There had not been a man in her life for many years, and I knew that she was lonely. She had always confided in me and been open about her past. I knew about her liking for men, her honesty and her passions, and of course her tryst in the desert with my father – which produced me – all of which were in denial of her status as an Abbess of the Church. To those close to her, she made no secret of the fact that her nun’s habit was little more than a disguise that allowed her to pursue her burning ambition to build churches. Now she was paying the price: loneliness in old age, and a son far away in a foreign land, who she may never see again. It was her sacrifice, a part of our family’s sacrifice.
Soon we were under way, out beyond Venice’s lagoon into the open sea. Because there was no wind, the oarsmen were straining their sinews to keep up with the pace drum – a less strident drum than the war drum, but after several hours of rowing a demanding beat all the same. Those were the only sounds: the thud of the drum, then the cut, draw and release of the oars.
The cadence of the sounds was making me drowsy and I began to close my eyes as the sun approached the horizon and lit the sea with the rich colours of flame and fire. Then I heard her tender voice again.
‘Are you thinking of home, Harold of Hereford?’
I jumped to my feet and clasped the hilt of my sword in salute.
‘I am, my Lady. But how did you know?’
‘You had that look on your face … you were either thinking of your home or your sweetheart. Please sit. May I join you?’
‘Please.’
I gestured to a space a polite distance from me. I could see her guards and one of her ladies-in-waiting staring at us intently. She was wearing her blue velvet cloak and her chestnut hair was uncovered, but no longer in tight ringlets; it flowed over her shoulders in scrolls like polished walnut. The cords that bound the top of her dress strained against her breasts. I glanced – I couldn’t help myself – to see their form and scale; they seemed ample enough. I thought, if only I could see more of them … By God, Roger of Salerno was a lucky man!
Then, in what I convinced myself was a rather coquettish way, she asked me a question.
‘If you don’t mind me saying so, aren’t you a little dark for an Englishman? I thought all Englishmen were fair.’
‘Well, my Lady, many of us are fair, but not all. There is a lot of Celtic blood on our islands and many Celts are dark. My mother is very dark, as were my father and grandmother. Only my grandfather, Hereward of Bourne, was fair. He had Saxon and Norse blood – northern peoples well known for being blond and fair-skinned.’
‘Magister Raphael has told me about your famous family. You should be very proud. And now you are becoming famous too.’
‘Oh no, ma’am, I am far from famous. I have a long way to go.’
‘I am told that my betrothed, Roger of Salerno, is very fair.’
‘That is not surprising, my Lady. Lord Roger is of Norman stock, descendants of Norse warriors who conquered that part of Old Gaul. Indeed, their name is a derivation of “Norsemen”.
‘You seem to be very knowledgeable.’
‘Not really, ma’am, but my mother is a very learned woman. She taught me many things.’
‘So you do not have a wife or sweetheart?’
‘No, my Lady. I have many things to do before I think about a wife and a family.’
‘I hope you find what you are looking for.’
‘Thank you, my Lady.’
‘I must go now. Dinner, or at least what passes for dinner, will soon be ready. Good night.’
I stood and bowed as she turned and walked to her cabin, her cloak gliding over the deck, leaving me to savour the sweet scent of roses in the air and relish her intoxicating aura.
I was smitten, utterly besotted.
8. Shipwreck
Several days of good progress ensued as we sailed down the Greek coast on our journey to Seleucia Pieria. We anchored off Messene to replenish our water and supplies and allow the ladies to go ashore to bathe in fresh water.
Little of note happened as we passed by the islands of the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, and we made another stop at Rhodes for supplies and female ablutions. There, the local Byzantine Governor, Theseus, a tubby little man from Crete, was very hospitable and insisted that the entire ship’s company disembark to rest for a few days. Clearly captivated by the Lady Livia, he organized a grand feast every night, at the end of which he would invariably whisper some sort of drunken proposal in Livia’s ear that made her recoil in revulsion and me stiffen in anger.
Master Raphael thought it wise to humour Theseus for a while as Byzantium was a very powerful neighbour of Venice. But after Lady Livia discreetly indicated to him that she had had enough of the Governor’s ‘hospitality’, he agreed that we could move on.
Again, our journey after Rhodes was uneventful until we reached the Anatolian coast, east of Kalonoros. The sailors on board told me that the sea is very deep off this coast. Cold currents rise up only a mile or so from the shore, bringing up huge sea serpents and other monsters from the abyss, which create violent storms, especially in summer.
We did not see any serpents, but we did run into one of the storms. It was late in the afternoon and we were in full sail with a good westerly astern. We were some way offshore from a rugged coastline with heavily wooded hills running down to the water’s edge. There were no settlements and very little ground level enough for farming. As we passed a large headland, we suddenly saw a huge column of black clouds rising in front of us.
Master Raphael ordered that our sails be lowered and stowed and that the oarsmen row to find a sheltered cove to anchor in. But the storm was on us in minutes, raising a swell that tossed the Candiano around as if it were no more than a cork. The crew had not got the sails down in time and several men were flung from the rigging into the sea. The oarsmen also found it difficult to row against such a violent sea; oars started to clash and splinter.
