King's Gold

With the assistance of Sir Richard, Baldwin had managed to instil a sense of urgency into the men in the castle. In place of the leisurely rebuilding works, there was now an atmosphere of febrile activity. The stores had been replenished, and the wall and keep prepared for attack.

‘There are plenty more sections of wall that would benefit from repairs,’ Sir Richard said. ‘Looks like a group of choristers could push it over in places.’

‘We shall have to do the best we may,’ Baldwin said. He looked about him at the defences and felt a twinge to see so much more that needed to be done.

‘We’ll be prepared enough,’ Sir Richard said.

‘Perhaps.’

It was while they were still on the wall, talking about the need for supplies of arrows, that they saw the approaching dust.

Baldwin narrowed his eyes. His sight was not as keen as it once had been. ‘Who is that?’

‘No idea. Soon find out, though,’ Sir Richard said.

They descended the stairs and reached the yard a short while before the rider appeared.

‘I must see the castellan,’ the lad panted.

Baldwin eyed him. This was no messenger of the King; it was a youth of perhaps sixteen mounted on a rounsey. ‘You can tell us. I am Sir Baldwin, this is Sir Richard de Welles.’

‘Sirs, a group of men led by a Dominican Friar and his brother Stephen Dunheved caused a riot in Cirencester the day before yesterday. The whole town’s in an uproar, and three were killed. I’ve been sent to warn you that they may come this way next. They have a large company with them.’

‘Aha!’ Sir Richard boomed. He looked about at Baldwin. ‘Well, maybe we’ll get a chance to test our defences sooner than we’d expected, eh?’

Second Tuesday before Ascension

Berkeley Castle

Their efforts were bringing results, Baldwin reckoned. The labourers seemed to appreciate the dangers and were working well. The walls where the worst of the dilapidation had taken its toll were already patched and mended. Enhancements to the defences were being added wherever possible, and there were additional items designed to ensure the King’s safety. The smith from the nearby town was commissioned to make new bars and bolts to keep Sir Edward safe in his chamber, and there were new keys for his door, four of them, of which Baldwin took one, and Sir Richard another. Then there were new locks for the door to the Chapel of St John in the tower, and for a postern gate that faced Alkington. After looking about the defences, Baldwin and Sir Richard also agreed to have a new lock and hinges with reinforcing bars fitted to the chamber over the outer gate. This gave them three secure locations in which to hold off attackers.

Baldwin hoped that they would not be necessary, but in these times it was not possible to be sanguine about their chances of keeping the King safe if they did not take all precautions. The rioting in Cirencester showed all too clearly that the Dunheveds were still a force to be feared. There had come reports of the Dunheved gang raiding other places about Berkeley. Wandering men were robbing travellers, while riders were out stealing cattle and sheep to feed their growing numbers. Meanwhile there had been a pair of murders in the last two days, and one hideous rumour of a woman who was raped repeatedly, while her farm was torched with her husband tied up alive inside it, but Baldwin had not been able to substantiate that.

It was in part due to this last story that Baldwin had taken to riding out across the country with Edgar. He had established a perimeter of farmsteads and villas at about a mile and a half distance all around the castle, and he would visit this each morning to ensure that all was secure. If incursions began to affect these places, he would become more concerned and close up the castle. Fortunately, so far there had been no signs of additional violence within his boundary.

However, for the last few days the atmosphere in the castle had grown more tense. All were aware of the potential for disaster, were the Dunheveds and their gang to get inside. While there was no outbreak yet of complete panic, there were some signs of growing alarm. Baldwin recalled that there had been a similar mood within Acre during the siege. His secret fear was that the men within the castle might themselves react by rebelling.

For his part, at least Sir Edward of Caernarfon appeared to be calm enough. Sir Ralph reported that he sat in his chamber: quiet and unemotional, drinking a quart of wine each afternoon. A kind of fatalism had settled upon him.