by Griff Hosker
I left her and headed for the hall my warriors used. Not all of them lived there now. The seven who were married had their own homes. I spoke to the rest, “Tomorrow I visit my new manor at Dauentre. Sir John will live there and he will need men at arms to serve him. Sir John is still my knight and any who choose to live in Dauentre will still be my men. For one man at arms and one archer it will mean an extra six pennies a month as they will command the men for Sir John. Do not decide now. Talk amongst yourselves. The ones who would come be ready to leave at first light. Have your war gear ready.”
Finally, I spoke with Father Thomas, “I am not sure I am qualified to look at accounts, lord.”
“You can read and you know your numbers. You saw what Father Raymond did and can recognise fraud. More importantly, Father, you are a priest. If I looked at the books, I might be accused of being false. Your honesty cannot be questioned.”
He nodded, “They do not know you, Sir William, if they think you would be false. A truer knight I have yet to meet.”
Six archers and four men at arms came with me to Dauentre. I was pleased for that was a good number for Sir John to command and yet I had more left to me. While the men settled in, I went to speak with Sir John. “How is it going?”
He looked unhappy, “The townsfolk think I am young …”
He hesitated and I said, “Come John, we have endured war, cold and near death. Whatever you have to tell me cannot be worse than that.”
He nodded, “They look down on me because my father was a tenant farmer and,” he took a deep breath, “they call you a mercenary.”
“How do you know?” The fact that I had been one was irrelevant. They were insulting me and I could not allow that to go without action on my part.
“Peter was in the alehouse and they did not know who he was. They spoke freely.”
“Then they are in for a shock. You now have men at arms and archers. Our authority will be established. I care not if they look down on me but they will obey and respect us. First, I will look at the accounts and then speak to the reeve. There is a town council and I will summon them. Is the hall in a fit condition?”
“Aye, lord. When she came, your wife and her women cleaned it. The burghers thought that marked her as being less than a lady.”
I was beginning to become angry. Had King Richard given me a poisoned chalice? There was little point in having an argument with myself. “Sir John, take four of the biggest men at arms and fetch the Reeve and the accounts here. Make sure he is never alone. My wife did not trust him and she is a good judge of character.”
“Aye, lord.”
When he had gone, I said, “Tom, we will stay here a few days. Go find a bed chamber for us and then familiarise yourself with the house. When the Reeve has come then fetch the archers and the other men at arms.” Although I was angry, in many ways I relished the challenge. I would bend them to my will.
The Reeve was a man called Hubert of Dauentre. When he arrived, I did not like him. He had a permanent sneer upon his face. I saw Oliver the Bastard watching him. My man at arms looked like he just wanted to punch the man. He must have annoyed Oliver on the way over to the hall. I caught his eye and shook my head, this would be done legally. “Reeve, put the documents on the table. Father Thomas, be so good as to peruse them while I speak with the Reeve of my manor.”
I used a formal tone and he gave a slight bow, “May I be the first to welcome you to Dauentre, my lord.”
“Thank you, Reeve. How long have you been Reeve here?”
“Since always. My father was the reeve before me and his father before him.”
“Then you are a good reeve; you have experience?”
“None has more and I can tell you now, my lord, that other manors have sought my service but I have remained loyal to Dauentre.” His smug face told me that I should be respectful to him.
“Ah yes, Sir Walter FitzArthur was the lord.”
The man was now in confident mood, “He was a noble man and came from a good family. I served him well.”
I cocked my head to one side. Father Thomas looked up and he nodded. He had found the evidence. The tone of my voice changed. I put harshness into it and threat. “Sir Walter FitzArthur was a traitor and lost his head. It is why I am now lord here. Are you associating yourself with him?”
The Reeve was a cunning man who could think quickly and his attitude changed immediately, “And right glad we are to have you here, my lord.”
“I put it to you that you stayed here not because you had better offers but because you were robbing the manor!”
“That is a lie! Who says so?”
Father Thomas said, quietly, “I do. I have looked over your accounts and see that a twentieth of each amount is missing.”
