder.
The following morning Philip tells Cadfael and Hugh about his discovery. They visit the scene of Thomas's murder and consider the evidence. At the Foregate where Emma has been staying with Hugh and Aline, Ivo Corbiere arrives and offers to provide Emma with transport to her home in Bristol. Emma accepts. At the riverbank, Cadfael pieces together the events of the last four days. Thomas arrived bearing an item, possibly a message, for the glover Euan. Turstan the archer followed Philip and, on ensuring that Philip had no alibi, murdered Thomas and established his own alibi by dousing himself in strong liquor and feigning unconsciousness. They go to view the place where Turstan was found unconscious.
Where Turstan was found some servants clearing up after the fair have found the empty flagon of strong liquor that Turstan bought from Wat. Cadfael realises that Ewald and Turstan must have acted on the orders of Corbiere. Turstan murdered Thomas, then established his own alibi by dousing himself in liquor, not realising that the amount he used would have killed him if he had drunk it. When Corbiere learned Turstan had not found the item he was sent to retrieve he sent Ewald to search Thomas's boat while everyone was at the hearing. That same night Ewald and Turstan broke into Thomas's booth, again finding nothing. The next night they tried Euan's booth, killing the glover when he defended himself and injured Ewald.
When Cadfael and Hugh approached Corbiere and revealed they had discovered Ewald's role in Euan's murder, Corbiere made an excuse to talk to Turstan privately. He told Turstan what the situation was and to kill Ewald when ordered. When Corbiere found Ewald, he warned him and set up Ewald's escape attempt. Ewald fled, making it look as genuine by knocking down Corbiere. Corbiere then betrayed Ewald by ordering Turstan to shoot him down. Cadfael and Hugh both believe Emma to be safe with Aline, but Philip is so horrified by what he has heard that he fears for her safety and rushes off to protect her. Cadfael and Hugh realise Philip is right. By the time they arrive at the Foregate, Emma has left with Corbiere and Philip has stolen a merchant's horse to give chase.
At Stanton Cobbold manor Emma discovers that Ivo Corbiere has locked her in her room. Corbiere demands the letter Thomas intended to deliver to Euan of Shotwick, the glover and spy. He has searched her baggage and threatens to strip her naked to find it if he has to. Stalling, Emma asks what is in the letter and what he intends for it. Corbiere tells her the letter is from Empress Maud to Earl Ranulf, urging him to support her cause and naming fifty nobles in Stephen's camp who secretly support her. Corbiere intends to sell the letter to the highest bidder to rebuild his run down estates.
Emma produces the letter which she had concealed in her long hair all along and holds it in the fire of a brazier, destroying it at the cost of badly burning her hand. Corbiere tries to retrieve the letter, knocking over the brazier and setting fire to the tapestries. Emma cannot escape, since the door is locked, and both are overcome by the smoke.
Philip arrives and finds Corbiere's manor ablaze and none of the servants willing to attempt a rescue. Using an antique battle axe from the walls of the manor, Philip breaks down the door and rescues Emma. Hugh and Cadfael arrive. Cadfael tends to Philip and Emma's injuries. Hugh arrests Turstan, who had no reason to flee since he thought no one suspected him. Corbiere was killed by the fire. Philip takes Emma back to his parent's home in Shrewsbury. It is implied the two are now very much in love.
Cadfael recounts the events to Abbot Radulfus. After this, Radulfus summons the town provost, Philip's father, to the morning chapter meeting at the abbey. Radulfus, noting that by adhering to the letter of the fair's charter he has secured the rights of future abbots, says he is now free to do what he will with the money earned by the abbey at the fair. He donates ten percent to the rebuilding of the town.
Hugh Beringar and his wife return to their own manor. Cadfael continues to tend to Emma's burns. At one such meeting, Emma confesses the contents of the letter and asks whether she did the right thing. Cadfael tells her that if she wears her burn scars for the rest of her life, she should "wear them like jewels". [1]
Emma asks Cadfael to never tell Philip the details behind the letter and her own actions, since she considers him too innocent to deal with such matters. Cadfael agrees and privately thinks Emma is correct in her assessment of Philip, and that this bodes well for their marriage.
The novel concludes by noting that two months later on the thirtieth of September 1139, Empress Maud invaded England and established herself at Arundel Castle in West Sussex. Earl Ranulf of Chester did nothing to aid her cause.
Saint Peter's Fair is a Historical whodunnit set in 1139 during The Anarchy, a nineteen year period of the History of the British Isles. Its themes are intrigue and espionage in a medieval setting.
The 2000 reprint of Saint Peter's Fair quotes a Sunday Times review: "A more attractive and prepossessing detective would be hard to find"
The website of Barnes and Nobel quotes from Kirkus Reviews: "Stylishly authentic . . . a graceful and informative case for Peters' engaging herb-gardening monk."
The novel is set in the real town of Shrewsbury in Shropshire, England. The body of the first murder victim is found in the Severn river.
The story takes place in the year 1139, during The Anarchy (a term referring to the 19 year long civil war between King Stephen and the Empress Maude).
The novel begins during a period of relative peace, with England in the hands of Stephen of England and Empress Maude in France attempting to build support for her invasion. It concludes with Empress Maude invading England on 30 September 1139 and taking Arundel Castle in West Sussex.
Saint Peter's Fair was the seventh Brother Cadfael novel to be adapted for television. It was the third and final episode of the second season, filmed on location in Hungary in 1996 and produced in Britain by Central Independent Television for ITV. The Central television series starred Derek Jacobi as Cadfael.
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