The scene at Pevensey Castle could only be described as controlled chaos. Unlike battle where the troops swoop in and attack, the siege was simply setting up camp and waiting. Acrid smoke wafted through the air from the numerous fires. Men joked with each other around their tents, and shouts could be heard from undetermined sources. They sat upon dead logs and stones, scattered about the already littered grounds. It could only get worse from then on out.
Tall catapults could be seen, about four within sight as Andre surveyed the area. Archers stood nearest the outer curtain wall of the castle, waiting for instructions to fire. Men and tents stretched out for as far as the eye could see. When Rufus had called up the fyrd to help him, he meant to make a statement. The king was not a dim-witted man. He knew getting in would take time. Somewhere, among the dirty masses, he would be found with all of the kingly appointments he could muster so far from London.
William's great army had only been there a week, but already the smell of human waste was evident, discarded animal carcasses and fallen trees were everywhere. As much as he preferred siege, as the body count was far lower, the turmoil and inhumanity of it all was worse when men waited for other men to starve or surrender.
He had stopped shortly before Pevensey, leaving Tillie with five of his men to wait for him at the manor house of Acton. Andre knew the man through court, and they often did business. Acton and his sons were shepherds, and they produced some of the best wools in the area. The man's wife had greeted them and offered the barn for the party to wait while Andre took the king's men to the siege.
Andre surveyed the area. Acton and his sons were there somewhere, along with thousands of others awaiting the fall of the king's adversaries. He sat quite a way from Pevensey Castle. The men Rufus brought with him were both new to warfare and others were battle weary and experienced. They kept a safe distance from the walls lest they meet the nasty fate of being drenched in boiling oil tossed from atop. Even worse, one never knew when flaming arrows might fall from the walls, hitting a tent and burning those inside while they slept. A number of these men were brutish and rough, without a sense of right or wrong. It made them great soldiers, but terrible human beings otherwise.
"Nigel, take these men with you, and take a circle about. See if you can find Rufus. They are to report for orders from the king. Once you are finished, meet me right here. I need to find someone, so stay put should I not be back when you arrive. When you find William Rufus, tell him I will get to him soon."
As Nigel rode away, Andre shook his head at Odo's choice of safe haven. Pevensey was landlocked, which meant it could be totally surrounded. The moat would not keep them safe long, not from an army like the one spread out before him. Supplies of food and water were probably plentiful inside, but it would not stay that way forever. Now that the lands were overrun by William and his faithful there was no hope of having any deliveries, and no messages would come or go. Odo's days were numbered. It was just a matter of time.
Putting his hand up to his forehead to block out the sun, he surveyed the area again. Andre saw nothing but a sea of dirty tents. Bawdy laughter lingered in the air. He heard no feminine voices, nor did he expect to. He started his search for the mysterious James to see what a stable hand knew that could change his life.
Andre led his destrier around the back of the camp, searching out where the king's temporary stables had been erected. James was a servant to the king; therefore, he would not be too far away. Even upon traveling, the king always took someone to care for his horses, so it made sense to look for James there first. Tillie was determined to find him, so Andre in turn, was not going to leave until he found him.
Before long, he spotted the tents, which could only belong to the king. They were the biggest there and were also the only ones that seemed remotely clean. A few small buildings had been erected behind the woods, which he was reasonably sure included the stables. He would look there first. With a sense of urgency, he spurred his horse and motioned to the few men left with him to follow.
They found James easily. He was a short man, with a full belly and bulging cheeks. His red nose protruded from his fleshy face at an odd angle, and graying hair sat squarely beneath a grimy hat he had pressed so far down his ears folded over. He moved with a slight limp, but seemed to be at ease with the horses under his care.
"James," Andre said loudly.
The man jerked back, startled. He studied Andre for a moment, obviously unsure of what was required of him, and then his eyes fell.
"Are you James, stable-hand of the king, and brother to Lady Geva?"
The man nodded slowly, his eyes now darting from Andre towards the large tent a hundred paces away.
Andre followed his eyes and guessed what James was thinking. "You can forget William Rufus. You will come with me now. You will be returned before nightfall."
"B-but my d-duties," James stuttered.
"I am Andre de Grelle, an agent of King William. You will come with me. There are plenty of men here. The king's horses will not be neglected."
Andre was not sure what spooked James, but the man attempted to run. "Stop him," Andre commanded. A few men eyed James momentarily, and then did as Andre asked. James did not make it far. It was easy to see the man's best days were behind him.
