The Remembered Page 6

  'That will be nice sone,' was all that Gleda offered. 'Will you eat before you go?'

  Richard sat down and waited for the porridge to boil on the fire. While he waited he ate some rather stale bread with some butter. He didn't notice the staleness of the bread as his mind was on other things.

  Geva and the rest of the family were at the table by the time the porridge was offered. Geva had already been outside to feed the chickens.

  Richard was the first to finish eating. He stood and announced that he was leaving. Geva of course wanted to know where he was going and he stated that he would be going to church in Stamford. As he did so, Geva also stood and said cheerfully, 'I will go with you.'

  Richard gave her an icy stare as Lind stated, 'Take care of your sister, Richard.'

  Outside the cottage Richard expressed his displeasure with Geva.

  'Why did you say that you wuld go with me? You know that I am going to Barnack!'

  'Do nay worry, I will nay be going to Barnack with you. I am going to see Ralf.'

  Ralf had been showing interest in Geva recently and she thought that this was a good opportunity to see him without her parents knowledge.

  'Nay, you will nay be seeing Ralf. If mum and father learn of it, I will be the one to catch their wrath,' said Richard. 'You will be going to Barnack with me now. Let us go then.'

  Geva hadn't anticipated Richard's insistence and she wasn't looking forward to the walk to Barnack. But now she didn't see an alternative.

  'Fine,' said Geva with a pout, 'it might be interesting anyway. I 'ave never been to Barnack. Maybe the boys are 'andsume.'

  Fortunately, the weather was pleasant and the road wasn't very muddy. Richard figured that if they followed the main roads, it would take them over an hour, but if they were to pass through the fields and take smaller roads instead, it may only take 40 minutes.

  On the way to Barnack, Geva had plenty of time to tell Richard all about Ralf. Ralf lived near the village of Tinwell. Richard had been to Tinwell several times with John Darby. The Darby's home lay between Tinwell and Easton-on-the-hill.

  Geva had met Ralf at the Stamford market a few weeks earlier when she was there with her mother. While Gleda had been busy looking at candles, Geva had gone ahead to look at some clothe. Ralf had bumped into her and when he excused himself a conversation ensued. Richard asked Geva whether she ever suspected that Ralf had bumped into her purposefully. Geva suspected so, but didn't mind. Since then, she and Ralf have met weekly at the market. Ralf had even walked to Easton-on-the-hill once to see her. She saw him over by some trees near the church when she had been out collecting eggs. Geva was hoping to introduce him to her mother and father soon.

  Geva could have spoken at length about Ralf. Richard had done a good job of acting interested, but now he was glad that they were nearing Barnack.

  Barnack was a small village, about the size of Easton-on-the-hill. Despite its small size, Barnack had gained some recognition due to the stone that was quarried nearby and used in great cathedrals. Richard had heard that its stone was being used to rebuild part of the Ely Cathedral after a portion of the building had collapsed.

  It didn't take long for Richard and Geva to walk through the village. As they neared the church, Richard asked Geva to wait behind the tower while he looked inside the building. Richard noted that the Church of John the Baptist must be very old, because it had very small windows. Windows of that small size would never be able to tell the stories of the bible the way Richard observed in the windows that he was working on. Richard also noticed that the tower of the church was different than he had ever seen. He thought this also indicated a building of great age. Richard thought it ironic that a village who supplied the stone used to construct great cathedrals should have such a small church.

  Once inside the entry of the church, the familiar musty smell of damp stone greeted Richard. He slowly opened the door of the chapel and it yielded with a slight creak. There was no one inside the chapel, so Richard closed the door behind him and went outside. Richard was very disappointed. He thought that certainly he would find the girl at Barnack. Now he determined to get Geva and head for home.

  As Richard rounded the corner of the building he saw two boys about his age, maybe a little younger, standing very close to Geva. One appeared to be holding her shoulder. Instantly, he felt a sense of alarm. 'Whot was the intent of these strangers?' he wondered as his mind raced.

  Richard ran to his sister's side and pushed one of the boys away. 'Oy, get away from me sister,' demanded Richard in a voice that even surprised himself. The force of the push landed the boy on the ground and with that his companion jumped on Richard's back and started to strangle Richard with his forearm. The other boy jumped up and started punching Richard. Geva started crying and pulling at the boy on Richard's back.

  Richard's adrenaline was so high that he didn't feel the blows, but he was running out of breath. He fell to his hands and knees and just when he thought that he might lose consciousness, he heard a female voice command the boys to stop.

  'Stop it! If you do nay stop, you will 'urt 'im. You are 'urting him!'

  With that the boy on his back released him and the other boy stopped the punches.

  Geva was crying still and reached down to help Richard up. Richard took a moment to catch his breath before standing. When he did stand, he was standing right in front of the girl from the market. Richard was so surprised that he gasped and stepped backward. Elizabeth was also surprised to see the boy from the market.

  'Are you going to be alright?' asked Elizabeth.

