Chapter 8

Time To Pay The Tax.

It's early morning and Joseph is in the Tavern he is wiping down the tables from last night's customers. He is a bit worried it's time to pay this quarter's taxes and he's not sure whether they have enough to pay the taxes and keep the inn open, Joseph is forced to admit it to himself, but it all depends on Lord HighTowers mood when he wakes up this morning.

Joseph is busy working when his wife comes out of the kitchen and into the barroom she's smiling and whistling to herself, she is carrying some flowers in her hands.

Joseph sees his wife so happy smiling and even singing.

He now says to her.

You do know that today is Tax Day and you seem very happy.”

She looks at her husband and just gives him one of her best smiles. she then says to him.

“I think we're just going to be OK.”

Joseph now says to her Maria.

“How can you be so naive we are dozens of gold coins short.”

Joseph lays the gold coins on the table in front of Lord Hightower.

Lord Hightower now starts to count the coins.

When he is finished counting the coins, he puts the coins in an iron chest. And he locks it with a key.

He keeps around his neck.

He then looks at Joseph and says to him.

“You just have the right amount of gold, I thought you would not be able to pay.

And I would be forced to take over the Tavern.

And run it in the name of the king.”

Joseph let out a loud sigh of relief. He wasn't sure how he had the right amount of gold He was sure they were short.

He now saw Maria and Kelly looking at each other with mischievous smiles on their faces.

But he didn't say anything why Lord HighTower was still here.

Lord HighTower now said to Joseph.

“Well as pleasurable as this visit was, I still have other villages that I have to visit.”

He then handed the chest to one of his soldiers; he then leaves the Tavern followed by his wife.

She stops in the Tavern doorway and just smiled at everyone and gives them all a slight nod. Before she too followed her husband out of the Tavern.

Followed by the soldiers.

Outside the Tavern Lord HighTower and his wife climbed into their carriage.

Their carriage was pulled by four big black horses. A coachman sat on top of the carriage driving them.

With the two soldiers that have been in the Tavern with him.

The rest of his escort now mounted.

He leaves the village with an escort of eight mounted soldiers following him.

Four of them had crossbows slung over their backs.

Joseph now says to everybody around him.

“Well, we've paid our taxes, now we must start saving for the next quarter.

I hope we have a few silver coins stored away to help us buy more ale and keep this old place running.”

Kelly and Maria now burst out laughing, each of them now produced a bag of gold coins and put them on the bar next to Joseph.

Joseph just looked at them in astonishment.

He then said to them both.

“Do I really want to know how you earn these coins.”

The two girls looked at each other once more than continued to laugh.

Kelly just said to him.

“Some things are better not knowing all you have to know is we have 300 gold coins between us all.

That should keep us going for a long time.

And me and Maria are going to put on a special show for the customers tonight.”

Joseph now looked at them both questioningly.

However, the girls just giggled and walked away back into the kitchen.

For some reason unknown to Joseph the Tavern was busy tonight, Joseph put it down to Lord HighTower leaving, Joseph noticed that there were only a few women in tonight.

The Tavern never really got a lot of women.

But it did get a few wives who came in for a drink with their husbands.

Wives of travellers with their husbands for business, who shop for food drink and lodgings.

But tonight the Tavern was just full of men, And Maria and Kelly had told him that John would have to help him behind the bar, as they both would be busy. Joseph was even more troubled when group of musicians came into the Tavern and started to set up their instruments. one of them said they had already been paid by his wife, and it was a special night apparently.

Even they did not know what was planned.

Joseph did notices that some of the tables near the end of the barroom had been moved to make a sort of makeshift stage area.

Joseph wondered if Maria was going to sing.

She had a good voice, but she certainly was not a singer and Joseph hoped that she had hired a more capable singer than herself.

The musicians now started to play some very sweet and romantic music.

Joseph stopped what he was doing for a few moments just to listen to the sweet sound of the music.

It had been a long time since the Tavern had had music, mainly because it had been a long time before the Tavern could afford musicians.

But Joseph was thinking this could now become a regular thing.

Because for some reason plenty of people were in the Tavern tonight.

It must be because Maria had told everybody they were having musicians tonight.

But Joseph was surprised how many people would come just to listen to musicians.