Wolf Wood (Part Two): The Dangerous years

by Mike Dixon

  Steven looked up onto the rooves of the houses and shops that lined the side of the bridge. There were archers with crossbows on them and they were wearing the uniforms issued to Robin's men. Steven had the impression that his side was winning.

  Wounded men were coming from the bridge. He recognised some as Guy's men. Others followed. They streamed out and were confronted by men from the London militias. The Londoners had turned against them and the rebels were pinned down on two sides.

  It was then that he saw Guy. He came off the bridge and stood with his men, waiting for them to regroup. It didn't happen a Steven had imagined but was just as good. Guy was less than fifteen paces away and wearing very little armour. Steven levelled his crossbow and took careful aim.

  A shot in the chest looked the best bet.

  Then someone got in the way.

  Guy was a sitting duck but he couldn't do anything while the other man was in the way. He waited for him to move. A gap appeared and he wondered if he should risk a shot. Then the other man looked up and Steven pressed the trigger. If he had known it was William, he would have done it sooner.

  The bolt struck his cousin in the throat and passed right through him before hitting Guy. He wasn't badly hurt but William's wound was fatal. Blood spurted from his jugular and his head dropped to the side as he collapsed onto the ground.

  The soldiers stared at the twitching body in stunned silence.

  Steven guessed that they had come to think of William as immortal. He had survived so many scrapes. Then Guy looked up. Their eyes met and Steven saw the expression of pure hatred on his uncle's face. He screamed for a crossbow and Steven didn't wait to see what would happen next.

  Robin heard the scream and followed Guy's stare towards the waterwheel. Steven was up there. He saw the boy jump into the river and watched Guy run to the edge of the bridge.

  A bolt from Robin's bow pierced Guy's back as he leant over the balustrade. A second hit him in the neck. The London militias attacked when they saw Guy fall. Robin saw the heads of the two Gascoignes struck off and impaled on pikes.

  Chapter 16

  Sherborne Castle

  November 2nd,1450

  Alice stood on the castle battlements and looked towards Sherborne Abbey. She was back in Sherborne and her life had changed completely. People who once accused her of being a witch were now calling her Lady Gascoigne and falling over themselves to curry favour. Henriette was Lady Perry and Robin was a senior officer in the army of the Duke of York.

  After the Battle of London Bridge, Robin returned to the Tower with Matthew Gough's body. The commander died fighting on London Bridge and Robin assumed control. People called him commander and the duke treated him as such when he arrived from Ireland to put down the rebellion.

  The West of England was in a state of insurrection and York sent Robin to Sherborne to restore order. Abbot William Bradford was in the castle when they arrived. He had taken refuge there following the murder of Bishop Ayscough of Salisbury, who was lynched by a mob early in the uprising.

  Bradford was terrified that Harald would be vindictive towards him. York had appointed him as a senior official in his administration and Harald was empowered to make arrests and punish offenders. He had done nothing to allay Bradford's fears and the abbot was going out of his way to please him.

  A new font had been erected in All Hallows and Bradford was going there, under escort, to announce that it could stay. Harald had convinced him that it was in his interests to do so and had assembled witnesses. Steven was going with them. He was showing an interest in affairs of state and wanted to be there when Bradford was forced to make amends.

  He had never admitted to shooting William. People claimed to have seen him fire the fatal bolt but he remained reticent. He was not yet thirteen yet a mystique was growing up around him. Steven had reached an age when it was possible to catch glimpses of the adult he would become. Alice wondered what the future had in store for her son.

  Harald had set his eyes on returning to Wolf Wood. He had a document to show that he was owner of the former Gascoigne estates. Whether he could enforce it remained to be seen.

  Interlude

  The courts granted ownership of Wolf Wood to Roger Knowles when Alice and Harald fled to France and he donated the ruined estate to his cousin, Ralph, who had been expelled from the monastery for supporting Alice when accusations of witchcraft were brought against her.

  Ralph and Harald formed a partnership. Both had documents to say they were the sole owners of Wolf Wood. They weren't going to fight over it. Their parents' generation had done that with disastrous consequences. They didn't care whether the Knowles or Gascoignes were lords of Wolf Wood, so long as they were left in peace.

  In the meantime, England remained in turmoil. The weak and ineffective King Henry belonged to the House of Lancaster. His right to the throne was questioned by the House of York, headed by Richard Plantagenet.

  The House of Lancaster had the support of the rich and powerful but was deeply resented by the rising middle classes who regarded it as incompetent and corrupt. In times of crisis they looked to Duke Richard to restore order and good government to the land.

  Chapter 17

  Wolf Wood

  May 19th, 1453

  Alice lit the stick of sealing wax and watched as a drop of molten wax formed beneath the flickering flame. It grew and fell onto the package that Steven was holding. She didn't like what they were doing. Every fibre of her body told her to hold back and not rush ahead. They were not just sealing a package. They were sealing the fate of their entire family.

  'Come on, Mother.'

  Steven reached for the family seal.

  'I've got to get this down to Sherborne today and I'm not going after dark ... it's not safe.'

