The Heart of the Lion - Plaidy Jean (читать книги бесплатно полностью без регистрации сокращений txt) 📗

‘So it would seem that King Richard has arrived,’ she said.

‘That is so, my lady,’ was the answer. ‘He is now at Messina and wants you to join him there.’

With what joy did she ride across the country to Messina. Foolish Tancred, to think he could flout the sister of a man like Richard, of whose power the whole world must be aware.

Messina lay before her; she sent riders ahead to tell her brother that she would soon be there. She wanted their greeting to be public so that all might recognise his power. The people would know that Tancred had imprisoned her but that Richard only had to appear and she was set free.

It was as she had planned. There he was riding out to greet her, more magnificent than ever. He embraced her while the people looked on; and then they rode side by side to the villa of the Knights of St John where she would stay until a residence worthy of her rank was made ready for her.

‘It is an act of God,’ she said soberly, ‘that you have come at this time. If you had not who knows how long I might have remained Tancred’s prisoner.’

‘I should have come to your rescue when I heard.’

‘But you might have been in the Holy Land and I a prisoner for a year or more while awaiting your arrival. Suffice it that you have come and I am free and I thank God for my good brother.’

‘I have a further score to settle with Tancred. You arrived in Sicily with a good dowry. I want to know what happened to that golden table, the silk tent, the galleys and the golden plate.’

‘Tancred has taken them as he has everything that was mine and William’s.’

‘My first task was to free you, sister,’ said Richard. ‘My second will be to regain the treasure. Your husband left a legacy to our father and as he is dead I shall claim that. I need all the money and treasure I can lay my hands on for the Holy War.’

‘I shall pray for you, Richard.’

‘Doubtless we shall need your prayers.’

‘The King of France is your ally in this venture?’

‘Aye, he is my ally . . . I think.’

‘You are not sure?’

‘There must necessarily it seems be rivalry between kings.’

‘I have heard that a great friendship exists between you two.’

‘It has its uncertainties,’ he said shortly, and Joanna sensed that he did not wish to speak of it.

‘You will ere long see our mother, I doubt not. She is at this moment in Brindisi with Berengaria, the Princess of Navarre.’

There were tears in Joanna’s eyes. ‘Forgive my emotion. But a short time ago I was a prisoner and now this is too much joy too suddenly. I have often thought of our mother when she, like myself, was a prisoner. I can sympathise with her more readily now.’

‘Her imprisonment is over as yours is.’

‘And all thanks to you, Richard. How grateful she must be, as I am.’

‘Think not that I should allow my mother and my sister to be ill-treated if there was aught I could do to prevent it.’

‘Thank you, Richard. A thousand thanks.’

‘Come, let us talk of other things. I will tell you of my adventures.’ He described to her how he had arrived at Marseilles and found his ships not yet there and in great impatience he had gone on without them. Hence the fleet’s arrival at Messina before him. He told her of how he had tried to take the poor man’s hawk and nearly lost his life.

‘If you had what would have become of us?’ she cried.

‘Oh, I am not so easily disposed of. We have heaven’s blessing on our crusade. I have evidence of this. My sailors have told me that when a great storm blew up off the coast of Spain, they prayed to God and there appeared on the seething waters a vision of St Thomas a Becket of Canterbury. “Have no fear,” he told them, “for God has appointed me guardian of this fleet and if you repent of your past sins and commit no more, you will have a prosperous voyage.” And the men took heart and soon the storm abated and they came safely to Marseilles.’

‘God is on your side, Richard.’

‘So must He be when we are engaged in his holy war.’

They had arrived at the house and servants came out to welcome her.

Having made sure that everything was there for her comfort Richard left for the Villa de Muschet.

The next day Richard called to see his sister and with him he brought the King of France. Philip was clearly impressed by her beauty and charm and they talked long and earnestly together.

Philip wanted to know where she would go when he and Richard left for Acre. She was not at all sure, she told him, but she was hoping to join her mother.

This raised a certain awkwardness because Philip would know that Queen Eleanor was with Berengaria and he would wonder how there could be a marriage between Richard and the Princess of Navarre when he was betrothed to his sister Alice.

Philip knew this but he was determined to be courteous and the unfortunate subject of Alice was allowed to lapse. Joanna would be naturally curious to learn how the matter was to be resolved but she could see that she could not raise it when Philip was present.

As for Richard he knew that Philip was waiting for the opportune moment to bring up the matter of his betrothal; and then he could be sure that it would be the King who was bargaining and he, Richard, could not hope to escape lightly, nor would Philip allow him to if he could help it – great friends though they were.

Richard said hastily that he had no intention of leaving Messina until he had settled the matter of Joanna’s dowry.

‘Which could delay you for some time,’ Philip pointed out.

‘Then delay there must be for I’ll not allow this avaricious fellow to take what is mine.’

‘I believe,’ said Philip to Joanna, ‘that your brother cares not if I take Acre without him.’

‘You will need my help,’ said Richard, ‘as I shall need yours. We may be assured that the place will be well fortified.’

‘If we delay too long the winter will be upon us.’

‘Still, I shall not allow Tancred to flout me.’

Philip shrugged his shoulders. He devoted himself to Joanna and told her about his little son Louis whose welfare gave him so much concern and how his heart was torn between the desire to lead a campaign into the Holy Land and to be at home to govern his kingdom.

‘You see,’ he explained, ‘when I planned this crusade my Queen was alive. She was there to care for our son. She was to be my Regent, and now I have lost her.’

There was a rapport between them. Joanna had so recently lost a beloved husband. She shared his sense of bereavement which was increased as it often was in the case of people in their position by a loss of security.

They talked together and when the Kings took their leave the attendants were whispering together that the King of France seemed mightily taken with the Queen of Sicily and since he was recently a widower and she a widow, could there be a happy outcome of their meeting?

Settling into his quarters, awaiting the return of the dowry, Richard had discovered that his men were causing a certain amount of discord in Messina. Among the population of Sicily were some of mixed European and Saracen origin; they were a hot-blooded people quickly aroused and ready to fight on the least provocation and they did not like having foreigners on their soil.

Before he had arrived there had been quarrels between the crusaders and the Sicilian natives. Dissension arose for the most trivial reasons. And when the Sicilians realised that King Richard was making arrogant demands to their King, they became more resentful. In such a situation Richard realised that it would be very easy for the men to get out of control. He was determined that this should not be so.

He conferred with Philip. He wanted rigorous discipline. The men must fear their leaders but Philip insisted that as the men were away from their homes and the conditions in which they lived must necessarily be trying there should be a certain amount of leniency.