Those at the party were in their way more notable than those at the soiree held by Queen Edith months previously. Although some of the lords had brought their wives with them when they had returned with William, or those who had stayed over the summer had sent for them, the great majority of those present were male. The wives of some of the greater nobles were present, along with those of the middling and lesser lords.
The younger men were almost exclusively bachelors. They had been poor landless second and third sons in Normandy before the invasion, and since arriving in England their chances of marrying a wife of Norman, French, Flemish or other continental origin, let alone marrying well, had been virtually nil as there had simply been no suitable women available. A few, like Alan, had married Englishwomen, but even fewer had brought them to the soiree.
Of the men, they were divided into three distinct age groups. The first was those more elderly than William, who had helped protect him and secure him in his position as Duke of Normandy. These included Count Robert of Eu and Hugh de Montford.
The second group was comprised of William’s contemporaries- mostly his friends, but a few such as Hugh de Grandmesnil with whom William had fallen out with over the years and more latterly reconciled. They were in the main between 45 and 50 years old and included Roger de Montgomerie, Richard fitzGilbert, Geoffrey de Mandeville and the somewhat younger William de Warenne, who with his Flemish wife Gundred was hosting this party. Judging by the sour expression on his face and the amount of wine he was consuming, the party clearly was something that wasn’t William de Warenne’s idea. This tight-knit group were closely related by marriage or birth. Bishop Odo of Bayeux and Count Robert of Mortain were half-brothers to the king. William fitzOsbern and most of the others were cousins and similar relations.
A few younger long-time supporters such as Stephen, the Count of Treguier, Brittany and Lamballe, fitted in between William’s cronies, along with the sons of the older group, such as William of Eu and the new men achieving position as a result of the invasion- including Alan himself, Roger Bigod, Hugh fitzGrip, Ivo Taillebois and many others.
Noticeable amongst the absentees were most of the clergy, including Odo of Bayeux and the Englishmen Aealdred of York and Stigand of Canterbury.
It would be unfair to describe King William as paranoid. He’d had a difficult late childhood with repeated attempts to murder him. He’d had to fight to take his position as duke against a number of rebels, most of whom had been close to his father, Robert the Magnificent. He had lost three guardians either to murder or in defending him as a child as he was taken to safety.
His guardians had moved him every month or so to preserve his security. William, at the age of 19, finally secured control of Normandy by defeating rebel Norman barons at Caen in 1047. He then had to fight off two invasion attempts by the French in 1054 and 1057- the French once again had some treacherous Normans fighting on their side in those invasions.
During the time, until he had Normandy fully under his iron fist, raids, battles and murder between the nobles of Normandy had been common. William had extended his power and influence with a series of carefully considered steps.
One of those steps was marrying Matilda of Flanders, which had initially secured his northern flank, and more latterly since the death of King Henry of France and the appointment of William’s father-in-law Baldwin of Flanders as guardian of the young King Philip, also secured the east. The west had been secured by the installation of a friendly regime in Brittany when invasion had not initially been successful, after Duke Conan died of poison in suspicious circumstances. In the south Maine had been annexed and formed a buffer against the hostile Angevins. It was the relative peace and security in Normandy which had permitted William to make his bid for the English throne.
It would be fair to say that by winter of 1067 William was very, very careful about who he trusted and to whom he gave power and land- land which gave the ability to raise military forces for or against him. Even as late as the summer of 1067 William had suffered the defection of Eustace of Boulogne, who made a raid on Dover. Those who received the main benefits of the invasion were those who had supported William for 20 years or more and who had contributed substantially to the invasion fleet. Most were close relations, with ties of kinship or marriage.
As Alan progressed around the Hall it was almost as if he had the same conversation a dozen or so times. The Norman barons were interested only in military matters, land and developing relations that improved their access to military forces and land. Many were illiterate, with no knowledge or interest in French or Latin literature, and had most had no interest in writing, poetry or anything that didn’t improve the strength of their swords.
Based on their own experience in Normandy over the last thirty years they saw ‘might as right’ and had no respect for law, whether it be Norman or English. They expected England to become a reflection of Norman society and had no understanding of, and even less interest in, English society, heritage, language or literature. They had some understanding of the English fyrd as a potential foe, but not as a force to be used for their own benefit. In discussion with them Alan felt as if he was talking to foreigners. These were men with whom he shared only nationality and language, not ideas.
All were more or less polite- Alan’s position on the Curia Regis saw to that. Almost without exception they showed a keen intelligence and focused interest in their own welfare. The fact that many were illiterate did not mean they were stupid. Some had been taught at least rudimentary scribing to allow them to scan documents and letters.
Earl Ralph of Anglia, against whom Alan had intended to bring a number of charges before the Curia, acknowledged Alan briefly before turning away. Only William fitzOsbern, the Marcher Lord of Hereford who would need Alan’s support and co-operation to protect the shire, showed any real interest in Alan and made a suggestion that they meet at some stage to discuss what Alan intended to do to protect a substantial stretch of fitzOsbern’s western border.
