Chapter 13 mopping up
We had scarcely waved farewell to father Eusebius at the staithe when sharp-eyed Pernel pointed down the coast and sang out,
“Sail to the south!”
It was our hoey beating up the coast.
We waited to see them in.
I will say this for King Henry, he knew how to hustle when it was necessary.
And it was not long ere Ruud and his crew danced the ship in.
“Emma,” I said quietly “Tel Ruud and his men that they have worked hard enough to eschew Ember Days and to go to the Hall to be fed.”
“They don’t observe them anyhow,” said Emma “They be Lollards of some kind.”
“Well it do not do to mention that out loud, silly child,” I chid “Just put it the way I told you; Ruud will understand, he be no fool.”
Emma nodded and darted off, leaping lightly aboard the vessel without a nerve about the gap still between ship and dock.
She feared not the water and therefore was actually less likely to fall in such circumstance.
Emma just accepted too that some people worship God in a different way; and that we accepted this too. What she must needs learn is that others were less tolerant and learn when to keep mumchance.
There were some dozen armoured and armed men with Walter, grim of visage and wary. He brought forward one of them, whose caparison was finer than the majority, being engraved in places. Personally I should think it mightily silly to wear armour at sea; where one be then weighed down should some accident cause one’s vessel to founder. And accident may befall even the best of vessels. Since they surely did not expect to fight immediately – and certainly not when Walter saw us standing to greet him – they might have carried the uncomfortable iron garments that I suspect be as uncomfortably cold in winter as they are excruciatingly hot in summer, as Robin would testify, rather than display their martially sartorial bent.
Their choice however and all the better for our lobsters if they drowned of it I suppose; but a bit of a waste of our allies.
Walter introduced his engraved hodemedod who doffed his helm to me.
“Felicia, Rob, this be Sir Edward Mainwaring who be here to assist in rounding up traitors,” he said “To add to our own men under arms.”
“Good to meet you, Sir Edward,” said Robin “My wife Felicia…. Mine assorted offspring and wards….mine eldest son you have met, and one of my pages.”
Sir Edward bowed and resumed his helm that he might doff it formally to each of the girls too.
“A goodly welcome to receive after a cold journey,” he said.
“You have more of us that we were seeing off Father Eusebius of the Norwich Inquisition; who was kind enough to give us absolution for impersonating the said inquisition to gain information from Fleury,” said Robin “Else you had not been quite so beset with children and animals; Father Eusebius is a prime favourite with our younglings.”
“A fortunate man then,” said Sir Edward and managed to actually sound as though he meant it, despite being surrounded by our rabble. He was scratching Seb’s ear however so perchance he did actually mean it. He added “It were by sounds of it a bold imposture as I would like to hear more of! And Sir Walter has told me too of your daring games as ‘gyptians, that you have courage to trust yourselves to such and to live rough without with them!”
The impugning of our Rom friends went somewhat over mine head as I took in his other words.
“SIR Walter?” I said “Oh Walter, how splendid!”
He grinned quite boyishly.
“I were whoolly taken aback,” he admitted.
Robin laughed suddenly.
“Walter lad, how Lionel will spit!” he said, chuckling “There’s him gallivanting off to France all Bobadillish to win his spurs; and thou before him in it!”
Walter joined him in his laughter.
“Well, Rob, I confess that be sweet,” he said.
I felt Sir Edward was owed a brief explanation.
“Lionel is my cousin on one side; Walter on the other; and there must needs be rivalry within families that mean no serious dispute.”
He bowed.
“That I understand perfectly, My Lady,” he said “For it is thus too between mine own cousin and myself.”
Maud came flying down the path at this point, having run the full mile from the house, to hurl herself on Walter
“Mine anticipated cousin-in-law,” I said to Sir Edward “Who is also our ward.”
“In sooth, My Lady, so one might hope that she hath honourable intentions for Sir Walter after so exhuberantly affectionate a greeting of him,” said Sir Edward gravely.
“She’s very young,” I said indulgently.
If Sir Edward was surprised that I expected as a matter of course to be included in a conference of war he had the tact to say nothing on the subject.
And nothing would exclude Maud for she would not leave Walter’s side, having done nothing since he left but wonder an she should have given the fig to the ladies of court that she might be at his side; and she had interrogated poor Wilcock on how his master had been. Fortunately Wilcock took it in the good part of recognising that Maud shared his own concern for Walter and answered doucely and patiently.