  Richard stood straight with his head erect as though nothing had happened. 'Aye, I am fine.'

  'Please forgive me friends, they really are nice lads,' offered Elizabeth. 'Oh, you 'ave a cut abuve your eee.'

  Elizabeth had a small cloth that she was now using to clean the cut above Richard's eye.

  'We are soory,' one of the boys said. 'You surprised us so and you can nay be too careful. We meant no 'arm to your sister.'

  'It is fine,' said Richard. He would have taken the beating again for the opportunity of finding the girl. Now he really didn't want to call attention to the fact that they were getting the better of him.

  'You luk familiar to me. Whot is your name?' asked Elizabeth.

  'I am Richard Easton and this is me sister Geva. We are from Easton-on-the-'ill.'

  'Whot are you doing 'ere then? I 'ave seen you before.'

  Richard was trying desperately to think of a reason that they were in Barnack, but his thoughts were interrupted by Elizabeth.

  'You are the boy from the market. I 'ave seen you in the market, 'aven't I?'

  'Yes, you 'ave,' stated Geva cheerfully. ''e goes there to watch you.'

  Richard's face turned bright red and he glared at Geva. 'Why,' he thought, ''ad I insisted that she come along?'

  'So, whot is your name, then?' asked Richard.

  'I am Elizabeth and you 'ave met me companions. They are nay so rude as they seem.' Her friends looked down at the ground and kicked the dirt.

  'You live in Barnack then?' asked Richard.

  'Nay, we live in Burghley. You must have passed it on your way from Stamford.'

  'Nay, we did nay comb by way of Stamford,' said Geva.

  'Oh luk, you are bleeding again. Comb with us to Burghley and me mum will clean your cut,' invited Elizabeth.

  Richard could not believe what he was hearing. He wanted to hug her friends for giving him the beating. He was now being invited to go to her house. 'Elizabeth,' he thought to himself, 'whot a beaut'iful name for a luvly creature.' He couldn't take his eyes off of her.

  As Richard and Geva walked with Elizabeth and her friends to Burghley, Geva and Elizabeth did most of the talking. They seemed to be best friends already.

  Elizabeth's mother cleaned the cut above Richard's eye and then invited them to stay for a midday meal. Elizabeth's father appreciated the fact that Richard had taken a few minutes to cut some wood for h
im. It was nearing mid-afternoon before Richard and Geva headed for Easton-on-the-hill. As they walked, Geva told Richard that Elizabeth had expressed an interest in him. That thought pleased Richard very much. Geva also admitted that she had told Elizabeth that Richard fancied her. Richard acted as though it irritated him that Geva had told her that, but he actually was pleased.

  Chapter Five

  1434 - 1436

  May 1434

  Stamford

  A chilled breeze blew across John Darby's face rousing him from a deep sleep. It was still too early so he pulled the down quilt more tightly over his face. He had grown accustomed to sleeping with the window open slightly while he was at Oxford attending school. His roommate there had insisted that doing so kept a person from getting ill. John decided that maybe there was something to that philosophy since he had yet to be sick while at Oxford.

  He had arrived at Stamford in the wee hours of the morning and was still very tired. He had gotten home so late that only one of the man servants was awake to greet him. He had been looking forward for weeks to spending a fortnight break from his studies in Stamford. This was his first opportunity for a visit in nearly a year. He could have come home at the Christmas season, but one of his friends had wanted him to go to visit his own family to the south of London. John had never been south of Oxford and so his father encouraged him to go. John's father was especially pleased that they would be visiting London on the way. He also said that the contacts that John would make on the trip may prove useful later on in life. John had now brought the same friend with him on this trip home.

  The last time that John had seen Richard was just prior to John's leaving for school in Peterborough. That seemed so long ago now. He had hoped to see Richard on his last visit, but with Richard so busy in his apprenticeship, it didn't happen. The situation was complicated also by the desire of John's father to involve John in the family business as much as possible during his breaks from school. If John were going to be successful in the wool trade like his father, he would need contacts and those were best developed early. An acquaintance with a glazier's apprentice wouldn't do much to further a wool merchant's business and influence.

  The room was starting to feel warmer now and John realized that a chamber maid had stoked the fire. He got out of bed and walked to the window and drew open the drapes. The window had already been closed by the maid. John liked this room. He had only known three bedrooms in his life, this one, the one in Peterborough and now the one in Oxford. Certainly, this was the nicest of the three. This room had very high ceilings with ornately corniced walls. One wall had been painted with a mural of a battle scene. As a young boy, he had enjoyed looking at that wall and dreaming about becoming a knight. Those dreams were distant memories now and he knew that he would one day be a wool merchant. Another wall was painted with the mountainous scenes of some far away place. John hoped to visit places like that some day.

  The window that John was standing at overlooked the beautifully landscaped gardens of the front of the house toward the direction of Stamford. Richard at once felt at home with this view before him. The River Welland on the right at the bottom of the hill, the steeples of the churches of Stamford in front view and the forests to the south and north of Stamford. Richard realized that he had never been very far to the other side of Stamford and he wondered what villages lay there.

