Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd [300]
But despite the fact that he knew all this, when he was faced with Hugh’s bald statement and his rejection of the authority of centuries, Jocelin – much as he despised the king – could only draw back in horror.
“But the pope . . .” he cried.
“Even the bishops are split,” Hugh protested. “Half of them are for Montfort.” It was true. Many of the bishops, with good consciences, believed that Montfort was in the right and that the king should be bound by the oath and the Provisions.
“Do you agree with this?” Jocelin suddenly turned to old Edward.
Shockley considered. The philosophical points, though he understood them, interested him very little.
“I’ll tell you one thing,” he replied. “The merchants of London will go for Simon de Montfort if it comes to a fight.”
Jocelin shrugged scornfully. London was a formidable, perhaps decisive power; but he was a knight, not a mere merchant, and he was concerned with defending a principle which, now that it had been challenged, he knew was all-important.
“You are fighting divine authority,” he stated, and staring with eyes full of both sorrow and anger, he addressed Hugh in French. “I order you to submit, or you will no longer be my son.” Then he rode away.
It was while he witnessed this quarrel between Jocelin and his only son, that Peter Shockley, whose opinion had not been asked, understood finally where he stood. For although he had missed many of the philosophical points, his pragmatic mind, moving instinctively, had grasped the essential issue that lay beneath the high-flown argument. “It makes no difference to us whether the king rules or his council.” he remarked to his father afterwards. “We need peace and low taxes for the fulling mill. And,” he added ominously, “we must see that we get them.”
Within a week, there was no one in Sarum who did not know about the quarrel between Jocelin de Godefroi and his heir. They no longer lived under the same roof. Though his baby son remained at the manor house in the care of his father’s women, Hugh moved into a house in the new city where he lived quietly, but in open defiance of his father’s wishes.
Hugh was not alone. There were many voices of discontent raised in Sarum now and in February a new and larger contingent of the king’s troops arrived in the castle. The message was clear: the town remained relatively quiet and even Hugh found it necessary to conduct himself carefully. Nonetheless, in the coming weeks he disappeared twice on visits to destinations that could only be guessed at.
The months of February and March also brought fresh rumours. London was in an uproar and had declared for Simon. Montfort himself had broken his leg in an accident at the start of the year – there were rumours that he was dying, others that he was already on the move. Prince Edward was sweeping across the country with his friends from the border castles of Wales: early in April he and his father took the castle at Northampton. And now news came that Simon de Montfort was definitely in the field.
Despite these political events, the business at the fulling mill continued to thrive and at the end of March Peter began to consider enlarging the mill with a new extension. Accordingly, at Jocelin’s request, Osmund the Mason paid several visits to the mill to advise on the construction.
It was one morning in mid-April, as Peter and Osmund came out of the mill after one of these discussions, that they saw Hugh de Godefroi approaching. He was riding the magnificent black charger which had borne him so many times to triumph in the lists. Behind him he led two