Marriage Contract

Copyright oggbashan January 2023

The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

This is a work of fiction. The events described here are imaginary; the settings and characters are fictitious and are not intended to represent specific places or living persons.

[The war between King Stephen and Empress Matilda/Maud was during the period 1135 to 1143. This story is set in those years.]

"Father! I don't want to marry Lord Harfleur. He's ancient! Well over forty and scarred."

"He's forty-nine, Eleanor. He's a proven fighting man and we need protection. You are all we have to offer, our only daughter. You can't be engaged without either the King or the Empress's permission, and we are well within the Empress's territory. The family is real danger unless we find a protector. Lord Harfleur could be that. He's seen and likes you. Empress Maud has agreed. So I'm going to sign the marriage contract."

"My feelings and wishes don't count?"

"I wish they did, but in these troubled times we have to choose. You know I'd prefer to be on King Stephen's side, but he is hundreds of miles away and Empress Maud is only five, in Winchester. Our manor house, although it has a moat, is not defensible if only a small part of Empress' Maud's army attacked us. Only your proposed engagement to Lord Harfleur has kept us safe so far. To save all of us, the engagement has to be real.

"We can't be neutral?"

"No one can be, Eleanor We are already compromised because your cousin Richard is with King Stephen. Our loyalties are suspect because of Richard."

"So are others, father. Even Lord Harfleur's younger son Alan is with Stephen."

"That doesn't matter. Eleanor. Lord Harfleur, his heir, and his troops are with Maud. A younger son doesn't count. Richard is the next male heir of our family. That makes us suspect, but for you."

"So you are sacrificing me?"

"I'm afraid so. You are the only asset we have. We have virtually no fighting men, only a small holding that is in Empress Maud's territory. Marrying our daughter to one of the Empress's prominent commanders will protect us."

"But who protects me?"

"Lord Harfleur, I hope. He was married and I understand he treated his wife well until she died in childbirth with the younger son, Alan. That was twenty-five years ago. Although some widows had wanted to marry him, he wasn't interested in any woman until you."

"I wish he hadn't seen me. I expected to marry whom you would choose but marrying a much older man will be hard."

"You might not be married long. At his age, and in a fighting army, he could die or be killed, leaving you a wealthy widow."

"Who would again be married off to one of Maud's supporters..."

"Probably. I'm sorry, Eleanor, I have no choice."

+++

I had known Lord Harfleur, or rather he had known me, from my birth. He was a distant relation, a third or fourth cousin to my father, and had visited us several times a year. I had regarded him as more of an elderly uncle than a prospective husband. He was pleasant enough but so old.

Lord Harfleur came on a formal visit. I couldn't complain about his behaviour. He was polite, gentlemanly and he kissed my hand once -- as far as he went. I suppose being married to him wouldn't be too terrible. He had a reputation of being a good and fair man. But he's old, scarred on his face, and walks with a limp. I would prefer someone closer to my age, his heir perhaps, who is a few years older than me. His older son, Simon, had come with him but I barely noticed him because his father was so prominent. I thought I might find it awkward to be the stepmother of two adult sons, both slightly older than me. But reluctantly, I agreed.

My father, Lord Harfleur, and I signed the marriage contact in the presence of a clerk and two priests. It stipulated that I would marry Lord Harfleur. I would have a small dowry, but Lord Harfleur would gift me a couple of castles and three manors. If he hadn't been so old, it would have been a good bargain. But it was done. My future was decided, and my wishes were irrelevant.

+++

Man proposes, God disposes.

I didn't see Lord Harfleur again. He was needed as part of the Empress's army, and that army was chased from Winchester after the Empress had tried to persuade the City of London to endorse her, and her army had been repelled by the apprentices and the City Yeomanry The City of London was fiercely independent and they hadn't taken kindly to the Empress telling them what they must do.

The retreat from Winchester was almost a rout. I didn't know it for a few weeks, but Lord Harfleur had been killed as part of the rear guard. His eldest son, Simon, was now Lord Harfleur. The new Lord Harfleur sent a messenger, because it was too dangerous for him to be anywhere near Winchester. He said that not only had he inherited his father's title and estates, but as Lord Harfleur he considered the marriage contract still valid. He would marry me.

I asked to speak to the messenger personally. He was Giles, a young man, perhaps a couple of years older than me, and another distant relation. I asked him about the new Lord Harfleur whom I had seen only twice when he had visited with his father.

"I shouldn't say much, Lady Eleanor," Giles said, "because he is my leader and like his father, one of the Empress' supporters. But I am annoyed with him. He could have sent the message by anyone, a priest or monk perhaps. But he sent me, and by doing so he put me in serious risk. I am known to be one of the Empress' supporters and Lord Harfleur sent me deep in to an area held by King Stephen.

I suppose, as you are to marry him, that you ought to know more about him. Like sending me, he doesn't consider his soldiers or his servants as real people. He treats all of us like chess pawns to be used at will. He doesn't consider our feelings or preferences. We are there to serve him. As long as we do that, we are reasonably safe. But if any of us fails or falls short? Our punishment is severe. We're hoping that once you are married you might persuade him to be more reasonable, but..."

"You're worried he might not change?"

"Yes. We are afraid that he might treat you as he does the rest of us -- someone to be used, and nothing else."

"I'd try to prevent that. I can be obstinate and cantankerous. What's he like as a soldier?""

"Not very good. As an individual he is too slightly built and not particularly skilled. As a leader? His orders are clear but often risky for those following them. We lose too many every time we are in a battle. We wish..."

