Shields of Pride by Elizabeth Chadwick

Author:Elizabeth Chadwick
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9780748113088
Publisher: Ivy Books
Published: 1994-07-02T07:00:00+00:00

20

Quivering with excitement, Robert stood at his mother’s side in the dank autumn evening while Rushcliffe’s courtyard filled with men, horses and laden baggage wains.

‘Mama, there’s Joscelin!’ He pointed vigorously at the familiar liver-chestnut with its distinctive stocking marks.

Linnet’s heart fluctuated between her throat and her stomach. For three weeks they had heard nothing, apart from occasional frightening rumours that came down the Humber and the Fosse road with Nottingham-bound traders. They had been told on different occasions that the Scots had reached Yorkshire and were marching on York itself, that the Scottish army was thirty thousand strong and every man a savage. Both Milo and Malcolm had scoffed at such exaggerations.

‘Three thousand perhaps,’ Malcolm had said as Linnet smeared soothing ointment on his scar to prevent it from itching. ‘I’m no saying they won’t be doughty warriors, and gey savage, but they’ll be more lightly armed - out for what they can loot. They’ll nae hold fast against mounted Normans.’

Linnet had taken what comfort she could from his confidence and gone about her normal business as if Joscelin and his mesnie were out for the day hunting game and not hundreds of miles farther north engaging the Scots. To keep herself from brooding, she had taken up needlework with a vengeance. Not only was her wedding gown of sky-blue wool finished but she had also made Joscelin two shirts and a tunic of deep forest-green. Beside her, Robert was resplendent in a new tunic of that same green, his garment mirroring in miniature the one she had made for Joscelin. In Robert, the colour admirably set off the blond of his hair. In Joscelin, it would bring out the green flecks in his irises.

He was home to wear that tunic now but not for long. Earlier that day, Brien FitzRenard had arrived in a state of near exhaustion, craving food and lodging for the night and a fresh horse in the morning. He had staggered to the pallet she had hastily arranged for him in a wall-chamber and fallen asleep almost immediately, but not before telling her that he had orders for Joscelin the moment that he returned. Orders that she knew, with a heavy heart, would only send him somewhere else to fight.

She watched Joscelin light down from the saddle and noted with relief as he came towards her that he moved easily, without any impediment to suggest injury. Robert danced from one foot to the other like a hound straining on a leash. The man’s lips twitched. Linnet stooped, murmured in her son’s ear and gave him a gentle push. With a pang she watched him run to his hero.

‘I prayed every day like you said and I can gallop my pony now and guess what, one of the coneys has had five babies and they’ve got no fur!’ Robert gabbled out in one long breath, then shrieked with delight as Joscelin swept him up in his arms.

‘And he has learned to write his name, too!’ Linnet

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