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    Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland
    Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland
    Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland
    Ebook400 pages6 hours

    Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland

    By N. Beetham Stark

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    About this ebook

    Brothers 4 is a story about the four Angevin brothers, sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and four fictitious Irish orphans who are raised by an English knight, Sir Hugh Fitz Gilbert of Tonbridge. The events and most of the persons in the story are true to history, as far as our knowledge permits. But the doings of the four Irishmen are fictitious. However, it is through the eyes of these young Irishmen that we get to know the main Angevin characters, King Richard the Lion Heart, and King John, Lackland. I have endeavoured to portray these two kings as honestly as I can.

    We get to know King Richard through the eyes of the scholarly Irish son, Robyn O’Currain and his warlike servant, Brendan. At the same time King John was ramping around England and into French lands and doing mischief wherever it struck his fancy. We get to know him through the critical eyes of the warlike Irish son, Bruce O’Currain and the gifted singer and scribe, his servant, Drew. Hence, it is possible to develop a balanced view of these two kings by learning what both warlike and scholarly men might have thought of them. What emerges is a more rounded and true character of each man than often steps out of the history books.

    The story is told through a series of letters and conversations among the Irish brothers and entries from their diaries (fictitious, but accurate as to time and place).

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherN. Beetham Stark
    Release dateMay 20, 2011
    ISBN9781458083364
    Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland
    Author

    N. Beetham Stark

    Nellie Beetham Stark was born November 20, 1933, in Norwich, Connecticut to Theodore and Dorothy Pendleton Beetham. She attended the Norwich Free Academy and later Connecticut College in New London, CT before graduating with a MA and a Ph.D. degree in Botany (Ecology) from Duke University.Stark worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a botanist for six years and then joined the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada where she worked on desert and forest ecology and later tropical nutrient cycling. She has consulted in many countries, working for some time in Russia, Australia and South America. She developed the theory that explains why tropical white sand soils cannot grow good food crops and described the decline processes of soils. She has also developed a science of surethology, or survival behavior which describes how humans must adapt to their environments if they hope to survive long term. She has 96 professional publications and has published in four languages.Her life long hobby has been English history, with emphasis on naval history. Her family came originally from Tristan Da Cunha in the South Atlantic in the early 1900’s. Her grandfather was a whale ship captain for a time which spurred her interest in naval history. She also paints pictures of sailing ships which she has used as covers for her historical novels. She has built several scale models of sailing ships and does extensive research on ships and naval history, traveling to England once yearly.Stark was awarded the Connecticut Medal by Connecticut College in 1986 and the Distinguished Native Daughter Award for South Eastern Connecticut in 1985. She was named outstanding Forestry Professor three times by the students of the University of Montana, School of Forestry.Today she writes historical novels, mostly set in England. She has published some 21 novels in the past twenty years, mostly on the internet. She lives on a farm in Oregon and raises hay and cows.Stark's two most popular book series are:Early Irish-English History1. The Twins of Torsh, 44 A.D. to 90 A.D.1. Rolf "The Red" MacCanna, 796-8462. An Irishman's Revenge, 1066-11124. Brothers 4, 1180-12165. Edward's Right Hand, 1272-13076. We Three Kings, 1377-1422The Napoleonic Wars at Sea (Benjamin Rundel)1. Humble Launching - A Story of a Little Boy Growing Up at Sea, 17872. Midshipman Rundel - The Wandering Midshipman, 17953. Mediterranean Madness - The Luckless Leftenant Rundel, 17974. The Adventures of Leftenant Rundel, 1797-17995. Forever Leftenant Rundel, 1800-18036. Captain Rundel I – Trafalgar and Beyond, 1803-18067. Captain Rundel II – Give Me a Fair Wind, 1806-18098. Captain Rundel III – Bend Me a Sail, 1810-18139. Admiral Rundel – 1814-1846

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      Book preview

      Brothers 4 - N. Beetham Stark

      Brothers 4:

      King Richard Lion Heart

      and King John Lackland

      Or Why the English Do Not Speak French

      An Historical Novel by

      N. Beetham Stark

      * * * * *

      Discover other titles by N. Beetham Stark at

      Smashwords.com or at NBeethamStark.com.