Maud’s greeting of the news that Walter be knighted for his efforts was typically pragmatically Maud. She said,
“Well, reckon a knighthood do-ant cost anything to give,”; which having been my reaction to Robin’s knighthood showed how well Maud had her head attached.
“Maud my dear, do me being knighted make up for the horrible scars I will ever bear?” asked Walter seriously. He could be an idiot at times.
“Yew duzzy owd fule, moi love,” said Maud, lapsing into the vernacular “Dew yew think I cum running this moile to greet Sir Walter as I knew not about? It be yew I love, with or without knighthood, rich or poor; and dew yew was poor, I’d help yew doctor horses for a living, ar, and gamble too, as I did hope yew do know me well enough and loved me well enough to know!”
Tears ran down Walter’s face as he wrapped her firmly to him with his good arm, ignoring any pain that it might have cost his burned hand.
Maud put up her face for his kisses and we drew Sir Edward and his men tactfully away.
It occurred to me that young or not, we should put up the banns as soon as we might do so after Easter, otherwise Maud would be breeding in any case.
Having once accepted that someone could actually find him lovable, Walter had fallen hopelessly and completely in love with Maud and she being a managing little thing I doubted he would resist for long.
No man is made of iron however good his intentions.
And Walter was as wax in Maud’s hands for being so fragile; and fearing to lose her. As my silly Robin had feared to lose me to another.
He would learn to trust in himself, that she would never turn from him, in good time; as had Robin.
Sir Edward had brought for us specific warrants for arrest, search and seizure that he showed us after we had eaten, for we were all working. And the kitchen servants pleased in that, for that meant they were working also and might too partake of the meal, as might too our chosen armed men, that we called in.
That was Rafe, Oliver, Kistur, Adam – who would not be left out and was as good as any man grown, that meant also Simen – Hobb Goodman, Paul and Hal, Michael Hostler, James Sykes, Pascoe Archer, Mhathan Smith and his oldest son Cillian, Meriadoc Musician, Tom and Tomlin Shepherd, Jacobi Tanner, Piaz and Pov.
Methinks we observe fasts more strictly than many for Sir Edward and his men were surprised that Robin was specific in listing the exempt; though the knight nodded readily enough.
And Sir Edward was also visibly taken aback that Robin expected both our men and Sir Edward’s own men to be involved in listening at least to the planning of the taking of the traitors.
“They risk their lives on this venture,” said Robin “Well that they know every detail; and may, especially our local men, have valid ideas to put.”
“Very well, Sir Robert,” said Sir Edward “The question that we need to address first then is whether to take Fleury and Fitzedmund at Ellough first or to seize the cannon and the lesser conspirators at Frostenden first either of which might leave the others the chance to flee.”
He pronounced the places ‘EllOW’ and Fros-ten-den silly fool and our people looked confused.
“He du mean Ello and Fros’n’d’n,” said Robin to translate.
This having been made clear there was hot debate over which objective should be tackled first. Our own men rolled up their eyes, not having been invited to comment, and looked at me to appeal for common sense.
I nodded, sighing.
“Gentlemen,” I said loudly. Politeness demanded that they stop shouting at each other, Robin, Walter, Rafe, Sir Edward and his youthful lieutenant, and give me attention. “Gentlemen,” I repeated in the hopes of reminding them that they were such “We received specific instructions from the king here to train this band of men lest we be invaded by France; who do listen to this nonsense with incredulity that the heavy armour of knighthood have crushed the brains out of the heads of their betters. There be enough forces to split them, the armoured men as Sir Edward have brought to Fleury’s stronghold lest he get wind and close his gates ‘gainst them; and our trained band to Frostenden. Seem it not best to take all the traitors at once that neither group has chance to warn the other? I may be but a woman not a knight but when there be two tasks of equal urgency within the household I send two servants, each to a task.”
I smiled brightly and with sickly sweetness.
“Shrew,” said Walter amicably.
“Shouldst beat her more often, Rob,” opined Rafe, winking at me.
Sir Edward looked faintly confused and not a little irritated at my sweet reason. I love doing that to people.
“That having been decided by My Lady Felicia,” said Walter, formally, who took my views as law in this matter and hastened on to make sure that Sir Edward had no chance to protest “I should then like to be with the group that arrest Fleury. I have had enough slights from him that I would wish to see his world crumble about his ears.”
“You still be wounded, lad,” said Robin.