  Her son did not share her sense of foreboding. He watched impatiently as more wax dripped onto the cord that secured the package. A large blob formed and he sank the seal into it, holding the metal stamp in place while the wax set.

  The seal left its impression: a three-headed wolf beneath a spreading tree: the Gascoigne family crest. Steven examined it critically. The package was destined for the royal palace at Westminster and everything had to be got right.

  'That's fine.'

  He took the package from her.

  'I'll get it down to Sherborne. The royal messengers are going through tomorrow. I'll hand it to them. That way we'll know it's been delivered properly.'

  Her son was only fifteen but already behaving like an adult. His father lacked his drive and determination. Steven listened to Harald and took his advice. When Harald dithered, Steven took control.

  Harald was dithering a lot these days. He was no longer the forceful administrator who had worked in Normandy before the English were expelled from France. His stutter had returned and he was showing the lack of confidence that plagued him as a young man.

  Alice watched Steven pull on his riding boots.

  'Make sure you thank Master and Mistress Baret and don't do anything to put them out. Tell them I'll call with the medicinal herbs I promised.'

  'Yes, Mother.'

  'And ask about your grandmother. Master Baret is still on the almshouse board. He will know about her.'

  'I'll go and see her myself, Mother.'

  Alice tensed. 'Do you think that wise?'

  'Why not?'

  'Mistress Baret said she'd been told about William.'

  'You mean that I killed him?'

  'Yes …' Alice's voice wavered.

  'Oh. She doesn't believe that.' Steven looked up from his boots. 'Grandmother knows that's just a silly rumour. I've told her I was there on London Bridge when William and Uncle Guy were killed. The light was bad. People didn't see what was happening and got it all wrong.'

  He kissed her and went outside. Alice watched him saddle his horse. Her son was now the strong male presence in her life. She had feared he would grow up like his cousin William but Steven had taken after her side of the fam
ily. He had inherited her independent spirit and love of learning … and he had killed William.

  She was certain of that. Twelve-year-old Steven had shot his twenty-six-year-old cousin with a crossbow during the Battle of London Bridge. He admitted he was there but remained reticent about the role he played in the battle. At an early age, an aura of mystery had grown up around her son.

  Alice returned the sealing wax to its box and collected up the blobs that had dripped onto the table. Nothing was wasted these days. They were no longer the undisputed lords of Wolf Wood. They were penniless refugees from the English defeat in France, struggling to make a living in the ruins of their former home.

  The manor of Wolf Wood had been one of the most imposing residences in the County of Dorset. That was before she became entangled in court politics. Eleanor Cobham, Duchess of Gloucester, had sought her out. What started as an innocent friendship ended in disaster.

  By a strange twist of fate, the manor ended up in the hands of Ralph Knowles. He and Harald had formed a partnership to farm the manorial estate. Alice had nothing but affection for Ralph but his lackadaisical attitude drove Harald to despair. Their attempts to breed a race of Dorset upland sheep were getting nowhere. In the lawless age in which they lived, stud animals were being stolen for their meat and there was nothing they could do about it.

  Then, one day, a letter arrived. It was delivered by a royal messenger and addressed to Sir Harald and Lady Gascoigne of Wolf Wood. Alice wondered if the royal secretary, who penned the letter, had any idea of the poverty in which they lived. Maybe he did. There were people in Westminster who knew Harald from when he worked there. To their amazement, the letter was an invitation to join the royal court.

  Alice's instincts were to have nothing to do with royalty. Her previous entanglements had ended in disaster. Now, no less a person than the queen sought their services. Harald had been offered a place in the royal administration. Alice was wanted for her skills as a healer. Harald dithered. Steven urged him to accept. Days passed and Harald took his son's advice.

  It was a recipe for disaster. The House of Lancaster ruled England and was being challenged by the House of York. Harald believed he could play a role in bringing the two sides together. Steven wanted to get back to the excitement of Westminster and away from the monotony of Wolf Wood.

  They were embarking on a perilous enterprise. Alice prayed that she could steer a safe course through the dangerous waters that lay ahead. By accepting the invitation, the Gascoignes had allied themselves with the House of Lancaster. Henriette and Robin Perry had joined the Duke of York in his castle at Ludlow where Robin was captain of the guard.

  England was facing civil war. All the signs were there. Lancaster and York would fight to the bitter end. Friends would find themselves on different sides. Families would be divided. The Gascoignes and the Perrys were more like family than friends. The thought of them being on different sides was horrifying.

  Chapter 18

  Ludlow Castle

  August 2nd 1453

  Henriette read and re-read Alice's letter. It was addressed to Sir Robin and Lady Perry. Three years ago, she would have thought it a joke. She had married a poor country boy. It had never occurred to her that Robin was destined for a higher station in life.

  Robin owed much of his success to Alice and Harald Gascoigne. They valued people as people. They didn't take any notice of birth or how much money people had. Harald's family had been entirely different. They took pride in being members of the military aristocracy and had estates in France and England. Harald's father died in the fighting in France. His brother, Guy, and nephew, William, died when they returned to England and took part in the Jack Cade rebellion. Robin killed Guy and Steven killed William ... or so people said.