He laid the document on the table. He had ringed the offending amounts. They were the amounts in pounds, shilling and pence of the fees collected. They were less than those from the smaller manor of Weedon!
Fee-Farm of town of Dauentre - £12 2 4 1/2,
Escheated lands of said town - £4 7 0,
Rents of the Manor of Dodford and Muscott - £13 2 6,
Farm of Norton - £13 19 0,
Profits of Mara and Welton - £18 0 9,
Profits of Staverton Manor and Park - £13 19 0,
Mills of Dauentre and River Nene- £11 0 0,
Annual profits of Fordham Manor - £10 0 0,
Profits of Wolfhampcote Hundred - £6 1 8,
Farm of Wolfhampcote Borough - £10 1 3,
Profits of the forest of Wolfhampcote £30 12 11 3/4,
Profits of escheater of Dauentre - £14 19 0,
“Had you been less greedy or cleverer you might have hidden the theft.” Father Thomas looked at me and gave me a wan smile, “Believe me I know how to look at the accounts of a manor and I know how lords are robbed.”
The man was bereft of words. I said, quietly, “Oliver, bind his hands. I will deal with him later. Secure him somewhere safe.”
“My lord, I protest. I will complain to the High Sherriff of Northampton.”
“You mean the Earl of Northampton recently promoted to Duke of Hereford? That Sherriff? The father of Henry of Monmouth whom I spent a year training? Good, for that will increase whatever punishment I deem to be fair. The Duke hates theft.”
He was taken from my hall. My men were rough with him.
“Sir John go and fetch the Town Council. I want them all here within the hour!”
“Aye, lord.”
“Father Thomas, take these four men at arms and search the Reeve’s home. I have no doubt that he will have secreted his ill-gotten gains in his home. Fetch any papers that you may find there.” When they had gone, I was alone until Oliver returned. I looked up from the false accounts. “Bring the rest of the men in here and clear the room. Put the table and chairs to one side. Leave just the master’s chair for me. I want you to have my men stand behind me. Much Longbow came in. “Much, help Oliver and make sure your men have their swords ready.”
“Trouble, lord?”
“There may be. Let us say I wished to be prepared in case there is.”
When the council came in, I was seated on my chair with a goblet of wine in my hand. There were eight of them. All looked prosperous men. From what I had seen this was a very rich town and they had benefitted from it. I wondered if the theft went deeper than the Reeve. There would be little to be gained from investigating. I allowed a few moments of uncomfortable silence to hang in the air. I emptied my goblet and placed it on the table.
One portly man spoke, “The Reeve is not here, yet lord. We could not find him. He is a member of the council.”
I nodded, “I know exactly where the Reeve is.”
I stood and rested my right hand on my sword hilt.
“Good men of Dauentre, I have been appointed by King Richard of England to be lord of this manor. You do not know me. There is no reason why you should. I feel, however, that there are some things about me which you should
now. The Black Prince himself appointed me the bodyguard of our King and I served as the Captain of the King’s guard. I have thwarted attempts by assassins to kill our lawful King. I have fought and defeated his enemies.” I let that sink in. They were uncertain of the direction I was taking. “I say all of this because your lord, Sir Walter FitzArthur, was a traitor. I have yet to discover how deep the treachery goes. If any of you conspired with the traitor then, believe me, I will discover the truth.”
Some of them were actually shaking.
“Does anyone wish to confess?”
One of the older men dropped to his knees, “No, lord, we are all loyal men and true. I swear it.”
I remembered Weedon. They had forgotten of their obligations to their King and country. “What is your name?”
“I am Harold Goldsmith. I make gold and silver objects, lord.”
That explained his fine clothes. “When was the last time you practised with the bow?”
“What lord?”
“Am I speaking a foreign language? I ask you all, when was the last time you practised with a bow?”
The goldsmith rose to his feet, “Lord, we are men of commerce. We do not practise.”
“Then you are not loyal Englishmen. King Edward’s edict of June thirteen sixty-three states that all of you should practise at the butts after church each feast and Sunday. Do you have a sword? A bow? Arrows?”
