Crowner's Justice - Three

[ismenin]

Here we are again, dear friends. Do not be put off by the unfamiliar words at the end part - there is a glossary, if you're stuck. I think it's fascinating to find out how the law was administered nearly eight hundred years ago. I hope you agree. This part of the story is actually what happened during a coroner's inquest.

I also want to make it clear that this is an Alternate Reality story, as all my historical ones are. This is because, later on, I give two men separate occupations, when in reality they were both held by one man. And I like swapping facts a bit. But that's in Book Two. Yes, I am ahead of myself, as usual!

The parts regarding laws and punishments are correct. There aren't tons of bits like this, in the story, I can assure you - but I wanted you to see what Elijah had to do, in his job as crowner. I trust you did, too! There is mystery, suspense, rape, murder and kidnap. Just your average year in 12th century England, then! Giggle.

Here we go, then!





Thanks to ladysunrope for beta. :D


Part - 3


Elijah sat up straight in his chair. "Do you accuse me of murdering him?" he asked, his voice tight with fury.

Dom had the grace to look uncomfortable. He was sitting at the man's table, after all. "Not at all, my lord. I was merely verifying a fact. It is your business to deal with the death, and send the killer on to his punishment, not mine any longer, thank the good Lord."

Elijah rose from his chair and called for his cloak and stick. "Will, bring parchment and ink, and come with us. Where is the body being kept, Sheriff?"

"It is in a hut by the river, crowner. We thought it best not to move it further, until you had seen it," Dom replied, with a little constraint. "The men had to get it out of the water, after all..."

Damn it, but he seemed bent on offending this man at every turn! Why?... he thought, angry at himself, ...can I not control my mouth in front of him? It is as if my tongue is running on greased wheels!

Elijah nodded, slightly mollified.

"I told the first-finder to remain there until you came. He will be anxious to get back to his work," Dom said, not looking at Elijah as Andrew helped him into his cloak.

Ben saw that the satchel Will wore was crammed with parchment, and wondered how he might get some of it for his own use. It was new stuff, not the palimpsests he had been forced to use for months. It would be a pleasure to write upon it.

It was about ten minutes walk to reach the river, and there was a small crowd gathered by the small jetty, waiting with interest to see what the new crowner would do.

"I will see the body first," Elijah announced. Andrew went to the hut, opened the door, and Dom, Elijah, and the others, followed.

Archerus Flagsheet lay on a hastily assembled board made of pieces of wood found by the river. Elijah was glad he would not have to bend his bad leg to examine the corpse.

He was well used to seeing dead men, and the sight did not trouble him. The mill-stone that had been hung about the corpse's neck stood propped up against the wall. It was a small hand-quern, about twelve inches across, and Elijah nodded to Will to note it down.

The men stood looking at Elijah, wondering what he would do next. Dom was used to noting that a body was dead, that was all. He wondered if there was anything more to it.

"Andy, test him, if you please," Elijah said, gesturing, and his servant moved over to the body, and pressed sharply on the chest. A little white froth came out of the mouth, and Andrew nodded. "Ah!"

"What?" said Dom, puzzled.

Elijah turned to him, surprised at the interruption. "He was dead before he went into the water. He did not drown."

Dom crossed his arms, unaccountably annoyed. "Was he indeed? How do you deduce that?"

Elijah ignored him, and it was Andrew who explained that if he had drowned, his lungs would have been full of water, which would have come out, not froth.

"First-finder, what is your name, and how did you find the body?" Elijah called the man forward.

He was a river boatman, he said, shyly, stammering slightly, giving his name as Horman Rote. And he was patently unused to speaking to lords.

"I was plying my little boat down the river when I saw a boot sticking out of the reeds just down there," he said, pointing left.

"Someone must have thrown him in, your worship, off the jetty, there, and the mill-stone had not sunk, as the killer hoped, but caught on a bundle of reeds," he continued, warming to his theme, and proud, for once in his dreary life, to be the centre of attention.