The Master ordered Rufio to prepare the ship for possible capsizing or grounding. Then he bellowed instructions at me.
‘Take your men and make sure Lady Livia is safe. If we go aground, get her on to dry land at any price.’
He then rushed over to the helmsmen and tried to stop the ship coming broadside into the wind. The storm was now so fierce it was almost impossible to see anything other than walls of black water all around the ship. It was hard to hear even the loudest orders, and the rain was so intense it was like standing under a waterfall. The crew looked terrified and were convinced that a huge serpent was about to devour us. Master Raphael shouted at Rufio to calm the men, but many were beyond reason.
Then came a shudder from the hull and a sound like a huge axe striking a tree. We were still some distance from shore but had hit submerged rocks, and not a glancing blow, but a collision that had ripped open the hull. The oarsmen started to pour on to the deck, creating a melee of frightened men in a confined space. They reported that water was coming up from the cargo hold beneath them, which was already completely flooded. I looked at the Master, and from his expression it was clear that the Candiano was within moments of sinking.
He beckoned me over to him.
‘Get Lady Livia ready to abandon ship now. She has a dowry in her cabin: a large chest of silver and a jewellery box. Give those to your most trusted men. You take care of her. She must take nothing else. Let’s pray to God she can swim. I’m going to make a run for the shore – at least some of us will have a chance if we’re close to land.’
I gathered Eadmer and the men, ran to Livia’s cabin and banged hard on the door.
‘Lady Livia! I’m coming in with my men!’
I burst in and found the three women cowering in the corner, shrieking
hysterically. I pulled the two ladies-in-waiting to their feet and shook them.
‘Ladies, control yourselves! You have to help Lady Livia. Give the dowry and jewels to my men. Your guards and I will help you, but you must take off your shoes. And no capes either. Take off your dresses, or tear them above the knee and elbow.’
They started to protest.
‘You may have to swim. Do as I order you to!’
Lady Livia started to remove her dress and spoke firmly to her ladies.
‘Do as he says. You’ve still got your underwear on!’
She then looked at me with an expression of abject terror on her face.
‘I can’t swim –’
‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. Quickly, we haven’t got much time.’
I could see the rapidly approaching cliffs of the shore, perhaps no more than fifty yards away.
‘Everyone out on deck. Now!’
I almost pushed them on to the deck, even though they had barely got their long kirtles off. I gestured to the guards to hold on to a lady-in-waiting each and I clasped my arms tightly around Lady Livia – something I had been dreaming about night after night, but not in these circumstances. We braced ourselves hard against the rail of the stern.
The crash came almost immediately, followed by the cracking and squealing of splintered timbers, the anguished cries of men being hurled into the water, and the rumble of the keel scraping itself along the rocks. We were all thrown forward as the Candiano lurched to the side. She let out a cry like a wounded animal and we were in the water in an instant.
I held on to Livia with all my might and looked around. Eadmer was at my side, and I could see Toste and Wulfric close by. It looked like we had gone over the port side of the ship, while the majority of the crew had been cast out on the starboard side. The waves were still mountainous and the rain continued to lash down like a torrent.
‘Let’s get away. She’s going down!’
Eadmer helped pull Livia clear. I peered into the gloom, hoping to find something to use as a raft. I grabbed the Candiano’s war drum and made Livia hold on to it.
Toste then produced some rope, which he had tied around his waist.
‘Good man, lash it to the drum. What about the chest?’
‘Gone, I’m sorry. It was too heavy when we hit the water.’
I looked at Wulfric. He shook his head; the jewels had gone as well.
Only one guard appeared with his charge, both of whom could swim well, and we all gathered around the drum. We were being pulled towards the remnants of the ship, which was tearing herself apart on the jagged rocks.
‘We should make for the shore. Ladies, hold on to the rope and the drum. Let’s go!’
It was very difficult to swim and pull the rope at the same time, but the wind that had dashed the Candiano on to the rocks now helped propel us to the shore. To our immense relief, we were ashore in about ten minutes and all collapsed on to the sand in utter exhaustion.
The storm started to abate and the sky began to clear. I guessed that we had at least two hours of daylight and I started to issue orders.
‘Eadmer, take Wulfric and Toste. Have a look around, check for habitation, any kind of shelter. Then find water and firewood. If there’s a stream, take the wood there and we’ll try to make a camp.’
I turned to the Republican Guard.
‘Your name, soldier?’
‘Sandro, sir.’
‘Do you have a weapon?’
‘Only my knife, sir.’
‘That will do. Guard the ladies with your life. I’m going to look down the beach.’
‘Lady Livia, are you comfortable for now? I must assess our predicament.’
‘Well, other than the fact that I’m on a deserted beach in my chemise, with all my worldly possessions at the bottom of the sea, I’m fine.’
