night.
“I just hope that we don’t both come to regret it,” said Alan feeling a little despondent.
Next morning, Saturday 16th June, accompanied by Brother Wacian, they rode out of the city as soon as the gates opened at dawn, Alan and each of the escort was wearing full armour, helmets placed on the saddle pommels, and most of the men were leading either the pack-horses or the newly purchased horses. Brother Wacian had met them at the gate, looked surprised at Anne’s riding attire and gratefully accepting the offer of the use of one of the horses. Alan and Anne rode at the head of the group as usual, but this time with their saddlebags filled with silver. When they were a dozen miles out of Ipswich Alan ordered a halt and allowed his men to remove their heavy armour. While they did so the horses cropped the grass, Odin standing close to Anne’s palfrey Misty and nuzzling her shoulder occasionally.
It was only when they crossed the River Stour and rode into Manningtree and Tendring Hundred that Alan felt safe. The weather had changed around mid-day, becoming cooler and overcast, before light showers set in and caused the riders to pause and rummage through their baggage for their cloaks to keep the rain off. Alan checked the oiled canvas covering on the parchments and books to ensure they were being kept safe and dry. They arrived at Thorrington in the mid-afternoon, to a tumultuous reception by Anne’s hounds and a genuinely warm welcome from the servants.
Alan introduced Brother Wacian to Osmund and Faran. Deciding that there was no use in delaying unpleasant matters he summoned Brother Godwine, advised him of the immediate termination of his benefice as rector of Thorrington Parish, paid him a month’s salary and asked him and his mistress to vacate the rectory within the week.
Brother Godwine was stunned, demanding to know the reason for his dismissal and was clearly disbelieving when Alan replied, “Because you are neither fit nor capable of dealing with the spiritual needs of the community. You’re too busy looking after your own interests and just too damn lazy.” It was telling that, so self-absorbed was Brother Godwine in his sudden fall from grace, that he never asked who was to conduct the Mass due be heard the following day. When Brother Godwine departed from the Hall he was still declaiming loudly that he had performed his duties well, bemoaning his fate and asking what would be his future.
It was two weeks to the day to the wedding day and Anne was determined not to waste a moment of preparation. She sent a message asking for Rheda her cook from Wivenhoe, Wybert her Steward, and most importantly Father Ator who would be the celebrant, to call on her the following morning.
Hugh met with Alan and advised him that he had been able to buy 8 chargers and 10 rounceys at the Colchester livestock market and that he’d recruited 36 peasants who had volunteered to become full-time soldiers, about half of whom could already ride. The 20 most capable were being trained to fight on horseback, including controlling a warhorse with just the use of the knees to allow the free use of both hands. All were being taught how to use a sword and swordsmanship, which were not the same thing as the latter included footwork and offensive and defensive patterns.
Hugh had also found 23 trained but now unemployed huscarles, mainly from Lexden, Winstree and Thurstable Hundreds where thegns who were struggling to meet their Heriot and taxation liabilities had been unable to keep their retainers. Some claimed to have fought at Hastings, others to have left for the battlefield but arrived too late and some that their thegns had never received the call to muster from Earl Gyrth. Hugh was concerned about the seemingly huge amount of money that Alan was incurring to recruit and train soldiers, being aware that most knights with modest manors such as that of Alan were usually not wealthy. Alan set Sunday afternoon aside to interview the huscarles.
Roger reported that training of the 30 fyrd bowmen, 10 each from Wivenhoe, Alresford and Ramsey was progressing well. The men were in the main hunters and knew how to use a bow and only required to be trained to follow instructions to act as a unit and to shoot rapid volleys. Warren had taken over command of Alan’s current force of 20 bowmen, all of whom were local peasants and lived in the village, while Roger was attending to the training of the new recruits.
The next morning Anne spent mainly closeted with Rheda, Otha the Thorrington Cook, Father Ator, her various maids and some of the wives of the local thegns. Alan had announced the betrothal and wedding day at dinner the evening before and the Hall and village were abuzz with the news.
Alan, Faran and Osmund spent the morning going over the books, with Osmund reporting which thegns and peasants- cheorls, sokeman, cottars and other freemen- were behind in their payments of money, goods or labour, with Faran making mental notes as to which he needed to visit to discuss their obligations. The next Quarter Day, Mid-Summer’s Day, was one week away and Osmund was concerned that Alan should be in a position to pay his own taxes and tithes when they fell due that day, being one quarter of the annual rental for this and the other manors Alan held in the Hundred, and the money due for Wivenhoe.
A little before noon they changed into their good clothes and led the throng of servants and soldiers from the Hall towards the small wooden church at the edge of the village. Most wore cloaks to protect them from the thin drizzle still falling and the cold wind. There were many of the green cloaks that Alan had chosen as uniform for his mounted men-at-arms. All the village had heard one of several variations of Godwine’s removal and were agog at the news and that Alan had taken the stance that he had. Many had sympathy for Godwine, although virtually everybody admitted his shortcomings in the performance of his pastoral duties.
The small church was already full to overflowing as every member of Thorrington and the surrounding villages appeared to have come to see and form an opinion of the new priest. As those from the Hall joined the congregation outside the church, those inside began to file out, calling out that the service would be heard on the village green around which the houses and other buildings had been built. Moments later some men set up a trestle table which one of the elderly women of the village draped with a white cloth and placed the polished brass cross and the chalice, pyx and ciborium in place.
Shortly afterwards Brother Wacian appeared in a spotless white surplice and red stole, accompanied by one of the local boys dressed in a white cassock, who had apparently been pressed into the position of altar-boy.
As Brother Wacian stood before the altar the congregation crowded closer to see the tall and sparely-built priest. His knowledgeable and serious demeanour and clean clothing, both so different from that of Brother Godwine, gave the congregation an immediate positive reaction to him.
“Welcome, friends!” he said in a calm but well-projected voice that easily reached those at the back of the crowd. “Given the numbers attending today’s service, and not believing in turning any away from worship, I have decided that we will celebrate Mass under God’s good sky- although He seems to want to test our faith a little this morning! That matters not and let us now commence. Given the wet grass that you’re standing on, you are to remain standing and not kneel, other than when receiving the Host.”
He named a well-known English hymn to commence the service and began to sing in a strong and deep voice with the congregation joining in immediately. Because of the rain he had not brought out the Book of Services nor the Bible for the readings, which he handled himself rather than on this occasion asking any of the congregation to assist.
By his faultless performance he clearly needed no written reference materials and knew both the service and the two Bible passages word-perfect. His homily was on Change and Duty. By this time he was soaked through, with his hair plastered to his head and water dripping from his chin, as indeed were most of the congregation, but Brother Wacian injected a sense of warmth and freshness into the service that all the congregation knew so well.
As he dispensed the Host he invited all forward, even the meanest cottar or slave, and he distributed to each person with an intenseness and passion that made each feel that the service had been put on for their own benefit. Before he gave the parting benediction he gave a brief address on how pleased he was to have joined the parish, that his door was always open to all and they should seek his assistance if troubled. He also announced that confessions would be held from Prime, with two Sunday Services at Terce and Sext, to hopefully avoid future overcrowding.
There would also be a midweek service on Wednesdays at sunset, and Brother Wacian stressed that those attending the Wednesday Mass “Should not hesitate to attend in working clothes as Mass is an occasion for private devotion, prayer and reconciliation with God, not a social occasion. I recognise that many work dawn to dark and will do so particularly during the busy seasons of sowing and harvest.”