"So I landed my boat and called to two other boat-men, nearby, and we landed him here. Quite a job it was, too, sir - him being such a large man."

"Thank you, Master Rote," said Elijah, with as much grace as if he were addressing a bishop. "There will be an inquest here, tomorrow, two hours after dawn. Please ensure you are here, and the men who assisted you, to give your evidence."

Dom stood silently, his back against the hut wall, watching with interest. He was efficient, the little man.

"Andy, strip him," Elijah ordered. Dom stood up straight, he was not expecting that. He could not help but ask.

"Why?"

Elijah's blue eyes narrowed as he spoke. "If he did not drown, something else killed him."

Andrew, used to undressing his master, was swift about it. After a cursory glance at the man's naked form, Elijah picked up the discarded undershift and draped it over the dead man's loins, allowing him some dignity, even in death. He looked carefully, but there were no marks on the man's front, not even a scrape.

"Will, give your brother a hand to turn him over, would you?"

Ben drew in a sharp breath as a wound was seen in the man's back.

"Right above the heart, my lord. He must've been dead before he hit the ground," Andrew said, as they laid him down again.

"If he did hit the ground," Dom volunteered, interested, in spite of himself.

Elijah glanced at him. "I agree. There were no marks on him at all. Not even a graze that might have been caused after death. Dress him, Andy. His widow will want to see him, after all. Do your best to make him presentable."

They trooped out of the hut into the morning sun, Will still writing on the parchment pressed about a thin slat of wood.

There was a woman standing nearby, who came forward, hesitantly. "Excuse me, sir, but can I have my stone back? It must have been stolen from the shed outside my house last night. I need it, sir, or we goes hungry."

Elijah looked at her. "You must know it is against the law to grind your own grain," he said, quietly. "I cannot return it to you."

Dom opened his mouth to protest. There were many laws which the poor had to break, or die. "It is not deodand. It was not the instrument of his death..."

All items causing the death of any individual, were deemed deodand, and Dom accepted that if it was a knife, or sword, and the weapon found, it was sold, and the money given to the bereaved family, or to the poor. If a cart wheel went over a child, the wheel was removed, and sold. The carter had to find another, or starve. It was not always an enforceable rule. If someone was trapped and drowned by a mill-wheel, one could not take the wheel and sell it, leaving dozens of folks, maybe hundreds, without flour for bread. He knew though there was room for a man to show more mercy than this.

“…I would suggest…”

Elijah's hand came up, silencing the Sheriff. "The Sheriff will send two men to watch over the corpse, goodwife. They will be here in about half an hour. The body will remain unguarded, until then. Do you understand me?"

The woman nodded, relieved. "I do. Thank you, sir crowner."

Elijah turned to the Sheriff. "Does Flagsheet's widow know where to find him?" Dom nodded, not knowing what to make of this unusual man.

"Very well. I do not hold out much hope of catching the culprits before the inquest..."

"Culprits? You think there are more than one?" Dom stared at the coroner in astonishment.

Elijah smiled, but it did not reach his eyes, which were coldly regarding Dom. "He did not die on the riverbank, Sheriff. Even if he did, it took three strong men to drag him out of the water. One man could not have thrown him into the river - the man was built like an ox. No, it must have been at least two men, maybe more."

Elijah turned to Will, who was still writing, as Andrew came out of the hut. "Nearly finished?" he said.

"Aye, just a few more words, my lord." He finished, and pressed the cork stopper back into the ink-bottle, and they all moved forward.

Ben walked beside Will, as Dom had gone to speak to a man waiting by the roadside, and, plucking up courage, asked quietly for a few sheets of parchment. Will eyed his master's back, and fell back a few paces. "Why do you need it?" he asked in a low voice.

Ben told him, and told the man a few other things, as well. The group stopped at the crossroads, and Ben tucked the parchment he had been given into the sleeve of his capacious robe.

