The Heretic’s Apprentice (Brother Cadfael, 16), Ellis Peters. Mysterious Press/Open Road (ASIN: B00LUZNZ42), 2014 (First published in 1989).

Summary: The Heretic’s Apprentice is charged with heresy for defending his deceased master’s theological views and held for murder of his accuser.

It has been seven years since William of Lythwood left Shrewsbury on pilgrimage. Then one day, the apprentice who accompanied him returns home with William’s remains. His servant, Elave, has two tasks to fulfill. First, he must transport William’s body to the abbey for burial in its cemetery, since William had patronized the abbey. Questions arose about his beliefs, rumored heterodox. But he had taken communion throughout his journey, and when dying, was shriven of his sins. And he had supported the abbey, and so they honor his wishes.

The other task was to deliver an intricately carved box to William’s foster daughter, containing her dowry. The contents were locked and left so until William’s return, although stowed away in the presence of William’s household. In foster daughter Fortunata’s eyes, Elave is another gift. She had always looked up to him and her love had blossomed into something else. And Elave discovered that the skinny girl had blossomed into a beautiful woman!

One of the household members was Aldwin, the clerk who had taken Elave’s place. Elave’s return has him fearing for his job, even though Elave had assured the lady of the house that he would find employment elsewhere. Aldwin, sadly had not heard this. He also tries to sneak a peak at the contents of the box. Jevan, Girard’s younger brother, who runs the vellum end of the family’s business, interrupts him before he glimpses its contents.

Aldwin conspires with Conan, Girard’s chief shepherd, to trip up Elave. Hearing rumors of William’s heterodox ideas, they question Elave about them. Elave not only defends them but owns them. The next day, he finds himself facing a heresy charge before Abbot Radulfus. Were it up to Radulfus alone, he’d probably have dismissed this as youthful questioning by an intelligent young man, but an Augustinian canon is visiting and joins in hearing the charges, which include questioning the teaching of Augustine. This sounds like heresy. They hold him for trial before the bishop. But he has the liberty of the abbey, and as he thought, to come and go as long as he returned each evening.

Conan and Fortunata were witnesses to the conversation and called to testify, and Fortunata is beside herself and sees through Aldwin’;s plot. When this comes to Lady Lythwood’s ears, she sets Aldwin straight, that Elave had no interest in Aldwin’s job. And Aldwin is mortified, and wants to set things right. Conan tries to dissuade him in a long conversation at a pub, before returning to his flocks. But Aldwin never speaks to the Abbot. Nor does he return home. Instead, Cadfael finds his body in the river. Someone stabbed Aldwin in the back.

This spells more trouble for Elave, who happened to have gone to visit Fortunata, to assure her he held no ill will toward her for her testimony at about the time Alwin pursued his errand. The canon’s assistants rudely arrest him on return to the abbey and all suspicion turns on him though he swears innocence. Neither Cadfael nor Hugh Beringer, the sheriff are so quick. He’s in custody, improving his understanding under the tutelage of Brother Anselm. And it will be some days before the Bishop arrives.

Cadfael and Beringer pursue several questions. What were the original contents of the carved box? Where had Anselm been killed? And where did he go after leaving the pub? Did anyone else have motive and opportunity to kill Aldwin?

It does seem that Peters has used a similar plotline in several stories in the series. A young man accused who falls in love with a young woman. Even so, the plot is twisty enough to make one wonder. What is more interesting is the contrast between the canon and the abbot. One is a zealot for orthodoxy, having seen the consequences of false teaching in France and wanting to save the church in England from a similar fate. The other is the wise shepherd, who understands that faith doesn’t preclude questioning, and that Elave’s ideas were ones held at times by others, some even by a younger Augustine. Will Elave be found innocent of both murder and heresy?