Lady Godiva of Coventry

Open up there. Make way!

Be that the royal party on the way to Coventry?

Get your sheep out of the way.

Make haste, man. You're delaying King Edward and the Duke of Normandy.

I understand, but the sheep do not.

Son, explain it to the animals.

Get them out of the way.

Welcome to Coventry, sire.

Forgive the poor animals. They don't know you're the King.

You see how it is in England, Cousin William?

Shepherds and sheep alike are an independent breed.

Yes, Count Eustace has been trying to explain that to my niece.

M'lady, be you Lady Yolande, the Norman bride chosen for m'lord Leofric?

Count Eustace!

Your pardon, sire.

- Mayhap it be you? - Fool. I am sister of the King.

Ah. Then you be already married to Count Eustace.

You, back to your sheep.

Pursuing a husband! It is humiliating.

I wish I had never left Normandy.

Your uncle is already weary of your complaints, Lady Yolande.

A barbarian husband in a barbaric country.

I have good reason to complain.

Your alliance with a Saxon earl will someday be important to William.

Did you get a look at her, Milord Leofric?

Aye, I did.

I got a very good look, shepherd.

What a gruesome prospect for a cold night!

I have two sheep just like her, all bones and no meat.

She's far too frail a wench to bear strong children.

Have no fear, she'll bear no children of mine.

Ride hard, Humbert. It would be ungracious if the royal party arrived at my castle

with nobody to welcome them.

I'll do me best, M'lord.

And, Humbert, make them feel the warmth of our hospitality.

Then tell the King, sweetly and gently,

that I am freeborn and of an age to choose my own bride.

And when shall you be there, M'lord?

When shall I be there?

Not until they have gone!

- Goodbye, shepherd, and thanks. - Good hunting, Milord.

Speak up, man, or else go away and let me eat in peace.

Sir, when I was a soldier for Earl Leofric, I once served table in his tent.

If I did not know it were impossible, I'd swear you were milord.

Why is it impossible?

I know, everybody knows,

Earl Leofric is in Coventry being married this very day.

Not this day or any other!

But yesterday, the Earl of the West Saxons and his sons

stopped here on their way to the wedding.

Godwin? Here in my domain?

Please, sir. This is the only good table I have left.

Look here, sir. Look.

Another war with the West Saxons near broke out in my tavern.

We'll be the day clearing up.

- What did Godwin do? - It was his sons.

Four of them were lamenting at being forced to go to your wedding.

If you'll forgive me, Milord, they said they'd much sooner go to your funeral.

Then someone threw a barrel and the fight was on.

- Who won? - I only know that I lost.

By the time the Sheriff arrived and dragged your men away,

that was the condition of my furniture.

- And Godwin? - He went on to your wedding.

But only one of his sons was in condition to go with him.

If there is a bed unbroken, prepare a room for me.

Milord.

Milord.

- My Sheriff. - Your Lordship.

Your Sheriffship. Speak up, man. Well, what is it?

Milord, I've just received an order from the King.

The same order has gone to every sheriff in the domain.

I'm commanded to take you into custody.

When next I see King Edward, which I hope will not be for some time,

I shall tell him you did not see me. Now, sit down.

Ale for the Sheriff of Lincolnshire.

The King commands that you be brought to Coventry by force if need be.

Good Sheriff, what think you will happen when my men-at-arms

behold you marching me by force through the gates of my own castle?

No.

Unfortunately, they are a hot-blooded lot, and very good swordsmen.

Well, I could forget ever having met Your Lordship.

But should I let you go and the King learn of it,

my life would be forfeit.

Would you please do me the honour to accompany me to Coventry?

- No. - No?

Well, then...

Would you at least promise to stay here until I receive further orders from the King?

- No! - No.

Well...

Then, Milord, I must ask you to...

Please do me the honour to consider yourself my prisoner.

You are very persuasive.

Your Sheriffship.

Again I beseech you, Milord. There's no need for you to be locked up in a foul dungeon.

You've only to pledge me your word you'll attempt no escape.

I will pledge you nothing.

But it may be two or three days until word comes from the King.

Certainly, you'll be more comfortable in my house as my guest.

But I might be tempted to bash in your head and leave.

Be grateful you have a strong dungeon.

Oh, rest easy, Sheriff. When I see the King, I shall commend your efficiency.

