by Griff Hosker
There was silence in the hall save for the sobbing of the girl. I saw that my son had his arm around her and was giving her comfort. It was over.
Chapter 3
A Northern Welcome
I thought to speak to my son but saw that he was otherwise engaged. Ridley was tending to Sean. The only survivor in the hall was the knight’s squire who was rising, groggily, to his feet. “Padraig, hold him. Ralph of Appleby search for any others who may have escaped us. Mordaf, come with me.” As we headed upstairs I asked, “What was it like, Mordaf?”
He grinned, “As black as night lord! My grandfather worked in the copper mines and he had told me of the dark beneath the earth. I have seen it, lord, and I would not do as he did. He had more courage than I did. Your son and Sir Fótr were fearless. Sir Alfred showed no hesitation when the girl ran down the stairs. He stepped before her. That nasty piece of work, Sir Hugh, slew Jamie and Roger with two blows!”
When we reached the first floor we heard whimpering. Pushing open the door I saw two young girls and an older woman. The older woman had a bruised face yet she was comforting the two girls. She glared at me, “If you are one of his lordship’s friends then you will have to kill me to get at these two!”
I sheathed my sword and took off my helmet. I spoke softly, “I am the Earl of Cleveland and Sir Hugh is dead. You are safe now, gammer.”
In answer she burst into tears and threw herself at my feet, “He is truly dead?”
“His blood is on my sword!”
“God has answered my prayers. And her ladyship?”
“She is safe. My son is giving her comfort.” I turned to Mordaf, “Take these two downstairs.”
“Aye lord. Come my little ones, let us see if we can find some food eh?” He had a gentle way about him and the two girls, who could not have been more than twelve summers’ old went with him.
“Rise…?”
“Nanna, I am called Nanna. I am the maid and was the nurse to Lady Matilda. The two girls you saw were also her maids. They are Anya and Brigid.” I sat her on the bed. There was a jug of ale and a beaker. I used the bed linen to wipe the rim of the beaker and poured her some. She drank it gratefully and I waited. She nodded at the bed. “This was the chamber of Sir Hugh. Those poor young things your man took away were abused by Sir Hugh and his squire.” She shook her head. “The memory will haunt me until the day I die.”
“And the Lady Matilda?”
“She was the reason that the two of them were hurt; the fey young things. He wanted her to marry him and she refused for he had killed her father. He seemed obsessed by her. He and his squire did what they did to make her agree but she would not. She knew that her maids would continue to suffer after she was wed. She prayed for someone to come but no one did. I tried to stop them but I was beaten. They were cruel, lord. Sometimes they would leave the girls alone and her ladyship and I would think that the ordeal was over but he was toying with them and giving them a little hope then when next he inflicted himself upon them it would be worse.”
“You have cared for her a long time?”
“I was her wet nurse for her mother died in childbirth. Old Sir Henry and I brought her up on our own.” It was as though she suddenly remembered him for she burst into tears. “He was murdered, lord! The two of them hacked him to pieces when he tried to stop them taking away his child!”
I took her arm, “Come let us reunite you. I killed him too quickly.” As we descended the stairs I said, “Would she wish to return to Gargrave Manor?”
“No lord for that hall now has too many evil memories. The four of us are all that survived.”
“Then until we decide what shall be done I will take you to Stockton.” I smiled, “My Aunt Ruth is good with fey young things. She will heal your mistress.” I patted her arm, “And you.”
Sir Ralph was in the doorway as we descended. He gestured with his arm, “They all fought to the end. I think we had all of the rats but I confess I do not know. They fought hard. The castle is ours. Only the servants remain.”
I nodded, “Dispose of the bodies and have the castle cleaned. We will stay here this night.”
As we entered the hall I saw that Lady Matilda and Alfred were smiling at each other. Nanna said quietly, making the sign of the cross, “God be praised that is the first smile I have seen upon her lips since her father died.”
“Amen to that Nanna. That is my son, Sir Alfred. Go and see to your lady while I deal with this.” I walked over to Padraig and the squire of Sir Hugh. He was not a young squire. He was in his twenties and even though he was held he had an insolent look about him. “What is your name, squire?”
“Hubert of Garstang! What becomes of me, Earl? Will you let me take my horse and my goods and leave here? You have killed my lord and now I must seek another.”
I smiled, “You think it is done now?”
“We defended our castle against an unwarranted attack; aye, of course I think it done.”
Mordaf brought the two young girls through the door and I saw them flinch when they saw that the squire was not yet dead. “And what of your sins? What of what you and this animal did to those ladies?”
He made the mistake of laughing, “Ladies? We never touched Lady Matilda and they were just peasants. What else is their purpose?”
I smacked him so hard with the back of my hand that he tumbled to the ground, falling over his master’s bloody body. “Padraig, find a rope and we will end this animal’s life. Hold him!”
“Aye lord!”
“You cannot do this to me! I am noble born!”
“There is no nobility in you. Besides this is done legally. The Sheriff of York is here and he agrees with the death sentence!”
