Enemy at the Gate (4 page)

"If this was church land then you would be entitled to take from your tenants but this is my land now.  Have your monks grow their own food.  Other monasteries and priories do. We will return when we have eaten.  We will arrange the hall ourselves."

Sir Edward chuckled as we left, "I thought he would erupt like a volcano back there."

"This De Brus is a clever man.  He endows a church and then has his own people pay for it.  That way he ingratiates himself with God and the Church and yet it costs him nothing."

"Well it is ours now."

"I do not think we have seen the last of Sir Robert.  But we have rid ourselves of one problem; at least for a while."

Following our return from our successful capture of Guisborough Sir Edward's men had actively scoured the woods for any bandits or remnants of the De Brus soldiers.  My men had kept the north clear. I was still distracted by the lack of news. The Archbishop of York had sent nothing to me for many months. I trusted Thurstan but who knew if he could send a letter to me?  His nephew, Philip of Selby served me still, but the Archbishop was the most important man I knew who still lived in England and sympathised with me. He had not sent a message to me for many months.  I was blind.

The
'Adela'
returned to Stockton three weeks after we drove Henry De Brus from Guisborough.  The return of my ship filled me with joy. John my steward as well as Sir John and Father Henry waited at my dock as my battered ship came in. Gilles, my squire, was waving madly from the bows as it edged up the icy river.  Winter had not loosened its grip yet. Captain William brought the ship to a gentle halt and his crew threw lines to secure my vessel to the bank. Even though I was desperate for news of the Empress and my son I was patient. The fact that the ship was lying low in the water suggested that she was heavily laden but I was concerned with the state of the sails and the ropes.  She looked to have been in the wars.

Captain William made sure that the ship was securely fastened before he ran out the gangplank and stepped ashore.  "Good voyage, Captain?"

He shook his head, "Winter storms plagued us all the way north. We had to put in at Frisia. It cost us silver to sit out the storm there.  Then, after the first storms abated and we sailed, we were struck by an even greater storm.  I lost a ship's boy overboard."

"I am sorry.  Can I do anything to make your voyages safer?"

He looked at me with surprise, "You are worried about us?"

"You are my ship and you serve me.  Of course I worry.  Perhaps we could make ropes here in Stockton and you could carry spares."

"Aye and sails too. If that could be managed we would be better off. As it is we will need a month, at least, to repair and clear the weed."

"Take all the time you need but I have two more voyages for you.  I would prefer you to be ready to sail safely rather risking a damaged ship."

"We will be shipshape, lord."

I sensed John, my steward, behind me. "I think my Steward wishes to know your manifest."

He grinned, "And Gilles is bursting with news for you." He turned and shouted to his Bosun, "Harold Three Fingers, have the chest with the letters and the coin brought up."

"Aye Skipper."

"Henri, start unloading the cargo!"

Gilles struggled over with the chest.  Sir John said, "Here, give me one handle."

The two of them walked behind me.  I said, over my shoulder, "Did you enjoy returning to your home, Gilles?"

"This is now my home, Earl.  I enjoyed meeting the Empress and the Earl  but this is where I belong.  I could not wait to get back. You will be a grandfather by summer, lord!"

Sir John burst out laughing, "I must teach you to be more discreet."

"I did not know that my son was married."

Gilles was an innocent, "He is not, lord.  It is one of the girls who works in the manor kitchens.  She is pretty. She laughs a lot"

Sir John said, quietly, "He is young lord.  Do not be critical of him.  Why even King Henry sired many bastards in his time."

"But he was not my son!"

They both sensed my anger and were quiet.  My father would have been appalled at such behaviour.  A man had to be honourable in his dealings with women. And then my own hypocrisy struck me.  The sins of the father were visited upon the son.

I changed the subject, "And how is Leofric and his bride?"

"He is to be a father too.  Perhaps he is one already. I lose track of time.  The voyage was hard, lord."