"I will meet you at the river tomorrow morning, my lord," Dom bowed at Elijah. "Do you wish me to arrange the jury, or would you prefer to do so?"

Elijah was grateful for the offer. He, after all, knew no-one in the town. All the men in the four nearest villages were supposed to be found to attend a jury, but it was impossible to drag so many away from their daily tasks, Elijah knew that. He had had to manage with six, on other occasions; this time he hoped for a few more.

"Thank you, Sheriff. Do your best to get as many as possible there. I know how difficult it can be," he replied, stiffly, and walked off to visit the widow in her affliction, as the scriptures commanded.

*****

Elijah had just finished eating the mid-day meal, when Will brought the subject of the parchment up.

"You're not going to like it, my lord, but I gave the Sheriff's young clerk six sheets of parchment." He laid down half a silver penny on the small table beside his master's chair, set in front of a warming fire. "I knew you wouldn't like it, so I am paying for it myself. That is more than the correct amount, I assure you."

Elijah leaned back in his chair, and carefully regarded his servant. The man did not look away, but stared straight into his master's eyes.

"I suppose you will tell me why you did such a thing, Will. I have not known you ever to hide a...fault...from me before."

Will folded his arms, a frown puckering his brow. He thought for a moment before speaking. "Well, the boy asked if I could spare him some, and when I pressed him as to why he wanted it, he told me they have had no pay for months, because damned John's bandits are stealing the cash chests containing the soldiers' wages before they can be delivered, and they are running out of food at the keep. They are keeping most of it for the little ones, he said. There is no money to waste on parchment in conditions like that. They have been writing on palimpsests, and, as a result, can hardly read their documents."

Elijah's face relaxed, and he smiled at his servant, his action forgiven. "That was kind of you, Will. You have a good heart. Take the money back, I do not want it. Give the lad as much parchment as he needs..."

He broke off, suddenly, the memory of the morning's breakfast rising fresh in his mind. "No wonder the lad ate as if he was starved," Elijah breathed. "Poor boy." But Elijah had no such tender thoughts for the Sheriff, even though Will told him Dom shared in the keep's privations.

Elijah called for Andrew's wife, and asked her to go and make discreet enquiries at the keep. "Do not worry if it makes dinner late - tell Annie I said so. I can wait. Take a cheese for the Sheriff, that will help you to get in. He said how much he enjoyed the one he ate here. Try to talk to some of the women. Find out how things stand there, Mary. Whether the mothers and children are suffering. Let me know if it is as bad as the lad says."

As Mary left on her mission, Will coughed, and looked at Elijah, another apology already written on his pleasant face. "Andy and I have something else to tell you, my lord, which you may not like. It concerns a pair of your shoes..."


*****

Several hours later, three large wagons were driven into the keep. One contained livestock - ducks, hens, and roosters in wicker cages, and several pigs for fattening. The other two were stacked high with foodstuffs - cheeses, grain, flitches of bacon, salted ham and mutton, and dried goods and fruits. Two cows in milk were herded in, with their calves beside them. A little of the coin that Will had confessed to being hidden in Elijah's spare shoes had been put to good use.

The wagons trundled in just as Dom and Ben were cutting the mould and iron-hard rind off the two small pieces of cheese that was their evening meal, and pouring a little beer over half a loaf of dry bread to soften it.

Wuffa clambered up the stairs again, carrying a small pouch, and a sealed letter. The Sheriff stared at it for a moment, then carefully opened the parchment, well aware that it could be re-used.

From a friend. Use the coin wisely, and ensure that the food is distributed fairly. There will be more, if need arises. The children shall not starve.

Dom gazed at the Constable, astonishment visible in his face.

"Come down and fetch your ham, Sheriff, and a cheese, before it is all dispensed. A man came with it, with orders to see it was shared equally between all of us. Some has been set aside for you and Ben."

