This was where Branton and his skill came into their own. He had been Aelfraed’s Sergeant of Archers and what he did not know about archery was not worth knowing. Garth’s wound had healed but he was not the warrior he was and father made him steward of the manor. He was reluctant at first but we needed someone to deal with the tenants. A manor was like a huge estate back home in Constantinople. We were lucky in that there were few disputes which my father needed to settle but that was because we had so few farmers. He would soon have to hold a court for the minor disputes which might arise. We had come to a world which was totally different to the Empire. Here each manor was like a small kingdom and the lord of the manor had great power. Although I spent much of my time either hunting or training with Harold and Branton’s men I attended the weekly council meeting which father held. The council consisted of father, Garth, Father Peter, William the Mason, Wulfstan and myself. At the first meeting my father made it clear that he wanted representation from the farmers. This was not to make decisions but so that he could consult them. Father Peter was our link to the tenants. They trusted and liked him despite his youth. He worked tirelessly to visit each tenant during the week. He held classes to teach some of the young how to read. I discovered that this was unusual. The king and the Normans wished the people to be kept in the dark.
