Cousin Thomas Howard, long and lanky like his cousin, Thomas Howard, had led the two priests to Beach House, where a good crowd of about forty people came for Mass. Some of those who did not come to the Lion Road Mass showed up for the Beach House gathering. One was Abby, with her four children. She was a "moaner" always complaining about her bad husband. She was never peaceful with life.
However, Max and Ann were missing. Abby came up to Columcille before Mass started, and as it was a Low Mass in the Tridentine Rite, she had her black mantilla draped over her red hair.
"Ann and Max are not here, Columcille. Things seem scary to me." Like Carrie, her sister, Abby spoke in fast, anxious sentences. But, she could not look the priest in the eye. She was nervous, very nervous.
"I am worried, and for my own children as well." Columcille looked at the white young face. "Today, do you think your two oldest are ready for First Communion? I am willing to let them receive."
"Columcille, thank you, yes, they are. I know they are. I shall go tell them." And, she practically ran to the little group of children where her girls were talking. Columcille had made a leap into the future in his mind's eye and realized that the days for such freedom as a bi-weekly Mass anywhere could end at any time. Also, he was worried about the absence of Ann and Max, the new convert. Both had promised Samuel they would be here on this day, and they were not. He also made a mental note to talk with Abby again and calm her nerves.
He, like Samuel, had come to the conclusion that house visits may have to be planned, despite the warnings from Rome. Too many priests on the continent had simply disappeared visiting private homes instead of old reliable, established places. Too many people wanted to interfere with the ability of the Church to work in certain areas. Visits for the dying were to be carefully considered. Many house visits were actually traps.
Samuel and Columcille discussed the possibility of breaking with the wisdom of Anselm, but they had not actually made private visits to date. The business of having daily Mass in the cave for their locals, and the two bi-weekly Masses within a 40 mile radius kept them busy, as well as training six young men in a private, clandestine seminary not far from Diss.
The underground network of news and events had worked for a few years, but both Samuel and Columcille sensed a change was coming. The mysterious fear of the policeman as well as the absence of Ann and Max concerned Columcille. After Mass, the two priests decided to go to the house of the couple, as it was on the way "home". Thomas Howard, cousin, agreed to go with them. It was now night. There was no harsh curfew in this part of England, at least, not yet. In other words, the national curfews were not enforced in certain country towns and places.
London, Birmingham, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Manchester had curfews of ten o'clock and anyone out after that time was shot on the spot.
One priest had died that way in Birmingham, last year, answering a call to assist at the bed of a dying priest, who had apostatized and came back to Mother Church at death.. The priest who was shot and killed had succeeded in his mission, but was out too late. Two priests died in grace that day. His body had lain in the street until morning, when some people took it and buried it in privately. Those who found and took the body could be fined "for assisting a priest".
Columcille knew that some of the local people would betray priests and others for money. He was also aware that sometimes fear overcame loyalty.
The three men walked down a country lane between hedgerows. Max and Ann's house was about four miles away. They would reach it by midnight or so. The moon was a thin crescent and the cold Arctic air reminded Samuel that most of northern Europe was under ice. Although the temperatures revealed "unnatural" cold and the "colding" trend, the ice flows moved to the east and west of the British Isles.
Samuel walked quickly for an older man. Thomas Howard's long legs could keep up. Columcille, a thin, almost emaciated scholar, willed himself to keep up with the other two. The flat lands changed to soft hills but as predicted, the three arrived at the gate of the country cottage by midnight. A light snow had fallen and the men could see no candles or oil lamps lit in the house, but it was the middle of the night.
"If we knock, will we upset them?" Samuel whispered.
"We must try and see if they are here." Columcille's soft voice sounded loud in the dark.
Thomas Howard went up to the white door and used the oval iron knocker. No response. He tried it again.
No answer.
The three men decided to go around the back of the cottage, which was detached and far from any other house on the road. The couple had a gate to the garden and the three passed into the garden, which backed onto to a large field. At one time, sheep had grazed there, but now, the sheep had all been eaten.
As Thomas Howard led the way, he walked into the main part of the garden, as if sensing something was wrong. "Stay in the shadows of the house," he whispered to the two priests. They step under the eaves.
Thomas walked a bit further and they stumbled over something. He knelt down and brushed snow off a mound. Then, he quickly stood up. Columcille spoke first, "What is it, tell us."
"A mound, the size of a body. It is a grave. My guess is that this is where Max and Ann are now."
Samuel rushed over to Thomas's side. Yes, the ground had been recently dug up and indeed, the shape of the mound indicated a grave. "Let us go into the house, as they always left the back door unlocked, just as my parents had."
Thomas interrupted, "I shall go in, and you two stay here, by the gate. This could be a trap or get you into trouble."
The Howard cousin tried the latch and the door opened. He walked into a small kitchen and then into the small sitting room. Off the sitting room was a bedroom. All the rooms were in order, but Thomas could sense something was not right. Then, he saw something which convinced him of the reality of the grave.
Max's cat lay next to the empty bowls. It was dead.
Thomas came outside."Max would never abandon his cat. Someone killed these good people and did not know there was a cat in the house. We need to leave, now."
"No, we need to pray over the grave and we need to bless it." Samuel took out his small, travel aspergillum, and blessed the mound.
Samuel and Columcille stood on either side of the mound and prayed the memorized prayers for the dead and for the burial service of Catholics. Samuel did say prayers for both Max and Ann, as his instincts told him that, indeed, they were gone.
Thomas then took them into the field and into a small woods. "We need to go a different way. If the snow stops, all tracks will lead to the cave. We need to double back and go almost to the beach again and then take another road. I know one. Follow me."
Samuel said, "I know the road as well. But, lead on. There is nothing else we can do here."
If Thomas cousin could speak at this moment with other Thomas Howard, they could share notes on the mysterious deaths of Ann and Max, and the strange fear of the policeman on Lion's Road. They would also talk about the other missing Catholic, Kedge, who now, was also lying in his last resting place until the Second Coming. Someone was killing Catholics, silently, secretly, and the policeman knew something.
The round-about way home meant that the three men did not reach the cavern until almost four in the morning. Thomas Howard had a job at a local farm, so he left the priests. He would get home for just an hour's nap before his day commenced. As a migrant farm-worker, he could come and go, helping the priests without anyone noticing. At least, this was his plan. Things might change, he thought as he made his way home, and, his thoughts continued, I might have to change as well.
To be continued....