Ben raced out of the door, and thumped down the steps, returning, minutes later with a sack containing a large cooked ham, and a cheese, and other items, and carrying a basket of vegetables and fruits, which he put on the floor. "We can make stew, Sheriff - there are lots of vegetables, and the meat will last longer that way."

The Sheriff nodded, absently, still perplexed, and went to his desk. He emptied the pouch onto it, and out clattered silver pennies, making an impressive pile on the scarred wood.

"Who...? Did you know the man in charge of the distribution, Ben?" Dom said, sitting down heavily, and regarding the money with a respect akin to awe.

Ben shook his head silently as he counted it. "No, sir - never seen him before. Nearly ten marks, Sheriff. Enough for food for the whole keep, and more, for half a year, or until our money comes - that's if it does come."

Dom glanced at his clerk, and there was a hard look in his eyes. "It'll come, lad. I am ordering a troop of guard out to meet it, and to escort it here, and the Mayor of Foxworth is sending armed men to accompany it from his end. They'll meet up at the bridge at Holmsleigh."

A rare smile brightened his thin face. "Slice the ham, Ben. We'll have another feast today, then we must take care of it - eke it out - until the money arrives. Such generosity must not be abused."

Wuffa went out, saying his men had planned a feast of cheese and bread for the guard, also, and that the women had been put in charge of organising and cooking food suitable for the children and babies. He said the cheese would be enough for him, as it was for his men, as the wives were cooking stew for supper; however, he did relent, tempted by the smell, and took a thick slice of ham to munch on the way down.

Ben laughed, and said it was a wonder that Wuffa remained so fat, when he knew for a fact that he had eaten as little food, lately, as had they.

They sat down to a fine dinner. "I wonder who sent it, Ben? There are few outside the keep who know of our circumstances here, and none who would care if we starved, or not. Do you have any idea who our benefactor could be?" said Dom, slicing the ham carefully. None must be wasted.

Ben, eating his second wonderful meal of the day, lied valiantly, for he well knew he had told the crowner's man of their predicament. He hoped that Dom would not recognise the taste of the cheese, or the fine flavour of the ham, and replied - crossing his fingers under the table, and promising to attend confession later - that he had no idea at all who could have been so generous to them.


*****


Elijah had been horrified to learn from Mary that two very young children at the keep were grievously sick because they could not stomach the harsh provisions, and their mothers' milk had long since dried up.

Mary had painted a grim picture of the foodstore, which contained little except a few root vegetables and a sack or two of mouldy grain.

Will and Andrew had been instantly forgiven their behaviour concerning the hidden coin. Elijah knew that no thieves would hide their ill-gotten gains in their master's clothing, or, having done so, confess to having taken it in the first place. He knew his men, and trusted them.

"It will come in useful for any emergency we might have," Elijah said to them, after he had sent his steward out with two of the grooms to purchase food and livestock, and to hire wagons.

" It will be useful, until the rents and ship-money come in. I cannot eat, and see people starve."

Andrew agreed with his master. He had seen Saracen children starve at Outremer. Had seen his lord go without food for days, so that they might be fed until the provision ships came in.

When King Richard had protested that he could not save them all - Elijah had smiled wearily. "if I save one little one, my lord king, it will satisfy me."


"He's a good man," said Andrew, to his brother over a jug of ale after Elijah had gone to bed a happy man.

"Aye, he is," agreed Will, pouring another cup of ale. "But he seems to have taken an uncommon dislike to the Sheriff, does he not?"

Andrew nodded thoughtfully. “That he has, indeed.”

******

The next morning proved fine, but misty. Elijah, Will and Andrew trudged down to the riverside through the mud created by last night's downpour.

The Sheriff was waiting patiently, sitting on an upturned cask, accompanied by Ben, and the two guards who had stood watch over the body during the night. The ten men Dom had gathered as jury stood nearby, not knowing what they were expected to do, but hopeful that they would all soon be released to their work, now the crowner was here.