I smiled at her. The Lady Livia had a sharp wit. She was also brave and mature beyond her years. Her lady-in-waiting, who was easily ten years her senior and there to protect her, just sat at her feet in paroxysms of woe.
‘Is she hurt?’
‘She’s lost her sister.’
‘I’m sorry. But there is still hope. I’m sure others will come ashore.’
I walked up and down the beach several times. Bodies were being washed up on the beach in greater numbers than survivors. Most men had gone into the water on the other side of the rocks, where the current would have taken any survivors further round the headland. I sent the few who had made it ashore alive over to Sandro and the ladies. There was no sign of Rufio or Master Raphael, and only about a dozen oarsmen and the same number of marines were gathered ashore. Both members of the Grand Council and their entourages appeared lost. It had been a devastating disaster. I calculated that more than three-quarters of the Candiano’s complement had perished.
I rejoined the others and checked the sun. It was low in the sky; we had perhaps thirty minutes of daylight. I started talking to the men, checking names and beginning to get them organized.
Eadmer returned with his report.
‘There is no sign of human settlement, either now or in the past. It’s deserted. There is plenty of firewood and a small stream in that gorge over there. The water seems fresh.’
‘Food?’
‘Nothing big to hunt nearby. Some roots, a few berries, and lots of snakes and scorpions.’
‘Good, we can eat the snakes.’
‘Can we? How do you know?’
‘My mother told me the Seljuks did, on the First Crusade.’
Eadmer did not look convinced.
‘I’m going hunting for boar in the morning!’
Without further discussion, I made plans for the night.
‘We need two fires: one for the ladies out of sight from the men, further up the gulley; another one at the entrance, for the men. Same for latrines. A separate one for the ladies. Let’s get everyone dry and get some water into them. We’ll think about food in the morning. Eadmer, you take charge of the marines, Sandro, the oarsmen. Wulfric, Toste, a shelter for the ladies, please. A lean-to of branches will do for tonight. Move, all of you, there’s not much daylight left. Let’s get on with it!’
I asked for sentries at both ends of the beach, which Sandro organized into a watch from among the marines. Then I went to check on Livia and her lady-in-waiting. Sandro had informed me that the Lady Alice’s sister was still missing.
‘Ladies, how are you feeling?’
‘We’ve dried our clothes and the fire is warm, but we’re hungry.’
‘I’m sorry, we have no food until tomorrow. There is nothing nearby, but I’m sure we can rectify that in the morning. Lady Alice, I’m so sorry about your sister. There’s still a chance she may have drifted down the coast.’
My futile attempt at offering a glimmer of hope only made matters worse and intensified the woman’s whimpers.
‘She couldn’t swim. She’s lying at the bottom of the sea somewhere!’
I thought it best not to say any more, but to let them rest.
‘Good night, Ladies.’
Lady Livia smiled at me.
‘Thank you for saving us. We would have drowned without you.’
It was a long night, and I did not sleep much. We were in some difficulty and I spent hours going over our various options, before finally falling asleep.
Eadmer shook me awake shortly after dawn.
‘Hal, it’s light. There is much to do.’
‘Thank you, Eadmer. I’ll check the ladies. Get the men up and organized.’
Both women were asleep in their shelter. Alice’s face looked strained, even in her sleep, but Livia was a picture of innocent beauty. Her white cotton chemise covered her down to her waist and her
leggings hid her modesty from her midriff down to her knees. But I could see the gentle curves of her form in all their symmetry, especially the ascending mound of her backside as she nestled one thigh in front of the other. How innocent she looked … and how much I wanted to take that innocence from her.
She stirred and woke with a jolt. She looked shocked, aware that I had been enjoying the sight of her vulnerability. She pulled her legs up to her chin, the most modest pose she could adopt.
‘Please announce yourself in future.’
It was a rebuke I deserved.
‘Forgive me, Lady Livia, I was checking that you are well.’
‘I am better for some sleep. But Lady Alice and I can’t wander around in our underwear. What are we to do?’
‘My Lady, I had to make you take off your outer garments and shoes. You may well have drowned if you had been weighed down by heavy clothes.’
‘I understand, but there is no danger of us drowning at the moment. Please find us something to wear.’
Lady Alice now stirred, and Livia motioned to me to sit down. After considering my words, I decided to give a blunt assessment of our predicament.
‘Noble Ladies, we are in a precarious position: we are a long way from home; we appear to be in a very remote place; we have neither weapons nor tools and only a meagre prospect of food.’
Livia had relaxed a little from the surprise of waking to find me staring at her, and her humour returned.
‘Not exactly the outcome I had in mind when we left Venice.’
‘No, my Lady. I’m sorry for being blunt, but I can’t hide the facts from you. I only wish I could. But you are in the company of trained marines, Venice’s finest. We are a reasonable number and can defend ourselves. Give me a few hours to gather my thoughts and develop a plan. Why don’t you bathe in the stream? I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed. When you are ready, come and join the men.’
‘We can’t join them dressed like this.’
Anarchy Page 11
