The Lion of Justice - Plaidy Jean (книги без регистрации полные версии .txt) 📗

‘Anything you want,’ repeated Robert. ‘Ask me...and it is yours.’

‘This pension then...you would give it to me for my charities?’

‘Anything you ask, dear lady.’

Matilda smiled. ‘My lord Count.’ she said to de Mellent, ‘you have just heard the Duke’s most generous offer.’

‘I did indeed, my lady.’

She looked at Robert who had slumped forward, his head on the table in a drunken stupor.

‘I think the King would be most happy to learn of the Duke’s generosity. Tomorrow morning, my lord Count, at dawn, you should ride to him and tell him what the Duke has given me.’

* * * * *

Henry laughed aloud when he received the message. He must indeed be grateful to his clever wife. He lost no time in riding to Winchester.

There he embraced Robert.

Sobered by what had happened and no longer befuddled by drink, Robert had now realized what he had done but as his followers advised him, his plan now was to behave as though he had not given up his pension in a drunken stupor but out of affection for his sister-in-law. Once they were safe in Normandy they could consult with his ministers and friends and decide what could be done. The immediate need was a safe passage out of England.

Henry was so friendly that Robert was carried away by the situation.

‘I came to see you out of affection.’ said Robert untruthfully in fact but so believing it while he said it that it seemed like truth. ‘We are brothers, Henry. Never should we forget that. I am older than you, but you are a king and have a king’s crown, which is a greater honour than a ducal one. I seek nothing from you but friendship and I have given over to the Queen all you owe me for this kingdom. Let us exchange gifts as a token of our friendship. I will give you and the Queen jewels, dogs, birds...such things as mark the amity between friends and brothers.’

There were tears in Robert’s eyes as he spoke and thinking what a fool he was Henry embraced him, for if he did not love his brother he loved his folly.

‘Now that the King is here.’ said the Queen, ‘we will have an entertainment befitting the occasion. Robert and I have discovered a love for the same kind of music and we have a minstrel who sings like an angel.’

‘I shall look forward to hearing him.’ said the King.

In his chamber the Duke’s friends said to him, ‘My lord, you should plead business in Normandy. You should leave as soon as you can.’

They feared what other follies their Duke might commit and they were aware of the astute minds of the King and Queen of England.

Meanwhile the King warmly embraced his Queen.

‘My clever Matilda! How did you do it?’

‘He was drunk.’

Henry laughed aloud. ‘How could I have such a fool for a brother!’

‘I did not like doing it, Henry.’

‘Not like it! Why you have the art of a statesman.’

‘I am not proud of that.’

‘Oh come, Matilda, that conscience of yours will be the undoing of you. You have done good work for me and for England.’

‘That is my consolation. The Count de Mellent explained to me what the paying of the pension would mean in taxation to the people of this country.’

‘He did well.’

‘And I asked God for guidance. I believe that it is better for Robert to lose it than for the people here to pay and perhaps turn against you and begin to believe that the extortion under you was beginning to look like that under Rufus.’

‘I shall never forget what you have done, Matilda. I wish I could tell you what you mean to me.’

‘I know, Henry. You are fond of me, but not enough to love me only.’

‘You cannot understand. How could you, a woman who does not know of these mad desires which when they suddenly arise must be satisfied and then are forgotten almost immediately. They are not important, Matilda. Such is my nature that I cannot escape them but they are apart from my feelings for you.’

She sighed. ‘I did wrong to refer to them.’

‘You do wrong to remember them.’

‘Alas, I cannot forget.’

‘In time you will come to understand.’

But she knew she never would.

In a very short time Robert declared that Normandy demanded his attention and nothing was put in the way of his return. Henry and Matilda even went to Southampton to say farewell to him.

Robert embraced them warmly. He would send Matilda a set of jewels which would become her well; he had dogs too which he believed she would fancy.

He stood on the deck as his vessel moved slowly away from the shore. There were tears in his eyes.

But before he reached the shores of Normandy he began to see how he had been cheated and he fulminated against his brother, hating him as much as he had thought he loved him such a short while before.

‘By Saint Mary,’ he said, ‘I shall not rest until England is mine. Am I not the eldest son? Does not all the fair land belong to me?’

His friends assured him that it did, but the way to get it was not to venture there with only twelve knights and to place himself at the mercy of the country’s scheming King and Queen.

Henry, watching the ship depart, turned to Matilda and said: ‘To think my father’s Duchy is in the hands of such a fool. It should not be an impossible task to wrest it from him and by all the saints that is what I intend to do.’

Matilda was a little sad. She was ashamed of the part she had played in the interlude and she heartily wished that Henry would be content with England and leave Normandy to the Duke.

The Abduction

Nesta was not ill content with her lot. It was not her nature to seek adventure. It had always come to her. She was naturally indolent and had no great desire to take part in state matters. She was the kind of woman who was content to be a mistress and did not look for political influence, but she was determined that her children should not be overlooked although beyond that she made few demands.

Gerald of Windsor was a satisfactory husband in that he was complaisant. He had to be. The King had selected him and given him honours that he might marry his mistress. It was understood that he must not display the normal feelings a husband might have on seeing his wife entertain her lover. Certainly not when that lover was the King.

The castle was a great fortress of stone standing on its incline looking out boldly north, south, east and west as though defying any to come against it. Gerald should be proud to own such a castle and such new-found power which his wife had earned through her boudoir skills. Gerald understood perfectly. He was not a man who was capable of great passion. He was too old in any case; he already had two sons and they were being brought up at the castle with the King’s two.

It was a comfortable arrangement.

Each day Nesta rose late; she had assigned the duties of chatelaine to a housekeeper. This suited her indolent nature; and because she was rarely out of humour she was popular both with the young and old of her household.

When visitors came to Carew Castle she liked to hear news of the Court but had no great wish to go there, although she knew that Henry had once thought of installing her near him. If he had been in a position to marry in the early stages of their liaison he might have married her, but when he became King and could have done so there was the need to unite the Normans and Saxons so he must perforce marry the Saxon Princess whose uncle had a claim to the throne.

Nesta did not think that the role of Queen would have suited her.

‘You would have been too disturbing an influence at Court, my dear.’ Henry had once told her. ‘Moreover the Queen’s morals must be above reproach. A king has to be sure that his son or daughter is of the royal blood.’

‘My dear Henry.’ she had replied, ‘that would have put too great a strain on my frail morals.’