The widow, accompanied by her maid and her two sons, stood slightly apart. Elijah acknowledged them as he walked past to the hut, and the Sheriff stood as he approached.

"Good morning to you, my lord," Dom bowed, and Elijah nodded to him briefly, but turned immediately to Will, who stood forward, and yelled in stentorian accents: "All hail and attend, all you who have business at this inquest on the body of Archerus Flagsheet, Guild-Master and Merchant, now deceased, which will be conducted by the gracious king's appointed servant, and coroner, Lord Elijah de Woode. Give ear to him, and attend!"

The hut was too small to contain everyone who would liked to have witnessed the proceedings, so Elijah beckoned the jury forward, and the sons of the dead man. His widow, however, refused to remain outside, so she was allowed in also.

Dom and Ben stood in the doorway of the overcrowded hut, both interested to see how the new man conducted his duties.

The body lay as it had the previous day. Elijah called the guard forward from their post behind the corpse.

"No-one has touched the body since you took guard?" he asked.

"Only the widow, my lord. And we took care that nothing was disturbed," answered one. Elijah dismissed them, and, as they left, Dom and Ben took their places.

"First-finder!" Will barked, and the man, who was also a juror, came forward, and gave the story that he had revealed the day before.

The widow was heard to sniff, but she remained composed.

"Is there presentment of Englishry?" Elijah asked, looking at the dead man's sons.

"No, my lord," replied the elder, clearing his throat. "Our father was of Dutch descent. His grandfather was a Hollander cloth merchant, from Utrecht."

There was a relieved sigh from the assembly. If the man had proved of Norman descent, the area in which he had been found, would have been fined.

"No amercement will be levied against the hundred, as no presentment of Englishry can been made," Elijah announced, and even the Sheriff smiled. "Neither shall I amerce the hundred for not raising the hue-and-cry, because it is obvious to all that the killer was long gone by the time the first-finder discovered the body."

Elijah turned to the jury. "But I must remind you, that it is the law, that when a body is found, the first-finder has a legal duty to knock the doors of the first four dwellings, and raise the hue-and-cry. Citizens must take to the streets to attempt to find the killer, if he may still be close."

Dom humphed at the reminder of their obligation, but Elijah ignored him. He was getting good at it, Dom thought.

Elijah glanced at Will, and nodded, and he put down his parchment and ink, and went to help Andrew to undress the man.

"Is this necessary," said the elder son, his voice tight with pain. "My mother..."

Elijah smiled sadly at the young man. "An inquest must contain such procedures, I am sorry to say. Judgement must be made, if possible, as to the manner of death. We will be mindful of him, I promise you."

Andrew took from his scrip a small linen sheet, which was draped over the lower half of the man before his hosen were unlaced. There was a slight cough from the elder son, but nothing more.

Dom noticed a look of relief on the families' face as they saw their loved one treated with such respect. Elijah's predecessor had not been so gentle or so considerate a man.

"Come forward," Elijah instructed the jury, and some men eagerly crowded to the front, whilst others preferred to stand back. Not all had a morbid curiosity about death.

"Master Flagsheet has no scrapes or cuts on the front of his body, as you can all plainly see. There was a mill-stone - unaccountably missing..." the crowner said, after glancing at the wall where the stone had previously rested, ...hanging about his neck. I shall not name the stone deodand, for it was not the cause of his death. He was thrown in from the jetty, already dead. You three men, come forward and lift the body."

Three men the coroner had indicated in the front row eagerly stepped forward, anxious to gain this knowledgeable - and impressive - young man's approval.

They were workmen - two were masons, judging by the dust on their clothing, Dom thought - used to lifting heavy weights. But Flagsheet was a very big man, tall and fat, and when they were instructed to lift him shoulder high, it was seen that even these men had a struggle to do so.

"Turn him over, and put him face down," Elijah instructed, as Andrew re-arranged the covering sheet.

