Sarum - Edward Rutherfurd [333]
The king nodded. He disliked the Jews, and a decade before he had not only forbidden most of their activities but he had closed the chirograph chests in which their records were kept. In the confusion surrounding the liquidation of the Jews’ affairs, he knew that an administrative slip-up of this kind could well have occurred, depriving the honest man and his striking blonde wife of a tenancy they had bought in good faith.
“But this matter should have been brought to the justices of the Jewish exchequers or the shire court,” he said, and Wilson noted that the king, as he had always heard, spoke with a lisp.
“Can’t get justice there,” he replied firmly.
Edward looked at him sharply.
“Why not?” These abuses of justice were exactly what he was determined to stamp out.
And now John Wilson, who all his life had known that the Shockleys had cheated his family out of the farm, and that Shockleys and Godefrois were his natural enemies, began his next great lie.
“Godefroi,” he said simply. “He hates me and he’s in business with Shockley and the Jew. He’s got power in the courts so he’ll see I never get justice.”
For the first time Edward looked at him in disbelief. He knew old Godefroi; as coroner, he would often have to decide matters relating to dead men’s estates; as an escheator, it was his duty to look after the king’s interests when his tenants died. Both positions gave him influence in the local courts and scope for malpractice, but of all those who might be accused of corruption in the current investigations, the knight of Avonsford was the last the king would have expected. He stared at Wilson coldly.
“Jocelin de Godefroi is our loyal servant,” he rasped.
But Wilson did not flinch.
“He and Shockley run the fulling mill together,” he stated flatly, “and Godefroi is keeping the Jew in Avonsford manor now – he’s been there a month.”
Edward’s face darkened. If the harbouring of a Jew was not a legal offence, it was certainly against the spirit of the law, which was to isolate Jews from Christians in every way possible. He turned to the group about him.
“Is this true?”
One of the courtiers nodded. “I have heard it said, sire. The Jew is very old.”
The scowl remained on Edward’s face.
“The man’s always been loyal,” he repeated testily.
It was the moment for which John Wilson had prepared himself so carefully.
“Not so loyal, sire,” he interrupted. “He was with Your Majesty’s enemies at the time of Montfort.”
This time the king positively glared at him.
“The son was with Montfort, and he was killed. Not the father.”
But, unabashed, the merchant shook his head again.
“Jocelin gave his son his blessing when he left to fight at Lewes,” he said. “And Shockley was with him. It was at their fulling mill. I saw them both.”
This was the piece of information he had waited twenty-five years to use against them, ever since he had stood by the mill at his father’s side.
There was a terrible silence.
Although his instincts now told Edward that this man was not to be trusted, long experience warned him that his last, damning statement might be true. Perhaps, after all, the Godefrois should have been punished like the other rebels; inwardly he cursed this vicious merchant from Wilton who was ruining his day.
It was now that old Osmund, who had been standing quietly behind the group of courtiers after receiving the instructions for his work, by a single and splendid act of courage incurred the enmity of the Wilsons for his family for generations.
John Wilson had not seen the old mason come out of the royal apartments. And in his hatred for the Godefrois and Shockleys, he had even forgotten that Osmund had ever been present at the meeting at the mill, twenty-five years