Githa Learns Duke Alred's Secret

Alred whistled as he walked up the road towards the Earl’s castle. He had just seen the first boards being torn off the northwest room of his keep in preparation for a two-​story tower that was to be built in its place. He never knew how Egelric Wodehead explained matters to his wife, but he had agreed eagerly to serve as the Duke’s overseer. He seemed excited by both the work and the opportunity to learn, and the Duke didn’t realize that he was also relieved to have an excellent excuse to stay away from his farm most of the day.

Alred was just passing the Selle farm when he felt the familiar pain clutch at his heart. He gasped—it had never struck him outside, and as it caught him in mid-​stride he nearly stumbled. He stood doubled-​over in the middle of the road, too wrapped in pain to wonder whether anyone could see him.

Githa Selle did see him, and after a moment wondering what His Grace was looking at on the road, she realized that he was in trouble. She ran to him and laid her hands lightly on his shoulders. “Your Grace?”

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Elfleda Warns the Duke

The morning after Duke Alred made his decision to begin work on his castle, he made a second decision: he would ask Egelric Wodehead to be the overseer. Egelric had started out as a simple serf, but once he had been given the opportunity to learn, he proved to be a remarkably intelligent and capable man. Egelric didn’t have the technical skills to be a mason or a carpenter or other kind of workman, but he had the sense of responsibility and the aura of authority to be a leader of workmen.

Alred was bursting with ideas for his castle as he walked down the hill to speak to Egelric. He thought he was early enough to catch him before he headed to the fields or to the church, but when Elfleda let him in he found that they were alone.

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The Duke Makes a Decision

Duke Alred of Nothelm was deep in thought one chilly November evening as he walked home from inspecting the progress at the church. He had been watching the stonemasons at work, and it reminded him that his wife had been asking him for some time when he planned to begin work on his castle. He had had the keep built upon the stone foundations of an old fort, but he hadn’t built in stone, believing that their little adventure in the valley couldn’t last long.

When he reached his home, he stopped at the foot of the hill and stared up at the rough wooden walls. It had been two years now that they had been living there. For two years he had been playing along, calling himself a Duke because it seemed to please his wife, and waiting for the day when one of King William’s sheriffs would come to chase them out of the valley.

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Egelric Works at the Church

After Egelric Wodehead had finished clearing the church, the Duke asked him to oversee the workers who would build the new roof. The King had grandiose ideas about building a bell tower and a new chapel, but like the Duke he had come to trust Egelric’s judgement and decided that there would be time enough for further additions in the coming year.

Once again, Egelric spent his days away from his farm, and Elfleda was left to herself most of the time. In truth, after the night she took the Hogges’ baby, he preferred not to be too close to her if he could avoid it. Their evenings together usually ended with a fight.

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They Enter the Catacomb

The next time Egelric Wodehead saw the Duke, he told him of his concerns about the catacombs under the church. “Perhaps the malady remains. I worry that if we open the church, the miasma from beneath may sicken us all.”

Alred shook his head. “I don’t see how there could be any danger after all this time. The roof has been open, so there’s nothing keeping the bad air down there. I’m more worried about the mess we’ll find. The rain must have flowed down the stairs and carried a lot of trash and mold with it, not to mention the animals that have probably been there.”

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Egelric Clears the Church

Egelric Wodehead began clearing the church right away. The old stone walls were mostly in good condition, but the wooden roof had, like nearly all wooden buildings in the valley, collapsed over the past century. The church was full of these rotting beams and boards, as well as a hundred years of fallen leaves and other trash.

Egelric refused the assistance of serfs that the nobles were willing to spare for the job. Feeling that if he was not the cause, he was at least the principal target of the curse, he thought he had better be the one to do the work. He didn’t know whether to call it penance for an unknown sin or rather an attempt to beat back the forces of darkness by making a proper home for the Father in the valley, but he spent most of his days working in the church, and leaving his own farmwork undone during the harvesttime.

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Wynna Hogge Is Missing

The day of the Earl’s feast came, and the King and the Queen had gone to Nothelm Keep to meet the Duke and his wife so that they could walk there together. On the way, they stopped at the home of Goodman Hogge to leave his little lordship with Gunnilda. She often took care of Dunstan when the Duchess was away or needed a rest, since he and Sigebert were almost the same age and played well together.

The King, who adored babies and wasn’t shy about visiting in peasants’ huts, stepped inside to say hello to little Wynna. Alwy was awfully proud to see the King himself holding his baby girl.

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Egelric returns with bad news

Egelric had returned from his trip into the hill country. The Duke had sent him on behalf of the King to visit the church and fix a date for the baptism of young Prince Caedwulf. The trip should have taken no more than three days, but it was a week before he came home, and the Duke came to meet him as soon as he saw him riding up the hill.

“We had begun to worry, what happened?”

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The Countess invites Theobald and Githa

One morning in late summer, just before he headed out to the fields, Theobald answered a knock on the door to find Elfleda Wodehead standing on the porch. She seemed upset. There was something sly about Elfleda that Theobald didn’t like, but he greeted her politely.

“Hello, Goodwife, what can I—”

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Elfleda invites Alwy in

One evening in late summer, Alwy Hogge came along the road after nightfall, on his way home from delivering a ham to the castle. He was taking his time, because there were so many shooting stars tonight and he was looking up at them as he walked, trying to count them, but he didn’t remember his numbers very well. He didn’t see Elfleda Wodehead until he almost tripped over her. He always blushed now when he saw Elfleda, and never knew what he was supposed to say to her.

“Good evening, Alwy. You’re out late.”

“Well, I guess you are too.”

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