"You can all see this wound in his back," Elijah pointed out, as the interested men leaned forward for a better look. "It goes in deep." He withdrew his own knife and placed it into the wound. All could see he did not have struggle to push it in.

The widow turned her gaze away, shuddering, and her sons took her hands.

"This wound was the cause of death," he said, wiping the knife on the sheet, and returning it to its sheath. "It goes in to his heart."

"Now, there is one other thing that I have noticed," the coroner continued. He went over to the pile of wet clothing Andrew had placed, neatly folded, on the floor. He picked up a purse, heavy with coin, and made of nicely tooled leather.

"The motive for this murder was not robbery, whatever else it was. His purse contains much coin. And, furthermore, as you have seen, it took three strong men to lift him. It was not a crime committed by one person - or, rather, if the murderer was alone with Master Flagsheet during the killing, others helped him afterwards."

A slight murmur went around the hut, and then silence fell, as all waited to see what would happen next.

"If the weapon is found that inflicted this wound, it shall be declared deodand, and, if the family is willing - for they are not in need - it shall be sold, and the money be given to the city's poor."

The elder son nodded his assent, and Elijah gave his pronouncement.

"This prominent citizen of our city was murdered by a person, or persons, unknown. You, the jury, must consider if this conclusion is the correct one. Talk about it together, and choose a spokesman."

Elijah moved towards the widow and her sons, and told them that they could now make immediate arrangements for the body to be removed to the cathedral. He supposed such an eminent citizen would be buried there, in a tomb befitting his consequence.

The plump widow clasped Elijah's hand, and with tears now brimming from her eyes, thanked him for the gentle way he had treated her beloved husband. The sons, too, were grateful, and the elder slipped out to fetch the men he had hired to carry his father to his final resting place.

The jury held a hurried discussion, whispering, their heads close together, and the butcher, the chosen spokesman, anxious to return to his shop, announced, just as the son returned, that Master Flagsheet had been slain, by one or more person - or persons - unknown, just as the crowner had said.

Dom hid a smile, but he knew it was the only verdict that could be reached.

Elijah was just about to leave the hut, when a small lad, no more than thirteen years old, poorly dressed, undernourished and pale, came forward.

"I found it," he explained, trembling with fright. "I won't get into trouble, will I? I found it, I didn't steal it. I was going to sell it for food..."

With that, he fumbled within his ragged clothing, and brought out a silver dagger, with a long, sharp, thin blade, and an intricately carved ivory handle.

"It had dried blood on it, but I washed it off. I didn't know it had killed this man, I thought he had been drownded, I swear I did! Don't hang me, please. My mother is a widow..." The boy dissolved into tears.

Elijah took the knife gently from the boy. "Will, give the lad two silver pennies in advance of the deodand, please." The boy smiled tremulously, as he clutched his reward, all thought of punishment immediately forgotten.

"Thank you, sir crowner. Shall I show you where I found it?"

Elijah nodded, "in a little while," and held the weapon up to look at it more closely.

The widow gave a gasp as she caught sight of the knife. "God save us! Roger, Edmund, look! It's his, I swear! I gave it to him myself. My lord, my husband was murdered with his own knife!"



GLOSSARY


Amerce/Amercement:

To punish by a fine imposed at the discretion of the court or appointed official.

Coroners were allowed to amerce people, or whole villages and towns, for infractions of several rules. The fine for an incorrectly reported murder - for example, no hue-and-cry made - (see below) could be as much as four marks. As a mark was thirteen shillings and fourpence, and the average labouring man's wage one or two pence a day, this often caused a village, or hundred, (see below) severe financial distress.


Deodand:

from L. Deo dandum - "a thing to be given to God."

In English law, a personal chattel (knife, hammer, or any moveable item, such as a cart; even livestock such as pigs, bulls, horses, etc;) which, having been the immediate cause of the death of a person, was forfeited to the Crown to be sold, and the monies applied to charitable uses. Abolished in 1846.