Andre drew his sword as James was presented to him again, "Get your horse. You have one, do you not?"
"Aye, milord," James muttered.
"I shall explain your absence to the king when we return. We'll not be gone long. Try to get away again, James, and I'll make you regret it."
****
Andre trailed right behind James so the man could not slip away. As they neared the manor where Tillie waited, James became increasingly agitated.
They came to a halt beside the barn, and James slid from his horse to face Andre. "Whatever I have done, milord, please, I beg of you, don't kill me."
"Kill you?" Andre said, momentarily stunned.
"If you do not mean to kill me, why are we here then?" James said.
Andre shook his head as he stared at the man before him. He was so close to answers, and he could not believe the stuttering fool standing before him had any of them.
"We have to talk." Andre alit from his horse. "We need something from you and a place to speak in private. So, here we are. Please, go inside the barn, and we'll speak there."
"The king…" James said, his voice faltering.
"The king will not care. If I tell the king I need something from you, I can assure you he will allow it."
The expression on the older man's face resembled one of a child caught being naughty. His shoulders slumped. He ambled toward the door, limping with each step, and stopped before the opening, squinting to look inside.
"There you are!" Andre heard Tillie's voice call out. He took James' elbow and escorted him into the structure where Tillie waited with his men and Acton's wife, who then excused herself.
Andre watched Tillie for a moment as she stood and studied James. He could not read her thoughts, and her face remained blank. Other than her tight lips, she gave away nothing.
James pulled his hat down over his forehead, reducing his face to the tip of his nose and his taut mouth. Andre sighed. What was going on here? Why did this man appear so frightened?
Reluctantly, James stepped closer to Tillie, but refused to make eye contact.
Clearing her throat, Tillie touched Andre on the arm. "May I?"
He nodded and stood back as Tillie gawked at the man now standing in front of her. "Tillie, 'tis good to see you," James said. His voice was deep and gravely. It sounded as if he desperately needed to clear his throat.
"James, good to know you remember me," she said sweetly, but her face did not match her soft voice. "I need to know a few things, and you are the only one who can tell me."
"I cannot imagine what," James said. "We have no business together."
"Aye but we do," Tillie said, her voice getting stronger as she stood up straighter. "I think we have a lot to discuss. You realize this is Andre, widow of the late Geva, aye?"
James gulped. He appeared visibly shaken. "Aye," was all he said.
Andre was unable to breathe for a moment. Geva? He was her brother, Tillie had said, but Geva had never spoken of him. What did this short, sloppy man have to do with his marriage to Geva, and what did all of this have to do with Rayne? Nothing going on around him made any sense.
It was apparent to him, however, that it made total sense to both Tillie and James. The air was thick, and both were tense. Andre waited for an eternity for someone to speak, or at least it seemed that way.
"Someone had better explain what is going on here," Andre said with an even voice. His patience was slipping. It seemed everyone held secrets, and he was the last to know.
"Milord," Tillie said. "I know I already told you this, but it bears repeating so you will understand. James is brother, was brother, to Geva."
Andre lifted an eyebrow as Tillie continued.
"I had heard rumors about the time Rayne lost her second baby, but 'twas nothing I could piece together. It took me years to finally see what I should have seen right away, but if I am right, James knows something which may change Rayne's life. I hate it has taken this long, but 'tis better than never figuring it out."
James shifted, eyeing those around him as if looking for an ally. He let out a deep sigh and removed his hat, which he then crumpled between his hands.
"William Rufus said I would never have to answer for this! I had to do it lest I lose everything. Geva had the secret on him. I only done what I was told. Let me be. Let the king explain."
Andre's curiosity was now heightened to the point where he felt he would punch someone if he did not get answers soon. "Someone had better tell me what is going on right now," he said, grounding out the last two words between clenched teeth.
"I believe, milord," Tillie said as she straightened her back again and stood as tall as she could, "two of Rayne's babies are alive, and I think they live with you, Andre. I believe Jenri and Hamon are the children of Rayne and Claude."
"That cannot be," Andre said. "Geva brought the boys with her, their father is…"
"Is who?" Tillie said, facing him. "Did she ever talk about him to the boys? I know they were young, but did you ever hear his name?"
"Nay, but I know she was married."
"To a man, Lord Andre, who spent more time with William Rufus than he did his own wife. At times, he was gone for a fortnight or more leaving Geva alone. She barely saw him."
"How do you know all of this?" Andre said.