      Brothers 4: King Richard Lion Heart and King John Lackland

      Written by N. Beetham Stark

      Copyright 2010 by N. Beetham Stark

      Cover art by N. Beetham Stark

      Published by Smashwords, Inc.

      ISBN 978-1-4580-8336-4

      All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form

      without the written permission of the author or trust agents.

      Smashwords Edition License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

      * * * * *

      Dedication: This book is dedicated to Tintagon, Tomid, Tarsie and Picotso for their patience during my long absences while doing research.

      History provides a bridge to the past and a signpost pointing to the future if we are only willing to heed her lessons.

      N. Beetham Stark

      Acknowledgements

      The author is grateful for information provided in Richard Lion Heart by J.A. Brundage, Charles Scribner’s & Sons, NY 1974, The Loss of Normandy by Sir Frederick Maurice Powicke, 1961, From Becket to Langton, 1956, and several books by Kate Norgate, 1924 and 1969. Also useful was England Without Richard by John T. Appleby, 1965. King John by W. L. Warren, 1984 and a number of Internet references were extremely helpful in providing a well-rounded view of both kings. THE STORY IS TOLD FROM THE POINTS OF VIEW OF FOUR IRISH BROTHERS.

      Table of Contents

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 - Ambush In The Holy Land

      Chapter 2 - Rescued

      Chapter 3 - Joining The Battle

      Chapter 4 - Politics and Frustration

      Chapter 5 - Coronation

      Chapter 6 - Finally On Crusade - Sicily and Cyprus

      Chapter 7 - Battered and Battering

      Chapter 8 - Looking Towards The Gates of Jerusalem

      Chapter 9 - The Long, Perilous Journey Home

      Chapter 10 - While the Lion Was Away...

      Chapter 11 - King John

      Chapter 12 - The Bretons

      Chapter 13 - King John In England

      Chapter 14 - The Stephen Langton Affair

      Chapter 15 - Troubled Times

      Chapter 16 - Victory And Defeat

      Chapter 17 - Magna Carta

      Chapter 18 - Civil War

      Chapter 19 - The Wash

      Chapter 20 - Ireland At Last

      Appendix

      Post Script

      About the Author

      About the Book

      Introduction

      Brothers 4 is a story about the four Angevin brothers, sons of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and four fictitious Irish orphans who are raised by an English knight, Sir Hugh Fitz Gilbert of Tonbridge. The events and most of the persons in the story are true to history, as far as our knowledge permits. But the doings of the four Irishmen are fictitious. However, it is through the eyes of these young Irishmen that we get to know the main Angevin characters, King Richard the Lion Heart, and King John, Lackland. I have endeavoured to portray these two kings as honestly as I can.

      We get to know King Richard through the eyes of the scholarly Irish son, Robyn O’Currain and his warlike servant, Brendan. At the same time King John was ramping around England and into French lands and doing mischief wherever it struck his fancy. We get to know him through the critical eyes of the warlike Irish son, Bruce O’Currain and the gifted singer and scribe, his servant, Drew. Hence, it is possible to develop a balanced view of these two kings by learning what both warlike and scholarly men might have thought of them. What emerges is a more rounded and true character of each man than often steps out of the history books.

      The story is told through a series of letters and conversations among the Irish brothers and entries from their diaries (fictitious, but accurate as to time and place).

      History shows King Richard as daring, almost totally careless of his own safety, yet with a tendency towards hypochondria. He loved poetry and music and was well-educated for the time. He ruled England mostly in absentia but never learned to speak English. French was his main language with a bit of Latin. All of the Angevins were hot tempered and of fiery dispositions, easily riled. He was a genius in battle and able to turn the tide of a battle with a single clever maneuver. He was an able statesman to an extent, but he may hold the world’s record for failed treaties and broken promises, both on his part and on the part of those with whom he disagreed. It is pretty certain that he was gay and married Berengaria only to please his mother, whom he adored. He did not have the skills of governance shown by his unfortunate brother, John. Richard bled England dry to get money for his various campaigns and battles, and he seemed to be perpetually in debt. But somehow, he managed to capture the love of the English people even though he taxed them mercilessly. His brother, John, was not as lucky. Richard would put up anything for sale to the highest bidder, if he thought that he could sell it to finance his wars. Richard was obsessed with money and his constant need for it was a driving force in his life. In spite of these failings, the English people loved him and waited in vain for him to return to England to be their true king.