We placed the chest on my table.  Alice hovered nearby. Her face was filled with joy now that Gilles had returned. She shook her head, "You need fattening up Gilles! You have not been eating!" She began to straighten his hair, much as a mother might do.

I saw Gilles looking embarrassed at the attention. "The ship has a cargo for us.  Unless I miss my guess there will be wine.  Have a jug brought to me and the rest placed somewhere cool."

"Aye my lord and I will fetch young Gilles some food too.  He looks a little thin to me.  This foreign food is not as good as our English food you know, my lord.  You always look half starved when you return from Normandy!"

She bustled away and I felt in a better humour already. Alice's priorities were all her brood in the castle and well fed faces.

"Before I read the letters tell me what your view is of the war in Normandy.  Is it won yet?"

The young squire frowned and then smiled, "The Earl and the Count control all but a small part of Normandy.  I think there were talks of surrender but I am not certain. It was easy to move around the country and there was no danger to us."

I nodded, relieved. That was good.  I could open the letters now without the dread of bad news. Alice brought a jug of wine and another of water along with three beakers.  "Better bring another for my Steward, Alice." I sat at my table and poured the three of us a beaker of wine each. I poured in a little water.  It was not yet noon

"Yes lord."

I took out the letters.  There were four of them.  One each from the Empress, the Earl, my son and Leofric. I put the one from the Empress to one side.  I would read that one when I was alone. The one I read first was the one from the Earl of Gloucester. I read in silence. When I had finished I downed the beaker of wine in one swallow. It was good news.

Sir John looked at me expectantly.  "The Earl of Gloucester has heard my pleas. He has declared that he will invade England soon and he has sent word to his knights in the south. We are not alone."

"He will come soon, lord?"

The joy I felt evaporated.  I re read the missive. The letter was a promise and nothing more.  I looked to Gilles.  He was young but he was clever.  "Did you see  any sign of invasion?"

"No lord.  I saw much activity in Normandy where the Count and the Earl were busy besieging the supporters of Stephen who still held out."

"Then the answer is no, John.  We hang on still but I take hope from the fact that there will be help from the Earl's allies in the south."

John, my Steward arrived. He was ebullient.  "Your son and Leofric have sent many valuable goods; food, wine, linens."

"Linens?"

"Lord, linens and pots please the women.  If the women of the town are happy then so are their husbands. We need the women as much as the men." Alice's arrival with food seemed to emphasise his point.  "Is it good news lord?"

"It seems the Earl has raised rebellion in the south.  We are not alone."

He frowned, "However, here, in the north, we are. If the Scots come again we will be alone to fight them.  Stephen will not be likely to come north and defeat them again. The last refugees we had spoke of a the land around Carlisle, Durham and Newcastle falling to the Scots. They are seeping south and encroaching gradually.  They will be here by summer."

He was no warrior but he knew numbers and he was clever.  "You are right, John.  We cannot wait for a month to send for your garrison, Sir John.  You had better press on training your men of the town.  I fear they will be needed sooner rather than later."

"Aye lord, and what of Leofric and your son? Their letters are unopened." He pointedly did not mention the missive from Matilda.  I wondered just how much my men knew.

"You are quite right." I read Leofric's first. It dealt initially with the war and then, briefly, his own circumstances.  "He confirms what Gilles has told us.  The war in Normandy goes well.  He has not had to campaign this year. The demesne prospers. He mentions my son and begs me to be forgiving." I shook my head.  Leofric and John had  been as big brothers to my son after my wife died. "He and his wife prosper as does my manor which yields much."

"Aye lord, I can see that from the goods we have brought within our walls today."

I laid that to one side and, with a heavy heart opened that of William. It was brief.

December, the year of our lord,  1137,

La Flèche

Father, I must beg your forgiveness.  I have fathered a child out of wedlock.  Eliane is the love of my life and I would have married her but Leofric and the Empress urged me to wait until I had spoken with you. When you come to Anjou you will love her as I do.  Until then I will curb my desires. I pray you sanction our marriage.

