by Griff Hosker
“The way your town grows, lord, who knows.”
By the time I began to prepare for the feast I was weary. I could fight a battle all day and still not feel fatigued but my mind felt as though it had been invaded by bees. Egbert had a bath ready for me. “Are you a mind reader, Egbert?”
“No lord, Lady Margaret said you would need one.” He picked up a jar, “She gave me some rose and rosemary oil too, lord.”
I laughed, “Then I must have impressed her.” As he undressed me I said, “Thank for all that you did on the campaign. You had three of us to watch over.”
“I enjoyed it, lord. I have no family of my own and Master William and Sir Alfred are like sons to me. It does not seem that long ago since they were racing around the hall playing with wooden swords and now they converse with kings and fight England’s enemies. You must be proud.”
“I am, Egbert, I am. Now that I am to be a grandfather I can watch a young family grow once more.”
He laughed, “Without the sleepless nights lord!”
Egbert cut my unruly hair and trimmed my beard while I bathed. He used a strigil to scrape the dirt from my skin and then, after I had been dried, he oiled my hair and body. I felt like a new man. As he did so we talked. “Tell me Egbert what do you make of Sir Jocelyn?” He was silent. “Come Egbert, he is a guest in my hall and I do not ask for gossip. I value you your opinion.”
“I confess that I do not like him.” He sighed, “Servants are invisible lord. Men, you and your sons apart, do not see them. It means that they can see all. They can see the smile which disappears when someone turns. They can see the clenched fists. Sir Jocelyn feigns friendship but I fear that he seeks a position.”
I was surprised. The servant agreed with the king! “Feigns friendship?”
“Aye lord, I am sorry to say so but it was you, Sir Alfred and Master William who were given the false smiles. I think he is here for a manor and I like neither his servant nor his men. The servants all got on and helped each other when we served in Wales. The King’s were as friendly as any. Sir Jocelyn’s kept apart. He seemed more like one of those cut throats Sir Jocelyn calls men.”
The words ‘cut throats’ were alarming, “Thank you for your honesty. Keep a good watch on him for me eh? I can see that I have been blind and preoccupied.”
While I had been away my wife had had the seamstresses make a new tunic for me. The material was light. It would not be robust enough for a campaign but would be comfortable at a feast. I donned it.
When I reached the hall, Rebekah ran to greet me. She hugged me, “Thank you for keeping my husband safe.”
“It was the other way around. Your brothers, husband and my other knights all guarded my back. My task is easy knowing that I have such men behind me.” I saw that my knights had all arrived with their wives and their families. The silence which had greeted my arrival was now replaced by a buzz of conversation. I took the wine from the servant and then saw that Robert of Newton and Sam Strongarm were waiting patiently in the corridor. I turned, “Ridley has spoken with you?”
“Aye lord and we are happy to be your bodyguards. Geoffrey has found us a chamber in the west tower. It is more comfortable than the warrior hall. We will watch your room at night.”
“You have no need, Sam.”
“It will not be a problem, lord. We can divide the night into watches. We have no other duties unless we are on campaign. It is good. We will, with your permission, go to our room and rest. You should be safe enough at the feast.”
I laughed, “I should be safe enough in my bed.”
Robert lowered his voice, “Lord, Captain Ridley does not do this on a whim. When we were at Emlyn Mordaf heard Welsh voices threatening your life because of the humiliation their King endured. The Welsh are nasty lord! They would slit a man’s throat over a dirty look. We will watch!”
I had known of the threats but dismissed them. I had been threatened often and so far, none had even come close to ending my life. There were Scots who had sworn to kill me. I had no doubt that Sir Hugh’s men and his son wished me a grisly end. I did not fear them. I would take my chances. I returned to the Great Hall. It was a celebratory mood. I saw that Sir Jocelyn had returned and my daughter was trying to attract his attention. She had yet to learn the subtle art of wooing. I confess that I was a stranger to it. Her mother and I had, had been thrown into a romantic situation. After Egbert’s words I would view Sir Jocelyn a little closer and with a more critical eye. I wondered if his rejection of my daughter Isabelle was also colouring my judgement. Sir Jocelyn saw me and strode over. There was hurt in Isabelle’s eyes as he ignored her.
