The Dunston Blade (19 page)

“You don’t have to address me as sir, and certainly not in private.”

“You are a Knight and I was brought up to be polite.” All this was said with a twinkle in her eye and Tania laughed.

“I am fortunate to have such a lady to attend me, and doubly fortunate that she has a handsome brother.” John realised they were joking with him and he was
glad that they had made good friends in only a short time. Joan left and John began to strip off his cloths, Tania turned to him and let the nightgown she
was wearing, fall to the floor. John stood looking at her for a moment, admiring her beauty. Tania looked down at him. “I think you are ready for bed by
the look of it.” John reached for her and they moved to the bed to enjoy each other once again.

“Today I will ride east again to visit the Fens and the small hamlets there,” announced John to Stephen at breakfast.

“We will take 20 men with us, go and round them up and bring bows and spears, we may see some game in the rushes.”

The party set off and as they passed through the villages people stared at the number of armed men moving through their lands. They reached the edge of the
Fens and could see the tall reeds stretching out before them. A small group of men stood by the side of the Fen.

“Good morrow sirs,” said John.

The men explained they had heard them coming from scouts along the way and remembering John’s promise to help, should they need it, they had decided to
meet him. The leader spoke.

“There is movement on the seaward side of our land. Two ships have come into Yarmouth and a large armed party of Flemish men have come ashore and are
moving towards our main settlement.”

John offered his men to strengthen the garrison at their settlement. Aelfraed, their leader accepted readily explaining they were not fighting men as the
Fens were a peaceful area. John sent out his best scouts to find out more about the intruders. Aelfraed led them through the rushes on paths they could not
see and John thought they could soon be lost without a guide, so who was guiding the Flemish men?

Suddenly their guide stopped and signalled them to be quiet, out of the rushes appeared one of the scouts. “They are camped in a small clearing just beyond
those trees you can see, there are about fifty of them,” explained the scout.

“They are between us and our settlement,” said Aelfraed.

John dismounted and signalled his men to do likewise quietly.

“We need to get either side of them, then we can surprise them on three sides. I will go forward first and try to find out what they are doing here, I will
call you forward if I am not satisfied.”

Aelfraed pointed out paths they could use to get into position, the men split into three groups and started off. John, Stephen, Aelfraed and five men
remounted and moved towards the Flemish men. As they rode into the camp the intruders sprang to their feet and picked up their weapons. A tall man shouted
in French to stop and he turned towards John who was shocked to find himself looking at Henri Hausman, the man he had met in London.

“Ah my friend” said Hausman stepping forward. “How good to see you again, welcome to our camp, please join us in a mug of ale.”

His men began to move forward with their hands on their weapons.

“Please get down from your horse, we are here peacefully but you are outnumbered and ….” Hausman was interrupted by John. “No you are wrong, it is you who
are outnumbered and surrounded.” At a given signal John’s men rose up out of the reeds. Archers with bows drawn and men with spears ready.

“Lay down your weapons, all of you, and then we will discuss what you are doing here,” commanded John. As his men collected their weapons John noticed two
men trying to hide themselves in the throng of soldiers. “Bring those two to me, “ John told Stephen.

A tall Flemish man approached John and presenting his sword to him said that he was in charge of the soldiers and in view of the circumstances, he formally
surrendered to John, who smiled and thought, ‘you had no alternative’. He said they had been paid by Hausman to accompany him on a private venture and he
needed guards to protect the money he was carrying. When the two Englishmen arrived John recognised them as his farmers from the southern tip of his lands,
they both had large flocks of sheep.

“What are you doing here with these men?” asked John. The two men looked at each other and did not reply. John faced Hausman.

“Now sir, what are you here for, creeping around the Fens with a foreign armed band and bags full of money? I am sure King Edward will be interested in
your answer.”