“I can hit him on the head with a skillet methinks if nothing else,” said Walter humorously. “My sword arm is undamaged; I have been taught little of how to use it but I can wave a sword menacingly with the best as though I did, to give greater semblance of threat. I hope we may not need to fight; and an I go as Sir Walter Danforth and party I may be admitted straightway that we have to storm the gates; to the better health of all.”
“That makes sense,” said Robin and Sir Edward was nodding.
“I will go with Sir Walter,” said Sir Edward “Will you have my squire with you, Sir Robert, mine younger brother Will? That he too may see this saker and perchance have a little action to prepare him; for he would emulate your good-cousin and try to win his spurs in France.”
“Right willingly,” said Robin, smiling at the youth who stood behind his brother “And the best way to win your spurs in France lad is to stay healthy to fight; that you should keep your feet dry, your mouth shut and your ears and bowels open. Boil all the water ere you drink it; and use your brains more often than you use your sword. An you not mind the practical advice of an older man.”
Will nodded eagerly and hung on every word.
Doubtless his brother had advice as valid; but a dashing stranger who had actually jousted with the king was an exciting fellow to be admired and listened to, that were more like to bring him home alive if he actually took such prosaic but wise advice. Robin had never fought in wars; our escapades tended to involve rather more intimate and personal attempts to kill us, but he had known enough who had and seen enough that had suffered more for poor health than for wounds. And a man in good health will more likely survive a wound in any case.
“Take honey to pack into any wound you sustain,” I said “It will help destroy infection as I have found often and often with my lord when he be wounded.”
Usually from duels or brawls; but the boy gazed on Robin with even greater adoration.
“Well then,” said Robin “Will lad, shalt help me, with my son Adam, to put on the armour the king gifted me with and we shall be on our way; to get this over ere sundown when Sabbath prohibit us from work.”
I have to say, he looked a very impressive hodemedod in the king’s gift of gilt-inlaid armour; and the boy Will was much impressed.
And it would protect my beloved to some extent too from the attacks of the naughty and murderous men at arms under Darsham Will.
At Ellough, Walter indeed talked his way past the gate guard, that knew him well enough.
He said afterwards that it was so sweet to see William Fleury’s face when he said,
“Sir William Fleury, I arrest you in the name of the King for High Treason!”
Fleury’s face fell into sagging grey folds; and was suffused with baffled fury.
“You traitor!” he hurled the insult at Walter.
“No, Sir William; I have given long since my fealty to Sir Robert de Curtney for his good kindness to me; and learned through him to trust in this king’s peace for the good of all. Like Sir Godfrey,” said Walter quietly “It is you as would betray England and her people by plunging us again into civil war. You are a traitor to the people I say, that outweighs your treachery to the king. Though somehow I doubt he’ll agree,” he added meditatively “I doubt I should either in his shoon.”
It was over and Fleury knew it; and knew that the next few short weeks of his life would doubtless seem too long. But Sir Edward’s men were vigilant and seized him ere he had chance to make away with himself.
Walter felt equivocal over that as he confessed to Maud and me later; for the fellow was his uncle though he hated the old man with a passion. And I pointed out that it were needy that any involved at the highest level in the plot should be questioned, that any and all involved be uncovered and arrested ere they manage to salvage any of the plot and cry martyr on those already caught. And Maud said,
“I seen what that nasty old man did to your ear when you were but a child; and any man what mistreats children orter be drownded, ar and that be what Jesus said too.”
The Bible tells us that our Lord said that whosoever placeth a stumbling block in the way of a child, it were better that a millstone be tied about his neck and he be cast into the sea. And quite right too. And though drowning be merciful compared with what was in store for Sir William he had never been douce enough that I had any sympathy for him; and Walter’s was only on account of the fellow being older brother to his adored mother.
I wager she never liked him much either and was glad to be wed out of his family.
Robin meanwhile took our trained band to Frostenden; and an it were a small band against eight men at arms, our men were utterly loyal and equipped as well as we might make them, chiefly with breastplates and helmets. Those who were less skilled at longbow too had double crossbows that Rafe had converted, that be a fine surprise to the enemy that think once a crossbow be fired it need reloading that take time. Our main bowmen with longbows were Rafe, Pascoe, Paul and Hal.
And they were very fine bowmen indeed.
The taking of the traitors was easy enough in the event.
They burst in on them in the ale house and arrested them all in there without need to recourse to much fighting; seeing armoured men the free lances just collapsed.
They dragged off the ale draper too; whose willingness to spread the story of John Catling’s accidental demise had made him suspect.
