“I love my son dearly, but I am not blind to his failings. He lacks the attributes of leadership, has always been easily influenced. It would not take much to convince him that he’d be embarking upon a great adventure. Hal would have been just as easily persuaded, and there’d be many at the French court eager to do the persuading. But you could have put a halt to it, Eleanor. If you’d warned Hal that this rash intrigue could be his ruination, he’d have listened to you. But you did not, and I’ll never forgive you for that.”
She was turning toward the door when Eleanor spat, “You have not been dismissed yet, my lady countess.”
Maud paused, then dropped a deep, mocking curtsy. At that moment, she wanted only to strike out, to make Eleanor hurt as much as she was hurting, and she had the weapon at hand. “What is there left to say, Madame? Unless you wish to discuss those rumors of your involvement in the conspiracy?”
“What are you talking about?”
Maud feigned surprise. “Harry did not tell you, then? The Count of Toulouse sought him out at Limoges and warned him that you were plotting with the French king against him.”
Eleanor stared at her. “What sort of game are you playing, Maud? Why should I believe you? Even if that swine St Gilles did come to Harry with his suspicions, how would you have known about it?”
“I know because my brother and my uncle were in Harry’s bedchamber when St Gilles brought his baneful offering. Roger held his tongue, of course, having had practice in keeping the confidences of the confessional. But Ranulf knew that I could be trusted with secrets, mayhap because I’d kept so many of his, and he told me what happened. Should you like to know Harry’s response? He was outraged that St Gilles should dare to malign you like that. Not for a heartbeat did he wonder if it could be true, as he proved by sending Richard and Geoffrey back with you to Poitiers.”
Eleanor’s throat had tightened, but she was not about to let Maud see that her words had wounded. “That does not surprise me. His pride would keep him from believing it.”
“Not pride,” Maud said, “trust.” And confident that she’d gotten the last word, she made her departure.
Eleanor exhaled a ragged breath and sat down abruptly on the settle. She’d been shocked by Maud’s judgmental response, and she felt betrayed by a woman she’d long trusted. She was hurt and disappointed, but above all, she was angry, and there was no dearth of targets for her fury-Maud for her disloyalty, Hal for his foolhardy flight from Chinon, Raoul for taking pleasure in the wreckage of her family, Louis for simply being Louis, Raimon St Gilles for being even more treacherous than she’d realized, Harry for his obstinacy, his arrogance, and his faith in her. The remainder of her rage she spilled over onto herself-for caring about his pain, pain he’d brought upon himself. She swore aloud, using all of Henry’s favorite oaths, but it did not help, and when she was nudged by her greyhound, she gratefully accepted the dog’s silent sympathy. She invited the animal up onto the settle beside her, and was taking what comfort she could from the abiding, absolute loyalty shining from those slanted dark eyes when the door opened and Raoul entered the chamber.
“I am guessing that you did not patch up the rift with our troublesome countess,” he said, “for when I passed her in the stairwell, she drew her skirts about her as if I were infected with the pox.”
Eleanor hastily blinked back the tears that had begun to trickle from the corners of her eyes, knowing her uncle would see them as womanly weakness, for he constantly feared that her regrets might give way to remorse and, then, repudiation of their plans. “No, we did not ‘patch up the rift.’ She greatly disapproves of our intentions and was not shy about expressing that disapproval.”
“Why in Our Lady’s Name did you allow her to remain in the solar, Eleanor?”
“She asked me the same question,” Eleanor said, with a mirthless smile. “Because Maud is not a woman to be dismissed as if she were a maid servant.” She conveniently ignored the fact that she’d tried to do just that moments ago. “Because she would have to be told sooner or later, especially now that Hal has forced our hand. And because I thought she would understand…”
“You ought to have known better. It was only to be expected that her kinship to the king would count for more than her friendship with you. Blood always wins out. What happens now? Will she try to warn Harry?”
“No, she will not,” Eleanor said, with enough certainty to ease his qualms. “As you say, Uncle, blood will out. Her love for her son is greater than her loyalty to Harry.”
Dinner was an elaborate affair as Eleanor was entertaining William le Templier, the new Archbishop of Bordeaux, and John aux Bellesmains, the Bishop of Poitiers. The first course was being served when her steward was called aside, listened intently to the message being murmured in his ear, and, with apologies, hurried from the hall. He soon returned and hastened toward the high table. “Madame, the king is here! He has just ridden into the bailey.”
Eleanor set her wine cup down with a thud. All along the length of the table, she saw her guests reacting to this startling news, none of them with pleasure. Raoul paled and Saldebreuil de Sanzay frowned and, for a brief moment, an expression of unease shadowed Richard’s face. Geoffrey, less practiced in concealing his emotions, looked downright alarmed. Although she maintained her public poise, Eleanor was shaken, too, for she was not ready to face her husband. What if she’d been wrong about Maud’s keeping quiet? She’d departed the morrow after their confrontation; could she have gone to Harry, after all?