John thrust his face towards Hausman’s as he said this, and glared at him. John instructed Stephen to take the prisoners back to their ships while he put
Hausman and the two Tenants under guard. They were getting very nervous and had been talking to each other, John told the guards to split them up and he
would question them one at a time. When Stephen and the prisoners had left John called the guards to bring one of the farmers to him and to cut a switch
from one of the trees. John looked hard at his Tenant, a man called Henry Thatcher.

“Why would you get involved with that man?” asked John.

While the guard stood by practicing swipes in the air with the switch. The man stood stubbornly silent. John grabbed him by his shirt and ripped it from
his back, he was about to tell the guard to lay it on when the other man cried out.

“We was offered money sir, to sell our sheep to him so that he owned them and could have all the wool.” “Shut up you fool,” said Thatcher.

“It was you who talked me into it,” said the other Tenant. “You said at the meeting we would all be rich.” Thatcher stood defiant.

“Are you going to tell me what is going on or will you feel the strength of my guard’s arm?” warned John.

The guard stepped closer and was raising his arm when Thatcher broke and said that Hausman had bought the sheep, they were to look after them and at
shearing the wool would be collected by Hausman’s men and taken to Brugge without Hausman having to pay the market price. John realised that this would
seriously diminish his income if Hausman roped many more into his scheme. Thatcher said that Hausman was talking to all the shepherds in the area. John
decided to take the three men back to Dunston while he pondered on what he would do. Aelfraed thanked John for his response but as there was no danger to
his people immediately, he invited John and his party, including the prisoners, to his village to wait for the men to return from taking the Flemish men
back to their ships. The village was very basic and John could see that most were poorly housed. They welcomed the men and the prisoners were secured in
the only wooden hut with stout doors. Although poor, the village was clean and generally the people appeared happy. A meal was prepared which they all
enjoyed after the excitement of the day. It was late evening when Stephen returned and they set up camp at the edge of the village. Stephen reported they
had no trouble persuading the Flemish men to board their ships, in fact they were pleased to do so as they had insisted they were paid before leaving
Brugge. The officer who had surrendered his sword had told Stephen the whole story of the subterfuge Hausman had employed to get the men to accompany him.
Stephen had returned his sword, as John had suggested, and he soon had all the men on board. John and Aelfraed talked long into the evening and the result
was that Aelfraed and his villagers would report to John any movement towards his lands and in return John would purchase reeds from the village and supply
arms to Aelfraed’s men, he still felt vulnerable from these Eastern shores but to overcome that he, or Sir Cedric, would have to control the whole Shire.

Riding back to Dunston John and his party detoured to the farms where the two traitors had held Tenancy. He called the farm hands together at each and
asked them to put forward a man who they could work for and who would be able to take over the Tenancy. After some deliberation each farm agreed on a man
and John said to them both he would confirm their position at the first quarter day when rent was due, if they proved themselves worthy. The day was
nearing its close when they reached Dunston, they could see the welcoming lights of the Castle and Stephen blew his horn for the night watch to lower the
drawbridge. John was met at the door by Tania who greeted him demurely, whispering in his ear that he would be greeted properly later. The evening meal was
full of the talk of what had happened on their trip, John called Boorman and told him to see the prisoners were fed and Hausman was to be imprisoned in the
tower. Sleep came to John immediately after their love making and Tania looked at him and smiled. Her man was a strong man but a fair one, and she loved
him for it.

John spent the next few days making sure his fighting force were being trained and kept up to scratch, he promoted a selected number to assist Stephen who
had taken overall responsibility. The time had come for him to look for at least two more Squires but where from was the question. John decided to visit
Sir Cedric and with Tania, Stephen and a small detachment they rode over to Wymondham. On arrival they were greeted warmly and after some refreshment John
and the Earl went to his room to discuss what had happened in the Fens.

“My first concern is what to do with Hausman?” started John. “Should he go to London or can it be dealt with here?”

“We can hold a trial here as it concerns our farmers and our security,” said Sir Cedric. “I can preside as Judge, I have the King’s and Parliament’s
authority, unless you would prefer to take him to London.”