"We wish?" I prompted.

"The new Lord Harfleur was his father's favourite son. As the heir he was spoilt. His father blamed the younger son, Alan, for his wife's death. Despite Alan growing up to be strong, a skilled swordsman and a good leader of men, his father ignored him. That's perhaps why Alan is on King Stephen's side. His father's dislike would have made it awkward for Alan if he had been for the Empress. But all of us would rather be following Alan than his elder brother."

"But you are the Empress' troops."

"Perhaps. But men at arms and soldiers (I include myself although I am a Squire) follow our Lord. Whoever our Lord supports, so do we. The old Lord Harfleur? No problem. He was a keen and dedicated supporter of the Empress. The new one, Simon? We're not so sure. We think he would change sides to whoever offered him more. That makes us less than enthusiastic, and his attitude to us doesn't help."

I didn't like what Giles had told me about the new Lord Harfleur. Was it a case of out of the frying pan into the fire? Unlike the old one, the new Lord Harfleur was not much older than me. I could be married to him for decades...

My father sent Giles back to Lord Harfleur with a letter of safe conduct that should protect him while in the territory controlled by King Stephen. Giles had suggested that Lord Harfleur and I might be able to meet at an Abbey that was away from the frontline and in a neutral area If that was possible? He would be back.

When Giles returned it was suggested that we meet over the Christmas and New Year time when hostilities would be unlikely.

At the abbey, Lord Harfleur and my parents were housed in different parts and we only met in formal areas with an attendance of monks. That wasn't very satisfactory, but even so I felt that I might have been better engaged to the old Lord Harfleur who had at least treated me with politeness. Simon seemed to assume that whatever he wanted he would get and my consent or input was unnecessary. I wasn't happy being engaged to Simon, even less so than being engaged to his father, whose only fault had been his age. If I married Simon, I would expect our marriage to be a continual fight by me to retain my independence and my husband's respect.

My father and Lord Harfleur arranged for the marriage to be on Saint Valentine's Day in about six weeks' time. Both parties would arrive a couple of days before

Two days before Saint Valentine's Day my father, mother, and I with our attendants arrived at the Abbey in the late afternoon. Lord Harfleur and a much larger group arrived about an hour later. We were surprised when Giles came to our quarters.

"Lady Eleanor? Lord Harfleur would like to see you this evening. You can bring a lady in waiting, your parents and whoever you wish. Lord Harfleur will attend just with me."

"When?" I asked.

"In half an hour? The Abbot has made the chapter house available for us. It is too large, but no one would be able to overhear us."

Overhear us? What was so secret?

I looked at my parents. My father nodded.

"Yes Giles, I will be there in half an hour."

I walked into the Chapter House followed by a lady in waiting. We sat down on some of the chairs. Giles entered followed by a large man I didn't recognise.

"Lady Eleanor?" Giles started. "This is the current Lord Harfleur, Richard, the younger son. Your fiancé was killed near London two weeks ago."

"Lady Eleanor?" Richard spoke in a deep voice. "If you want, I consider the marriage contract null and void. When it was first signed, you were engaged to my father, then my elder brother. The intention was to provide protection from the Empress' side for you and your family. I support King Stephen, so marrying me would be useless as protection from the Empress, wouldn't it?"

I nodded

"But I want you to consider this. King Stephen has appointed me as Sherriff for the county of Dorset, far away from any of the fighting. The previous Sherriff died of old age. King Stephen sent a letter to the Empress advising her of my appointment. Surprisingly, she wrote back, in effect approving my appointment. Why? I don't know. Maybe it is a sign that some agreement is possible between the two sides, or it could be that she just doesn't care who looks after Dorset as long as someone does. I don't know.

But it does mean, if you marry me, that you and your family would be safe in Dorset from both sides. So. It is up to you. Do you want to marry a Lord Harfleur whom you don't know, and keep your family safe even though I am King Stephen's man? Or not? The wedding is set for two days from now. I will give you a day to decide."

"I don't need a day, Alan. You have shown yourself far more reasonable than your brother was. I will marry, Alan, Lord Harfleur, on St Valentine's Day."

"You are sure, Lady Eleanor?"

"Yes, Alan,"

We stayed talking for an hour or so. I liked what Alan revealed of himself. I could see from Giles' attitude that he was much happier with Alan as Lord Harfleur. Over the next day I met many of Alan's men, those that always had been his, and those that had been Simon's. All seemed convinced that they had a more tolerant and reasonable master.

I had been resigned but not particularly happy with being engaged to Alan's father. I hadn't liked his brother Simon. But Alan? He seemed far more reasonable than his brother. If I had to marry whomever my father chose, Alan seemed a much more attractive husband. King Stephen had agreed that Alan could marry me. Presumably the Empress wouldn't but we would be far away from her area of control.

When I told my father that yes, I would marry the third Lord Harfleur and would be living in Dorchester Castle as the wife of the Sherriff of Dorset, he was relieved. He had been worried that three fiancés in less than a year was too many.

On St Valentine's Day, my father escorted my down the aisle of the Abbey church. Giles acted as Alan, Lord Harfleur's Best Man. I was just pleased to have a generous, polite and reasonable husband.

Love? That might come with time, but as wife of the Sherriff I would be running Dorset whenever my husband was away. Squire Giles, now knighted as Sir Giles, was nominally Alan's deputy but in practice I was, while Giles learned his duties.

When I reluctantly signed the marriage contract I could have done far worse.