      When Richard was held for ransom by Leopold of Austria and Henry VI of Bohemia, the English people dug deeper into their purses to fork up 100,000 marks to free their beloved king. The story about a strolling bard singing outside castles throughout Europe in order to find his king makes a good story, but is probably not true. In spite of this all encompassing love by the common people, Richard spent less than a year of his ten year reign in England. He was a warrior -hero- king.

      Much of the information on John’s and Richard’s movements comes from a journal kept by Richard’s scribe. It is because of this information that we can track his whereabouts on a week by week basis.

      The historian is left to try to understand Richard more from his actions than from extensive documentation concerning his motives. Most historians see the time spent on Crusade as the prime accomplishment of Richard’s life. He was often on the move, seldom staying in one place for long. He was one of those persons who was larger than life, a tall, handsome fellow with great strength and power both in his fighting arm and in his personality. When he entered a room, everyone was immediately aware of his presence.

      You will get to know King John as a quite different person from the one that appears in popular writings. He was mediocre as a warrior, lacking the drive to seize the opportunities for attack and conquest. He seems at times to have lacked true courage, a virtue that drove his brother, Richard. But John was clever, especially in his later years. As a youth he is often portrayed as not extremely bright, but his accomplishments in later life make that seem unlikely. A certain amount of pretended stupidity was cleverly used to mask his devious and vindictive character. He was constantly hidden from view by the radiance of his great brother, Richard.

      In his later years, when he comes to the throne after Richard’s death, John shows governance skills that are far ahead of his time. He was able to develop a level of governance that is awesome to us today. The real problem was that his government was too great, too large and too aggressive for the nobles of the time. They did not want government controlling their business and lives so closely and they were in no way ready to pay for so much government. As a result, John was not loved by his people, even though he spent much more time in England in close contact with the people. He was known early in his reign for fairness and objectivity in court proceedings and his counsel was frequently sought. A man could hope for a fair trial if the King presided over his case, but then things changed. He was often lacking in trust and over time began to distrust almost everyone. He caused many innocent men to be put to death, often on what now seems to be flimsy charges. When he learned that he could charge a baron 1,000 pounds for a fair trial, his whole character began to change. He rode roughshod over his barons, delivering justice in any way that pleased him.

      It was John who lost the royal jewels and wagons in the Wash because of an eagerness on the part of his wagon master to get across when the tide was coming in. It was John also who angered the barons to the extent that they forced him to sign the Magna Carta at Runnemede. And it was John who got the Pope to declare the document as illegal and not binding when he became unhappy with baronial restraints on his power. Of the two kings, John may have been the least religious, at least he seems to have had considerable disagreement with the church from time to time, only to turn around and bow to the Pope for his support. Richard would sin in a major way for a long time and then, pricked by his conscience beyond endurance, call the bishops and priests to his side and confess all.

      The other two Angevin brothers appear fleetingly in this story because neither had a strong role in English history. Henry, son of Henry II, died before he could assume any power of importance. Geoffrey, the fourth son, had only a small role in the events of his short lifetime. He is thought to have been most clever and even devious at times. He died quite young and it was his son, Arthur, who carried on the fight for the crown, but he also failed. His death remains a mystery even today.

      King Henry II appears mainly as the beleaguered father. He does utter the famous words that led to the murder of his friend, Thomas a’ Becket. In all, I believe that there has rarely been a more interesting family in power except perhaps the Kennedy family in the United States. In this story the Irish sons learn about Henry and his lust for land and power from the old priest who is their tutor.

      Even the Crusading forces which were trying to keep the peace as this story opens were real. Saladin is seen as an honourable, almost benevolent ruler when compared to Richard, who had two thousand innocent men put to death because he was impatient with the speed with which Saladin met his promises. Richard’s actions in this event reveal the dark side of the man and his incredible ability to inflict severe suffering and death on those who displeased him. But within days he would repent of some misdeed and seek absolution for his poor actions. This dark side was shared with his brother John who had many innocent men killed because he was afraid of them.