- By what name are you known? - Thorold of Bucknell, Milord.

Thorold? That's an excellent name. It's a musical name.

Rolls off the tongue with the smoothness of an oath.

Thank you, Milord.

Should ever I become the father of a son, I shall name him after you.

Milord!

- Unless, of course, I am first married. - Thank you, Milord.

By my faith! A new tenant.

Speak up, friend. What crime beings you to our happy household?

- None. - Oh! An innocent.

Tell us your sad story so we can weep for you.

And what crime, then, did you not commit?

- Poaching? - Highway robbery?

A little murder?

Not that it's any of your affair.

I refused to be forced into a marriage.

I said he was a poacher. I merely mistook the type of game.

If she be one of our local wenches, I'll wager we know her.

Yes. And if not, we'd like to.

- And what is her name? - Don't you dare!

Don't you dare tell them!

You've done the poor girl enough harm already without bragging about it.

- Bragging? - You think it's great sport, don't you?

- I assure you... - But if you had a shred of honour, you'd...

But no, rather than marry, you hide out in this dungeon.

And if it were up to me, I'd give you a lash, a hundred lashes.

Still that tongue, woman! I have no concern over your opinion of me.

But I have wronged no innocent maiden. In truth, I have seen her but once.

Ha! And that once was enough.

From a distance. I was never even close to her.

- But I thought... - It is clear what you thought.

- This marriage is a whim of the King's. - What is this new King of ours?

A marriage broker?

Only today, he married off our own Lord Leofric.

- And to a Norman! - Save your sympathy.

Our good Lord Leofric is happy now and married to a Norman power.

Were he half the Saxon that we think, why, he'd rot in a dungeon first before...

You're Lord Leofric?

Forgive us, Your Lordship.

Tell me, how long has it been the happy custom of sheriffs

to keep female prisoners in the same dungeon with men?

You think I'm a prisoner?

- Why you! - Godiva! Now...

It's not surprising.

Everyone's heard about our gay Lord Leofric. How would you know about such as me?

You and your highborn careless ladies! Your Spanish tavern singer from Dover!

Let me tell you, Lord...

- Contain your temper. - Let me go!

In heaven's name, who is this she-wolf?

She's no prisoner, Milord, but Godiva, the sister of the Sheriff.

Oh. Well...

Then I beseech your pardon.

But, if it is safe to ask,

pray tell me, what is the sister of a Lord High Sheriff

doing in a dungeon with three men?

Well, she beings us food. Maybe Your Lordship is hungry.

The Sheriff of Lincolnshire dines his prisoners well.

Oh! My brother doesn't know about it.

Oh, these three are old friends.

He carved my fist doll.

And when I wanted a dog, these two got it for me.

Stolen, it turned out to be.

If I had half a wit, I'd forget that I ever met them.

- Oh. Grimald. - Milord.

And this...

This lad here is Oswin, my nephew.

Oh, and Pendar.

And three greater troublemakers never existed in your entire domain.

Pay no heed to her words, My Lord. In truth, our greatest wish is to uphold the peace.

It seems we were in the Ox and Bow quietly drinking ale when Earl Godwin...

- Oh, you were part of that brawl? - We were all of it!

- Against Godwin and his five sons? - And their 15 men-at-arms.

Lucky there was no more of them. We might have lost the fight.

It's a shame we meet in jail.

Such heroism as theirs should be rewarded with wine.

- Wine? - Wine!

- We accept. - Don't talk with your mouth full.

After curfew, we'll all go down to the Ox and Bow.

No. Pay no attention to them, Milord. Men in prison have strange dreams.

But, Godiva, you've taken us there in the past many times.

Yes.

The tavern keeper's our friend. He lets us in after hours.

- That's right. - And he has good wine and never informs.

And he's a fine man. Someday we may even pay him.

Aye.

- No. - Oh, but...

Do you fear I will escape?

Even as I would, Milord, were I in your position.

I would not pledge your brother, Godiva, but I'd gladly pledge you.

On my honour I will attempt no escape.

Please, Godiva.

Gossip is common in Coventry

that many a lady has lived to regret milord's promises.

Do you want me to plead with you?

Right now, I don't know exactly what I do want.

Now, now, judge fairly, Milord.

- Which was the harder blow? - It was a tie again. Try once more.

Aw, that was the third time.

Try again. All right.