The steward glanced around the table, saw the tension, and began to laugh. “Ah, no, Madame, ’tis the young king, your son!”
Hal’s unexpected arrival loosed chaos in the hall, for he had to be welcomed by the clerics and the other guests and apologies had to be made for interrupting the dinner. But at last they were gathered in the privacy of Eleanor’s solar, all family except for her venerable constable, Saldebreuil. Hal was lounging on the settle, with Marguerite sitting so close that she was practically in his lap. Geoffrey was hovering nearby, eager to begin bombarding his elder brother with questions. Raoul and Eleanor’s other uncle, Hugh, were also in high spirits, treating Hal as if he were returning from a battlefield triumph. Only Richard stood apart, and when their eyes met, Eleanor shot him a silent warning to mind his manners. She’d long been troubled by the strain between her two oldest sons, and she did not want Richard to spoil Hal’s homecoming by starting a quarrel; as young as he was, his sarcasm could be lethal, and she did not want him exercising it at Hal’s expense.
Hal was relating the story of his escape from Chinon, with a flair for the dramatic that would have done justice to the Song of Roland. He was extravagantly complimented for his cleverness, and only his mother spared a thought, however reluctant, for the injury he’d inflicted upon his father. “I never doubted,” he concluded, “that I would get away, not for a moment. Just as I knew my knights would be there for me. I am indeed blessed to have such loyal men. And such a fair wife,” he added, laughing and dropping a kiss upon the tip of Marguerite’s nose.
She laughed, too, blushing very becomingly. “What happened once you reached my father’s court?”
“I was welcomed as a king ought to be. Louis made me a new great seal and I was given lavish quarters in his Paris palace, and as soon as word spread of my arrival, the Counts of Flanders and Boulogne traveled to the French court to meet with me, as did the Count of Blois and-” Hal broke off, sat upright on the settle, and glanced over at Eleanor, blue eyes bright with excitement. “But first I must tell you, Maman. I was knighted in Paris!”
It was impossible not to share in his joy, and he was immediately inundated with praise; even Richard bestirred himself to offer a laconic congratulations. After a moment to reflect, Raoul began to laugh. “Well, it was not the way he’d expected it, but Harry got his wish. Hal was knighted by the French king!”
Hal looked over at Raoul and shook his head. “I was not knighted by the French king.” That drew
all their attention, as he’d hoped, and he paused to heighten the suspense. “I asked the most worthy, honorable man I know to confer knighthood upon me. I asked Will Marshal.”
There were exclamations of surprise and astonishment, for they did not see why Hal would have chosen a mere knight to perform such a significant ceremony when he could have had it done by a king. Only Eleanor understood and, crossing the solar, she leaned over and kissed her eldest son on the cheek. “That was a very generous gesture, Hal. I am sure Will was greatly honored by it.”
Hal separated from his wife long enough to rise to his feet and give his mother an exuberant hug. “I had trouble convincing him that I was serious, but once I had, he was overwhelmed.”
“Loyalty like his should be rewarded,” she said approvingly. “It does not hurt to let the world know, too, that you value fidelity. A great lord is expected to show great generosity to his vassals and knights. It makes others all the more eager to serve you.”
“I suppose,” he said vaguely, for the truth was that he’d not considered the political ramifications of his choice. It had been an impulsive act, a way to honor a man he greatly respected, the embodiment of knightly chivalry. Sitting down again beside Marguerite, he smiled up at his mother. “I know it was not easy for Will to defy my father. I am sure he had misgivings, and I think he overcame those misgivings because of you, Maman.”
“Me? What do you mean, Hal?”
“Once we were safely in French territory, naturally we wanted to celebrate. We celebrated so much, in fact, that the next morn I felt as if the bells of Notre Dame were going off inside my head. Even Will drank enough to loosen his tongue. He started to talk about you, Maman, about how he owed you his very life, about what a great queen you were and what an honor it had been to serve you whilst he was one of your household knights.” He grinned. “He sounded smitten, if truth be told!”
Eleanor was pleased, but Marguerite looked puzzled. “What did he mean about owing her his life?”
Hal slid his arm around her waist, quite happy to enlighten her. “It happened five years ago in Poitou, darling. My mother was ambushed by the de Lusignans. To save her from capture, Will and his uncle, the Earl of Salisbury, fought like demons. She got away safely, thank God, but the earl was slain and Will was wounded and taken prisoner. Will had no money for the ransom, although he lied and pretended that he had kin willing to pay it. He knew sooner or later they’d find out the truth, but he was desperate to buy as much time as he could. Then-as he described it-the miracle happened. His captors announced that his ransom had been paid by the queen and set him free. When he returned to Poitiers, grateful beyond words, my mother not only gave him a position in her household, but she provided him with a destrier and chain mail, thus winning his heart for all eternity!”
