Title: The Lamentable Truth of Planning

Chapter: 5

~~~~~~~~~~

“We have to be united on this,” Kate reminded Wat once more. The next day would see them at their new home and who knew how often they’d have to actually coordinate with each other there? Kate expected they’d all be busy.

He glanced at Will and Christiana and bent his head close to hers. “We are united, but I think a few days isn’t long enough. We can’t start it just yet.”

Kate crossed her arms. She knew it wasn’t. Still, they had to start pushing those two together. It was for their own good. Geoff had advised making certain Christiana was at the front of everything. She would be present wherever Will looked, her presence sure and steady and hopefully enough to help him put Jocelyn aside. “It’s not. I know that, but we have to. We have to have some sort of plan to implement and then start doing so.”

“I’m with him all the time, Kate. I’ll talk her up I suppose.”

“You can’t just say things. You have to work them in like they’re spontaneous. We have to be sneaky. It wouldn’t do to have either of them realize we’re arranging things for them.”

He sighed. “The things we do for friends…. What do you suggest then?”

“Until a maid can be arranged for, I’ll help her early before I start work and then before I turn in at night. I’ll keep her focus on him and it’ll be your responsibility to get him in the chamber at opportune moments. I’ll tell you when she’s bathing or getting ready to undress and you get him in there. It’s not much, but it’s a start. He has to begin seeing her as more than Jocelyn’s maid. Will must begin seeing her as his wife.”

Skepticism played about his features and then he stood tall once more. I’ll keep you informed if you’ll do the same for me.”

“Deal.”

Kate was satisfied with their deal, but would it work? Could Will and Christiana be influenced to look at each other for love and happiness?

~~~~~~~~~~

The reality of setting up a household from next to nothing was going to be harsh. There were a myriad little details that needed attention. There were animals to be bought, some for slaughter and some to breed for future slaughter. Cattle, sheep, more chickens. Furniture to construct, grain and supplies to buy and store, men to hire…. The list was long and Christiana expected Will’s new herald to have an even longer list than the one she’d compiled in her mind. Likely, they’d decide to make-do with what they already had as much as possible until the following year. Getting through the winter until Tournament started again would be their main goal.

She watched Will add wood to the campfire, building it up to keep the maximum amount of heat in the air. Wat was out gathering more wood and Kate was repacking a section of the wagon. They weren’t raising the tent tonight, making their beds by the fire so there’d be less to pack in the morning. Will estimated mid-morning should see them at their home. Between the four of them was an undercurrent of excitement that permeated every little task. She’d seen Wat and Kate speaking with low voices, their heads together, an intense light in their eyes. Will was jittery, unable to stand or sit still for long, in constant movement. As for herself, Christiana was anxious to have a home of her own. Perhaps once there, those boundaries of husband and wife could be explored more easily than during travels.

He came and sat beside her on the blanket. “We’ll have a warm place to spend the winter and with rationing, the food we bought today will hold out. We still have coin if we need it.” Stretching out a hand, he grasped one of hers and raised it, thumb sweeping her knuckles. He kept giving her little touches like that as though attempting to become familiar with her presence. She’d noticed he was affectionate with his friends, so it made sense to her that he’d work himself into being such with her. “I’ve experienced having nothing at all. We’re nowhere near that. Spring will be here before you know it. We can always sell Adhemar’s horse. I’m sure it’s worth something to someone, maybe even him.”

The idea of marching up to Adhemar’s home and offering to sell him his horse back made her smile. “He’s a fine animal.”

Will released her hand and sat back on his hands. “Christiana, do you trust me?”

Why wouldn’t she? He’d been nothing but a gentleman thus far, and honorable as well. He’d kept her warm at night during their journey and treated her like the lady she was now supposed to be. Besides, Jocelyn had trusted him. That was enough for her. “Of course.”

“I can see you’re worried. You’ve nothing to be worried about. We’ll be fine. Tournament will be here in the blink of an eye.”

Though tired from traveling, none of them slept well. In the morning, Christiana’s excitement rose to near bursting. Today she’d finally see her new home. Hers. The idea made her grin a little as they started out. This still seemed a dream to her and she wondered if she was ever going to wake up.

Will insisted she ride beside him. It was to give the right impression he said, that of the lord and lady arriving. Christiana didn’t tell him that wasn’t how she’d seen it happen. In her experience, the lord and a portion of his men rode in first, with the rest of the men coming in later with the women, children and finally, the supplies and household goods. But then, Jocelyn’s stepmothers had not liked traveling…. By mid-morning they were being hailed by a slim dark haired young man who introduced himself as Mark, a ‘dear friend of Geoffrey Chaucer who was honored to be pressed into service by so distinguished a lord.’