Apart from being a traitor to mankind for the awful quality of his ale, he was mighty thick with other traitors, such as being willing to have such types as Darsham Will living in his house; that no true ale draper like to have around, putting off his neighbours and common customers. It transpired as they dragged him away that he expected to be compounded for whatever crimes he be accused of by Humphrey Frogpit; for he had wed that precious villain’s mother, inheriting the ale house from her father thereby and stood as stepfather to the man.
Which being so, his loyalty to his stepson was commendable but rather misplaced; as was his belief that his stepson might get him off a charge of treason.
Even had Frogface not himself been arrested by this time.
The priest too was arrested and Robin revealed the saker in its false altar to Will Mainwaring. The boy was at first aghast at Robin’s assault upon a Holy Altar; but when he saw what a very unholy altar it was he directed his fury instead at the priest, pouring out scorn and vituperation on the man for his impious and sacrilegious use of his cloth to the insult of God and all other clergy. Robin said he had quite a good turn of phrase to him; and approved the sentiments wholeheartedly. Poor lad; his piety did him credit but his naivety had taken a serious blow that hurt him more than any sword cut I wager.
The priest demanded to be taken only by church authorities not secular; and Robin told him coldly that unless he quit complaining, he would personally despatch him straightway to complain to the Ultimate Authority when he might explain his complicity in the murder of John Catling; as Robin said being one of the things he thought unforgivable in a priest that he should connive at covering the sending of a harmless soul unshriven to his maker.
The priest collapsed at that point after having called Robin ungodly for threatening to kill a priest; proving that perchance he had a conscience and thus a soul to save.
Robin was angry however and treated him no differently to the way he treated the other prisoners.
They manacled their prisoners to the handles of the false saker and made them push it all the way back to Monkshithe. And Robin drove them on and would not permit them to rest, that they get back ere sundown and not therefore break Sabbath.
Well they had – most of them – wanted to push the thing around in the first place after all; and without powder that Robin prudently removed, giving it to our men to carry and the arms too, it were just a lump of heavy metal.
As the covering was still on the saker, this might account for the story that went around Benacre of the monstrous wyrm growling and menacing the neighbourhood.
It probably had looked pretty terrifying in the crepuscular gloom in which they found themselves returning and such tales always grow in the telling, like the size of the fish that got away.
No-on will ever convince the villagers of Benacre that they were not under threat from a fire breathing dragon – Adam had lit a torch to lead the way – flying over the village bent on devastation and death.
Where they got the flying over part from or the thirty foot wingspan I know not; but I suspect that such tales owed more to the excellence of the ale in Benacre’s ale house than anything else.
While the prisoners had been being shackled under Rafe’s capable eye, Robin had sought out the smith to make sure he had duly received his purse – as indeed he had – and shake his hand, whilst adjuring him not to be too hasty in judgement in the future but to hear all evidence.
Han Smith was overcome to find that Robin was a real knight in armour too, and very fine armour at that that he could not resist taking a professional interest in; and he was much satisfied that John Catling would be properly avenged.
Robin decreed in the town square that the Smith was to be considered henceforth the Reeve and entitled to pay for that position too and privately bade Han to call on him an he found anything that puzzled him that they might solve such together.
Han was delighted at such honour done him!
We were relieved to have been told by Sir Edward that a ship of the Royal Navy would be coming for our prisoners, proceeding however at a more sedate pace than our Valkensluft that the Queen had insisted to the King that the advance party travel upon; for she knew how speedily we have travelled thus in her service. He had wanted to send Walter and Sir Edward on the larger ship initially, but Her Majesty had talked her husband into better sense.
It meant that we had prisoners to guard while we waited for the bigger ship; but at least they were prisoners and therefore of no real danger for being free. We shackled them securely in our barn and I bade them sweetly to hope and pray that the ’Gyptians they had tried to burn to death in another barn did not reply in kind. It would give Darsham Will’s ruffians something to contemplate to keep them from getting bored.
Such hasty actions as that, and the killing of John Catling did NOT please their masters; and those we set eavesdropping on their conversations reported gleefully that Fleury and Frogface waxed hot on the subject of unnecessary violence calling down notice upon themselves, though by that time it were too late for Frogface having already brought down notice on himself by his violence towards John of Ashford; but he conveniently forgot that of course. Like master, like man.
Well, we were hardly going to leave such villainous creatures without concealed eavesdroppers, after all, were we?
We were not such fools.
Thus we were ready for the escape attempt they planned, thinking Frogface’s eight men and the half dozen or so that were Fleury’s men at arms would be enough to rush the servant who brought them food, that they might then take the hoey and escape to the Low Countries.
