Lion Heart
Page 25
“How do your counties fare, Winchester?” Bigod asked him.
“Better than most, my lord. They have survived the tax without incident, but times are very difficult. We’ve opened the castle stores to help those who can’t find enough food,” Winchester said. He glanced at Margaret, and she smiled at him, proud of his efforts.
“You must guard yourself against abuse,” the abbot warned. “In these dark times it is easy for someone to take advantage of such generosity.”
Winchester shook his head. “Surely you’ll agree with me, Abbot, but as long as I have the ability to share such largesse, it is my duty to offer it to my tenants. Let them take advantage if they will; it is worth the chance to help those truly in need.”
The abbot nodded, but continued, “We must not, however, contribute to the delinquency of man. To tempt a weak-willed man is to abet his crimes.”
“With respect, there is no crime when it is about food, Abbot. Not in my mind—or my shires.”
“You would not persecute a thief for stealing bread?” Essex asked. “Or certainly not you—but your guards and knights and sheriffs in your stead?”
Winchester leaned back in his chair a little, looking at me. “No. It has been made apparent to me that if one of my tenants feels he must steal, I have failed him. Not that he is a criminal, a danger to us all, or an outlaw. He steals because there is an injustice in the system.”
“Sometimes,” I argued. “But some people just like to see things broken and destroyed.”
He nodded slow. “And I will see those men stopped, my lady Princess.” His eyes fell to my hand, and I snatched it off the table like he’d burned me.
“You said better than most,” Margaret asked, her voice quiet and shy. “Is England faring poorly?”
“Yes,” Essex said. “Port towns and those with heavy trade are surviving, but crops did not fare well this year. People are close to starving, and with this tax—well, many cities have had riots.”
I nodded. “I saw the riots in London. Worse, I saw how the people failed to resist in Silchester.”
Bigod looked worried. “My lady, you were unharmed?” he asked.
“She barely escaped London with her life,” Eleanor said. “And in Silchester, she helped the people.”
I shook my head at her. “I was no hero there, Eleanor. I dare say my knight and”—how to describe Allan?—“my companion were more help than I was.”
“There are more riots?” Bigod asked.
Essex nodded. “Yes. Our people seem to have gone rather mad,” he said.
“They aren’t mad,” I said. “They’re starving. They’re confused. And the nobles will not help them; Winchester’s behavior seems strange and out of place, and it is—but that is what the noble class is pledged to do. Nobles must protect their people and use their power, wealth, and influence to do so.”
“And unfortunately, much of this pain cannot be avoided if we are to bring Richard home,” Eleanor said.
“We will,” I told her.
“How should we proceed?” Winchester asked, drinking his wine. “With so many able lords at your disposal?”
I glanced at him. “I’ll head north at first light for Nottingham,” I said.
Winchester nodded once, understanding. “My lady, would you allow me to escort the silver you’ve already collected down to London?” he asked. “I will take half my men and see it locked safely in the treasury.”
“Has the court returned to Westminster Palace?” I asked.
Eleanor nodded. “The riots have stopped, and Windsor isn’t nearly as fashionable.”
“Bigod and I can stay with you, my lady Queen, and repeat the task as you amass more contributions,” Essex offered. “With our companies, of course.”
“Very well,” Eleanor said. “And Winchester, you will return and report back to me.”
“As you wish, my lady Queen,” Winchester said, dipping his head to her. When he raised it back up, he looked at Margaret.
It made me burn for Rob.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t travel alone, Lady Marian,” Margaret said soft.
I looked to her.
She were looking at her lap. “If the queen isn’t safe, for certain it won’t be safe for you to travel, and not with the prince . . .” She trailed off, looking round. Bigod didn’t know the prince had tried to kill me.
“I have two men who will protect me better than a company of knights can,” I assured her. “Speed and the ability to keep our heads down will serve me well enough.”
“What route will you take?” Eleanor asked. “And I wish to be informed the moment you arrive in Nottingham.”
“Most likely west to Oxford, up through Northampton and Leicester. I imagine we’ll stay out of cities as best we can.”
She glanced round the table, but she nodded thoughtful to me.
After dinner were finished, Eleanor brought everyone to sit by a fire in the abbot’s quarters. On the way there, Margaret tugged me back.
She drew a breath. “I don’t want you to leave your grandmother because of what I said. Forgive me if I was more frank than is appropriate. I had hoped we could be friends, and more than that—I wish you would ride with us. I don’t—I don’t want to go—”
Her chest were heaving hard and she wouldn’t look at me, and my heart snapped. I tugged her to the side, pulling her to me and putting my arms around her, awkward one moment and fierce the next. “That’s what the new knights are for. You’ll be well protected on the road, especially with Winchester’s knights looking out for you. I was fair shocked he will leave you to go to London at all. You’ll be lucky to go anywhere alone again,” I teased her.