      The accident with the crown jewels at the Wash poses a problem for a writer because no one really knows what happened. There are at least five theories of what might have happened, and I have chosen to modify the most likely scenario. Some say that the wagon caravan hit quicksand at the estuary of the Wellstream. Others think that a ‘stolen’ tide, an unusually large series of waves before low tide, overtook and swamped the wagons. Still other historians feel that John’s jewels were stolen from his body after his death, but it is unlikely that honourable men like William Marshall would have left their dead King’s body unguarded. Because of John’s distrust and his need to pay his mercenaries, he had recovered most of the Royal jewels from various monasteries and was carrying them with him on his voyage north. Some say that John would not have sent the slower wagon train off by itself, separate from the army, but he had done so before and this area of England was more friendly to him than most others. Because the lumbering wagons would have taken many hours to make the trip from Kings Lynn to Swineshead, it seems most likely that John sent the wagon train on a separate path from the main army, a short cut between Cross Keys and Long Sutton to speed up their arrival at Swineshead.

      There is a mystery as to why John needed to stop at Wisbeck, but there would be an easy crossing there for the army and John, who was now quite sick, needed to arrange passage for his supplies with some ship captains who were there on business. Some wonder if the jewels were really lost in the Wash. But the fact that in 1220 when Henry III was crowned, most of John’s royal jewels and coronation regalia were absent suggests that the whole wagon load of treasure lie buried somewhere deep under the sands of the Wash. As you read the account, remember that it might have happened somewhat differently. This version is just a good guess.

      Eleanor cannot be dismissed in this saga. She was Richard’s champion, always negotiating to put him forward as king, while Henry favoured John. Eleanor was an extremely powerful woman, even after she was imprisoned by Henry. She might have made a notable monarch in her own right, if the laws would have permitted her that freedom. At least, many more French and Englishmen might have lived out their lives if she had become queen.

      As you read this book remember what life would have been like for those living in England at that time. I have not belaboured the daily hardships that people faced during the early 1200’s in writing because it soon becomes tiring reading. Remember that these people would have been cold and wet much of the time, they had to walk or ride a horse if they had one, they had few vegetables and ate a lot of oats. Meat was a prime source of food, but peasants would live on turnips and oats much of the year. They lived in daub and wattle huts, that were cold and slept on hard earthen floors. They lacked toilet paper, electricity, good means of communication and good shoes, socks and warm clothes. They never tasted ice cream or pizza. Most never had a good bath or knew what warm water and soap were. They had no video games, TV or other easy form of entertainment. In short, life would have been bleak much of the time. When you add royal oppression to this, you can understand why the people were severely stressed under Angevin rule.

      In researching this book, the author found a good accounting of King Richard, Richard Lion Heart by J.A. Brundage. Other sources used were, England Without Richard, by John T. Appleby, 1965 and History of the Crusades by Kenneth M. Setton and From Becket to Langton by C.R. Cheney. Another valuable resource was The Loss of Normandy by Sir Frederick Maurice Powicke. An earlier study of Richard appears in Richard the Lion Heart by Kate Norgate and England Under the Angevin Kings by the same author. Much of the timing of events in Richard’s life can be found in the Itinerary of King Richard I by Lionel Landon. The best source for King John is King John by W. L. Warren, 1984. There appears to be less known about King John than his illustrious brother, Richard.

      As you read this remember that we are stretching far back in time and life was quite different then from what it is today. There are some notable events that have been omitted in the interest of brevity and most likely some injustices have been done, but never on purpose. It is the purpose of this author to bring both men to life through the eyes of the four Irishmen who served them. The Irish were known at the time for their Druidic honesty and we can only hope that the accounts that they give here of these two famous men are truthful as befitted true Druids.

      History builds a bridge to the past and plots a map for the future that we dare not ignore lest we fall into an abyss of ignorance.

      N. Beetham Stark, 2010

      Chapter 1 - Ambush in the Holy Land

      Hugh Fitz Gilbert, owner of Tonbridge Castle and many other properties from Suffolk to Devon and Craig Ui Neill O’Currain, a prince of Ireland, were marching towards Jaffa to board ship at the end of their two year tour with peace keeping Crusading forces. It was a peaceful fall day with the sun only bearably hot. The men were in good spirits, although returning home meant as much as a hundred days aboard a ship at sea exposed to all that the mighty Mediterranean, Atlantic and Channel combined could throw at them in winter. They were still going home and that was all that mattered. The Pope had offered forgiveness for all previous sins if a man was willing to take up the Cross and defend the Holy Land and they had done their best. Now their tabards were grimy from wear and the blood of fighting, but they were headed home and nothing else mattered.