The house Will had bargained for wasn’t large, hardly on the same level as Jocelyn’s family home. Neither was it a small cottage. There was a great hall, kitchen, storeroom, and two private chambers at the top of a staircase at the end of the hall. They had stables, a fenced area for the animals, and a small pond Wat assured her had fish in it if only he could manage to catch them. There were trees that would give them fruit in the summer and fall. Christiana hurried from one area to the next with Kate beside her.

She could hardly wait to settle in.

~~~~~~~~~~

Three men besides Geoff’s replacement Mark had come to work for them and one of them had a wife and daughter who’d come to do the laundry. All of this was told to Will while he was still trying to comprehend the size of the house. Never having owned so much as a hut, the house looked huge to him. And it was all his? Was this what Geoff had meant by being lucky? Surely this went beyond luck? Stone and wood seemed to stretch out and onward forever.

Mark brought a long rolled paper to him and unrolled it, holding it up. “Now Sir William, my lord, these fields on the east here are yours as well as this small patch to the south. George and Agnes -- his wife -- tell me they were modestly profitable this year.”

Modestly profitable? Well, good for them, Will thought. Profitable was good for men and their fields. He blinked. Fields. Wait, was Mark saying what he thought he was?

“The storehouse is back behind the house here,” He pointed a finger, nearly dropped the map and juggled it again until it was straight. “George and Agnes were under the impression that the previous lord was going to winter here so they’ve set it up to his liking. You can always change it next season if it is displeasing. His family only recently pulled out his men guarding the lands, but George and Agnes said much of the grain and other harvested goods were left behind. I suspect there was a family problem and it sort of…fell through the cracks.” There was an odd shifting in his eyes, like a man having to keep some secret he’d rather have aired.

Will crossed his arms. He’d pursue whatever that shifting meant later. Right now the important thing was making sure Mark was saying what he thought. If he was, they were indeed blessed. “Do you mean to say…we’ve already grain stored here? And other foodstuffs?”

“Yes, of course. And I should say that George and Agnes are willing to stay on and continue working the fields if you’d have them do so. I’d recommend it. George’s family has been in this area a long time and he’s well known among the peasant population. Keep him on and pay him well for the work he does and it’ll only help you in the end.”

“We’ve food.”

Mark nodded, amusement in his eyes. “Yes. Enough to last the winter and with the provisions you brought with you we’ll all eat well.” His brows rose. “Perhaps tomorrow we might ride the perimeter of your lands so you can visualize?”

“I think we should.” He couldn’t begin to visualize and suspected that even with the ride this wouldn’t feel real.

“Wonderful. Will your lady be joining us then?”

“Christiana?” He saw the amusement on Mark’s face increase. Would Christiana like to see their property? Probably. It’d be something to do together and Lord knew they could use the time. “Yes. We’ll go. The three of us.”

“Excellent, my lord! Now, there is a matter with this outlying field. The crops are never good in it and I’d recommend renting it out. That way, there shall be some income from it no matter what the harvests.”

“Oh…um…” It didn’t sound like a bad idea, but he didn’t know a thing about being a landlord. Will craned his neck around, but didn’t see Christiana anywhere about. Maybe she was inside already. He’d have to ask her about all these matters later. She knew about noble life so he assumed she could tell him if renting land was a good idea or not.

“And the taxes must be paid. We’re already late in doing so, but I’m sure with the exchange of the lands you won’t have trouble if you send the taxes immediately.”

“Right. Taxes.” How much was he going to lose in taxes then? Will had visions of the funds tucked away being siphoned out faster than he could replace them.

“And lastly for the moment, I’d recommend completing a survey of the lands. George can help. There are a few families living on the edge here,” he pointed to a spot on the map. “It would be of benefit to know how many are actually on your lands.”

“Of course. Begin that task as soon as we’ve settled.”

“Yes, my lord. As you wish it.”

The rest of the day was spent in noting repairs that needed undertaken. The responsibilities he’d stepped into floored him. How was he going to remember this all? Throughout the afternoon, Will was glad to have Mark there. He was a comforting reminder of Geoff, though the two were little alike. Mark had no gambling problem, no wife, and no aspirations towards writing anything besides letters. He’d known Geoff for years and counted himself lucky to know him.

Supper was cold meat and bread by firelight. George and Agnes had left for their home, promising to be ready to work in the morning. The other two men would be present as well. While George started outside work, Agnes and daughter would begin the laundry that needed doing.

Will was late going to bed, careful not to wake Christiana. She’d had a hard day beginning to put their house to rights. It wasn’t in terrible condition, but it wasn’t good either. There was much to do. The previous lord hadn’t kept the lands well in Will’s opinion.

Stripping to his breeches, he slipped into bed. Christiana didn’t stir. Rolling onto his side, he rested his head on a hand and watched her in the low light from the fireplace. Would he ever know her as well as he’d come to know Jocelyn? Logically, it would come eventually. So why did it feel like it never would? Granted, it had been days, but still. Shouldn’t he have begun feeling something besides uncertainty about her? Looking at her, he still saw a woman he barely knew.

He knew her smile was sweet and that she bit her lip when nervous. He knew she watched him when she thought he wasn’t looking. And he knew that she did trust him. Reaching out, he pulled the covers a bit higher on her shoulders. She’d not hesitated earlier to place her hands on his shoulders when he’d lifted her off her mount to the ground. Her thank you had been soft and spoken with a soft smile on her lips. Sometimes he noticed uncertainty dancing in her eyes and decided that she was in the same place about him as he was on her. Two people brought together who likely never would have been in other circumstances.

It was heartening to see Wat and Kate embracing her so thoroughly. In fact, they were bending over backwards to make her feel accepted. Kate had even offered to add performing as a maid to her own daily duties.

Will groaned and returned to his back. To be honest, he’d not thought of hiring a maid. Nor had Christiana said anything. Was she reluctant to ask him or simply thought she didn’t need one? It was another thing to consult with her on. Already he’d a list of matters that needed her attention. In the morning, before leaving the chambers, he planned to consult her on all those matters Mark had brought to his attention.