Your son

William

I laid down the letter.  I could see now, that this was not a wilful act but an impulsive urge. I blamed myself.  He had spent a great deal of time with King Henry and the young knights and squires.  He had picked up their habits. I should have kept him closer to home and my side. It was a distraction and I put it, briefly, from my mind. He was in Anjou and I could do nothing about it.

Sir John said, "Well, lord?"

"It is as Leofric said and I will reserve judgement on my wayward son."

Gilles said, innocently, "Lord, the letter from the Empress remains unread!"

Sir John shook his head and I smiled, "I am tired, Gilles.  I shall read that later.  Now come. Tell us of your voyage and your travels."

He needed no further urging and his tale confirmed my belief that I had the best of crews for my ship. He told of how every man had had to fight the sea and the weather to bring my ship home safely.  He spoke of the haven that was the Frisian port they had discovered.

"Were there many men in Frisia who were hiring out their swords?"

"There were, lord. We spent time in the taverns and inns there while we waited out the storms. It seems that the Count of Flanders is waiting to see how things develop in Normandy. There were swords looking for masters. Many of the men we spoke with had been hopeful of employment in that war but the Count is safe from attack and watches to see what develops."

"Clever.  He can wait while Normandy tears itself apart and when peace comes there he can pick up juicy morsels at little cost to himself."

Gilles looked amazed, "Lord that is strange for those exact same words came from one of the men at arms with whom we spoke. He had served the King of France too and said that the French King had not sided with either side in the civil war as he thought it more prudent to let the Normans kill themselves first. He did say that Blois was being threatened from the east. Count Theobald is sheltering behind his walls."

"Then, Sir John, I think you should go to Frisia and hire these men.  Take Gilles with you.  It will be good experience and he seems to have knowledge of the men we might need."

"What of my duties here, as castellan, lord?"

"I will not be abroad.  Now that I know what the Earl intends I can plan.  Tomorrow I will send Phillip of Selby on an errand." I stood.  "And now I am tired and I shall retire.  Thank you Gilles.  You have not let me down.  You shall be rewarded."

"I  have been rewarded already lord; I serve you.  In Normandy your name is oft spoken.  They say that the war there would be over if we had your standard and your sword."

"They are kind words but I listen not to flattery."

"It is no flattery lord.  It is common talk.  None would gainsay you."

I took the letter from the Empress to my chamber. There would be little in it which would be incriminating.  Maud was a clever woman and would not leave herself open to anything which would jeopardise her position.  I would have to read between the lines.  I knew her well; my father would have said too well. Although she would have trusted Gilles she could not allow the letter to contain anything which would help our enemies if it fell into their hands. Geoffrey of Anjou had to hold Anjou and then Normandy if we were to win back England too.  He could not be allowed to know of the feelings we had for each other

I opened the letter. Perhaps it was my imagination but it smelled of her hand.

La Flèche, January

My Lord of Cleveland,

I hope the letter reaches you and finds you well. Although the war  goes well here in Normandy there are many enemies who surround us both.  I urge you to take great care in your dealings with all who come to offer aid.  There may be many who purport to come from me.  Know that I only use those who are dear to us both.  Be wary of any others.

Your squire, Gilles, is a delight and he has regaled us with tales of your courage. My son, Henry, is once more filled with admiration for his favourite knight of the realm. He echoes his mother's thoughts. I pray you be more careful.  Gilles has told us how you are sometimes reckless. You are a puissant warrior but it would harm our cause if you were to fall in battle.

I have to tell you that your son is to be a father. Do not judge him harshly.  After all my brother was conceived out of wedlock and he, like you, has been my rock.  When hands touch and lips meet who knows what may follow? I advised him not to marry until he has spoken with you. It may be the impulsive act of the young but, who knows, it may be a love which will endure through the years.  Such things happen.  Such things are what make us human.