Earl (15 page)

“You planned well for your church, Father.”

“Aye and I hoped to see it filled with you and your family.  Now it will just contain our ashes.” He shook his head as thought to clear it. “The Lady Adela knew that drastic measures had to be taken.  She closed the gates and forbade all from leaving.  I joined her. Others began to show symptoms.  It was the new warriors and some of Erre’s men who succumbed first. They had lived close by each other. Your falconers and some of the slaves were the next to die.  One threw herself into the river rather than suffer.  Your wife and I tended to them.  I knew of a potion which made them sleep.  We gave it to them all save your wife and me. None died after we gave it to them.  I think God was able to care for them while they slept.”

I did not think that God had done anything of the sort.  It was my wife and the priest who had saved them.  God had stood idly by and done nothing to save my daughter.  My innocent daughter had died and yet those evil men like Stephen of Blois lived.  There was no justice.

“Where is my wife?”

He hesitated, “She died three days since.  I gave her the last rites and she is in heaven as is your daughter. She lies on your bed.  I could not carry her down to burn here.  I had no strength in my arms.  It has taken me all my time to minister to the sick and to keep them asleep.” He shook his head, “They will be waking soon.”

I wanted to scream and to rant against God but the Earl in me made me ask other questions. “And the disease; will I now get it?”

He shook his head.  “That is how I know I am to die.  It took some days for the disease to take the men who had not been to the Muslim lands. Those in the town who became ill only had the briefest of contact with the warriors. I do not think I will spread the disease but you must burn our bodies and our clothes to be safe. If you want to be certain then do not go out of here for ten days. I became ill ten days ago.”

“And yet you continued to help those who were sick.”

“It was God’s will.  I have served the town and I have served you.  God used me as his tool. I am content.”

“But I am not for he took my wife and my child.”

“Do not berate God.  Your wife knew she was dying.  There is a letter for you.  It is in her hands.”

His breathing became laboured. He grabbed hold of his cross.

“Can I do anything for you, Father?”

“You can pray for my soul for…”

He pitched forward and died. He was a good man.  I am not certain I could have done what he had done. Could I have ministered to those with this pestilence? He had entered a castle filled with a deadly disease.  He could have stayed outside the wall and lived. As much as I wanted to see my wife I knew I had a duty to the living.  It was with a heavy heart that I went to the Great Hall. It lay just below my chambers and I could almost feel the presence of my wife.

My household, warriors, servants, Steward and slaves all lay on straw laid out on the floor.  Some were asleep but I saw Erre prop himself up on one arm and try to rise.  “Stay on the floor, Erre, I command you.  You are still weak.”

He shook his head, “I am sorry, my lord.  This is my fault.  If I had not brought those new warriors into the castle then none of this would have happened.”

He was right, of course, but it was not his fault.  He had only done what I asked of him. “It is not your fault. Father Matthews has just died. I will get you all some food but then those who can, will need to help me.  We have to remain isolated for ten days.” He nodded.  “Keep everyone here until I return.”

I went up the stairs with a heavy heart.  I knew what I would find.  It would not be a surprise but it would hurt me.  I knew that with each step I took. I opened the door of my chamber and saw that she lay with her arms folded and her letter on her chest. The room smelled of death.  Her body had lain here for some time.  I took the letter and put it in my surcoat.  I would read that letter later. I leaned over and kissed her cold dead lips.  “Farewell my wife.  I am sorry I was not a better husband.  You were the best wife a man could ever have had.  Look after our child, Hilda, in heaven and I swear that William will be loved twice as much.” It was the silence and her cold hands which made me break down and burst into tears.  It was not manly nor was it knightly but I was a man and I had loved Adela. I had left her for war so many times and she had never complained and now she lay dead.

I stood and beat the walls with my fists until they bled, “Why did you take her! There is evil in the world and she was pure and innocent! You are not a just God you are worse than the Devil!  He does not give hope only to dash it away! From this day I renounce you!”

