Page 209 of The Pillars of the Earth
“William Hamleigh came on the day of the fleece fair, with a troop of men-at-arms, and burned the town,” Aliena said.
Richard paled with shock, and the scar on his right ear showed livid. “William!” he breathed. “That devil.”
“We’ve got a new house, though,” Aliena said expressionlessly. “Alfred’s men built it for me. But it’s much smaller, and it’s down by the new quay.”
“What happened to you?” he said, staring at her. “You’re practically bald, and you’ve got no eyebrows.”
“My hair caught fire.”
“He didn’t ...”
Aliena shook her head. “Not this time.”
One of the girls brought Richard some salt bread to taste. He took some but did not eat it. He looked stunned.
“I’m glad you’re safe, anyway,” Aliena said.
He nodded. “Stephen is marching on Oxford, where Maud is holed up. The war could be over soon. But I need a new sword—I came to get some money.” He ate some bread. The color came back to his face. “By God, this tastes good. You can cook me some meat later.”
Suddenly she was afraid of him. She knew he was going to be furious with her and she had no strength to stand up to him. “I haven’t any meat,” she said.
“Well, get some from the butcher, then!”
“Don’t be angry, Richard,” she said. She began to tremble.
“I’m not angry,” he said irritably. “What’s the matter with you?”
“All my wool was burned in the fire,” she said, and stared at him in fear, waiting for him to explode.
He frowned, looked at her, swallowed, and threw away the crust of his bread. “All of it?”
“All of it.”
“But you must have some money still.”
“None.”
“Why not? You always had a great chest full of pennies buried under the floor—”
“Not in May. I had spent it all on wool—every penny. And I borrowed forty pounds from poor Malachi, which I can’t repay. I certainly can’t buy you a new sword. I can’t even buy a piece of meat for your supper. We’re completely penniless.”
“Then how am I supposed to carry on?” he shouted angrily. His horse pricked up its ears and fidgeted uneasily.
“I don’t know!” Aliena said tearfully. “Don’t shout, you’re frightening the horse.” She began to cry.
“William Hamleigh did this,” Richard said through his teeth. “One of these days I’m going to butcher him like a fat pig, I swear by all the saints.”
Alfred came up to them, his bushy beard full of crumbs of bread, with a corner of a plum loaf in his hand. “Try this,” he said to Richard.
“I’m not hungry,” Richard said ungraciously.
Alfred looked at Aliena and said: “What’s the matter?”
Richard answered the question. “She’s just told me we’re penniless.”
Alfred nodded. “Everyone lost something, but Aliena lost everything.”
“You realize what this means to me,” Richard said, speaking to Alfred but looking accusingly at Aliena. “I’m finished. If I can’t replace weapons, and can’t pay my men, and can’t buy horses, then I can’t fight for King Stephen. My career as a knight is over—and I’ll never be the earl of Shiring.”