First-Finder:

The discoverer of a corpse, or of a crime, such as rape or arson.


Hue and Cry:

When a body was found murdered, the first-finder (obviously the man/woman/child who found the corpse) was obliged, by law, to run and knock on the doors of at least the first four houses nearby, shouting hue and cry! All the inhabitants therein had to rush out, and attempt to find the killer by thoroughly searching the vicinity.

This had to be done, even if it was obvious that the corpse had been dead for some time, because if no Presentment of Englishry (see below) was made upon the body, the hundred (see below) would be fined twice - once for the dead man/woman/child being of Norman descent, and once for failing in the hue and cry.

Sometimes people moved corpses to other villages, so they would not incur the fine.

These fines could bankrupt a small village, which would be in debt to the Crown for years to come.


Hundred:

Meaning "division of a county or shire with its own court", still to be seen in some British place names, was a term from Old English, and probably an area representing 100 "hides" (a hide = a unit of land measuring between 60-120 acres).

For example, the three hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham are in Buckinghamshire. They are known as The Chiltern Hundreds. The woods nearby were once a hiding place for robbers. These days, if an MP (Member of Parliament) wishes to resign his/her seat in the House of Commons, they are said to have "taken the Chiltern Hundreds", as no work is needed to maintain the position. It effectually means they are out of a job.


Palimpsest:

A parchment off which the previous writing had been scraped, to allow it to be re-used. Parchment was expensive. Sometimes the skin - (parchment was animal skin, not paper, as is sometimes thought. Usually made of vellum, or calf-skin) - was scraped so many times, the surface became porous, and the writing was all but illegible, as in this tale.


Presentment Of Englishry:

Englishry, or Englescherie, is a legal name, given, in the reign of William the Conqueror, to the proving of the fact that a person, who had been unlawfully slain, was an Englishman.

If an unknown man was found murdered, he was presumed to be a Norman, and the hundred,(see above) was fined accordingly, unless it could be proved that he was English. All inhabitants of the hundred had to contribute to the fine, known as a murdrum fine, if the killer was not caught.

Englishry, if established, excused the hundred the fine. Englishry was abolished in 1340.

Comments

[verangel.livejournal.com]

I LOVE THIS!!!!!! I am totally mesmorized by this tale you are weaving and learning so much. All the laws and how the people are affected. I was so glad that Ben sought Will out and then Will told Elijah so their poverty was revealed. I was fascinated by the fact that absense of the hue and cry could lead to such a heavy fine...and Dom had not scene to this apparently. I am so immersed in the words and what is going on from the moment I start reading.
With so many chapters ahead you wouldn't consider two a week? heehee...it is so good and now I have to wait till next Sunday. I will reread it again.
Hugs you....you are a treasure of knowledge and your story is terrific. I love this Elijah. xoxooxxo v

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank, my dear. In truth, I was a little worried that people might not love it as much as I do - so you've reassured me no end. I can assure you, as always, that all will be well with out bois in the end, whatever happens in between!! Hugses. :D xxx

[bellewood.livejournal.com]

This is wonderful!!!!! I love it! Have only read a fraction today..no time for more right now, but i just had to comment on how much i'm enjoying it! I shall print it out to read later... thank you for this Issi!

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Belle! I hope you enjoy it as much when you return to it! xxx

[bellewood.livejournal.com]

I know i will... In fact i'm printing out parts 1 & 2 as of now, so that i can read it all again in the future..

[mole-caz.livejournal.com]

Brilliant Ru! I'm really enjoying this story in all its mediaeval glory.

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Thank you, Moley! I'm enjoying it myself. Giggles. :D xxx

[tristanpaulus.livejournal.com]

Keep it coming, ismenin. I usually don't even like AU, but this is interesting. I think it's the murder mystery angle, and the fact that it's kind of a unique setting and situation you've set up.

