1066

by G. K. Holloway

  ‘We need more men to guard the coasts,’ urged Morcar.

  ‘There are none to spare. They’re needed in the South,’ Harold replied.

  ‘Against Duke William! What kind of an army can he raise? I’d be surprised if he could raise more than three thousand men and even then he’s still got to cross the Channel. How’s he going to do that? He’s got no navy.’

  ‘He’ll find a way, I’m certain.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure Tostig’ll have no trouble finding his way here. He could raise just as many men as Duke William and he knows how to sail.’

  ‘That’s why we need to come to each other’s aid if we’re attacked.’

  ‘So, how many men will you bring up here if Tostig turns up?’

  ‘I’ll have to leave a force behind to protect London; I can’t leave it undefended. I could be here with six to eight thousand men in no time. How long will it take you to come south?’

  ‘We could be in London in, say, eight to ten days from the time word arrived that we were needed.’

  ‘We’ll leave it at this then; if you are attacked in the North, I’ll come to your assistance but whatever you do, don’t engage Tostig in full battle. Delay him, distract or divert him but don’t engage him under any circumstances.’

  ‘You think we can’t handle him?’

  ‘You know his reputation.’

  ‘We do and we’re not scared of him.’

  ‘It would be as well if you were.’

  ‘Well we’re not, are we Edwin?’

  ‘We don’t frighten easily in the North.’ In a cursory way he added, ‘My Lord.’

  ‘Just as I thought. You’ll keep cool heads then and not engage him.’

  ‘We’ll send for your help if we need it,’ Morcar answered.

  ‘Likewise, if William attacks the South, I’ll send for assistance.’

  ‘What if we’re attacked at the same time?’

  ‘Then the victor rides to the help of the other.’

  ‘We’ll remember that, my Lord.’

  The Journey South

  Three days after their wedding Harold, with his new queen, made his way back to London to preside over the Easter court and to discuss preparations for the repulsion of William, should he ever attempt to invade. The news that the King had married Lady Aldytha had spread rapidly around the country. In Coventry, when she received the news, Lady Godiva gave a quiet smile of satisfaction. The future was looking rosy for the House of Leofric.

  Harold sent word to Gyrth explaining the situation and requesting him to tell Edyth he had been duped. He was to tell her he still loved her and to wait patiently at Waltham for him. It was asking her to leave Westminster that filled him with dread.

  Once again Bishop Wulfstan accompanied Harold but the Bishop’s company irritated him now as it had stimulated before. His mind was in a whirl. On the one hand he was concerned with keeping Duke William and Tostig at bay; on the other, feelings for Aldytha seemed to have infused every part of him. He felt revitalised, yet still his thoughts wandered to Waltham and Edyth.

  ‘You appear preoccupied these days, King Harold. I would have thought your young wife would have brought you happiness,’ said Bishop Wulfstan. The question of Edyth remained unasked. ‘What troubles you?’

  ‘I’ve felt tremendous relief since you gave me absolution from my oath to William, as though a great burden were lifted from my shoulders.’

  ‘Good. That’s no less than you deserve. Since the sin was in the making of the promise, not the breaking of it, it was impossible to keep.’

  ‘Though I am aware that I must still atone for taking it.’

  ‘What else is bothering you?’

  A little shamefaced, Harold answered, ‘I feel I’m adding to my sins.’

  Wulfstan looked a little startled. ‘I think talking might be good for your soul.’

  ‘I hope so. You see, I’ve told Aldytha I love her. She was upset and it seemed the best thing to do at the time.’

  ‘Like swearing an oath to Duke William?’

  Harold blushed and cast his eyes downward. ‘I know. I feel as though events are conspiring against me.’

  ‘Has it occurred to you that you might be conspiring against yourself, my Lord?’

  ‘Yes, it has. You see, I am genuinely very fond of Aldytha …’

  ‘Very fond?’

  ‘Well, more than very fond. I must confess I have a passion for her.’

  ‘A passion?’ repeated Wulfstan, as though he suspected something a little more carnal.

  Harold ignored the retort and pressed on. ‘It’s Edyth I think of all the time. No matter how I try, I can’t get her out of my mind.’

