The Remembered (5 page)

April 1434

Stamford, England

Richard felt someone gently shaking him and he heard muffled voices. Somewhere between sleep and awake, he was sure that it was a beautiful maid. He had been dreaming about the girl that he had seen from the Glazier's shoppe and was quite content to keep dreaming. He felt the shaking again and rolled over trying to ignore the intruder. It wasn't a dream and it wasn't the girl. Now he recognized his mother's voice. 'Get up, me luv. You will be needed in the field.' It was well before the rising of the sun and all Richard wanted to do was roll over and sleep.
Richard sat up in his bed as his mother carefully descended the steep stairway from the loft. Richard and Bromley had shared this small loft since they were wee lads. Overhead was the thatch of the roof and the floor was constructed of bare wooden planks. Gleda had managed over several years to collect old cloth and had fashioned a round rug for the room by tying the cloth pieces together similar to making a sweater. It felt so much better on bare feet than the wooden planks. The floor of the cottage below was dirt, but it was mostly covered with a woven reed mat.
Bromley was already up and dressing quickly because of the chill. Richard was several inches taller than Bromley and usually enjoyed being so, but in this loft it meant that he had to constantly bend while standing and Bromley did not. Richard also had to be particularly careful about the wooden beams of the roof. More than once he had hit his head on one in the middle of a dark night.
It was colder in the room than would be expected for an April morning. The only light coming into the loft was the flicker of a candle and small fire from the room below. Even in that small light Richard could see his breath. Once out of bed, he would dress quickly to minimize the chill.
Richard descended the stairs carefully. The steps were almost more ladder than stairs. A sleepy young man could take a tumble with a misplaced foot.
Gleda was just pulling a pot off a small fire in the fireplace as Richard stepped off the stairs and approached the table. The morning meal was the usual porridge and bread with a little butter and milk. Lind and Bromley were already sitting at the table and eating their bread.
'I will need for you to comb to the field right away after the Glazier calls work for the dee.' Lind directed Richard.
This really is not what Richard wanted to hear, but it was exactly what he expected to hear. Instead of hurrying right back to the fields, he intended to visit the market and see whether he could find the girl that he had seen. He would be quick, he reasoned, and his father would not notice.
'I will,' grunted Richard in his usual early-morning style.
Lind and Bromley then started to discuss the work that they needed to complete today. There was the upper field that needed to be planted, a sithe that needed to be repaired and the cow might be giving birth today and needed to be watched.
Richard was thinking about the Master Glazier and whether he would still remember the broken glass from yesterday, but mostly, he was thinking about the girl. He didn't realize that his father was speaking to him.
'Richard, did you nay 'ear me, boy?' asked Lind. Richard looked at his father with a sleepy look. 'I want for you to repair that sithe when you get back.' Bromley kicked Richard beneath the table and smiled.
'I 'eared,' replied Richard.
'And do nay leave it in the weather when you are finished either,' offered Bromley.
Richard and Bromley usually got along just fine despite the fact that Bromley was five years older and they were of very different natures. Bromley had quick wits and was affable. He tended to be competitive, boisterous and impulsive. Richard was more deliberate in nature, more cautious, thoughtful and reflective.
Bromley had a young woman that he was courting who's nature was more akin to Richard's than his own. Her family also lived in Easton-on-the-hill. She had long, light brown hair. She was gentle and kind and enjoyed Bromley's wit very much. Her father approved of Bromley's attention to her on account of the fact that Bromley would one day inherit the farm and cottage. Bromley hoped that they could be married within the year. He intended to move her into the small quarters that Lind and Gleda occupied just outside the village when they were young.