~~~~~~~~~~

Adhemar’s mother was the biggest bossy bitch Jocelyn had ever met.

She stabbed at her sewing, longing for the days when she’d passed the time with Christiana at her side. They’d had many merry discussions and giggles. Anne was kind to her, but they’d little in common besides family by marriage. Jocelyn missed Christiana. More than once she’d wondered if her former maid and friend was happy. Was she well? Had she married? Jocelyn hoped Christiana had a happy life. One of them should be happy and it was unlikely it was going to be her. Not with Adhemar.

“Are you listening, Jocelyn,” came Katherine’s voice in a suspicious tone.

“Yes, Katherine, I heard you.” She’d heard her the first time Katherine had asked her questions. And the second and so on. She’d chosen not to answer which was apparently unacceptable to the woman.

“Well then? Answer me. Or have you no tongue in your head?”

Setting her sewing aside, Jocelyn crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “Frankly, Katherine, I don’t see how it’s your business how often Adhemar and I are intimate. If he’s not confided in you, then I don’t feel I should go behind his back and break that silence. However, when he does talk with you on the matter, I’ll feel quite able to share all with you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Impertinent,” she hissed, then rose and stalked from the room.

Anne laughed so hard she choked and when she’d calmed, she shook her head. “That was masterful. I’ve rarely seen her deflected so well. There’s no way she can claim you’re indiscreet in your speech with her.”

“She was prying. The very nature of her questions suggests Adhemar has not, in fact, confided in her regarding those subjects.” Katherine constantly tried to put forth the picture of a son consulting his mother on every aspect of his life, which she knew wasn’t true. Adhemar often listened to his mother’s advice with a blank expression, then went off and did whatever he wanted.

“Observant.” Anne’s grin faded. “Be careful though. She’s a harsh enemy. I should know. It’s been a decade since I got on her bad side and I’ve not left it once.”

‘I don’t like her.” Jocelyn said with a sigh, again picking up her sewing and glancing at it. She’d used the wrong color on the flowers again but saw no reason to pick it out. Christiana would have teased her gently until she did, yet Anne was as poor at embroidery as she was. Katherine liked to make snide remarks that Anne was as unfit there as she was in the rest of her life, which was untrue from what Jocelyn saw. Anne appeared to be a good wife and mother even if her domestic skills weren’t exemplary.

“Few like Katherine. How are you liking Bess though? Is she working out?”

Bess was Germaine’s young wife. Nice enough Jocelyn supposed, if more than a little awed by Adhemar and besotted with Germaine. “She’s adequate. Untrained.”

“At least she won’t carry tales. My dear maid is one of Katherine’s spies. Robert thinks it’s amusing so he let it stand.”

Jocelyn rolled her eyes. “Men always underestimate women.”

“Did one man? That one you miss? Did he underestimate you? What was he like?”

Glancing to Anne, she found the woman dropping her embroidery to the ground with no concern for it at all. “I don’t know who you --”

“Please. I know you wanted to marry another man. Adhemar can be a wonderful letter writer when he chooses and his letters describing his rivalry with your other suitor were detailed to his advantage. I’d like to hear of his rival.”

After a moment, Jocelyn nodded. “Very well.” She couldn’t see the harm in it. “Sir William was his name, but only after Prince Edward made that happen. He was made a noble in class, but his heart was noble already. It’s natural to him. Few men like him have I ever seen. He won my heart and Adhemar took me from him when I’d not thought it possible. All of London saw me kiss Will at tournament with Adhemar on his back in the dust. It was clear I preferred Will, but Adhemar couldn’t let it go. He had to have his way.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, surprised to see her hands shook.