  When Wulfstan failed to respond, Harold continued.

  ‘Father,’ said Harold, ‘you can see how attractive Aldytha is; I can’t help but desire her and after all, she is my wife, my queen. You see, the problem is, when I’m alone with her, I feel as though I’m involved in an adulterous affair. She told me she loved me and kept asking me if I loved her.’

  ‘So you told her you loved her to make everything seem all right?’

  ‘What else could I say?’

  ‘You need to be honest with her, Harold. You need to tell her the truth.’

  Harold looked lost for words.

  ‘If I tell her the truth now, then the marriage could be for nothing. I need her brothers on my side. If I lose their support and lose England, everything could fall into the hands of the Normans.’

  ‘You won’t lose her, Harold and you won’t lose her brothers’ support.’

  ‘How can you say that?’

  ‘Because when you tell her, she’ll simply forgive you.’

  For a moment Harold stared incredulously at his old friend.

  ‘It’s true, my Lord.’

  ‘Wulfstan, why on earth would she forgive me?’

  ‘You don’t respect my judgement?’

  ‘I can’t tell her. It wouldn’t do any good. I’d just hurt her. I can’t do it. She doesn’t deserve it.’

  ‘She does deserve to be deceived and she doesn’t deserve the truth? Is that what you’re telling me, Harold?’

  ‘You’re oversimplifying.’

  ‘Am I? Life is as simple as you make it, my Lord.’

  ‘That may be so in your world, Bishop, but not in mine.’

  ‘King Harold, don’t we both inhabit the same world?’

  ‘It seems not.’

  ‘Have faith, my Lord, have faith. God has not deserted you; He is here with us now.

  Ours is to have faith and believe.’

  ‘Sometimes I find that difficult.’

  ‘Sometimes we all do. Just have faith. The Lord will take care of everything the way he intends and it is not for us to question the outcome.’

  ‘If God is present in all things, can He send us messages?’

  ‘Yes, He could if He so chose.’

  ‘Are they easily understood?’

  ‘What are you referring to, my Lord Harold?’

  ‘The star.’

  ‘Ah, you’ve seen it too.’

  ‘Can it be a message?’

  ‘Perhaps. But as for its meaning, who knows?’

  ‘It must be a sign but what does it mean? What do I tell my people?’

  ‘What you tell them and Queen Aldytha is up to you. You are the King and the best judge of that. My advice is simple: be honest in all things.’

  Gyrth and Leofwine had organised a public reception to welcome Harold and Queen Aldytha to London and Harold’s brothers led him through the crowded streets. The two positioned themselves on either side of Harold. It was Gyrth who started the conversation.

  ‘Well?’

  ‘I fell victim to a trick of Morcar and Edwin.’

  Gyrth turned and looked Aldytha over while she responded to the cheers of the crowd. Returning his attention to Harold he said, ‘Nice trick.’

  ‘Never mind that. What did she say?’

  Gyrth took a deep brea
th. ‘She took it very badly,’ he replied. ‘She hadn’t heard about the wedding. I tried to break it to her as gently as possible but it still came as a tremendous shock.’

  ‘What did she say?’

  ‘Well, she said quite a lot. None of it very flattering to you, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Where is she now?’

  ‘Waltham. She moved everything out of Westminster.’

  ‘Get word to her I’ll see her at Waltham as soon as I can. Why are you looking at me like that?’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘There’s something else, isn’t there?’

  ‘The boys didn’t take it well, either. They’ve left home, all except Ulf. They’ve gone to Ireland. Edyth sent them. She was afraid they might kill you in a rage.’

  Within two hours of his arrival at Westminster, Harold was addressing his war council.

  ‘As I see it, William is going to need a long time to build up an army strong enough to invade England. He also has to find himself a considerable amount of ships and someone to sail them. To be honest, I’m not sure he can do it.’

  ‘Leo and I came to the same conclusion,’ added Gyrth, by way of support.

  ‘I don’t think we’ll need to call out the fyrd until August but just to be on the safe side I thought I’d take the housecarls down to the coast just after Easter and post them in groups at all the likely landing sites.