I was angry but at that moment I meant what I said and my life entered a dark and lonely period when I was not the man who had married Adela.  I became something else.  I became something I did not like.

I went down to the kitchen again.  I moved Father Matthew from the chair and laid him in the passage outside.  His body was already stiffening. I found the potion which Father Matthew had used and I found some vegetables.  I chopped them and put them in a pot with water from the well. The fire was still glowing and I relit it. When the kindling caught I added more logs and put the pot over it.  I emptied some of the potion into it.  I had not been told the dose- I guessed.  When it was bubbling away I took out the letter.

Dearest Alfraed,

If you are reading this letter then I am dead.  I am sorry.

Our daughter is dead.  God must have wanted her badly to take such a precious angel.  I tried to save her but I failed. I hope that some of our people survive.  I did my best and Father Matthew has been a saint.  He could so easily have stayed without but if any are saved then it is due to his skill and care.

I know you will be angry with me but I believe that it is God’s will that kept me here.  If I had left then the disease might have spread.  I believe that Stockton will be safe and it will just be those in the castle who die.

I pray that you and William will return safely from the wars. I know you will for you are the finest knight in Christendom and I was honoured to be your wife. I hope that when I am in heaven I can meet your father, Faren and Athelstan for I yearn to tell them of your glory. Our daughter and unborn child will watch with me from on high and we will wait for you.

Farewell my husband,

I will love you in death as I did in life,

Adela 

I read it four times. My tears made some of the letters run but I knew it by heart by then. There was a movement behind me and I whipped my head around.  It was Erre.  “What are you doing here?”

“I am well, my lord.  I came to help.”

I nodded, “You are right.  I have made some soup. We will take it to those who are awake. Then we must burn Father Matthew and then my wife.”

His face fell, “Lady Adela is dead?” I nodded, “I am so sorry my lord. I have caused more trouble than enough.  I should leave.”

“No Erre.  You must stay for Lady Adela gave her life so that you and the others should all live.”

I had but three of my Varangians left: Erre, Olaf Leather Neck and Sven the Rus. All my efforts to make us stronger had had the opposite effect.  We were now weaker. I knew that I had to speak with Wulfric; he would be worrying. I was trapped in a charnel house but I was still Earl of Cleveland and I still had responsibilities.

“Watch over the others whilst I go to the gate.”

I reached the gatehouse and saw Wulfric and Dick speaking with Alf and Ethelred in the town.  There was visible relief on their faces when they saw me.  Alf said, “Is all well within, my lord?”

Shaking my head I said, “No but the worst appears over.” I hesitated for saying my next words would set them in stone.  I would not wake from this nightmare. “Father Matthew and Lady Adela are both dead.  The next fire you see will be consuming their flesh. Send to Norton and ask Father Peter to come.  We have need of him.  I want riders to go to Sir Edward and Sir Richard to inform them of this disaster.”

Wulfric cocked his head to one side, “And you my lord, what of you?”

“Father Matthew said that in ten days I will either be dead or the plague will have died out.  Until then I stay here.  There are many still alive within these walls and that is due entirely to Father Matthew and my wife.”

Alf nodded, “We will say prayers of thanks in the church.” He pointed to the newly finished church. Father Matthew had not even managed to hold an Easter service in it.

“We are short of food. Bring baskets and put them before the gate.  Erre and I will hoist them up.”

Wulfric smiled, “Erre lives?”

“He does but only Olaf and Sven remain.  The new men brought this plague from the land of the Muslim.”

I saw all four of them cross themselves. Ethelred said, “Then I know how the plague came to the town.  One of the new men lay with the daughter of the Tanner. I think they survived because of their work.  That concoction to tan the leather would kill any disease.”

“Then I will return to my Hall. Wulfric, Command in my absence.” I saw Aiden. “Your falconers are dead but the hawks live.”

His face fell.  “They were good men.  I would be grateful if you would care for them until I can tend to them.  I will put food for them in the basket.”