Anne’s smile faded and she began shaking her head, disbelief in her eyes. “No. Oh no, Jocelyn, is that what you think? That Adhemar --”

“Is it not obvious? He’s spiteful. He took me to spite us all!”

She came to Jocelyn, kneeling and proffering a small square of cloth. “Perhaps Adhemar is spiteful, but he didn’t pursue you after that joust. Why he….” She trailed off. “Remain here. I’ll return very shortly.” She was back in minutes, out of breath, her hands holding several rolled pages. “Take these. Adhemar’s letters home, written in his own hand. Read them.”

Jocelyn did as asked, skimming until she found the pertinent passages.

‘….I am done with this woman. Of incomparable beauty perhaps, but I shall settle on one far less lovely. I must. The unthinkable has occurred as you’re probably already aware. I certain the countryside rang loudly with the news that the great Count Adhemar has lost the title of World Tournament Champion. The peasant has beaten me. Me. I lay in agony from my injuries while he is the toast of London, dining with royalty, wooing the lady.

As I write, my men are paying off local accounts and are preparing to break camp. Carys warns me that I’m not yet in condition to travel, yet I can’t remain here any longer. The crowds still cry ‘William’. It sickens me. I must be home. No more war, no more chasing the lady. Expect us….’

It went on in the same vein. The next letter however, was much longer and far more pleased in tone.

‘….The Lady Jocelyn, thought lost to me a mere few days past, is mine. How did this occur, you wonder? I won’t keep you in suspense. We were packing the wagons when her father arrived. He was most insistent that I listen to his proposal. Naturally, I was skeptical, assuming that if we were re-opening negotiations that he would try to bleed me for more men. Instead, he offered me more. More land, more goods. Just to take Jocelyn off his hands.

He’d sent her and her maid to a convent -- apparently Edward’s pet peasant uncrossed her legs a few times. Her maid admitted she’d helped arrange meetings. Now, I know your thoughts on such women, but trust my judgment. She’s not wanton, mother. She fancies herself in love and you and I both know how a woman under that delusion will behave.

Avery refused to let the peasant have her. He’s no use for Thatcher at all. Bloodlines, yes? ‘Peasant blood,’ he said, ‘won’t mingle with mine. Jocelyn doesn’t understand these things, being only a woman.’ I admit he was convincing. And so, I’m planning to ride to the convent and collect her as soon as Avery has informed her of his decision. I must plan to show her what a wife in our family can expect. A quick ride to begin with. She enjoys riding and then….’

Jocelyn stopped reading. “My father went to him?”

“Yes.” Anne took the pages from her and re-rolled them. “Jocelyn, I know Adhemar, have since we were children. He’d already let you go when your father went to see him. There were feeler sent out to other families with daughters and some that sent feelers to him. I could show you those as well, all dated from before this last letter.”

She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “Adhemar lost the joust and still they wanted him?” What did they see in him that she didn’t?

“He was the reigning champion for years. It counts for something.” She dragged her chair over and sat. “Look at it this way. Adhemar is a good businessman. You’ve seen that already. When he realized the situation, he took the deal being offered. Your father wanted Adhemar’s men and a noble bloodline far more than he wished your personal happiness. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen that. It’s a harsh thing to learn for a daughter who thought herself treasured. You weren’t the first and you won’t ever be the last.”

The letters confused her. “No. No, Adhemar put his spin on matters. That’s all these letters are. It’s his word of what happened, saving face with his family for underhanded tactics to gain me as a wife.”

“He’s not always devious. Nor always spiteful. He’s a man, Jocelyn, and why would he lie to those people who know him best?” She held up the rolls. “He’d planned to show you that he wouldn’t show you any ill will for the indiscretions of youth, for he’d had many himself. If you’d be a good wife to him, then he’d be a good husband to you. He’d be kind --”

“Kind!” Jocelyn stood. “He’s not a kind man, Anne! He’s not considerate of others or kind at all!”

A strange light was in Anne’s eyes, one Jocelyn couldn’t quite decipher and she set the rolls on the table beside Jocelyn’s chair. “He was once. Men aren’t born with those traits. They’re learned through the harsh lessons of life.” Now she stood. “Re- read them when you’re calmer. If you’d like to see others, I’ll arrange it.”

Jocelyn ignored the letters Anne had left and searched out Germaine to assist her in writing her own letter. When she finished dictating her letter, she took it from him, read it a final time and nodded. “Send it.”

“My lady, perhaps such a letter should wait until you’ve calmed.”

“I’m very calm, Germaine. Send it and have the messenger wait for a response.”

He paused, then dipped his head in a nod. “I’ll see to it at once, my lady.”

It shouldn’t be long before her father answered the charges she sent. But what would she do if it was truth? Could she swallow her pride and apologize to Adhemar for her assumptions? Jocelyn decided to wait and see what the response held before considering saying anything to him.