  ‘Eadric.’

  ‘Yes, my Lord?’

  ‘What do you think of moving the navy to the Isle of Wight just after Easter?’

  ‘That would be the ideal place, my Lord. With the prevailing westerlies behind us we could be down on any fleet within a day or two at most.’

  ‘Do you suggest we wait until William has landed or would you prefer to engage before they make land?’

  ‘Engage them at sea, my Lord. It’s unlikely they’ll have any real sailors amongst ’em. If we can catch them on the open sea we could kill hundreds of them before they even get ashore and drive the rest up the Channel into the North Sea.’

  ‘That’s just what I was thinking.’

  ‘My lord?’

  ‘Yes, Gyrth, what is it?’

  ‘Why wait for William to come here? Why not let him build up his fleet a little, then cross over the water and sink his ships before he can set sail? If we time it right we could delay his plans for a full year, perhaps even permanently. After all, if he builds up an army big enough to invade England, it would by its very nature be filled with foreigners. How long could Normandy feed and house them and how long would William be able to control them?’

  ‘It’s a good idea, Gyrth, and I would agree in an instant if it weren’t for Tostig. If the English fleet leaves home to sink William’s fleet, we might well find ourselves in serious trouble.’

  ‘Do you think he’ll come over on his own or do you think he’ll join forces with William?’

  ‘Tostig’s the least of our worries. On his own he offers the least threat.’

  ‘He could offer a serious distraction, though.’

  ‘Yes, he could. We’ll just have to respond in the way that seems most appropriate when the time comes. Is everybody clear about what we are to do?’

  The commanders all responded positively, although Eadric seemed a little preoccupied.

  ‘What is it, Eadric? Do you still have something to say?’

  ‘Well, there is something that’s been bothering me and I know it’s been playing on the minds of some of my men.’

  ‘Is this to do with the star?’

  ‘Why, yes it is, my Lord. Some of the men reckon it’s an omen. There’s talk that the last time there was a star like this in the sky, it was a warnin’ of a Danish invasion and that ended up with us havin’ a Danish king.’

  ‘Go on?’

  ‘Well, it’s gettin’ bigger every day. Some say it’s headin’ straight for us, sent by God himself to strike us all down.’

  ‘Tell your men from me, Eadric, it’s an omen. They can see it in Normandy too and it’s a warning to Duke William to keep away. There’ll be no successful invasion of England while I’m on the throne. Do you understand?’

  ‘I do, my Lord,’ said Eadric, looking much relieved, ‘an’ I’ll tell ’em right away.’

  With that the meeting closed.

  Harold made the journey to Waltham on the pretence of going to Bosham to make plans for the repulsion of the expected invasion. Just ten of his most trusted housecarls accompanied him.

  Through the cold winter rain they rode, the mad March wind blowing wild around them, the rain lashing their faces and the damp chill seeping through their clothes. Miserable, they reached Waltham. Gyrth, with his and Harold’s housecarls, went to the abbey where they could be sure of a bed for the night and certain not to become embroiled in an argument between Harold and Edyth. The King went straight to his home to seek the welcoming arms of Edyth. As he approached the door to the hall, Wynfrith appeared.

  ‘Earl Harold, welcome home.’ Catching Harold’s eye he corrected himself, ‘King Harold, welcome home. I’m sorry, my Lord, I was forgetting myself.’

  ‘Never mind that, Wynfrith; is Lady Edyth home?’

  Wynfrith looked considerably ill at ease.

  ‘Erm, I, well …’

  ‘Is she or isn’t she?’

  ‘Sort of, my Lord.’

  ‘What do mean, sort of?’

  ‘Well, she says if it’s you who comes calling, I’m not to let you in.’

  Harold sighed and dismounted. ‘Stable my horse, Wynfrith’, he commanded, offering the reins to the servant.

  ‘Where are you going with that horse, Wynfrith?’ Edyth’s voice cracked through the air like a whip. She looked stern walking straight towards the two men.

  ‘Oh, my lady, there you are.’

  ‘Edyth.’

  ‘Give the Earl his horse back, Wynfrith. He’s leaving.’