“Earl, you have a fine castle and a fine land. I hear that you intend to improve the castle?”
“Aye with grandchildren on the way it will not be big enough. Already we have outgrown the home I built when first I erected the keep.” I remembered that King John had forbidden me to build a keep and I had to be circumspect and crafty when designing it. I had built a hall but I built one which could be easily converted to a keep. When I had captured King William of Scotland then King John had given me permission to build a keep. I just converted the hall. I added crenulations and turrets. By the time I had fitted a fighting platform then it was a defensible keep.
“I had hoped that my squire and I could stay here with you. I have much to learn. There look to be many manors which need a lord.”
Now I saw the truth in Egbert’s words. He wished to stay in my hall and for me to give him a manor. I did not like to be used and, as I saw my daughter’s face I said, “I fear it would be too overcrowded for when the work begins we will have even less room. Stay with my son or my daughter. Sir Geoffrey is but a couple of miles up the road. There is much you could learn from him.”
There was a little anger as well as disappointment in his eyes. But his mouth formed a smile, “No matter. I will rise each day and come here to Stockton. If I can take your lessons back to my uncle then we can make the Marches as safe as the northern border.”
“I never take such things for granted. The Scots could rise at any time. There are lords who live close by here who can flaunt the rule of law and I have to deal with them too. The moment you relax your vigilance is when you lose.”
Sir Fótr had moved closer and heard the last part, “Aye, Sir Jocelyn. Last year we had a knight at Skipton who behaved most abominably towards Sir Alfred’s wife, Matilda. Then she was not his wife. It was only Sir Thomas’ prompt action which saved the girls held there.”
Sir Jocelyn still seem preoccupied with his accommodation for he ignored Fótr’s words. He looked to be thinking about something else for his face darkened.
“What I will promise, Sir Jocelyn, is to take you on a tour of the castles. You have begun to make good castles but as Emlyn, Carmarthen and Caerphilly fell easily then I think you have much work to do.”
The smile returned and I saw that Egbert had been right about the mask, “Thank you lord.”
The entrance of Sir Geoffrey and Rebekah ended our conversation. I had liked Sir Jocelyn but he seemed obsessive. It was as though he wanted to be the shadow of either my son or me. Now that I knew his real motive I regretted my decision to bring him north.
My wife was delighted with the party for it was joyous. The only cloud was my daughter Isabelle’s disappointment in the lack of attention Sir Jocelyn paid her. As Margaret said, when we cuddled, “It would not have hurt him to smile at her.” I wondered if he was shy and did not want to encourage her. He could, on the other hand, have been one of those men who liked other men. Most joined a religious order. Then I realised that he might have a woman already in mind. Perhaps he was already married and that would explain the woman Alfred suspected was close by. There were women who followed armies. It would explain much.
The next day I took my men out to Elton. Sir Geoffrey had built a hall and there was room for Sir Jocelyn, his squire and his servant but there was no warrior hall, no bakery, no stables in fact none of the buildings which
a lord of the manor needed. We used my archers and men at arms as labourers and, by the end of the day had a stable erected. It doubled as a warrior hall for one night. Sir Jocelyn had helped us to build. Like the rest of us he was stripped to the waist. As we sluiced off the sweat he said, “Is this not a waste of time for warriors and archers?”
“On the contrary, it helps them to work together. They share a common goal. Their bodies will be all the better for this different type of exercise and besides, it was for fellow warriors and my daughter.”
He donned his surcoat, “Now I begin to see how you have built such loyalty.” He pointed to Sam and Robert, “Those two follow your every move. Such loyalty!”
“Ridley has decided that they will be my bodyguards. There have been threats against my life. It is probably the Welsh or the Scots. I do not fear such threats but I would hate for someone I loved to be hurt as a consequence of an attack on me.”