      Suddenly a small coppice of brush beside the trial exploded with Muslims, each swirling curved swords in the air, screaming madly and charging the startled group of English soldiers. Some one cried, Beserkers! Men reached for their swords. None were mounted and so, they could not retreat to regroup. They were forced to fight on the narrow trail, slashing and stabbing viciously to fend off their attackers.

      All during those two years, Hugh and Craig had been the closest of friends, fighting back to back, each man ready to die for his friend. Now the battle became more intense. Each man found himself faced with one or two crazed Muslims, who were not about to return to their commander unless they had slain all of the Englishmen or were dead themselves. Dust flew thick in the hot air and men screamed in pain. Blood wetted the dust and men began to slip and careen about wildly. Sir Hugh wielded his long sword with mighty force, bringing down two of the wild men. Then another two assaulted him and he had to fight for his life. He sustained a minor wound on his left arm, but he was able to fight on. The battle was intense, lasting only about half an hour, but leaving many injured and disabled men on the track.

      When the battle was finally over, the dust began to settle. The stench of freshly drawn blood filled the air and men stood stupefied at the suddenness and ferocity of the attack. Sir Hugh sat to one side of the road panting for breath and brushing the sweat from his eyes, breathing deeply and looking for his friend Craig. But look as he would, he could see no sign of his friend. Sir Hugh decided to walk away from the battle site and see if his friend had fallen further up the road where the fighting had begun. He could not remember when he no longer felt the comfort of his friend at his back. The fighting had been too intense.

      He stumbled up the trail, looking and calling. But no answer came to him. He could hear the other Crusaders dispatching the remaining Berserkers and some were giving aid to their own wounded. Then he heard a faint groan from behind a rock. He stepped cautiously behind the rock, sword drawn.

      You need ...not draw sword on...me , my friend, ...for I am done for,he gasped in pain.

      Craig, my friend! What has happened to you? In all our battles together, you have never suffered as much as a scratch. You have the luck of the Irish!"

      One of those Muslim fellows...saw fit to end my days...I’m dying, my friend. He motioned. Come closer, I ...would speak with you ...in private.

      Sir Hugh stepped close bending to his friend and he could now see a thick pool of blood by the side of his warrior friend. He is body wounded and may not live, he thought.

      Bend down close. I...I... have never mentioned...my family. I am of the Ui Neill, Kings of Ireland, but never united. My father ...left me extensive lands and several castles with income ...in Ireland. I have no wife. She...died in childbirth giving birth to my twin sons. I have two...sons, fine lads, now in custody of an evil uncle,...Malachy, me mother’s brother. He is evil...and will kill my boys...as soon as he learns of my death. Promise... His eyes fluttered and his body twitched in pain. Promise ...me that you will...go to Ireland, the Castle of Athy, and save my boys...Take them to England to raise as your own. At that his body gave a mighty lurch and he settled back, his eyes staring vacantly at the eastern sky. Hugh knelt beside his friend. He still has a bit of a pulse, he thought.

      Now Sir Hugh was placed in a most difficult position. He had married the beautiful lady Elsa Mortimer several years earlier. Before they wed, they both agreed that they did not like little children and so, would see to it that none were born to them. Sir Hugh adored his Elsa and would do nothing to trouble her. But here lay his dearest friend, so close to death that he could barely hear his shallow gurgling breathing, and he must agree to raise two sons of this man to save them from death. And he had to make his decision now, for his friend could not last long. His body was bathed in his own blood and he must expire within the minute. Hugh took a deep breath. I’ll have all the time on the ship sailing home to decide what to do with the boys. I must agree to raise these lads, if only for the sake of my friend’s peace of mind. He squeezed Craig’s hand tightly. Can you hear me, my friend?

      Yes... came a feeble answer, more a strong breath than a word.

      "I shall do as you ask and raise your sons as my own, and

      I shall tell them of their father’s noble blood."

      They live in the Castle near Athy,...?

