The Bastard King (20 page)

‘A country always needs a good strong king . . . and queen.'

But not you, Judith, she thought. My William, not your Tostig, should be king of that land and I its queen, not you.

She must curb her tongue. She must discover all and betray nothing. Thus she could best serve William and herself.

‘Tell me again of this quarrel.'

‘You have heard of it already.'

‘Not the intimate details. And, Judith, you tell the story to me far better than your father-in-law does to our father.'

‘It is the fault of those Normans. You know it was when Eustace of Boulogne visited England with his wife.'

‘Who was Edward's sister, was she not?'

‘Yes. He landed at Dover and thereupon behaved as though he were the feudal lord. He and his followers went through the town, deciding where they would lodge and forced their way into the chosen houses and insisted that the owners therein treat them as honoured guests.'

‘When they had no will to!'

‘Why should they behave as servingmen and women to the intruders who ordered their servants to cook for them, who turned the masters of the houses from their beds and took their pleasure from their wives and daughters. Would you expect the English to stand aside and suffer that?'

‘Indeed not.'

‘And as you can imagine it was not long before the intruders were attacked, many killed and a battle broke out in the streets of Dover. The citizens were victorious and nineteen of the intruders were killed and many more wounded. Count Eustace escaped and went with all speed to Gloucester where Edward was staying, leading his monastic life, and there told him a false tale of how the men of Dover had risen against the visitors.'

‘Which he believed.'

‘He would always believe a Norman rather than an Englishman.'

‘And he ordered Earl Godwin to take troops to Dover to teach the citizens a lesson. Is that so?'

‘It is, and Earl Godwin refused to take up arms against his own countrymen.'

‘Moreover,' put in Matilda, ‘he was already complaining about the King's preference for Normans.'

‘Rightly so,' said Judith warmly. ‘He told the King that he would protect his fellow countrymen against foreigners, not chastise them for defending their rights.'

‘And the King?'

‘He had other matters to occupy his mind at that time. There was trouble on the Welsh border. Therefore he could but fall in with Earl Godwin's wishes.'

‘For which the people of Dover were grateful.'

‘They are loyal to the Earl and they know the King to be a weak man.'

‘Yet he is here now . . . in exile.'

‘Earl Godwin has explained what happened. A few years after the citizens of Dover had taken up arms against Eustace and his men, the latter came back and behaved in exactly the same way. The King believed the story Eustace told him and this time ordered Earl Godwin to take his soldiers into the town and punish the people.'

‘And again he refused.'

‘Rightly so,' said Judith hotly. ‘Should he raise his arms against his own people in favour of Normans?'

‘It was his King's wish that he should.'

‘You are being perverse, Matilda. Because you have affianced yourself to a Norman you are like King Edward. You wish to hear no ill of them.'

‘It is not so. But should not subjects obey their kings?'

‘Earl Godwin is no ordinary subject.'

‘Nay, so I learn. But tell me more.'

‘Instead of attacking Dover, Earl Godwin raised an army and marched on Gloucester where the King was; his intention being to warn the King that he would not allow the Normans to ravage our citizens' homes. Edward called in two of our greatest earls, Leofric and Siward, and they sided with him against Earl Godwin.'

‘Why should they do this?' asked Matilda.

‘Because they are jealous of Godwin. They would like to be in his place.'

‘They would not wish it now,' said Matilda with a touch of malice.

‘It is a tragedy,' declared Judith. ‘We have been betrayed. The country was on the point of civil war and do you doubt who would have been the victor if it had come to this?'

‘Your Godwin, I doubt not.'

‘But it was decided to take the matter before the Witan. Edward meanwhile was amassing an army and he had put Normans in charge of it. It was clear that his attack was going to be aimed at us and our family. Our property was confiscated and our only hope was to escape. Naturally I came home.'

‘And brought your new family with you. My poor Judith, I am sorry for you.'

‘And I for you, Matilda. I hear they will never allow your marriage to take place. Perhaps it is as well. A Norman, Matilda! Think what the Normans have done to us. You should be thankful that the Pope has intervened.'

Matilda was about to tell her sister that no one was going to stop her marriage to William of Normandy and that neither he nor she were the sort of people to allow others to dictate their actions. When they made up their minds they wanted something, they were going to have it.

But looking at her sister and thinking of all she had told her and of her involvement with the Godwins, who, Matilda knew, had their eyes on the throne of England, she decided that discretion was more becoming and remained silently plying her needle.

William rode to Lille. The manner in which he visited his betrothed was unorthodox, but Baldwin had grown accustomed to that.

Matilda was so happy after one of his visits that she would be contented for days after; and as, poor child, she was being denied what he knew she earnestly wanted, her father felt a certain amount of licence must be allowed.

William sent a message to Matilda that he would soon be with her and in view of the fact that there were visitors at the palace he wished to see her alone.

This appealed to Matilda and she was waiting for him.

‘Come,' she said. ‘None know you are here. Has something happened?'

‘Something of the utmost importance. Edward has invited me to visit England.'

She caught her breath. ‘It is because Godwin and his family are here.'

She delighted him. There was so little he had to explain to her. She followed his train of thought; and she was for him as no one except his mother had ever been before.

‘Why does he wish to see you? Do you think it is for the same reason as I think?'

‘He is getting old,' said William.

‘And he has no successor. He loves the Normans. They say he is more Norman than English.'

‘It is what I think.'

‘If he made you his successor would the English accept you?'

‘They would be obliged to, if I took the crown.'

‘You must go without delay, William.'

‘Would I could take you with me.'

‘You will one day. You will take me as your Queen.'

‘I swear it. And when I return from England, Matilda, we will be married. No matter what obstacles are put in our way.'