As I returned to my Hall I wondered if I could ever be happy here again. Erre came towards me, “They have all been fed my lord.  Although they are weak they wish to help.”

“Then they can prepare the funeral pyre.”

“Aye my lord.” I turned and went to the stables.  The hay had all been taken for bedding and just the two hawks remained.  I could see that they had been fed and watered.  That had to be Father Matthew.  He had been a kind man. He loved all creatures. I saw that he had left two dead mice for the birds.  The two birds looked agitated and so I spoke softly to them as I had seen Aiden do. “There, there my beauties.  Fear not the night is almost over and soon Aiden will be with you.” I held the mice out and they took them with their beaks and then held them in their talons so that they could tear the flesh from them. It did not take long.  When I had watered them I stroked them on the back of the head as I had seen the falconers do.  They seemed calmer.

As I left I understood Aiden a little better for I felt more at peace. The two birds were survivors.  They would be stronger.  Erre and the others would be stronger and closer too. The pyre was built and the bailey empty.  They had worked quickly. I went to speak with them. As I entered my hall everyone stood and bowed. I looked at their drawn pale faces.  These were my people.  I could not give up.  Adela would not have wanted it so.

John, my steward, approached, “We are all sorry for your loss, my lord.  Each of us here owes our lives to the Lady Adela and we will honour her memory.”

“We will burn their bodies tomorrow.  I hope that Father Peter will be here for I would know the words I need to say to send …” I found myself becoming filled with grief; it was almost too much to bear.  I had to be strong.  I was the lord of the manor. My feelings had to remain hidden.  My father had taught me that. I coughed and it helped. “We have to stay within these walls for nine more days.  Father Matthew said that if I survived ten days from the first contact then I did not have the disease.” I saw the shock on their faces.  That thought had not occurred to them. “If I become ill then you must give me the potion Father Matthew left.  Erre knows where it is.”

John the Steward said, “You should not have come, my lord.  You have put yourself in danger.”

I smiled, “It was meant to be.  Had I not come then Father Matthews would have died without telling me what I needed to know. I do not feel ill and I believe that I will be spared but if not then Erre and John are in charge.  I have left Wulfric to command the town.” Smiling I said, “We all owe it to Lady Adela and Father Matthew to be better people after this.  They have given us a new life and today you are all reborn. That, in itself, is a miracle.”

When they smiled I knew I had said the right thing but in my heart I felt like a hypocrite for I did not believe my own words. They had new lives but God had killed my wife, my unborn child and my daughter. I would find it hard to forgive.

We carried the bodies and laid them on the two pyres. Their ashes would be kept separate. My wife’s servants and ladies used cochineal to give her some colour and arranged her clothes so that she looked as beautiful as ever. I slept through sheer exhaustion for there was still much to do. 

When we rose, the next day, it was with a heavy heart.  I went with Erre to the gate.  There was a host awaiting us.  Father Peter was there with Wulfric, Sir Edward and Sir Richard.  All looked sombre. Baskets lay at the foot of the wall. “Throw the ropes to Erre and he will haul them up.” While he did so I spoke with Father Peter.  “We will have to burn my wife and Father Matthew today.  We cannot bury them for…”

Father Peter nodded, “God will understand.”

“I do not have the words, Father.”

“When I see the smoke rise then I will know and I will say the words. Their souls will go to heaven.”

I nodded. “Then we will begin.”

When I reached the two pyres I saw that the women had found wild flowers which they had strewn over Adela’s body. Erre handed me a torch.  I saw that John held a third. It was the hardest thing I had ever done.  I plunged the torch into the kindling beneath the logs we had used. The others did the same.  My servants lit Father Matthew’s pyre. The wood crackled and smoked and then the flames leapt up to consume first the wood and then the clothes. The women looked away but I watched in horror as my wife burned before my eyes. The image would ever live with me. It was not until that moment that I realised I would never see my wife again nor speak to her. She and my daughter were gone forever.  I felt my eyes filling with tears.