Chapter 19: Under Siege

(Lady Alwen narrates)

I notice on my way to the brew house, that a crowd of Knights have come arrived at the inn. I am curious, as we have had many families with carts and children and all their baggage, fleeing the fighting in Cheshire, they say. I suppose some Knights know when the battle is lost and live to fight another day. Not like one Knight I know! But walking up the hill to the inn is exercise I could well do without, the baby is growing heavier by the day and my back strain and tired legs are nightly reminders of my advanced condition. My ride around the Oaklea Manor estate with my new Steward yesterday was definitely my last ride until after my chick has hatched!

So, I decide to leave the mess at the Inn to Stephen to cope with, as I don’t want to interfere with his running of the Inn. Let him come find me if he has any problems, he knows where I am these days since the plague hit Bartown. I am satisfied with the way Stephen has worked and have signed him up for the rest of the year. He knows that I am happy with him and, provided he keeps up his present good management, I would have no hesitation in hiring him for at least the next five years. With the inn doing well and the brew house continually expanding, I would think he could have a job here for life, unless he was able to open his own hostelry in time. He was pleased when I advised him of my feelings in this regard and so much relieved, revealing that he wanted to settle down and marry his sweetheart and he couldn’t think of a better community than our village of Oaklea in which to bring up a young family.

I have to agree, even though at present I wish I still had my family close by with me.