Well there was a hogshead of water within reach of them all and a dipper; that they would never suffer from thirst.
So we just did not bother to feed them; that they could not rush a servant that did not come. It would do them no harm to fast for they were quite idle and had probably been so irreligious as to ignore the Ember Days anyway.
It was good for their souls.
The ship that was sent for them was the ‘George of Falmouth’ that was appropriate enough I suppose to deal with the dragons of Frostenden.
There might yet be more repercussions if more be found to be involved in the plot; but that was none of our business. It was in the hands of the king now.
Edmund de la Pole was going to be executed at some point; that was inevitable.
We sighed with relief and settled back to a normal life. Treachery is SO unsettling.
We got awards for our actions; as any wise king do to loyal subjects to keep them loyal.
Walter was awarded a stipend to go with his knighthood that if not generous was at least not mean; at an hundred sovereigns a year. And that was right welcome to him and made sure he and Maud might uphold the estate of a knight and his lady without too much penny pinching.
We received a royal citation, an exemption from sumptuary laws – that we ignored anyway – and a licence to crenellate. All of which cost the king nothing at all and would but be a drain on our own purse.
Fortifying a little might not be such a bad idea though. But crenellations?
It was a stupid idea; and our house not really suitable.
Still it meant we were also covered an we thicken our walls that be covered under the same licence; that would be useful.
Robin sent a letter to the king, concerning William Fleury’s possessions, to the effect that a cousin of Walter’s and of mine had been wed to the older son of Sir William, that had died in some drunken accident, and asked an the king would see his way to seeing that the unfortunate widow might see some of the estate of Sir William rather than all going to the church via his younger son Brother William.
Pious the king might be; but he hated the thought of the church grabbing yet more land.
So far as I understand what occurred was that the king arranged that a deal be made with Fleury that an he would will all his possessions to his daughter-in-law he should be merely decapitated, not hanged drawn and quartered.
It was a piece of chantage if you like; but I expect kings have a grander name for such coercion.
Lavinia and her Peter would not be wealthy – and had it been a wealthy demesne I doubt not but that the king would have found a way to claim it for himself – but they would have a respectable income, and higher than that Sir William Fleury had enjoyed for not wanting such superfluous servants as men at arms and an excess of serving man and the other unnecessary appurtenances Sir William had felt he required.
And Adam took Simen and went back to Frostenden Hall and lifted everything that was moveable that had any value at all that he thought might mend or be of use or do as a gift to someone in the future; and found a few more caches of gold and jewels too, stolen by other servants and hidden too well in times gone by.
Fortunately most of the chests of clothes were air tight and moisture tight; and if a little musty otherwise quite serviceable. Albeit in the case of some rather quaint.
Well the fabric would re-use quite readily anyway.
And some good garments were owed to Simen that needed too to be dressed in accordance with his dignity as man to the son of a knight.
The king did indeed grant land to Master Thicknesse, as pleased that worthy; and coughed up compensation for the burning of his barn too. The king may expect his knights to think honours worth more than gold but he had sense at least about his lower subjects, I grant him that. And Han Smith got a purse, and so too did Piaz; and along with that the king’s own warrant that he and his people have freedom of travel in the fair realm of England in perpetuity.
And that were a good reason for Piaz to support the king and his descendants; that an another dynasty take the throne, such was in jeopardy.
Piaz was much impressed by the document however and asked Robin to write him a second warrant attesting to the king’s document that he asked Piers to keep safe in St Stephen’s church.
Piers framed it and put it on display; for it were a citation to some of his parishioners that were an honour to the whole parish, and Robin gladly wrote attestation of the wording.
Even Robin did not quite dare to forge a duplicate for Piaz to carry.
And now I might concentrate on the important things in life; like spring cleaning.
And having the chance to take mine husband to bed in our own goose down bed without fear of night alarums.
Apart from those caused by inquisitive kittens of course; but that be but an everyday hazard!
Author’s historical note: Edmund de la Pole was in the White Tower (Tower of London) under the circumstances as Robin described and was executed by Henry VIII in March 1513 on the reason that he did not want a Yorkist claimant alive in England while he, Henry, was out of the country in France. This is a demonstration of how insecure Henry felt that he was still on the throne; and I see no reason that the execution of de la Pole might not have been decided upon in light of discovering a plot that strengthened a growing conviction in Henry that this son of York was dangerous.
There was a report at around this time of a dragon seen in Benacre.