Richard helped in the field until after the sun was up and then walked into Stamford to the Glazier's shoppe and continued working the window that he had been working on the day before. With more care and attention this time, he cut the glass for the angel's wing with precision. After he cut the pieces he used his glozing irons to trim the glass for a smooth and perfect fit. Later he began laying the pieces in pattern form and connecting them with strips of lead came. Tomorrow he would solder the came joints together. At that point the window would start to take on a finished form and would be nearing completion. Richard was pleased that it would be placed in a chapel where it would catch the light and be looked upon for generations to come.
It was mid-afternoon before the Master Glazier called a close to the day. Richard was pleased that he had been able to concentrate on his work for the most part. There were only brief moments that he thought about the girl that he had seen yesterday. Leaving the shoppe, he had a decision to make, go straight back to the cottage and repair the sithe or take a brief detour to the market and try to see if the girl were there. He chose the latter.
The market was on High Street past All Saints' and would be closing within a couple of hours, so Richard walked quickly down Scotgate to High Street. The numbers of people there were far fewer than would have been there earlier in the day, still a good crowd remained.
Richard actually loved going to the market. People from the many nearby villages came to market in Stamford in large numbers. Richard suspected that the girl that he had seen was from one of those villages. The market also attracted individuals that were looking to take what was not theirs. This didn't make much difference to Richard today, since he didn't have anything other than his clothing anyway. Just the same, he was careful to observe the nature of those around him.
The market had rows of merchants' stalls situated tightly together. Many merchants had fashioned temporary covering for shelter from rain. Most merchants specialized in the items that they had to sell. Some sold fresh vegetables, others sold candles, some sold farm tools and still others sold household items. Richard didn't care much for these items, he enjoyed the market so that he could watch the people.
Richard walked slowly among the stalls looking at the merchants attending to each stall and to their customers. He passed a juggler and a musician who were trying to attract a crowd. The juggler called to him, but he pretended not to notice. Fortunately, the juggler did not follow him to taunt him, Richard was not wanting to call attention to himself. The market had two rows of stalls. Richard had carefully worked his way up the first row of stalls and was just heading down the second row when he saw her. Initially he was frozen in place, and time seemed to stand still, but then he faded back quickly behind some of the other villagers. He wanted the opportunity to observe without being observed. Behind him was an alleyway, which he backed into so that he could peer around the corner discreetly.
From this vantage point, Richard was able to casually, but carefully observe the maiden. Her head was uncovered and her long hair was braided and wrapped around her head like a ribbon. Her nose was thin and graceful, forming a gentle curve that turned up slightly at the end, but was not pointy. Her lips were full and had a nice color. Richard thought how nice it would be to kiss those lips. Her ankles were thin, not like the stocky ankles of so many other girls. They were dainty, and seemingly not made to carry the heavy loads of life, like water, or food from the market. She wore a long, light blue dress that was gathered at the waist by a wide belt. Her waist was thin. Richard was fascinated by her physical appearance. Even from this distance, Richard noticed that her blue eyes were bright and seemed to sparkle.
Richard noted that she was with an older man and he suspected that it was her father. He also noticed that they had not sold all of their vegetables and so they would likely be back to the market again within the week.
Richard was torn, he wanted to stay and watch her longer, but he knew that he must hurry back to Easton-on-the-hill. If he delayed much longer, his father would surely note that he hadn't come straight from the glazier's shoppe. Richard turned, darted up the alleyway and headed for home.
Lind and Bromley were still in the field when Richard arrived at the cottage. He quickly found the sithe and started the repair. It would need a new lower handle. This repair wouldn't be too difficult and he was sure that he could finish it before the evening meal.
The sun had set before Richard finished the repair and it was getting too dark to work, but he managed to get the repair done just as Lind and Bromley came in from the fields.
'Is the planting dune then?' asked Richard.
'Aye,' said Lind, 'and nay too soon.' With that he motioned to the clouds that were still visible in the darkening sky.
'I see that you 'ave repaired the sithe,' noted Bromley.
'Aye, the 'andle shuld work well for the next 'arvest.' Richard really was able to do fine handiwork and doing the repair didn't burden him much.