“No, I believe that it would be in our interests to show our farmers and tenants that we can be deal with situations like this,” said John.

They decided to transport the prisoners to Wymondham the following week with the trial set for two days later.

“As far as your Squires are concerned I have a young man here who you might find suitable. He is the son of a friend of mine and is visiting me at the
moment,” said the Earl. “We will see him at our meal tonight and you can talk to him then.”

They talked further on the plans for John’s lands and how he saw the farms co-operating more together so that there was less duplication in their efforts,
He also wanted to set up his own contacts with the Flemish merchants. Sir Cedric was interested in how John had enrolled the Fen men to help him. Their
talking finished John went to find Tania and the two of them walked the battlements arm in arm. The sun was setting and the surrounding countywide was
bathed in it’s golden glow, they could hear the sounds of the kitchens preparing the evening meal, and the stamping of the horses in the stables.

“Do you miss living here?” asked John.

“I am very happy at Dunston and I am enjoying making it our home.”

John bent and kissed her neck and she turned so that their lips met and their hearts were intwined in that golden light.

John was introduced to a young man when they went down to the Hall for their meal. His name was Tristan and he bowed to Tania and John who clasped his arm
in a firm grip which the young man returned.

“Sit with me and tell me about yourself,” said John. Tristan had been brought up in Nottinghamshire, his father was a minor Knight and had taught his son
most of the skills a knight would need, by the end of the meal John thought him suitable to take on as a Squire but decided to leave the decision to later.
It was a convivial evening and they were entertained by a wandering band of minstrels who kept them amused with song and rhymes. Sir Cedric was in good
voice but John thought he must be a lonely man now with no wife or daughter in the Castle. He remembered the lady in the London house but could not recall
her name and he had never seen her at Wymondham. Eventually the festivities of the evening drew to a close and they all retired to bed. They stayed at
Wymondham for a further three days giving John and the Earl time to discuss plans that Sir Cedric had for the future. The journey back to Dunston was
uneventful and John had the opportunity to speak more with Tristan, whom he had asked to accompany them, the lad sat a horse easily and had a confident air
about him. John’s only concern was how he would get on with Stephen. They were welcomed back to the Castle and Stephen reported on the work he had been
doing with the men-at-arms, John was impressed and congratulated him and introduced him to Tristan. Later that evening John talked to Stephen and said he
was thinking of asking Tristan to be a Squire, Stephen’s reaction was to say that he liked Tristan and welcomed the plan. John asked Tristan to sit with
him and invited him to be one of his Squires to which Tristan readily agreed. He brought the two Squires together and explained that he would expect them
to discharge their duties as Squires equally between them and he would leave them to arrange that themselves. The two lads smiled and shook hands and
walked off together and suddenly stopped and returned to ask John his plans for the next day.

John laughed. “I think you had better take turns in looking after me, and the other one look after the duties in the Castle. Tomorrow I want Stephen to go
to Aelfraed and ask him to come to Dunston and then with us to Wymondham for Hausman’s trial. He can bring companions with him if he likes. So Tristan can
accompany me when I have decided on what I am doing.”

John walked up to the room that Tania had turned into a sewing room and found her and Joan busy chatting and laughing.

“Not much work going on here then,” said John. “I am to my bed now as I have a busy day tomorrow.”

Tania smiled and with Joan, walked off to their rooms.

“I will be but ten minutes,” said John and went down to the room he used for a place to be able to think and plan, it was comfortable there and Boorman had
placed weaponry around the walls and some drapes, he relaxed in a chair and thought of the coming trial. His head began to nod and he jerked himself awake,
he stretched himself and went to their bedroom. Tania was sitting up in the big bed, John thought she never looked more beautiful. He quickly stripped off
and climbed into bed, Tania opened her arms and John sank into their warm embrace. They fitted together as though they had come from the same mould and
even their movements were in unison. John’s feelings soared to the most dizzy heights and afterwards they lay together inside a cocoon of love.