Even as we were busy building new rooms for the grandchildren Rebekah brought us the good news that she was with child. My world was becoming more complete each day. The news spurred on my men to work even harder.
It took a week to complete the buildings. In that time Walter and his men had begun the foundations for my barbican and church. Father Harold worked closely with the mason. It would be a marriage of the builder and the priest. Time seemed to fly as we all pitched in with the work. During this time, we heard that Hubert de Burgh and the King had managed to defeat some of the lords who had still to accept Henry as King. It seemed I might not be needed and that pleased me. The King had told me that he intended to use our lessons well and he had made a good beginning.
It came as a real shock to me when my son and his wife arrived at my castle. Matilda was in a litter. My son looked nervous. “The midwife says that the baby will be born soon.”
My wife said to Matilda, “The baby is in the right position?”
“Aye!”
“Come we will get you to bed and fetch the women! Anya, Brigid!” They scurried off.
He shrugged, “They speak a language I do not understand. I thought to have my child born here in Stockton. You have a doctor and healers. I just have a priest.”
“You need not apologise. We are delighted. Your mother and Aunt Ruth as well as Nanna, Anya and Brigid will all be on hand to help the bairn into this world.”
As soon as my wife and the other women disappeared with Matilda then all thoughts of the building work evaporated. The men were forgotten. All was about Matilda. The only one who seemed put out was Jocelyn. I suspected it was because none of us had any time to continue with his education. He left, with his squire, to ride through my woods and explore my land. We had more important matters to deal with. I took my son to view my building work. He was not particularly interested but it kept his mind from his wife. When her cries rang through my castle he reacted like a rabbit hunted by an owl. He froze and stared at me.
“Son, this is women’s work. You would not blanch on a battlefield but you are now in an unknown land. Nanna and my wife know what they do. Trust them.” He nodded. I took him around the foundations explaining to him where the various buildings would be and what they would look like. I was just filling the silence and keeping the fears from terrorising his mind. The labour went on all through a long afternoon and into the night. I noticed that even my men at arms were becoming nervous. They could cope with men screaming in battle as they were eviscerated but young woman’s pitiful cries were too much. It was with great relief that the screams stopped and Aunt Ruth came out to speak with us. “You have a son, Alfred, and he is healthy. Do you have a name?”
“We have two. He shall be Henry Samuel. Henry is a lucky name for the best kings our family have served have been called Henry and Samuel.” He looked at me, “He is named for the grandfather I never knew.”
I did not get to hold Henry Samuel until the next day. I had forgotten how fragile they were and I feared to hold him too tight. Aunt Ruth and my wife were delighted. Rebekah and Isabelle looked at their first nephew. All were touched. He was healthy and had all of his parts. The birth seemed to inspire my town and my castle. Despite the lengthening nights and the end of autumn there was hope and excitement in the air. Instead of dwelling upon the doom and the gloom of an impending winter we all looked forward to Christmas. The work on the gate and the church showed progress and, a week before Christmas I received permission to improve my castle. In truth we had begun to do so already. The treadmill crane was already in place.
Christmas was the best that I could remember. A helpless child seemed appropriate. All grew closer together. Isabelle’s sadness at the lack of interest demonstrated by Jocelyn de Braose was offset by the joy of a baby. Jocelyn and his men chose to visit Gower over Christmas. I think he resented the lack of attention. We barely noticed that he was gone.
We had not had a wolf winter the previous year but, beginning on St Stephen’s Day, we had a deep freeze followed by a snowstorm which lasted three days. No one could leave the castle. The river froze. We had a month of such weather before a slight thaw came and I was able to ride my land and give succour to the people who lived in isolated farms. We were lucky that we had had a good harvest and no one died save a couple of old men who lived alone. It was sad but the price was less than we might have expected. By the time Jocelyn de Braose returned, in a much happier frame of mind, the snow had turned to slush and the worst was over. Rebekah was growing larger each day and, despite the conditions, our men worked to finish all of the buildings at her manor. When Matilda was with child again we could not believe our good fortune. I would have three grandchildren!