Some of the Norman lords now had their wives in England and of those only a few of those were absent from what was in effect the first Norman social event in England. Largely the men and women stood and chatted in separate groups, although there was some intermingling between the males and females. FitzOsbern had his wife Adelize at his side for most of the evening. Alan was introduced to Hawise Sourdeval, wife of Stephen Count of Brittany; Matilda, wife of Robert Count of Mortain and daughter of Roger de Montgomerie; Beatrice de Builly. wife of Robert Count of Eu; and the famed beauty Adelize de Tosny, the wife of Hugh de Grandmesnil, who still looked ravishing despite now being in her mid-thirties. Notable by her absence was Duchess Matilda, William’s as yet uncrowned wife, who remained in Normandy.
Most of the grand ladies had at least two or three of the wives or daughters of lesser lords in attendance on them, with the parties of ladies moving, coalescing and separating. Alan could see Anne moving amongst them, escorted by Roger Bigod’s wife Alice, and thought that Gundred’s choice of a de Tosny, a respected Norman family, the wife of a man who was a middling landholder and the sheriff of one of the lesser shires, was an excellent choice of escort- not least because Alice’s outgoing and humorous nature would make her naturally popular.
The recent political events dominated conversation. Although not recent news, the invasion of Herefordshire by the combined forces of the Welsh and the Englishman Eadric ‘the Wild’ had caused extensive damage and loss of life in that shire, to the particular concern of those who held manors in the west. The curious actions of Count Eustace of Boulogne, who had fought under William at Hastings and then retired back to the continent in a pique of wounded pride when he failed to receive what he felt was due reward, received much discussion.
Eustace appeared to believe that he had some claim of right to the town of Dover dating back to a visit he had made when Edward was still king. In September he had returned apparently at the prompting of some disaffected Kentishmen, althou
gh why he would receive such encouragement from the men of Kent nobody knew, given their hatred of him. Even though Odo of Bayeux and the castellan of Dover Castle Hugh de Montford were absent with most of the garrison, the remaining garrison had driven Eustace off and he had taken ship and fled back to his own lands on the continent.
However, the main talk was of the rebellion of the city of Exeter, which had been the immediate cause of King William’s return a few days previously. Exeter had refused to swear fealty to the king, unlike London and Winchester, stated they intended to maintain their ancient rights and expelled the small local garrison. Their main concerns appeared to be the reintroduction of the geld tax and what they saw as their loss of privileges. Unfortunately for the citizens of that city King William was in no mood to conciliate their concerns and was gathering an expeditionary force.
Roger and Alan gravitated towards the group standing near the head-table, which currently comprised King William and most of the English party, including Edgar the Aetheling and both Earl Morcar and Earl Edwin, about a dozen young Englishmen to the age of twenty-five or so, and several older English nobles including Thorkel of Arden and Aethelnoth of Canterbury. Of the three young English lords the eldest was Edwin at nineteen. Edgar the Aetheling, the sole remainder of the line of King Alfred, was barely fifteen.
Seeing the direction of their progress, both Hugh de Grandmesnil and his wife Adelize drifted with them. After the nine months or so in Normandy after Hastings, when William had toured the duchy in a triumphal procession in which the English earls had been displayed as trophies, the younger Englishmen were aping the Normans and wearing Norman tunics and hose, rather than tunics of English cut and trews. The older Englishmen, who had stayed in England, were more traditionally dressed. Apart from King William, the group contained half a dozen Norman lords including Aubrey de Vere, Robert Malet, the son of William Malet, and William Peverel.
Alan thought that Edgar the Aetheling was looking around like a small loach in a pond of big pike, feeling like he was about to be gobbled up at any moment. Morcar and Edwin looked self-satisfied at the attention they were receiving. The senior English lords looked as if they would prefer to be in the deeper reaches of hell rather than chatting amiably with Norman barons.
Alice Bigod had clearly been keeping a close eye on matters and with impeccable timing that would have done a general proud brought Anne to the group just as the men arrived. Adelize de Grandmesnil had not met Anne, and Alice dealt with the introductions, with mutual cooings, as Alan, Roger and Hugh made their obeisance to the king. Then Alan presented Anne to William. After a half-bow to first Adelize and then Alice, William took Anne’s hand and raised it to his lips as his eyes took in her short slender build, rich auburn hair, fair face, her tasteful heavily-embroidered but restrained dress and heavy jewellery. At eighteen Anne was in the full bloom of her beauty, and while William was faithful to his wife Matilda this did not prevent him from appreciating beautiful women who were presented to him. He reluctantly released her hand and allowed her to take her husband’s arm, as already had Alice.
Alan nodded heavily to Edgar, not quite a half bow but showing significant respect. With a smile he said in English, “Greetings, Edgar the Aetheling! There’s no need to be on your guard tonight against the Normans- if they were going to kill you they would have done so months ago! The English I can make no promises about!”
Edgar looked surprised to hear his own language spoken in such a friendly tone and smiled in response. “It’s good to be back on my home soil again, and King William has promised that after the hunt in two days time I’ll be free to return to my own manors in Sussex and Mercia.”
“Just be careful of the company you keep when you get back home,” Alan gently warned the likeable young lad.
