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to Domina Elisabeth. ”You understand that with his skills and abilities, Naylor is valuable enough for my lord to pursue this in hope of having him back.“
     
    Frevisse noted that Master Spencer had already reduced Master Naylor to only Naylor, as without title as he would be without freedom if Lord Lovell’s claim were proved true.
     
    ‘And there are his wife and children, too,“ Master Spencer went on.
     
    Frevisse saw Master Naylor’s hands clench into fists at his sides, his first overt sign of anger and not for himself but for his family, threatened because a person’s freedom or unfreedom were determined not only by their parentage but by their birthplace. If Master Naylor was proved to have been born unfree, then even if his wife was freeborn, their children would be unfree like their father, Lord Lovell’s property along with him, unless it was shown they had been born on freehold land, and Frevisse knew for certain that at least some of them had been born here in St. Frideswide’s priory that was not freehold. So if Master Naylor were proved villein born and his children born here, they could only be free if their mother was freeborn and not married to their father. But that would leave them bastards.
     
    Tense with in-held anger, Master Naylor said, “My wife is freeborn. And my children. And me.”
     
    Not looking at him but somewhere into the air over Domina Elisabeth’s shoulder, Master Spencer answered, “I promise you I’m no more pleased with this than you are, Naylor, but we both have to see it through, that’s all.”
     
    ‘Then,“ said Domina Elisabeth curtly, ”you might begin by continuing to call him
Master
Naylor until it’s proven otherwise against him. Who made this accusation?“
     
    ‘That isn’t something I’m free to say,“ Master Spencer answered. ”Someone saw him and recognized…“
     
    “Thought
they recognized,” Frevisse put in with a curt-ness that matched Domina Elisabeth’s.
     
    ‘Thought they recognized him,“ Master Spencer said stiffly, giving her a sharp, resenting glance, ”and rightly sent word to Lord Lovell of it.“
     
    By St. Benedict’s Rule, the nunnery was required to take in as guests any travellers who asked for hospitality. It could have been anyone among those who had stayed in the guesthalls, here for only a night or two in passing, through the past few weeks, who had seen Master Naylor and thought they knew him and felt duty bound to tell Lord Lovell. Unless Master Spencer chose to tell them, they had no way of guessing who it had been, and likely who it had been did not really matter. The hurt was done and would have to be dealt with, whoever had caused it, Frevisse thought, while Master Spencer went on, “What I’ve come for, besides to tell you of it, is to insure he doesn’t have chance to run again while this is sorted out.”
     
    ‘I can’t run ’again,‘ “ Master Naylor said grimly, ”not having ever run at all.“
     
    Except for a sideways flinch of his eyes, Master Spencer ignored that. “Because he’s potentially so valuable to his grace, I’m here to take him into my keeping, to see him to Minster Lovell, where he can be held safe, since bringing it to court will take time.”
     
    ‘No,“ Domina Elisabeth said with flat certainty.
     
    Momentarily off-balanced by so utter a refusal, Master Spencer stared at her, then recovered his place and dignity, drew himself up, and started, “I fear I have to insist…”
     
    ‘No,“ Domina Elisabeth repeated, her certainty unabated. ”You will not take Master Naylor into your keeping or anywhere away from here. Considering how much it is in Lord Lovell’s interest to find him unfree, I can’t think it advisable to put him in your power.“
     
    ‘Madam!“ Master Spencer rose to outrage. ”I promise you his grace…“
     
    ‘Is Lord Lovell bound by promises you make in his name?“ Domina Elisabeth asked.
     
    Master Spencer paused, tried, “If