Geva was outside now and called them in for the evening meal. Just as they sat down the door opened a bit and a female voice asked whether she could come in.
'Margaret, me luv,' exclaimed Gleda, 'comb in. It is so gud to see you.'
With that invitation, Margaret entered the cottage and was welcomed at the table. Margaret was about a year older than Richard and Geva. Bromley had been watching Margaret for years. Margaret was rather petite. Richard noted that her face was a little rounder than the girl at the market and her figure was slightly fuller. She had a quick, broad smile and a cheerful disposition. Richard might have been interested in her also, except that he had always known that she had caught Bromley's eye. Even as Geva, Richard and Margaret had occasionally played together when they were children, Bromley watched from the side. Bromley now had the word of Margaret's father that she could wed when she reached her 15th year.
As Margaret sat at the table, she stated, 'Me father said that 'e saw you at the market todee, Richard.'
Richard felt his face flush a little and he quickly cast his eyes at his bowl. 'No, 'e did nay see me at the market. I was at the Glazier's shoppe and returned 'ome right after the Master called work for the dee.'
Margaret started to press the issue, but fortunately for Richard, Bromley cut in and started to tell her that they were able to get all the planting done. Richard quickly finished and excused himself from the table and went outside. The night air was crisp. He heard the creak of the door behind him and turned to see Geva coming out also. She walked up to Richard and with a grin, asked, 'So, whot were you doing in the market todee?' Richard tried initially to protest, but then decided that he could use a little advice from his sister.
'Will you promise to keep a secret?' he asked Geva.
'Of course I will. I always do?'
Richard thought initially about contesting that statement, but decided not to.
'I was in the market todee,' admitted Richard.
'I knew it,' Geva exclaimed with a broad grin. Richard motioned for her to keep her voice down. 'You went to see a girl, did you nay,' questioned Geva.
Richard told Geva about the girl that he had seen outside the Glazier's shoppe and how he had seen her in the market. He told her that she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen, but he didn't know how to approach her. He also didn't know where she lived. Geva suggested that Richard might survey several of the churches in Stamford the next day, the girl might be in attendance. If not, Geva recommended that he follow her from the market the next time that he saw her.
Richard resolved to do exactly as Geva suggested. The next day he started at Saint Martin's and looked in on the service, but didn't see anyone that he thought was the girl. Then he checked Saint Mary's and Saint George's with the same result. When he arrived at Saint Michael's the service was ending and he watched from across the street as the parishioners left. No one was recognizable. He felt that he didn't need to check All Saints' because he had attended services there recently and he was certain that she was not there.
In a disappointed mood, he headed for home resolving to check the market at the next market day on Wednesday.
It seemed to Richard to be a fortnight before Wednesday came. As he worked on the windows at the Glazier's shoppe he had a difficult time keeping his mind off the girl, so it was with anticipation that he cleaned up his tools quickly at the end of the day and headed for the market. It wasn't a half day today, so he would have to hurry to be at the market before it closed. He suspected that the girl's father would have his stall in the same location as before, so this time Richard approached the market from the alleyway. Peering carefully around the corner so as not to be seen, Richard caught site of the girl. She was looking in his direction when he had peered around the corner, so he quickly moved his head back behind the corner of the building again.
It had been a long day at the market for Elizabeth and her father. It had been a good day though, they had sold nearly all of their vegetables. They would be packing up soon to go back to their village. The winter had been hard for Elizabeth's family, but now with a strong harvest of vegetables, it was looking to be a good year. Elizabeth had just received some payment for some vegetables and happened to look in the direction of the nearby alleyway. 'There's that boy again,' she thought to herself. 'I am sure that 'e is the same boy that was there at the last market dee.' She then pretended to be adjusting the vegetables in the stall, but she kept, as it were, 'one eye' on the alleyway. She could tell that the boy was watching her. The realization made her feel a little uneasy, but a little flattered at the same time.