"Their cook was one of my closest friends at the time. If you think your servants do not talk to each other about their work, you are mistaken, milord."
Again, he said nothing as she continued. "You see, Rayne was sick when she had two of her children. So sick she could not rise from her bed for days. She was too weak. Neither she nor I saw the babies buried, and it nearly killed her. In fact, the Rayne you know today is a result of that. I suspected Claude poisoned her, but I had no proof. I think James was involved, milord, in securing the babes for Geva, who had no success in having her own. One cannot have babies when they are not sleeping with their husband."
"This cannot be," Andre said. His astonishment went beyond any anger he was feeling. Could Jenri and Hamon be Rayne's children? "James, explain yourself!"
James stood rooted to the spot. His face paled as his gaze went from Andre to Tillie. He took a step backward but had nowhere to go. "I have nothing to say," he said.
"You will tell me, or I will make you talk. 'Tis up to you." Andre said, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword. He stepped closer to James, who had begun to visibly tremble.
"Claude poisoned her, didn't he?" Tillie demanded an answer from James. "She was too sick to bury her babies, but there was no burial was there? They were taken. You took them and gave them to your sister!"
"I-I-I want to s-s-see W-William R-Rufus," James said with a stutter. "H-H-He will put a stop to this!"
"You think Rufus cares for you and your secrets? He cares for no one but himself," Andre said with a sneer. "He will give away anyone's secrets to see himself out of trouble. Speak, man, before I go to Rufus myself!"
James allowed his shoulders to slump. "'Tis all true. The babes belong to Lady Rayne. Her first died after birth. Upon her second pregnancy a plan was formed. Having already lost one, it would be easy to convince her of the death of the next. Geva knew of a secret over the king, and she used it to get the babies. Tillie is right. Her husband rarely touched her, so she could not have babies of her own."
Aghast, Andre interrupted him. "What secret? What did she know?"
"I do not know what she held over his head, but even before he became king, she could get anything she wanted from him."
Tillie sniffed. "Clearly, as Rufus was not yet king when Rayne lost her babies."
"How did he do this? This seems so ridiculous." Andre's fingers shook, and his rapid intake of air sounded like a drawn out hiss. His head felt hot, his temper was rising. He knew Rufus was ruthless and cruel, but this was too much.
"As far as I know, Claude gave his wife a posset of some sort to start her labor and sedate the babies so they would not cry when born. It was made with mushrooms from the back hills, pennyroyal, and some type of bark. I cannot remember it all. He mixed it with mead and gave it to her. Claude said it would leave her sickly, and it worked. Geva took the boys as her own. The mid-wife never knew, she handed the babies to Claude, and he ordered her out."
As James finished, Tillie collapsed to the ground. Andre went to her side as she sobbed. Her chest heaved as she tried to collect her breath, but she could not. She made a noise, not unlike that of a wild animal as she tried to regain control of herself.
"Is there more?" Andre demanded as he stood and faced James again.
"Nay, 'tis is all I know. William Rufus promised me protection and employment in exchange for my help. I did it for my sister, and I am sorry."
"Get out!" Andre said forcefully. "Get out. Just get out. I will return you to your station. Wait outside."
James departed with more haste than Andre thought the man had in him. He returned to Tillie's side. The woman was now breathing more easily, but she was still in a prone position, unable to stop her crying. "You must calm down, Tillie. Why did you keep this from Rayne?"
"I could not…" Tillie said and gulped, "could not prove… anything… hurt her more. Looking for answers… for years…" the woman managed to spit out between sobs.
He waited for her to calm down, awkwardly patting the woman on her back as she let her anguish out. "Let's get some air, aye?" he said.
Nodding, Tillie stood and walked out into the sunshine. The glaring light from the sun jarred them. "We have to get back to Rayne."
"To be clear," Andre said, clearing his throat, trying to rid himself of the lump which was rapidly forming there, "those boys are Rayne's children. Jenri and Hamon."
"It appears so," Tillie said and then nodded. She held her hand up over her eyes to look into his. "I wish I could have known sooner. Rayne's life would be so different. I knew it the moment I saw those boys, I just had to put it together. I had to know. The moment I saw them, the blond curls, the eyes… she is their mother!"
"That concoction, it could have killed her," Andre said. "We are lucky she is alive. If Claude were not already dead, I would have him hanged!"
"But none of this matters now. She does not know her children live!"
"Then I think the next logical step is to return to Cuxton," Andre said. "But first, I must see William Rufus. There are a few things I wish to clear up before we return to Rayne."