Aymer flushed with anger and chagrin. ‘It might have been once, but I wouldn’t even put this in the swill trough. Is there no wine?’
‘No, sire, there is not.’ The servant licked his lips.
Aymer shook his head. ‘I don’t believe that of a bishop. What’s in the cellars?’
The old man began to wring his hands. ‘Sire, we are not permitted to open the cellars, not in the Bishop’s absence.’
Intensely aware of his duty to his guests for he had suggested they take shelter here, William was hot with humiliation at the way they were being received. ‘If the Bishop sought shelter at my home, even in my absence, my servants would give him the warmest hospitality and see to his needs without cavil,’ he said curtly. ‘I would be ashamed if any man of mine did not, and I am certain that the Bishop would have no time for your behaviour.’
Geoffrey hitched his belt. ‘I will go and see what is in the cellars myself,’ he said. ‘Leave it to me.’ He stamped off with Aymer and a couple of squires.
A huge clap of thunder shattered overhead, shaking the building, and rain began dripping through the roof. People ducked out of the way, exclaiming.
‘We should not be doing this,’ Joanna said, shaking her head at William. ‘The storm will pass over soon enough and we can just leave.’
William set his jaw. ‘I will make it right with the Bishop afterwards.’
‘You do not need to make anything right with the Bishop if you go no further,’ she said in exasperation.
From under their feet came a tremendous crash and the sound of splintering. Joanna gasped and looked at Aliza, who caught her underlip in her teeth. Aymer, Geoffrey and the squires returned from the cellars bearing two casks of wine between them. Geoffrey proceeded to knock out the bungs and fill the now empty ale jugs, and everyone set out to share the bounty, toasting each other with the earthenware mugs and setting to with a will, partly in revenge for being denied a proper welcome.
The noise of conversation increased in volume and the laughter grew boisterous. Someone did a turn juggling bread rolls. Someone else had stolen the steward’s hat and began tossing it between his companions. Aymer had cornered an attractive red-haired servant girl and was telling her what wonderful opportunities there were for work in his diocese of Southwark.
Joanna grasped William’s arm. ‘Do something,’ she said furiously. ‘How will you explain this to the Bishop? This is not right. Indeed, it is dishonourable!’
The rain had started to ease as the storm rumbled off into the distance. William set her to one side and turned to the carousing company. The Bishop’s serjeants and servants had made themselves scarce. Indeed, they had probably ridden off to report on the proceedings. William clapped his hands loudly. ‘The storm is passing over. We should return to Hertford. Jacomin, Elias, go and see that the horses are made ready.’
‘There is no hurry, little brother,’ Geoffrey said loudly, and tried to hand William a fresh cup of wine. ‘Have another drink. There’s plenty more where this came from!’
‘No,’ William snapped, ‘there is not, and it is time we left.’
He left the room, and going to the cellar he gazed at the doors hanging at drunken angles on their hinges. A dark stain trickled from the nearest barrel like blood. He stooped and turned off the tap.
Joanna had followed him, and she gasped in horror. ‘Dear God, this is terrible. You should not have let them do this. Why didn’t you stop them?’
‘How could I have stopped them?’ he said in exasperation, and then palmed his face.
‘They are your brothers and the ringleaders. Just because they are older than you and Aymer thinks he can throw his weight around as clergy does not mean you should let them get away with it!’
‘It got out of hand too quickly. I will write to the Bishop and make reparations – and I will speak with my brothers.’
‘Make sure you do; this has gone too far. Your opponents will make a meal of this. You must indeed write to the Bishop, and the King, immediately, before anyone else does, or we shall never live this down. Our reputation will be in tatters at court.’
‘Yes, yes,’ he snapped. ‘I will see to it, stop fussing. You are building matters out of all proportion. I shall apologise to the Bishop and tell Henry what has happened and all will be well.’
‘You do not understand, William. You say I worry too much, but it is like a fire. It begins with one twig and before you know it the whole forest is ablaze. Do you really want to live with the sort of behaviour that happened this afternoon? Do you? William, it has to stop!’
He puffed out his cheeks. ‘Done is done, but I take your point. You do not have to labour it so fiercely. We will deal with it and move on.’ He turned on his heel and marched back to the hall.
Joanna swallowed and closed her eyes, her stomach churning with the awfulness of the situation. She could clearly hear Cecily saying that a husband’s actions reflected back on his wife. Not that she could entirely blame William, but his brothers had taken full advantage and it could not continue. Her own servants would never turn away guests and treat them in such a fashion, but neither would she expect those guests to behave like mannerless boors. A band of sharp sunlight edged out the storm, glistening on wet roof shingles and courtyard puddles. John de Warenne was helping William to usher people out, his own expression slightly hang-dog. Aymer had to be dragged away from the red-haired girl, but not before he had pressed a ring into her hand and curled her fingers over it. The old servant snatched his trampled hat from the floor and dusted it off, his face set and his jaw working.
Jacomin helped Joanna to mount Griselle. Despite everyone else’s laughing high spirits, Joanna felt close to tears.
Aliza leaned across her horse to touch her arm. ‘It will be all right,’ she said consolingly.
Joanna shook her head. ‘It won’t. This is my reputation as well as William’s.’ Not only would the King get to hear of the matter, but the Queen too, and Alienor was becoming increasingly purse-lipped and disapproving of William and his brothers.
The company returned to Hertford in the sparkling, rain-washed afternoon. William’s servants were swift to take the horses to good stabling, and everyone was efficiently attended to. Joanna retired to her chamber to change her gown, but then plumped down on the bed and folded over herself. Weazel leaped up and rubbed against her, purring, and she buried her face in his warm golden fur and tried not to cry.