‘I swear it with you, William of Normandy,' she said; and she added: ‘King of England.'

How different was this old man from the beautiful fair-haired blue-eyed young one whom William had known. Edward had aged beyond his years. His hair was truly white now; his beautiful blue eyes misty; his garments were plain and the thin ascetic mien of a monk had become accentuated.

He embraced William warmly and told him how he would never forget the hospitality he had enjoyed from his father.

‘Those were happy days when Alfred and I lived in Jumièges among the monks.'

‘It was there that your taste for the monastic life was formed,' said William.

He was surprised at the spartan manner in which Edward lived, although he had heard much of his habits. He ate sparingly – certainly not a Norman custom – and he spent a great deal of time at prayer.

William told him that while he was in England he wanted to see something of the country.

‘We shall arrange for you to make a tour,' said Edward.

He took him to his private chamber in the monastery at Gloucester where he had asked William to join him. It resembled a cell in simplicity.

He cannot have many years to live, thought William speculatively.

‘You would have been happier to stay at Jumièges I believe,' he said.

‘Ah, that may well be so,' Edward replied. ‘In the days when Alfred and I were there together, my life was one of contentment.'

‘Although you were exiles from your native land.'

‘Normandy had become home to us. We were so young when we were taken there and could remember little of England.'

‘I see much that is Norman here.'

‘They blame me for being too Norman in my tastes. Poor simple folk, I only introduce Norman customs when they are better than the Saxon ones.'

‘This man Godwin is in Flanders.'

‘I know. A traitor. Long may he stay there.'

‘Are the people with him?'

‘He has a following. He and his sons. Harold is the most dangerous. He is in Ireland now. They say he is gathering an army there and will come here and bring back his father.'

‘You hate Godwin,' said William.

‘I am a Christian and hate no man. I have tried to forget that he was behind the murder of my brother Alfred, but I find it difficult.'

‘They are ambitious, this family.'

‘They want the crown.'

‘Who would you nominate as your successor? The sons of this man? Harold? Tostig?'

‘Never.'

‘Could they say they had a claim?'

‘Doubtless they could. His daughter is my wife.'

‘Whom you have put from you?'

‘She was never my wife and now she is in a monastery. I
have never taken a wife nor any woman. Godwin insisted on the marriage but he could not make me consummate it.'

‘He says that he brought you to England, that he made you King, that you could not have come without his support.'

‘I suppose that is true. But power such as that man has is corrupting, particularly when he was not born to it.'

‘He is formidable. Are his sons equally so?'

‘Harold is strong, a serious young man, ambitious like his father. Tostig is too wild; so is Sweyn who is in exile. He is a man who would never be accepted. He has been twice exiled. Previously because on his return from an expedition into Wales he passed a convent and sent for the Abbess. He thought it amusing to violate her and he lingered with her for some time before sending her back to her convent. Such lewd behaviour I would not tolerate so I sent him away. His father, of course, used his influence to have him brought back but no sooner was he back than he killed his cousin and then even his father did not attempt to plead for him.'

‘So it is Harold or Tostig whom Godwin will try to put on the throne.'

‘Harold, I think. The eldest son, a man of courage, of action and beloved by the people. But you will understand, William, that I have no wish to see the son of my brother's murderer on the throne.'

‘I see it, Edward. But what will you do?'

Edward turned his misty eyes on William. ‘I would like to see Normandy and England under one strong ruler.'

William felt the faint colour rising in his cheeks.

‘I would bring strong rule to this country,' he said.

‘I know it. I have heard of all the dangers that have beset you in Normandy and I have applauded the manner in which you are succeeding. Yours was a difficult part, William. Duke when an infant. What dangers you have come safely through and I hear that you have not frittered away your strength in debauchery. Yes, William, I have had this in mind for a long time. Because of your strength, and the virtuous life you have led, I wish the next King of England to be you.'

He could scarcely wait to get back to tell Matilda, but first he wished to see something of this land which he was now determined one day to rule.

He begged that he might explore the country incognito, taking with him a small band of men who would look like a group of ordinary travellers.

He was excited by what he saw. Here was good fertile land; here were forests in which deer and boar lurked. He hunted a little and was delighted with what he found. He discovered that the many excellent laws introduced by Alfred the Great still remained. The monasteries which his pagan ancestors had destroyed had been rebuilt; the roads, many of them which had been built by the Romans, were good; and there was, for the traveller, the occasional house which was given the Saxon name of
inn
. There were other places where one could refresh oneself and these had the name of
gest-hus
or
gest-bur
and in many of them they kept a chamber in which a number of people might rest for the night; they were placed at points on the road where they could be easily found. The ruling body was the Witenagemot; this was as the name implied in the Saxon language: the meeting of the knowing. It had supreme authority because it was made up of various witans from all over the country. It met once a year – or twice if the need arose. William decided that to a king such as Edward this was admirable. A ruler such as he was himself would prefer to have no restrictions.

As Edward had introduced so much that was Norman into the country, the people's manner of eating and enjoying their leisure was very similar to that which he had always known.

During the journey through the English countryside he conceived a great love for it and the desire to rule it obsessed him.

He was torn between a wish to linger and to go back to Matilda to tell her what he had seen and heard.

Flushed with the triumph of his visit to England William decided that Pope or no Pope he would wait no longer for Matilda. He rode to Lille and there he was joyfully received by
her. He told her immediately what Edward had said to him.

‘He has promised you the crown,' she said. ‘He must make it clear that it is to be yours.'

‘He will do that. It is for him to name his successor. But I may have to fight for it. I have seen much of these Saxons. They are a stubborn band and I believe could be good fighters. I heard nothing but praise from them for Godwin's son Harold.'