The other two teenagers, Morcar of Northumberland and Edwin of Mercia, two of the remaining English earls, were much less likable, standing with their cronies and with supercilious looks on their faces, their hair pomaded with scented oils and careful attention paid to their clothing and coiffure. Given their ages the moustaches so beloved of the English warrior were barely nascent stubble on their upper lips. They stood slightly aloof from the group containing King William and Edgar and, while looking at Alan and his lady with interest, made no attempt to join them- forcing Alan and Anne, arm in arm, to take the several steps to approach them.
Roger Bigod did not know the earls or their party, so Alan introduced himself as ‘Alan of Thorrington’, naming his lady and the Bigods, speaking in Norman French. Morcar, the younger of the brothers, replied abruptly in English, “Thorrington? Never heard of it!” Anne’s face coloured at the deliberate rudeness.
Alan gave a slow smile, allowing contempt to cloud eyes and both contempt and sarcasm his voice. “No reason you should,” he replied, still speaking in Norman French-a language he knew that the earls understood “It’s an English property, not some tiny village in Normandy, but it is outside your earldom so I suppose we can forgive your ignorance. My friend Roger is the sheriff of Suffolk. I would imagine you have heard of the shire of Suffolk? Roger speaks some English, but his beautiful wife Alice does not. As you and your friends speak French, I’m speaking French out of courtesy to her.” Alan noted that King William had followed quietly behind them and from several paces away, while looking absorbed in other matters, was listening to the conversation. “As for not having heard of me, I am sure that in due course events will overcome that. After all we’re all members of the king’s Curia and will meet shortly in an official capacity.”
“And you, Lady Anne, what are you doing in such disreputable company?” asked Morcar, in English, in a light tone of voice, pretending the comment to be a joke rather than the veiled insult it was.
Still arm in arm with Alan, Anne patted his hand on her arm and replied in Norman French, “I’m in the company I choose to be in- friends I’ve made at court, both Norman and English. My good friends the Bigods, some other friends made here tonight. My husband treats me much better than Aelfric, my previous husband. I chose my current husband and wasn’t sold off to the highest bidder. And my husband has proven his ability to defend myself, my people and my village.”
Edwin snapped the fingers of his right hand. “Ah! The Defender of Wivenhoe. We have indeed heard of you. A significant effort to defeat the Danish. You must have been proud of the men of your shire that day!”
“And it proves the value of the Englishman as a warrior,” interjected Morcar.
Alan gave flat and expressionless look at first one and then the other. “As to the ability of the English as fighters, the two of you as veterans of the battle of Fulford Gate would have better knowledge, as my force had no huscarles and few thegns.”
The English present gave a perceptible wince at hearing this. Edwin and Morcar had led the English forces against the Norwegians when they had landed in the north the year before, suffering a humiliating loss of both the battle and the city of York, only overcome days later when Harold Godwinson had achieved surprise by arriving from the south by forced marches and taken the Norwegians by surprise on the day they had been expecting to receive hostages from the people of Yorkshire and were unready to fight.
Alan continued, “We fought as a combined force in the Norman manner. Almost all of my men were English and, yes, I was proud of the way they fought! Right down to the slaves wielding pitchforks to protect themselves and their families. Properly equipped, properly trained and properly led, the English make the finest foot-soldiers in Europe. The problem the English have had for the last 300 years, since Alfred the Great, is that apart from 1,000 or so huscarles and a similar number of thegns, they have neither been properly equipped or trained. And since Alfred they have not been properly led. Edmund Ironside, had he lived beyond his early twenties, may have been a man to lead you to greatness, but from your point of view, regrettably not.”
One of the English party burst out, “What about King Harold, don’t you rate him well as a l
eader?”
“Harold and before him Godwin were certainly good administrators. They basically had to run the kingdom for The Confessor. As I understand it, Harold Godwinson was a very capable and likeable man. As a good general? He won the victory at Stamford Bridge by gathering and moving his army quickly and falling on the Norwegians by surprise when they were unprepared. Good aggressive tactics in forcing the encounter on his own terms, but once he had achieved surprise and his army was fighting a Norwegian army that were largely improperly armed and armoured, a ten-year old should have been able to lead his forces to victory, particularly when Hardrada was killed early in the battle.”
Alan felt Anne’s fingers digging into his arm, either in warning or annoyance he could not tell. “As to Hastings, again he got his army there quickly, assumed an excellent defensive position that should have been unassailable, but from what we Normans could see once he set up his flag he didn’t move all day. We saw no evidence of any leadership at Hastings. The English just stood and fought- and fought well! Unbelievably well. They refused to give up even when the battle was clearly lost, and still fought on with courage and ability- but with no leadership, just dogged determination.
“At Wivenhoe we fought smart. We knew the Danes would be coming. We’d seen them row up the river. Whether they won or lost at Colchester we knew they would be coming back and stop at Wivenhoe. We had time to plan, prepare and undertake some basic training of the raw troops, and to call in every man in the Hundred. The Danes came in dumb and stupid, totally unprepared and thinking it was like an afternoon walk. We took them by surprise and made them pay for their arrogance- although there were too many English bodies lined up by the church waiting for burial after the battle. The Danes we just threw in a ditch and filled it in.”
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