They shook their heads. I would not need my men at arms and archers. These were sheep, greedy sheep but sheep none the less. “This is a rich town but that does not excuse any of you. This Sunday Much Longbow here will be at the green and he will make a list of all the men who turn up with a bow and sword ready to practise. All those whose names are not on the list will be fined ten shillings for each Sunday that they are absent. If any man misses four Sundays then they will be brought before me at the assizes. Then I will not be so lenient. I also want a town watch. One of my men will be the captain of the guard but the men who watch will be from this town. Have I made myself clear?”
They nodded.
“You are the council and you will set an example. You will tell all of the men in this manor of my edict.” I stared at each one, “And one thing more, this is my manor and I will not be cheated of any monies. The Reeve has discovered that and he is now my prisoner. I will appoint a new one. The new one will be a man I can trust. He will not be from Dauentre. I am unsure if I can trust men whose lord was a traitor and who disobey the law of Edward the Third.” They all looked even more shocked, “I do not expect to be liked but, by God, I will be respected and any man failing to show respect to me, my family or my men will have to suffer my wrath!”
They left a great deal less confident than when they came in. Much shook his head, “I hope I never get the wrong side of you, Sir William.”
“So do I, Much, so do I!”
My men found chests of coins and papers in the Reeve’s hall. When I confronted him, he confessed. He had been able to hear what I had said to the Council. He pleaded for clemency. “That is not up to me. It is the Earl of Hereford who will hear this case. Until then you will be held here. If, of course, you can provide any information about others who were guilty of crimes against the Earl then that may well ease your sentence.” He began to chatter, “Tell Father Thomas so that he may write it down and you can sign it.”
By the time evening came I was exhausted. Sir John shook his head, “I could not have done what you did, lord. I am not ready for this.”
“You are. Be strong with them. I will take the Reeve to Northampton and find another Reeve. I would have suggested your father but he is happy at Stony Stratford.”
“There is one who is obvious, lord.”
“Who is that?”
“Harold Four Fingers. He is happy to stay at home and you can trust him. He has a family now. His wife has made a fine farm at Weedon. With the land attached to the Reeve’s home then she could do more. To be honest, lord, Harold is a strong character. He would manage the council far better than I. Father Thomas could help him with the numbers and accounts.”
Sir John was right.
We left the next day, Tom, Father Thomas and the Reeve. I took most of the coin we had retrieved from the Reeve with me. I left some to pay the wages of the men I had left with Sir John. We stayed the night at Weedon. I spoke to my wife first and then Harold Four Fingers. As I had hoped, he was delighted. He dropped to his knees to thank me. I shook my head, “Your thanks will be in doing a good job. There is no rush to get to Dauentre. Settle your affairs here. I intend to take the Reeve and his confession to Northampton.”
I took Roger of Chester and four men at arms with me to Northampton. I was well known now and admitted to the keep. The Duke was not at home and so I handed my prisoner, the charges and the evidence to the castellan. Sir Richard, the castellan, seemed distracted. I thought that I was the cause.
As we headed back to my men and horses, I asked, “Is this matter too trivial for the Northampton assize? I confess that I am new to the role.”
He shook his head, “No, my lord. If I might have a word.”
I said, “Roger, go and fetch the horses. I would speak alone with Sir Richard.”
“There has been trouble at court, Sir William. I can speak openly to you for you are a friend of my master. He and the Earl of Nottingham, now the Duke of Norfolk, had a disagreement. The Duke Henry said that Nottingham tried to suborn him to rebel against the King. He went to King Richard. When the Duke of Norfolk was summoned to the King, he explained away his words as misinterpretation. Duke Henry disagreed. The matter was sent to Parliament to be decided.”
This was serious. “And when does Parliament make its decision?”
“It is today. That is the cause of my distraction. The Duke and his son are in London.”
This was not my affair but I could not sit idly by. My fortune was tied with Henry Bolingbroke and his son. “I beg you send a message to my wife and tell her that I have had to go to London.”