      Sir Hugh knew without checking his pulse that he was dead. His staring eyes told him that. He reached down and closed his friend’s eyes and then knelt and prayed for the repose of his soul. It never should have ended this way, not like this, he wailed half aloud. Another few days and we would have been on our way home.

      The next few hours were busy preparing graves. Although they were going home, their commander insisted that all of their dead should be buried in the Holy Land. We cannot preserve their bodies for many months in any form their family would wish to see. Better that they be told of their heroic deaths than have to smell their stinking remains, he said. So Sir Hugh and his squire, Ranulf, dug a grave for Sir Craig and he was lowered into it with prayer and grieving.

      The next day Sir Hugh boarded the ship and set out for England. It was a long and tiresome trip and there was much time for Sir Hugh to think about his problem. I don’t even know the boys names or even their ages. I might have a bad time finding them. And what if the uncle does not want to give up the boys? What then? Perhaps the boys will not want to leave their home? Maybe they have come to love their evil uncle?

      His thoughts went on in much this fashion for the entire trip. He never could seem to come to grips with the real problem. What do I tell Elsa out the boys when I see her?

      When finally they made Dover, Sir Hugh was still in a quandary about the boys. He had made a promise and he was not a man to go back on his word. He’d endeavour to find the boys and raise them, but he feared that it might cost him the love of his Elsa. The only sound decision that he had made during all those long days at sea was a bit selfish, he would not tell Elsa about the boys for at least a week after his return. That way he could enjoy his homecoming for a few days at least.

      Sir Hugh had lost his horse and that of his squire, Ranulf, in an earlier skirmish in the Holy Land. Since neither of them had a horse, Sir Hugh found the few coins that he had left and gave them to Ranulf. Go to the village and buy the two finest horses that these measly few coins will buy. Tell the farmer that we are Crusaders just back from the Holy Land. Go now, Ranulf.

      Hugh was amazed when the lad returned with two fine stallions, complete with harness and saddles. They mounted and headed off to the castle at Tonbridge. It was a hard day’s ride, but both men were anxious to be home once again, so the miles flew by. The horses were fresh and eager.

      When finally the horses hooves sounded on the cobbles in the courtyard, Sir Hugh heaved a great sigh of relief. He could hear the mourning doves calling in the distance, a sure sign that he was finally home. Servants began to run out from the stables and eager hands reached for the reins. A cheer went up The master is home, praise God! Others were eager to help their master from his horse.

      God Bless you all! said Sir Hugh, so glad was he to be home. The servants bowed and all wished him a happy home coming.

      Where is my lady Elsa? asked Hugh.

      She awaits you in her antechamber, sire. said Blaine, his seneschal.

      Good! I go to bid her well.

      Hugh felt the weight of the years as he climbed to the antechamber where Elsa waited. He was only 21 years old and it was 1178. His years of privation while on Crusade had taken a terrible toll on his health. He thought, I am about the same age as Richard, son of King Henry II. We were both born at Beaumont near Oxford, in 1157 and yet I feel like an old man.

      Hugh burst through the door of the antechamber like a North Sea wind. The ladies and Elsa were seated around a small table doing needle work. Their heads jerked up in alarm at his hasty entry. The ladies, who were Elsa’s sisters and friends, quickly curtsied to Hugh and scampered out of the room, tittering with suppressed laughter. Sir Hugh took his dear wife in his arms and kissed her tenderly. They were a most loving pair, in spite of their desire to forego rearing children.

      I am home, my love and I’ll not leave you for yet a time again. Hugh had a shudder of conscience as he said that. He knew that he would have to set out to find the O’Currain boys soon and that it might take as much as several months to find them and bring them home. When they had kissed and she had shed a tear of joy, the two sat down and talked for hours. Hugh said, I never knew how much I valued home until just now upon my return. This is paradise, my love.

      The next week found them constantly in one another’s company, talking, and making much of each other. Sir Hugh managed to escape to the village for a few hours. There he talked with a retired Irish priest, who was a learned scholar, but was now living in near poverty.

      I would like you to join me at my castle at Tonbridge, dear father and serve me as a teacher to my boys. He said nothing of who the boys might be. When he gave the old priest a handful of silver coins, the fellow nodded willingly. I’d be glad to teach whatever you wish, my lord."

