Cadfael: The Devil's Novice

The Set-up: A lone rider resplendent in green velvet travels along a well worn path through an Autumn wood. The horse is adorned in green velvet to match the finery of it's master. This is juxtaposed with a most foul scene of a man cleaning a small animal he has just killed, but who stops to slurp the blood and animal bits off of his hands and forearms. The savage man hears a noise - horse coming. He grabs his kill and jumps behind a clump of pushes as our richly dressed rider comes into view. We see the rider from the perspective of the wild man - his large ring with a very large stone set in it, the green velvet is outlined in silver, and there is a large broach holding the rich velvet cloak around the man's neck.
The rider finally arrives, unmolested, at his destination, the house of his second cousin and the cousin's children, and that the velveted man is a cleric in the service of the Bishop on his way to Chester to bring one of the lords there some help in declaring his fealty to King Stephen. The cleric belittles the cousin and puts down his lifestyle even as he taking the relatives freely given hospitality.

The Rest: The cousin arrives at the Abbey after the cleric has left with his youngest son in tow. The young man has suddenly decided to join the monastic Order of Benedict. The cleric never reaches his destination and is presumed dead even though no body has been found. Th boy has nightmares and is suspected of murder even before he is accused. The eldest son, Tristan, is about to be married to the very pretty maiden-next-door. Her brother is the eldest brother's best friend. The cousin also has a ward, Isabel, whom is part tomboy, part spitfire and part unrequited lover. Isabel loathes Tristan's bride to be for the youngest brother has a crush on the maiden.
There is not quite enough proof to hold the boy on the murder until the wild-man, named Harold and dubbed King Harold by the locals of Shrewesbury, is captured and due to be hanged for the cleric's murder. The boy's conscience gets the better of him and he confesses to Cadfael (Derek Jacobi), but he cannot confess to his confessor, Brother Jerome (Julian Firth), for that would be lying to God.
After Tristan and his maiden are married at the Abbey, the truth is finally revealed. The younger brother did not commit the murder, but came upon his brother standing over the dead cleric and when their father followed shortly thereafter, he bid Tristan to run and took the blame himself.

Commentary:  But the kid says that he wishes Cadfael were a father so that he could have a good son to love and love him. Then ol' Cadfael turns to look wistfully towards the camera as the kid and his girlfriend (you know the surprisingly hot tomboy ward that he somehow never noticed until he went off to an Abbey) ride off home. Will we be seeing Olivier again?

The Proof: There is no proof in this episode. Well, no plant or horse hair proof. There was Cadfael's gut feeling and longing stares. That's proof right?