He looked relieved, “You go to the Duke’s side?”
“I do.”
My men were not surprised at my decision to go to London. As we rode, I asked, “But why were you not surprised?”
Roger laughed, “The castellan was tight lipped about the affair but his guards were not. The incident is common knowledge in the castle. It is said that the Duke misinterpreted the Earl’s words.”
His voice told me that he did not believe it. “You think there was no misinterpretation?”
“My lord, we have both fought alongside the Duke. We have seen a change in him over the last few years. He is loyal. The Earl of Nottingham? The man is more slippery than an eel. He opposed the King and then supported him. He was the one who killed the Duke of Gloucester, everyone knows that.”
“On the orders of the King.”
“Probably, lord, but the deciding factor is the quality or lack of it of the men he leads. I know them. A lord’s men reflect the nature of the knight who leads them. They are treacherous to a man.”
He had given me much to think about.
By the time we reached London, Parliament had decided. It was common knowledge and we heard it shouted from house to house. Parliament had decided on trial by combat. The two knights would fight and God would decide. Roger nodded, “Then it is a foregone conclusion. England’s Parliament does that because they believe the Duke of Hereford. He is the better warrior.”
The news was less than an hour old and we rode to the Palace of Westminster for the news would be taken there. The two men were waiting with the King. I had never seen so many men gathered at the palace. All wanted to witness this event. Had I not been so well known we would have been kept from the Great Hall. I had to leave my men outside but Tom and I managed to gain entrance. Once there I saw that it was filled with the great and the good. The Duke of Lancaster was there, standing next to his son and grandson. The Duke of Norfolk, Mowbray, stood with his supporters. The Dukes of Exeter, Surrey and
York along with the Earl of Gloucester were also present. I moved to the side of Henry Bolingbroke. The throne was empty. The King was not there.
Hal looked up at me and smiled, “Sir William! You heard the news and came! My father will end the life of this snake.”
His grandfather, John of Gaunt, did not look well. He coughed as he said, “Henry, God will decide.”
Henry Bolingbroke was silent and he stared across the Great Hall at Mowbray. There was mutual hatred between the two Dukes. Trial by combat did not always result in death. This one would. The two had been rivals for so long that it was inevitable they would clash at some point. The buzz of conversation was like surf on a beach. The words seemed to hiss. No-one raised their voices. It was like a room of conspirators. When the King entered the hiss ceased instantly and all eyes were on him as we bowed.
He looked around the room. “Is the representative from Parliament come?”
An older knight stepped forward, “Aye, lord, Sir James Beaumont. I have Parliament’s decision.” The King nodded. Sir James said, “Trial by combat!”
There was no surprise for we all knew the decision. The King said, “Norfolk, Hereford approach the throne.” The two Dukes walked and stood before him. “This matter cannot be settled any other way?”
The Duke of Norfolk said, “My honour has been impugned. I demand satisfaction.”
“And I am no liar. I will fight for my name,”
The Queen had come in with the King. She looked like the little girl she was. I had seen the King with Anne of Bohemia. They had been a very tactile couple. They had held hands. I now saw that the King had little interest in his new Queen. He patted her hand but it was in the fashion of a grandfather who has not seen a grandchild for some time. “You should not have to witness this, my dear. Go to your ladies and I will see you later.” The Queen stood and we all bowed to the young girl. When she had gone, we all thought that the King was about to give the time and place for the duel. Instead he said, with a smile on his face, “We cannot allow two of our Dukes to spill blood. We forbid the duel. More, this disagreement has upset my lords and my land.” That was not true as the land did not know of the disagreement. The King was playing a game. “Thomas de Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, you are exiled for life. You return to England upon pain of death.” His decree was greeted by a stunned silence. The King turned, “Cousin,” he shook his head, “Henry Bolingbroke, Duke of Hereford, you are exiled from England for ten years. As surety of your good behaviour whilst abroad I keep your son, Henry of Monmouth, as my ward.” He was taking Hal hostage! The King had truly changed. This was not the man who was King of England when Anne of Bohemia lived.