  ‘I’m no longer an earl and I’m not leaving.’

  ‘Well, you are leaving and if you’re not an earl, then what are you?’

  ‘You know very well. I’m the King of England and you will address me as such.’

  ‘The King, are you? Then shouldn’t I be the Queen or have I missed something?’ she hissed.

  ‘That’s what I’ve come to talk to you about.’

  ‘Oh, Harold, you’re so kind. How thoughtful of you to make a special journey all this way just to tell me, behind my back, you’ve married another woman. Don’t tell me, I’ll guess, it’s that slut Aldytha, Aelfgar’s daughter.’

  ‘Edyth!’

  ‘Oh, I’m right. I wonder how I knew. Fed up of hopping into bed with Welshmen, is she? Been through them all, I expect.’

  ‘Edyth, I didn’t expect …’

  ‘Didn’t expect what? Isn’t my welcome warm enough? What should I say? “Oh darling, welcome home. You’ve been gone a little longer than expected but never mind. I understand from your brother that you got married while you were away. The children were as delighted as I was when they found out. Are you disinheriting everyone or perhaps we can look forward to a violent early death, so our presence at court won’t cause embarrassment.” Oh, I forgot, we’re no longer allowed at court. How silly of me to forget.’

  ‘We’ll never get anywhere like this.’

  ‘We? We, Harold? We aren’t going anywhere. You are. Now get out of my sight or I’ll set the dogs on you.’

  ‘They’re my dogs. They won’t hurt me.’

  ‘You just want to humiliate me.’

  ‘Really, I don’t.’

  ‘Well, if the dogs won’t hurt you, I will,’ she said, pulling her knife from its sheath on her belt and hurling it at him as hard as she could. He dodged to the side and it flew harmlessly past his head.

  ‘Why don’t we just talk, Edyth?’

  ‘Because I hate you, that’s why.’

  ‘You can’t hate me,’ Harold replied.

  ‘I can!’ she screamed. ‘I hate you. I hate you. Now get out of here. Ge
t out and don’t ever come back, you bastard.’ She broke down and began to wail, tears streaming down her face. She turned and putting her head in her hands she broke into a run and raced back inside, crying mournfully, slamming the door behind her.

  Harold called after her, ‘I’ll be here waiting for you. I’ll wait as long as it takes.’

  Wynfrith stood stock-still, unable to believe his eyes.

  ‘What are you looking at?’ Harold snapped. ‘Take him to the stable,’ indicating, with a nod, his horse.

  Wynfrith led the horse away, leaving Harold on his own in the rain. After the clop, clop, clop of his horse’s hooves striking the ground had faded, the King waited outside his home, the doors barred to him, alone except for the sound of the rain.

  In the comfort of the abbey, having dried and changed out of his wet clothes, Gyrth Godwinson sat drinking wine in his room. He was reassured by Harold’s absence. It could only mean he’d sweet-talked his way back into Edyth’s affections.

  The next day, in the bone-numbing cold of dawn, a shutter opened, just a fraction, on the side of the great hall. Harold thought he caught sight of some movement there but was not sure who it was; a servant perhaps. He curled and uncurled his toes as rapidly as he could in an attempt to warm them.

  In the great hall, someone had put wood onto the fire; grey smoke rose rapidly skyward. Harold watched impassively as the house began to stir. A door opened and Wynfrith appeared. Cautiously, as though in fear of some sort of attack, he approached Harold.

  ‘Good morning, my Lord. Lady Edyth will see you now.’

  ‘Well, best not keep the lady waiting.’ Harold walked across the courtyard and into his home to find Edyth waiting for him in the centre of a dimly lit room. Just two candles provided light. The shutters to the window remained closed against the cold morning air.

  Their eyes met but no word was exchanged. Silence filled the room.

  ‘Well, Harold, if you’re not going to say anything, why did you bother to come?’

  ‘It’s hard to find the words.’

  ‘I should think it is.’

  ‘You’re not making this easy for me.’

  ‘You, on the other hand, are making it easy for me. Is that what you’re saying?’

  ‘No. No, not at all. I appreciate it must be difficult for you too.’