  That sort of thing happened in civil wars. Families became divided. They even killed one another. Guy and William were thoroughly nasty and deserved to die. But bad people weren't the only ones who got killed. Tears formed in Henriette's eyes. Alice and her family were leaving for Westminster. There, they would join the court of the pathetic King Henry and his ferocious French wife, Margaret of Anjou.

  The Gascoignes were committing themselves to the House of Lancaster. It was scarcely believable. Alice had railed against the corruption of the Lancastrians and expressed support for Duke Richard of York. Now she was going into the enemy camp. If it came to war, they would find themselves on different sides. Robin was a senior officer in York's army.

  Hopefully, it would never get that bad. Duke Richard insisted that he did not want to depose King Henry. He merely wanted to free him from the corrupt counsellors who told him what to do and ran his life. Unfortunately, one of the corrupt counsellors was Henry's wife.

  Queen Margaret had come to England at the age of fifteen, not knowing a word of English. Within three years, she was proficient in the language and playing a leading role in the government. And she did not meddle mindlessly. Margaret had inherited the drive and intelligence of her famous father, Henri of Anjou, who was widely regarded as the power behind the French throne.

  As the wife of a senior officer in Duke Richard's household, Henriette enjoyed a comfortable standard of living. Horse riding and frequent walks kept her figure youthful and athletic. People expressed surprise that she was twenty-eight and the mother of two children, saying she looked much younger. She had inherited the sandy-coloured hair and strong features of her Breton ancestors. When she was tired, a slight French accent was discernible amongst the refined vowels that she had acquired by living with Alice and Harald Gascoigne.

  Chapter 19

  Westminster

  August 28th 1453

  The day was pleasantly warm. Alice would have kept the window open if it had not been for the stench coming from the river. The tide had gone out and a vast expanse of mud, littered with sewage, stretched from the palace wall to the main Channel.

  There was no need for it. Properly-run establishments regulated their flow of effluent so that it was carried away on the outgoing tide. Others discharged it indiscriminately and the place where she now lived was one of them.

  It had not always been like that. The Royal Palace of Westminster was once a model of propriety. Now, the huge, rambling complex of buildings was falling apart. Signs of neglect were everywhere. Roofs leaked. Drains were blocked. Lighting was bad and security was lax. At night, the residents retired to their rooms and locked their doors. It wasn't safe to wander the corridors.

  Her son described the palace as spooky. Alice thought sinister would be a better word. She had felt uncomfortable from the day they arrived but the same could not be said of Steven. He liked spooky places.

  Steven felt at home amongst the weird collection of people who roamed the corridors of power. They fascinated him with their extravagant dress and flamboyant manners ... and he fascinated them.

  Everyone was talking about Steven.

  Her son was the "crossbow boy".

  A legend had grown up around him. When King Henry faced rebellion, twelve-year-old Steven climbed onto a waterwheel and shot the ringleaders. Resistance collapsed and the London militias came in on the side of the royal army. Steven saved the day. It was nonsense, of course, but like all good stories it had an element of truth.

  His refusal to admit he fired the fatal shot added to his fame. There was something mysterious about the unassuming boy who arrived, as if from nowhere, did great deeds and vanished. His return to Westminster was regarded as a good omen.

  Steven relished his new role. Admirers presented him with clothes. Girls flocked to meet him and he received invitations to go riding. There was no lack of money for presents and entertainment at Westminster, even if the buildings were falling apart and the plumbing was in need of repair.

  Her husband's reception could hardly have been different. Harald was receiving scant attention. Two days passed before he was told about the work he was to do. He had expected to be employed as a royal secretary. Instead, they sent him to
the royal archives and told him to help with the cataloguing.

  Harald wondered why he had been summoned all the way from Dorset for such a mundane task. Someone had either made a mistake or they were checking him out before assigning him to a more responsible role. He hoped for the latter. In the meantime, he had been issued with a black gown, white shirt and buckled shoes. They looked very drab beside the magnificent clothes presented to his son.

  Alice wondered what was going on. No one gave a straightforward answer to her questions. One guarded reply followed another as she tried to find out why they were there. To her amazement, Steven was having more success.

  His questions were mainly about girls and horse riding but people were prepared to talk about other things. They even talked about the queen and were prepared to discuss her pregnancy.

  She had questioned him on this point and had asked what people said about King Henry. Steven said that whenever he mentioned the king, the conversation came to an abrupt halt ... he found that very spooky.

  Alice found it spooky too. She was reminded of when Commander Gough was killed at the Battle of London Bridge. Robin returned to the Tower with his body. They pretended that Gough wasn't dead but merely injured. The weather was hot and she used her medicinal skills to prevent the body from putrefying. That was unpleasant but necessary. Robin lacked authority to issue orders but could relay orders from the commander ... so long as people believed him to be alive.

  Had the king died?

  The poor, frail man was in poor health. People were surprised he had passed the age of thirty and gone on to live another two years. If he had died, the queen's authority lay in limbo. If she bore him a male heir then she could rule through her child. But, if the child was a girl or failed to live, her authority and that of the House of Lancaster would be placed in jeopardy. Alice resolved to speak to Harald about it when they went for their evening walk. That was when they felt free to discuss delicate matters.