“Better than most, my lord. They have survived the tax without incident, but times are very difficult. We’ve opened the castle stores to help those who can’t find enough food,” Winchester said. He glanced at Margaret, and she smiled at him, proud of his efforts.
“You must guard yourself against abuse,” the abbot warned. “In these dark times it is easy for someone to take advantage of such generosity.”
Winchester shook his head. “Surely you’ll agree with me, Abbot, but as long as I have the ability to share such largesse, it is my duty to offer it to my tenants. Let them take advantage if they will; it is worth the chance to help those truly in need.”
The abbot nodded, but continued, “We must not, however, contribute to the delinquency of man. To tempt a weak-willed man is to abet his crimes.”
“With respect, there is no crime when it is about food, Abbot. Not in my mind—or my shires.”
“You would not persecute a thief for stealing bread?” Essex asked. “Or certainly not you—but your guards and knights and sheriffs in your stead?”
Winchester leaned back in his chair a little, looking at me. “No. It has been made apparent to me that if one of my tenants feels he must steal, I have failed him. Not that he is a criminal, a danger to us all, or an outlaw. He steals because there is an injustice in the system.”
“Sometimes,” I argued. “But some people just like to see things broken and destroyed.”
He nodded slow. “And I will see those men stopped, my lady Princess.” His eyes fell to my hand, and I snatched it off the table like he’d burned me.
“You said better than most,” Margaret asked, her voice quiet and shy. “Is England faring poorly?”
“Yes,” Essex said. “Port towns and those with heavy trade are surviving, but crops did not fare well this year. People are close to starving, and with this tax—well, many cities have had riots.”
I nodded. “I saw the riots in London. Worse, I saw how the people failed to resist in Silchester.”
Bigod looked worried. “My lady, you were unharmed?” he asked.
“She barely escaped London with her life,” Eleanor said. “And in Silchester, she helped the people.”
I shook my head at her. “I was no hero there, Eleanor. I dare say my knight and”—how to describe Allan?—“my companion were more help than I was.”
“There are more riots?” Bigod asked.
Essex nodded. “Yes. Our people seem to have gone rather mad,” he said.
“They aren’t mad,” I said. “They’re starving. They’re confused. And the nobles will not help them; Winchester’s behavior seems strange and out of place, and it is—but that is what the noble class is pledged to do. Nobles must protect their people and use their power, wealth, and influence to do so.”
“And unfortunately, much of this pain cannot be avoided if we are to bring Richard home,” Eleanor said.
“We will,” I told her.
“How should we proceed?” Winchester asked, drinking his wine. “With so many able lords at your disposal?”
I glanced at him. “I’ll head north at first light for Nottingham,” I said.
Winchester nodded once, understanding. “My lady, would you allow me to escort the silver you’ve already collected down to London?” he asked. “I will take half my men and see it locked safely in the treasury.”
“Has the court returned to Westminster Palace?” I asked.
Eleanor nodded. “The riots have stopped, and Windsor isn’t nearly as fashionable.”
“Bigod and I can stay with you, my lady Queen, and repeat the task as you amass more contributions,” Essex offered. “With our companies, of course.”
“Very well,” Eleanor said. “And Winchester, you will return and report back to me.”
“As you wish, my lady Queen,” Winchester said, dipping his head to her. When he raised it back up, he looked at Margaret.
It made me burn for Rob.
“Perhaps you shouldn’t travel alone, Lady Marian,” Margaret said soft.
I looked to her.
She were looking at her lap. “If the queen isn’t safe, for certain it won’t be safe for you to travel, and not with the prince . . .” She trailed off, looking round. Bigod didn’t know the prince had tried to kill me.
“I have two men who will protect me better than a company of knights can,” I assured her. “Speed and the ability to keep our heads down will serve me well enough.”
“What route will you take?” Eleanor asked. “And I wish to be informed the moment you arrive in Nottingham.”
“Most likely west to Oxford, up through Northampton and Leicester. I imagine we’ll stay out of cities as best we can.”
She glanced round the table, but she nodded thoughtful to me.
After dinner were finished, Eleanor brought everyone to sit by a fire in the abbot’s quarters. On the way there, Margaret tugged me back.
She drew a breath. “I don’t want you to leave your grandmother because of what I said. Forgive me if I was more frank than is appropriate. I had hoped we could be friends, and more than that—I wish you would ride with us. I don’t—I don’t want to go—”
Her chest were heaving hard and she wouldn’t look at me, and my heart snapped. I tugged her to the side, pulling her to me and putting my arms around her, awkward one moment and fierce the next. “That’s what the new knights are for. You’ll be well protected on the road, especially with Winchester’s knights looking out for you. I was fair shocked he will leave you to go to London at all. You’ll be lucky to go anywhere alone again,” I teased her.
