The Revolt of the Eaglets - Plaidy Jean (бесплатные полные книги TXT) 📗

Philip was well aware of Richard’s character and his great aim now was to prove to him how treacherous his father was. So while Richard was putting his castles into a state of defence and swearing allegiance to the cross at Tours, he decided to take action.

Henry, who was lulled into a sense of security, believing that Richard had brought about a temporary peace with Philip, planned to return to England. He longed to escape to a certain amount of peace. He would go and be quiet with Alice for a while. She could nurse him, for he needed to be nursed; and there in the peace of one of his palaces he would grow stronger and ready for anything that Philip might be planning.

Christmas was not very festive. How could it be with the King’s security in jeopardy and his temper so uncertain for he was in sporadic pain? All the company looked forward to being in England where the King would feel more at peace. Alas, Philip had no intention of giving Henry an easy way out.

Let Henry go to England if he wished. Then Philip would invade Normandy and stand a very good chance of success with Henry out of the way. On the other hand, if Henry preferred to stay and fight, let him.

Henry sighed and knew that he could not make the longed for visit to England.

A message came from Philip. He pointed out that Henry had taken possession of Alice’s dowry but there had been no marriage. When was the marriage to take place? Either he must return the lands he had taken or Richard must marry Alice without delay.

It had begun again. The old question.

Oh, Alice, he thought, what am I going to do? The decision is getting nearer and nearer. Louis, why did you have to die and give me this son of yours to deal with?

They must meet at Gisors, which town Philip was demanding he return.

Was the time approaching when he would have to surrender Alice?

God was on his side. Or was it Thomas a Becket? In any case a way out was shown to him.

Before the conference at Gisors could be started the Archbishop of Tyre came riding into the city. He had heard that the Kings of France and England were there and he had sorry news for them.

Almost three months before, Jerusalem had fallen into Saladin’s hands. The little King was dead as they had already heard. His mother who had remarried had appointed her second husband King of Jerusalem. Now Saladin was in Jerusalem and he had taken possession of the Holy Cross.

Christians all over the world must be plunged into deepest mourning. King Guy was captured and the true Cross was in Saladin’s hands. All good Christians must rise and wrest the holy relics from the Infidels.

It was impossible, in the face of such an overwhelming calamity for the two Kings to discuss their differences. They seemed petty enough now … to all except Henry.

Philip, who had planned in any case to go on a crusade with Richard, knowing that Richard had already taken the cross, declared his intention immediately. And the Archbishop of Tyre in a moving ceremony presented him with the cross. There was nothing that Henry could do but take it also. He doubted though that he would ever carry out his vows. He could only regard this as a temporary way out of his difficulties. Their men followed them and so numerous were they that crosses of different colours had to be handed to the different nationalities – red for the French, white for the English and green for the Flemings.

Philip and Henry now conferred not as enemies but as allies and vowed together what they would do to enable them to set out on their crusade together. They would need time to prepare and they decided that it would take a year to get together the money they would need and to assemble their equipment. They planned to leave at the Easter of 1189.

They discussed together how the money could be raised and Henry suggested that each man who did not accompany them should give one-tenth of his possessions to the cause and those who did should set aside a tenth of theirs to provide themselves with what they would need.

This seemed fair enough and in great relief Henry set out for England.

He found Alice in a state of anxiety, for news had reached her that the King of France was determined on her marriage.

He embraced her with fervour. The very sight of her revived his youth.

‘What news, my lord?’ she asked anxiously.

‘All is well. God is with me. It is St Thomas I think, for it was like a miracle. Your brother is a hard man, Alice. He is so different from your father. He is sharp and sly and I think he is doing his best to destroy me.’

She shuddered.

‘Have no fear, sweetheart, I’ll be a match for him. He’s but a boy and I am a man of great experience. He was going to demand you for Richard, and then the Archbishop of Tyre appeared with the terrible news. How could we discuss our affairs then? There was only one thing for us to do and that was band together and go on our crusade.’

‘You will go on a crusade!’

‘It will come to nothing. Many times in my life has there been talk of crusades and never have I been on one yet. Nay. Something will happen, depend upon it, and I shall be prevented from going to Jerusalem. I have my duties here. I can see no virtue in leaving my own lands to disaster and rebellion maybe, while I go fighting to bring the Holy City back to Christendom. Now if I were a man without responsibilities … but I am not, Alice. So fear not. We are together and there is only one who could part us two.’

‘Who?’ she asked.

‘Death,’ he replied. She shivered and he said: ‘Now I have made you fret. Smile, Alice, smile for me. You do not know how I have longed to see you do that.’

So she smiled and they forgot all these alien forces which sought to part them, chief of them all Death.

Richard was delighted to hear that the conference between Philip and Henry had been abandoned that they might join together and plan a crusade.

His nature was such that, much as he disliked his father and much as he was drawn to Philip, he could not forget that he was Henry’s son and that the kings of France were the natural enemies of the kings of England. He did not wish to be disloyal to his father and if only Henry would have met him half-way he would have been prepared to strive for harmony between them.

The fact that Henry was now pledged to go on a crusade pleased him. It made hopes of a reconciliation between them possible.

He wrote to his father asking him to supply him with money for his crusade. Also as he was to go on such a dangerous venture he thought he should ask that the knights and bishops of England swear fealty to him as his father’s eldest son and heir.

This was the crux of the matter. It was tantamount to asking Henry to deny the rumours that he was planning to disinherit Richard in favour of John.

He was no longer a boy. He was a man who needed assurance that his future was secure; and this matter of the crusades had brought the question to a head. Everything depended on Henry’s reply. If he agreed that Richard must come to England and receive the oaths of allegiance then rumour had lied.

The King must mean him to be his heir and once the oaths had been sworn he would be accepted.

Henry’s reply was characteristic of him but it was an indication to Richard of the true state of affairs.

They would not go separately on the road to Jerusalem. Richard need not concern himself with raising money, for the King and his son would share everything together.

And no mention of the oath that should be sworn to secure his inheritance.

When Richard read the reply his eyes were as cold as steel and fury raged within him which was none the less fierce because he did not show it in a furious outburst.