Sir Ralph had a dark look upon his face, “Aye lord and more if we could!”
The squire was held by Ridley the Giant and Henry Youngblood. He wriggled and squirmed but it did him no good. Our men all watched as we took him to the gatehouse. Padraig had slung a rope over the parapet and had a noose ready. There are two ways to hang a man. The humane way is to tie a noose and then drop him from a height with his hands tied so that he dies quickly when his neck breaks. We would use the other. While Ridley the Giant held him, Henry put the noose around his neck. They looked at me and I nodded.
“You will die unshriven. You will die slowly so that all of your sins will fill your head and then, when you are dead you and your master will be dismembered and your bodies spread so that no one will ever remember you. You will see your lord again but it will be with Lucifer for you will be in hell where you will burn until the end of time!” I nodded and my men hauled him up.
His hands went to the rope to stop the slow strangulation. When he was the height of a man from the ground the rope was tied off and my men watched as his legs kicked and he struggled. His eyes bulged as he tried to stop the rope from biting. He twisted and turned. His movements became slower. His hands dropped to his side and his eyes closed. It took longer than I would have thought and then it was over.
“Leave him there until sunset. Then cut him down and rid me of his body and that of Sir Hugh.”
“Aye lord.”
Our dead were buried by the chapel. I turned to Sir Ralph, “Until word comes from the Earl of Chester then you will have to leave men here. This manor will need help. Perhaps the Prior can help.”
He shook his head, “How could a man do what he did? He was a knight!”
“Not all knights are like us. When I was in the Holy Land I saw that. Men like Sir Hugh enjoy power but I confess I do not know how they could have done what they did to those two girls. I fear that Aunt Ruth will be hard pressed to bring them back from the brink.”
He nodded towards my son who was still speaking with Lady Matilda, “And those two? The girl has lost all. Your son…”
“Is a true knight and he will protect her until we can decide what we need to do. First, we get them to Stockton. I would have them all surrounded by kind people and there are none
kinder than Lady Ruth and my wife.”
We searched the hall and found much to disturb us. He had, in his chest, what appeared to be trophies and mementoes from women and girls he had abused. There were sacks of coins secreted in a chest and on his table, there was a half-finished letter. From the smudge he had been writing it and then been disturbed.
Skipton
My son,
I confess that your sudden arrival came as a shock to me. I left your mother, my one true love, when she was carrying you. Perhaps that was a mistake. Now that I have had time to reflect I can see why you were sent to me. I hope the man I sent after you has given you my words but this letter will
That was all there was. He had a son? According to all those whom I had spoken to he had neither wife nor family. Would some son come to claim his father’s inheritance? Had I found the letter before we had executed the squire I might have had an answer. I put the letter in my tunic. I could do nothing about it yet.
We left the next morning. The four women had all asked to share one room far from Sir Hugh’s. Ridley and Padraig watched their door. By the time we left the sun was up and the women were in a wagon. It would take two days to get home. We stopped at Ripon where I was able to tell Sir Richard that his evil neighbour was gone. The old knight promised to watch over the manor until the Earl of Chester had appointed a new lord. I was unsure if it might not be the King who did so. When I travelled to London then I would ask further questions.
Alfred spent the whole journey north next to the wagon. Our wounded were also within and perhaps that was the excuse which Alfred gave himself for his squire rode within. I could see, however, that fate had intervened. This was like his mother and me. The two of them had not planned it but the collision of their lives had bound them to each other. I guessed that the widow from the Palatinate would now be a distant memory.
Sir Peter and Sir Richard rode directly east and I headed home with Sir Edward, Sir William, Sir Fótr and Sir Alfred. Sir Edward was quiet, “What is amiss Sir Edward? It is not like you to be so silent for so long.”
“I feel as though I have not done enough in this campaign. Apart from climbing a wall I did little. It was your son and Fótr here who did it all.”
“Think of the times when it was Fótr and Alfred who stood behind us. This task was chosen for them and they acquitted themselves well. Make the most of your time at home. I fear that there will be more tasks for us and they will involve you and I putting ourselves in harm’s way.”
“It cannot be the Scots they are quiet and subdued.”
“Oh they will rise again, of that I have no doubt. The problems lie further south. I have been summoned by the King’s Council and I do not think they just want to tell me that we have done well in the north. I think there are problems with rebellious lords. And the Welsh, so I hear, are becoming more than a little aggressive. Make the most of your time here at home. I will have to leave soon. Our work is not yet done.”
Surprisingly that seemed to brighten him, “That is the best news I have heard in a long time. We were not enriched by this action. Fighting the Welsh is always rewarding.”
We had left the coin and treasure of the baron with Sir Ralph. We all agreed that it should be used for those who had suffered at the hands of the evil man. Those who had fled could return and the coin used for seed and animals. I hoped that Earl Ranulf would choose a better lord for the manor this time.