      On that same trip to the village, he visited a Molly Caine who was a recent widow. He said to her. I may have need of your services, madam. I hope to bring two boys to Tonbridge and I am not free to spend the time with them needed to rear them properly. I would look to your fine rearing skills as evidenced by your two fine sons, one now a drover and the other a stone mason. I can say no more about the boys nor can I tell you their ages, only that they will need mothering. Would you be willing to live at the castle and serve as surrogate mother?

      I should be glad to leave this mud and wattle far behind, sir. It is drafty in winter and leaks terribly when it rains.

      Sir Hugh looked at the tiny hovel where the woman lived and shook his head. It must be more than drafty in winter, he thought. I’ll send for you soon when I am in need of your help, said Sir Hugh. He nodded to the woman and returned to the castle. Now for the really hard part, he thought.

      Sir Hugh waited ten days before he decided to tell Elsa of his promise. He feared that she would have a terrible fit and not want to see him ever again, but his fears were not well grounded.

      One evening as they sat in the antechamber before a roaring fire, Hugh summoned his courage and spoke.

      My dear, when I was in the Holy Land, I befriended an Irish knight who was of noble birth, of the ruling family of Ui Niell. We were close friends, sharing danger and even our food when rations were short. He spoke many times of his home in Ireland and how much he loved it. We fought often back to back, protecting one another from Muslim swords. In fact, I most likely would lie in some dusty Muslim grave had it not been for the devotion and care of my friend, Craig. As we were coming home, we were ambushed by Beserkers and Craig was mortally wounded. On his death bed, he asked me to go to Ireland and rescue his two sons who are in the care of an evil uncle who will kill them to get control of Craig’s property. His wife died in childbirth and he had little choice but to leave his sons with his wife’s uncle. I hesitated, knowing your wishes concerning children, my love, but in the end, as he breathed his last, I agreed to bring the boys here to this castle and to raise them as my own. Hugh saw a dark shadow of dismay rise in the face of his beloved wife. Her face began to wrinkle as if she would cry.

      But what of me, my love, what of us?

      I have given the problem much thought, my dear. We do not use the east wing of the castle. I will hire a matron to raise the boys and they will be kept in the east wing of the castle while we enjoy our privacy here in the west wing. Never fear. It will work.

      Elsa began to sob, spitting out loud sounds of grief.

      Be calm, my dear. These children will do us no harm and may even grow up to do us great honour, without all the nappering and such. I have asked Father Hurley to take on their education. We never need to see the boys if we don’t want to.

      He reached for Elsa to comfort her as she trembled with uncontrolled crying. They sat up much of the night, clutching one another and offering comfort whenever it was possible. Hugh told her that he had no choice but to agree to care for his dying friend’s children. Elsa kept asking , How old are they? Do they need nappering? Are they well behaved? Of course, Hugh had no answer for any of these questions, which did not help matters.

      By dawn, Elsa had more or less accepted Hugh’s promise and said that she would not help with the rearing, but she would not interfere either. So Sir Hugh called Ranulf to him. We will ride for Ireland on the morrow. Get the horses ready and have enough provisions in their saddle bags so that we can eat and sleep on the road.

      Ranulf, who had just come from sleeping on the bare ground for two years in the Holy Land, was not anxious to set off again and he could not hide his disappointment. He had only just been reunited with his wife, Milda.

      But Hugh knew that he was a good lad and would do whatever was asked of him.

      Chapter 2 - Rescued

      They set out in a cold drizzle and rode for many days to Tyddewell in Pembrokeshire. Sir Hugh said that was the shortest distance to Ireland and would put them about four day’s ride from Athy if they landed at Rosslare. Ranulf asked where the boys lived, and all Hugh could say was, in a castle. They rode for several days in drowning rain and finally, as they approached Athy, Sir Hugh began to ask the peasants where the castle was. Most could not understand his English, so most had nothing to offer. Finally, he stopped beside the track and drew a picture of a turreted castle in the mud. One of the farmers, broke out in a broad smile. So ya wants to go there, do ya? Well, you’ll find little to welcome ya there, I’ll bargain. Hugh finally got the old man to tell him approximately how far the castle was and which path to take.

      They approached the castle in late afternoon. The sun shone dully on its green clothed walls and even from a distance, it looked unkempt. Hugh decided to check

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