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Thank you! There's plenty of murder and mystery in this one. It's only an AR in that I sometimes like to tweak facts about a bit, and if you do that, sometimes folks in the know say "Oh, they didn't have that in the 12th century!" Mostly, though, it's accurate. Even down to the carrots and parsnips, later on! I hope you'll continue to enjoy it. :D xxx

[pattilovesviggo.livejournal.com]

I look forward to Sundays now and your stories. Fab!
Elijah is so generous to the poor people, I`ll bet they`ll love him when/if they find out he`s the provider of the food.

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Bless! He is so sweet. Can't help lovin' him. :D xxx

[primula-baggins.livejournal.com]

This was very interesting! I'm enjoying learning about the various customs of that time. Apparently, Normans were not very well thought of if people could be fined so much. Or am I misinterpreting that? I'm glad Elijah was generous to the woman who owned the millstone and to the others. Glad too that he gave provisions to Dom and company. I'll be surprised if Dom doesn't figure out soon who did this for him. Who else could afford it but Elijah? But then Elijah wasn't being friendly to Dom, so perhaps he wouldn't expect it from him.

Elijah sure is holding a grudge about Dom. I wonder if he'll ever get over it? These two should be falling in love sometime, soon! :D

My only regret is that I couldn't keep reading and reading. I love reading your stories. : )

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my love, and again for the beautiful pic! Hugs.

Well, I think we have to remember here, that in 1066 at Hastings, only 130 before, William, a Norman, and a bastard, slew Harold, the King, and declared himself King of England. Of course, at that time, the very angry Anglo-Saxons killed off any invading Normans they could find, especially travelling alone, or drunk, in fury at being subjugated, but at the time the story was set, there had been much intermarrying, and although there were still grumblings of discontent, things had settled.
The presentment of Englishry law provided very necessary funds to replace the 150,000 marks (millions in todays money) ransom for Richard, from the Germans who captured him, which bulk came from enforcibly taxing the people - plus fund the crippling costs of the crusade. It was another 200 years before Englishry was abolished. The poor citizens were taxed on nearly everything. But, like us, these days, they moaned and put up with it. What else could they do? :D

Now, why does Lighe dislike Dom so much? We'll see! ;D xxx

[aprilkat.livejournal.com]

This is so fascinating! You write so well, integrating the historical information so seamlessly with the story that it's almost unnoticeable. So we can relate to the characters without feeling detached by the otherness of their culture, even while we soak in the information.

The two guys are obviously suffering from UST! Can't wait to see more of this.

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

UST they have by the bucket-load! Very true! Glad you like it, my dear. :D xxx

[laeliacatt.livejournal.com]

Since I married into a family of lawyers, I found all the legal talk in this chapter very entertaining. The jury's duties and instructions by the coroner, sound a lot like our Grand Jury proceedings here in the US, since the Grand Jury decides if charges are to be filed.

Now that the jury has decided that Archerus was indeed murdered, Elijah and Dom can play Holmes and Watson...that is, if they can stand being around each other that long. :D

[ismenin.livejournal.com]

Yes, I find it all very interesting, too. I'm surprised so many folks agree with me.

And Dom n Lij get to like each other - a lot! ;D xxx

[janejanejane.livejournal.com]

Really interesting chapter. I'm thoroughly enjoying this *who-dunnit* :-)

It's very educational, too. I've learned things I never knew about ancient laws!

Thanks very much for this. Btw, did you get my email re Friday, Pat and Richard and Facebook, etc? I may or may not phone this Friday depending on when we get back from our day out.

Love and hugs
XXXX

PS

[janejanejane.livejournal.com]

As always, I love your Elijah character in this, he's so caring and generous but quietly so... *bless*

He and Dom will come to an understanding eventually, I know! ;-)

[http://users.livejournal.com/tweedle_/]

Absolutely fascinating. :) *dashes* off to read more. :D XXOO

[lisabellex.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I'm really caught up in this! Such a grand, cracking tale.

Going to make myself a coffee and start the next chapter!

x