Ralph overplays his hand as manor lord and ends up condemned to death for raping greedy peasant girl Annet, who left lifelong fiancé Wulferic after Ralph ruined him. The nunnery plans to sabotage prior Godwyn by invoking land rights, but he manages to dispose of both deed copies, even if that requires arson to murdered royal judge Whitfield's home. King Edward's war for French gets bogged down and revenue is drying up, so he returns home to recruit free men: convicts whose death sentence he converts, like Ralph's. The earl recommends having the king's persistent arm wound treated by Caris, who now again hopes to run a hospital on monastery ground. Godwin has Elfric reinstates as bridge contractor, so Merith resolves to go learn modern architecture in Italy.
—KGF Vissers