she began to feel
balance and awareness slip away. He steadied her and held her until her breath
and heartbeat returned to normal.
“I fear duty calls us to less enjoyable pursuits,” he said
at last. She nodded, drawing a deep breath, and agreed.
“I have some trade agreements to be transcribed.” He gave
her a list of them, grain to one, eggs to another, and the purchase of several
blocks of salt, a few pigs and three horses with another.
“We have a new vat of ale to be disbursed as well,” he told
her. “The tavern keeper will buy it at a credit of twenty sacks of milled wheat
flour. Our ale is greatly prized for superior quality and taste. Its reputation
extends throughout the region. I have heard there are some who make the trip
here just to taste it.” She heard the pride in his voice.
She pulled out one of the confirmations she’d already
written and studied it. “Why then do you barter so much of it against just
twenty sacks of milled wheat flour?” she asked.
“The miller accepted it as an equal trade,” he said. “What
of it?”
Rosalind remembered her thrifty mother’s strictures about
the relative worth of certain items and being careful to ascertain the
equivalency of goods being bartered. Equal quantities of most items weren’t of
equal worth and that valuation often depended on how much others would be
willing to pay for the same thing.
“Did Ranulf make this agreement?”
Jeoffrey grimaced. “Ranulf has not been…capable of
negotiations of that sort for quite a while. The miller told me this has always
been our agreement.”
“It appears…somewhat disproportionate. I think perhaps you
do not prize your own ale as highly as some of your neighbors do,” she
suggested. “Have you ascertained what the tavern asks for a pint of it?”
He threw a confused look her way. “Nay. I have worries
enough encompassing my own affairs; I have no time to spare for others’.”
“Would you object should I ask a few questions of your staff
about some of these?” she asked.
“Nay. If you find our ale to be of greater worth than we now
ask, I shall accept the increase gladly.”
A knock sounded on the door at that moment. Within seconds
Ferris escorted a flushed and sweating young stranger into the room. The boy
moved to the middle of the open space and bowed. “Lord Jeoffrey. I have a
message for you.” He held out a rolled piece of paper.
“Bring it here,” Jeoffrey said.
He took it from the boy, and said, “My thanks.” He signaled
to Ferris. “Take care of our friend, here,” he said.
The boy grinned in satisfaction as he followed the majordomo
from the room.
Rosalind waited while Jeoffrey read the message, which was
apparently long and rather complicated. After a lengthy silence, Jeoffrey sat
it on his desk and clasped his hands under his chin. His eyes closed for a
minute while he thought. He opened them and rang the bell to summon a servant.
Ferris showed up again within moments. “My lord?” he asked.
“Find Sir Philip and ask him to come here,” Jeoffrey
instructed the man. “Tell him I need him immediately.”
“My lord.” Ferris bowed and left.
“What is it?” Rosalind asked when she heard him sigh as he
opened his eyes to read the message again.
“I’ll spare you most of Edward Renfill’s bombast, but the
matter of it is thus: Sir William de Railles has annexed the lands east of the
Anneth River that belonged to Marwick. It’s doubtful Marwick will try to wrest
control back since his forces are significantly outmanned by de Railles’.
Edward suspects Sir William will next set his sights on Connington since it
adjoins the piece of Marwick Sir William now claims.”
“And does not Connington adjoin your estate on the west?”
Jeoffrey drew a long breath. “A small corner of it does.
Shelton lies between us for most of its length. But Sir William’s breath begins
to fall on us all.”
Sir Philip entered then. He appeared to have been in
balance and awareness slip away. He steadied her and held her until her breath
and heartbeat returned to normal.
“I fear duty calls us to less enjoyable pursuits,” he said
at last. She nodded, drawing a deep breath, and agreed.
“I have some trade agreements to be transcribed.” He gave
her a list of them, grain to one, eggs to another, and the purchase of several
blocks of salt, a few pigs and three horses with another.
“We have a new vat of ale to be disbursed as well,” he told
her. “The tavern keeper will buy it at a credit of twenty sacks of milled wheat
flour. Our ale is greatly prized for superior quality and taste. Its reputation
extends throughout the region. I have heard there are some who make the trip
here just to taste it.” She heard the pride in his voice.
She pulled out one of the confirmations she’d already
written and studied it. “Why then do you barter so much of it against just
twenty sacks of milled wheat flour?” she asked.
“The miller accepted it as an equal trade,” he said. “What
of it?”
Rosalind remembered her thrifty mother’s strictures about
the relative worth of certain items and being careful to ascertain the
equivalency of goods being bartered. Equal quantities of most items weren’t of
equal worth and that valuation often depended on how much others would be
willing to pay for the same thing.
“Did Ranulf make this agreement?”
Jeoffrey grimaced. “Ranulf has not been…capable of
negotiations of that sort for quite a while. The miller told me this has always
been our agreement.”
“It appears…somewhat disproportionate. I think perhaps you
do not prize your own ale as highly as some of your neighbors do,” she
suggested. “Have you ascertained what the tavern asks for a pint of it?”
He threw a confused look her way. “Nay. I have worries
enough encompassing my own affairs; I have no time to spare for others’.”
“Would you object should I ask a few questions of your staff
about some of these?” she asked.
“Nay. If you find our ale to be of greater worth than we now
ask, I shall accept the increase gladly.”
A knock sounded on the door at that moment. Within seconds
Ferris escorted a flushed and sweating young stranger into the room. The boy
moved to the middle of the open space and bowed. “Lord Jeoffrey. I have a
message for you.” He held out a rolled piece of paper.
“Bring it here,” Jeoffrey said.
He took it from the boy, and said, “My thanks.” He signaled
to Ferris. “Take care of our friend, here,” he said.
The boy grinned in satisfaction as he followed the majordomo
from the room.
Rosalind waited while Jeoffrey read the message, which was
apparently long and rather complicated. After a lengthy silence, Jeoffrey sat
it on his desk and clasped his hands under his chin. His eyes closed for a
minute while he thought. He opened them and rang the bell to summon a servant.
Ferris showed up again within moments. “My lord?” he asked.
“Find Sir Philip and ask him to come here,” Jeoffrey
instructed the man. “Tell him I need him immediately.”
“My lord.” Ferris bowed and left.
“What is it?” Rosalind asked when she heard him sigh as he
opened his eyes to read the message again.
“I’ll spare you most of Edward Renfill’s bombast, but the
matter of it is thus: Sir William de Railles has annexed the lands east of the
Anneth River that belonged to Marwick. It’s doubtful Marwick will try to wrest
control back since his forces are significantly outmanned by de Railles’.
Edward suspects Sir William will next set his sights on Connington since it
adjoins the piece of Marwick Sir William now claims.”
“And does not Connington adjoin your estate on the west?”
Jeoffrey drew a long breath. “A small corner of it does.
Shelton lies between us for most of its length. But Sir William’s breath begins
to fall on us all.”
Sir Philip entered then. He appeared to have been in
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