All the joy dissipated at the beginning of April. I had hoped to be there for the birth of Rebekah’s child but a summons came from the Council. We were needed further south. All peaceful means to end the stand-off at Bedford Castle had failed. We would go to war once more. We had to say goodbye and both Geoffrey and Alfred were distraught. The King called and we went.
Chapter 16
The Siege of Bedford
Bedford Castle was a mighty castle. Sir Falkes de Breauté had been given the castle by King John but instead of supporting his son, King Henry, the knight had decided to defy all. He had attempted to capture the Tower of London but King Henry’s new defences had proved too strong and my protégé had shown himself to be a leader. Hubert de Burgh had demanded that Sir Falkes de Breauté give up his castle and he had refused. The castle was now defended by his brother, William, with more than a hundred knights of a similar frame of mind. This would not be a rapid victory like Caerphilly and Carmarthen. A siege was bloody!
As we headed south Alfred and Geoffrey were silent. Their silence was more than compensated for by the eagerness of Jocelyn de Braose. He threw question after question at me as we headed south. “But surely with the might of the King and England behind us the castle will fall quickly, Earl!”
“The castle which stands against the King is one of the strongest castles in England. The River Ouse is a barrier and it has been diverted to make a moat. No matter which direction we attack we have to cross the river. There is one huge outer bailey and a small inner one. If we breached the outer wall then archers and crossbows on the high walls of the inner bailey and the keep would decimate any men we sent. The keep is round and they are the hardest to mine. This will be a castle which is only taken by men climbing ladders and doing battle. It will not be easy, Sir Jocelyn.”
Surprisingly he did not seem deterred by my warning. “William told me of the attack on Skipton where you used subterfuge and trickery. Could you not do that again?”
“Skipton was built on rocks and we were fortunate that there was a tunnel. I will not be sending my sons up ladders at Bedford. I will be leading my men for we have done this before.”
“Then you will be in the greatest danger.”
“Where else should a leader be?”
“Then I will be behind you for I would emulate you in all that you do.”
&nb
sp; I saw the camp spread out before the town. It seemed to envelop the houses. The keep of the castle rose high above the town. There was nowhere to place an engine which would be higher than the keep. It was well designed. When we reached the castle, I saw that the King was there with Sir Robert, his men and Hubert de Burgh. They were not the surprise. It was the number of men I saw around the walls. There were more than two thousand men and more were trooping in from the west even as we arrived. I heard the sounds of hammers and sawing long before I saw the camp. This was not just warriors. King Henry had employed guildsmen! There was no sound of battle. We dismounted as the King approached.
In the time I had been away the King had grown both in confidence and in size. He would never be a giant but he now looked like a man. I saw that he led and Sir Hubert followed. Stephen Langton, the forceful Archbishop of Canterbury hurried behind. The King clasped my arm, “Earl! You have come!”
“As I promised!”
He nodded, “And with your sons and knights then we can prosecute this siege and bring it to a swift conclusion.” He turned to James of Corfe, “James, take the Earl and his men to their camp site. I will speak with you later, Earl. I have much to tell you.”
He bustled off with the Chancellor and Archbishop in tow. James of Corfe smiled, “Much of the change you see is down to you, lord. He learned to command while watching you in Wales. Come this way, lord. He watched you all the time while we campaigned in the Marches and he saw how you dealt with the Marcher lords. He uses the same method with the Council. I think they are taken aback by the change you have wrought. We have fought battles too. They were not on the scale of the ones in Wales but the King has defeated those who tried to take his tower and he has captured some smaller castles which have held against him.”
I saw that men were building a couple of trebuchets, two mangonels and a cat, a battering ram. I saw men from all over England. This was not just the fyrd. I saw that skilled workers were building the war machines. There were stacks of crossbow bolts. I knew that would annoy my archers but the King must have realised he could not find enough archers. The crossbows could keep up a steady rate of bolts but they would not be as effective as archers. It would be my archers who would be the ones to clear the walls.