I sent Sir Edward and Sir Fótr ahead to warn my family of the new guests and they had already crossed on the ferry by the time we reached it. I knew that my wife and Aunt Ruth would want to make the castle welcoming for our guests. Fótr and Edward would have told them of the horror of Skipton. The two of them, Margaret and Aunt Ruth, along with Rebekah and Isabelle, were waiting at the wharf when the ferry landed. We had left the wagon on the Thornaby side. Aunt Ruth had a heart bigger than any I knew. She managed to embrace the three girls in one hug. I saw a smile on Nanna’s face. It was the first time I had seen one and it gave me hope. Margaret hugged Alfred and I heard her say, “I am proud of you, son.” She glanced up at me, “And you too!” She then shooed us all up to the castle.
Geoffrey, my steward, had servants waiting to take the girls to their new chamber. My wife had experience in these matters and knew that the last thing they would want would be to be separated on their first night in a new home.
I changed for the meal. I spoke with Geoffrey before I entered the hall for I would be away again within a few days. London called. He told me that there was no further news from the south and I took that to be a good thing. No news was good news.
I had not yet spoken to Matilda. My son had occupied her time. She did not seem to object. I, however, had to establish what she did wish. I waited until all had eaten and we had drunk enough for there to be a convivial atmosphere. There was a predominance of women for there were just my two sons at the table with me.
“Lady Matilda, in the next few days I will be leaving Stockton and before I leave I need to have it clear, in my mind, your views on your situation.”
Aunt Ruth burst out laughing, “Thomas! So formal! You will frighten the girl to death! Speak plainly!”
I sighed for there was no arguing with my Aunt. “Matilda, you have a home here as long as you wish. If, on the other hand, you wish to return to Gargrave then I will understand. The third course of action would be to allow you to go a relative but I am not certain…”
She gave me a smile which lit up the room and she reached over to touch my hand with hers. “Sir Thomas, your aunt is correct, I do not need you to dance with words. I am so grateful to you that if I thanked you every day for the rest of my life then I could live to be a hundred and it would still not be enough. You and your family,” she glanced and smiled at Alfred, “have put your lives in danger because of me. If you will allow me then I will stay here with my ladies and we will try to be of some use.”
Aunt Ruth squeezed her hand, “You already serve a purpose for you bring life into this castle.” She gave Alfred a sly look, “And I daresay you will improve the manners of certain young men here in the castle.”
William laughed when his big brother blushed, “She means you, Alfred!”
Aunt Ruth shook her head, “It is a shame that you did not think that I might have meant you as well, William!”
Everyone laughed at my squire’s embarrassment. The four females had a new start and I now knew that they would fit in easily. I could go to London knowing that there was naught for me to worry about in Stockton.
Travelling to London would be a major undertaking. I would need servants as well as men at arms and a couple of archers. We would need to have sumpters which would carry our clothes. We would need to stay in the homes of lords I knew, monasteries and priories or if all else failed then inns. Accommodation for twenty people was not easy to arrange. While we were north of Lincoln then it would not be a problem. My name and reputation were well known. I did not know what expenses would be involved and we would need coin. Once I reached Windsor then the King’s Exchequer would deal with our subsistence. I did not think we would need war horses but we had to take four or five spare palfreys. It would not do to go afoot. The result of all this planning and preparation was that I did not get to see my son to speak to until the night before I left. I was in my office with Geoffrey. I had a good jug of wine and was just finalising the details of the trip and the matters I would deal with when I returned.
Alfred knocked on my door. Geoffrey was diplomatic, “I think that we have covered all and if not then I will shall see you in the morning. I will be up and about before you leave.”
Alfred smiled, “Thank you, Geoffrey. You are a gentleman.”
Alfred sat and poured himself some wine. He was steeling himself to speak with me. I smiled. My son had grown considerably but he still had some way to grow to be able to cut the strings to home. “Father, Earl, I am keen to have a manor. I like the idea of Seamer.” I nodded. “You were right about the
widow of Coxhoe. I can see now that she would have been an unsuitable bride for me. Your advice was sage.”
“Good. Your father can be right, now and again.”
“I like Matilda.”
“I think we all saw that.”
“How long should I wait before I begin to court her?”
“I am in a difficult position here, my son. She is my ward unless the King decides otherwise. To court her you would have to ask my permission.”
He looked confused, “Then can I ask now?”
“I am worried about your motives. Do you do this simply to get a manor?”
“Of course not! I lov… I like Matilda and I believes she likes me.”
“That is not the basis for a sound marriage. I will tell you what I will do. I say this as the guardian of Matilda and not your father. While I am away in London you have my permission to get to know Matilda. I will ask your mother, the Countess, to divine the girl’s thoughts too. When I return I will speak with you both and give a decision.”
I could see that he looked disappointed, “I thought you would be glad and say aye straight away!”
“You thought I would give a girl to a young man, a girl who has had to endure the horrors of Sir Hugh? I would be doing neither of you any favours. Matilda needs time to recover. She is young and scars will heal but they will need time. In any case I am not certain that you are ready yet. I have spoken to Geoffrey. You will deputize for me. I will see how you handle the duties of a lord of a manor. Mayhap you decide that it is not the life for you.”