  In the distance, he could hear the bells of Saint Mary's. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Ten in the morning! John hadn't realized it was so late. Quickly he dressed and went downstairs.

  The house seemed quiet and John wondered whether anyone was around. He wondered where Peter might be. Peter was the friend who had come with him from Oxford.

  Passing through the library and the large banquet hall, John found his mother in a sitting room with her Irish Wolf Hound.

  'Gud morning, me luv,' greeted his mother as he walked into the room. ''ow was your rest?'

  'It was fine,' said John as he kissed her forehead. ''ave you seen Peter?'

  'Yes, luv, 'e is in the kitchen eating. 'e is soch a fine yung man,' stated John's mother with a smile. 'We 'ave 'ad a nice visit together. Will you be showing 'im around Stamford todee?'

  'Aye,' said John as he turned and headed for the kitchen, followed by the hound.

  'Oy,' greeted Peter as John entered the large kitchen. The cook had just placed a plate of sausage and eggs in front of Peter.

  'Will you 'ave sume breakfast sir,' asked the cook.

  'Aye,' nodded John, then to Peter 'I 'ear that you 'ave met me mum.'

  Just then John's mother entered the kitchen also.

  'Aye, we 'ad a gud visit while you were yet asleep.'

  John's mother then started to share with John the latest news of Stamford. The priest at the All Saints' church was hoping to have a steeple added to the church next year. John's father was considering financing its construction. The priest was getting old and had forgotten a part of the liturgy a few weeks earlier. The sheriff had captured the suspect in a killing from last year and the price of wool was climbing again.

  ''ave you 'eard 'ow Richard Easton is?' asked John.

  'O, aye,' said his mother with a smile. 'I 'ave 'eard that 'e is sweet on a girl from Burghley.'

  'Burghley?' questioned John. 'Where is Burghley?'

  'Burghley is a lit'le 'amlet on the road to Barnack.'

  'ave I been there?' asked John

  'Nay, I do nay believe that you 'ave,' said his mother. 'There is nay much there. O, and Bromley 'as married a girl named Margaret and moved 'er into the sod cot'age near the creek east of their village. Did you know a Margaret from Easton-on-the-'ill?'

  'Nay, I do nay know Margaret. Well, per'aps I do,' replied John seeming to stare into the distance as he traced his memory. His childhood in this place was starting to seem a faint memory already. He wondered how it was possible that things that seemed so important and a time that seemed would last forever were starting to fade. He thought that the cause must be all of the new places and people that he was becoming acquainted with.

  John's father entered the kitchen through the outside door and greeted John and Peter. He had been out before Peter was up and this was the first that he had met him. He asked Peter about his family and his studies and then started to tell John and Peter of his plans for them for the fortnight. Today he wanted to show them the farm, take them to the wool market and to All Saints' to visit with the priest about a steeple. Later in the week there would be time for a fox hunt.

  After breakfast, they left to toured the farm and to go into Stamford. John was amazed at all of the things about the farm that he had not noticed before. The buildings for storing hay didn't seem as big as they had before. He had never noticed so many sheep grazing. The shearing of the sheep would begin soon and there were a few traveling shearing groups that were starting to gather in Stamford in preparation. When they reached the wool market there was considerable activity as prices were beginning to be negotiated. John found it all very exciting.

  As the three left the Sheep Market on their way to the All Saints' church they passed the Glazier shoppe. John told his father and Peter that he would catch up with them at the church and he lagged behind at the shoppe. He approached the doorway and hesitated a moment for his eyes to acclimate to the lower amount of light. Inside he saw that there were several individuals working intently at tables. The tables were high enough that the workers stood beside them as they worked on the glass lying on the tables. The interior of the shoppe was quite warm from the fire that was used to heat the tools. John knew that the activity of the shoppe was very busy, making it imprudent for him to interrupt. John didn't see anyone that he thought looked like Richard anyway. John left the shoppe and joined his father and Peter at the church.

  Richard came in from the back of the shoppe where he had been unloading a new shipment of glass. 'Richard,' said the Master Glazier, 'after you get that glass unloaded, 'elp the new apprentice with the
cuts for the upper center window.'

  Richard looked at the window that the new apprentice was working. The cuts were fairly basic, but it reminded Richard how he felt when he was the new apprentice. He had been afraid to make unsupervised cuts also.

  Soon work was completed for the day at the Glazier shoppe and since it was a market day, Richard headed for the market to meet Elizabeth. They had been meeting at the market at least a couple of times each week for the last few weeks and Richard had found opportunity to return to Burghley on a couple of occasions. Richard and Elizabeth were growing very close already and were developing a sincere love for each other.

  At the market, Richard went straight to Elizabeth's stall.

  'Richard,' called out Elizabeth's father, ''ow are you todee? It is gud to see you.' Elizabeth's father liked Richard and treated him like a son.