Marguerite was regarding Eleanor with wide, admiring eyes. She’d been astonished by some of Hal’s stories about his mother-that she’d gone on crusade with Louis and their caravan had been attacked by Saracens, that her ship had been captured by pirates in the pay of the Byzantine Emperor, only to be rescued in the nick of time by the King of Sicily’s fleet-but this one sounded as if it came straight from a minstrel’s tale. “You have led the most remarkable life,” she blurted out, “like Iseult or Guinevere!”
Both of those legendary queens had also been faithless wives, but Eleanor knew that her daughter-in-law’s insult was an innocent one, and she smiled at the girl before turning back to Hal. “You mentioned a number of highborn lords. Have they fully committed themselves to our rebellion?”
“Indeed they have, all of them! It was very easy to come to terms with them, Maman. I promised the Count of Blois two hundred pounds a year and the castle of Amboise. The Count of Flanders shall have the county of Kent, a thousand pounds a year, and the castles at Dover and Rochester, and his brother, the Count of Boulogne, shall have the county of Mortain in Normandy and the Honour of Hay in Wales. Best of all, Louis thinks that the King of Scotland will also commit to our cause in return for Northumbria and the earldoms of Huntingdon and Cambridge for his brother. We can count, too, upon Raoul de Fougeres and most of the Breton barons, and in England, the Earls of Chester, Leicester, Norfolk, and Derby. Not to forget your lords in Poitou, Maman. Has there ever been such a redoubtable alliance? Not since all those Greek kings sailed for Troy!”
At least he’d retained some of his tutor’s lessons, Eleanor thought, but she was appalled by his blithe admission that he’d given away so much of his inheritance. The others were staring at him with the same amazement; only Marguerite seemed untroubled by Hal’s shortsighted, misguided mistake. From the corner of her eye, Eleanor caught a glimpse of her second son. Richard’s lip had curled, his disdain so obvious that she knew he was about to pounce, and that would only make matters worse. Moving quickly to forestall him, she said, “Hal, as gladdened as I am by your visit, I am somewhat surprised by it, too. I know you avoided your father’s domains, but even so, the danger was great. He’d pay handsomely to get you back in his control, and our world is full of men who’d betray their own mothers for a handful of deniers. Why did you take such a risk?”
The risk had been part of the appeal, but Hal knew better than to confess to that to his mother. “I came,” he said, “to bring my brothers back with me to Paris.”
Hal and Marguerite had been the first to withdraw; after yawning and complaining, very unconvincingly, that he was exhausted from his journey, he’d gone off to Marguerite’s bedchamber, their laughter giving the lie to his professed intent to sleep. Richard and Geoffrey were the next to go, eager to start packing. Alone in the solar with her uncles and her constable, Eleanor sat down wearily on the nearest seat, an uncomfortable coffer chest. “You need not say it, Raoul,” she warned. “Hal has made a grievous mistake. I know that all too well.”
“A pity Hal does not,” Raoul observed, but without heat. He was not heartbroken that his grandnephew should be disposing of his lands with such careless abandon, and as his eyes met his brother’s, he saw that Hugh agreed with him. Aquitaine could only benefit by it. Richard had been quick to see that, too, saying scornfully before he departed that Hal could slice England up six different ways from Sunday as long as Aquitaine remained intact. “We have to look upon the bright side,” Raoul continued. “Yes, Hal is pledging to give away most of his inheritance ere he even comes into it. But when Harry hears of this, he is like to have an apoplectic fit and that would solve our troubles rather neatly.”
Eleanor raised her head, and there was nothing of the niece in the look she gave him. “You have said enough,” she said, and Raoul knew better than to argue, not when she sounded like that. He excused himself, and Hugh soon followed.
“Madame.” When Eleanor turned toward him, Saldebreuil rose and limped over to her. “This does not bode well for a quick resolution of the rebellion. Your lord husband will never agree to honor your son’s promises, and Hal’s new allies will not be willing to make peace unless he does. Do you think you can talk sense into the lad, make him see that he’s blundered into a den of thieves?”
Eleanor appreciated his candor, the bluntness of an old soldier who knew his days were dwindling, freeing him to speak his mind. “It is too late for that. He has already struck these Devil’s deals and cannot repudiate them…at least not until he wins,” she added, with a queen’s cynical understanding of statecraft. “Damn Louis for this! The rest of them are no better than wolves on the prowl. But Hal is wed to Louis’s daughter, and he owed him better than this.”
Saldebreuil thought that Eleanor’s analogy was an apt one, for Hal was indeed a lamb let loose amongst wolves. Thankful that their young duke was not as trusting as his elder brother, he sat down again, for his bones were beginning to ache. “What will you do, my lady? If you send Richard and Geoffrey to Paris, there will be no turning back.”
“I know,” she said. “But you saw the looks on their faces. They’d set out tonight if it were up to them. How could I tell them not
to go? I cannot do what Harry has done, treat them like feckless, flighty children. Richard would never accept that, and Geoffrey is already very jealous. If he were not permitted to go to Paris, too, he’d never forgive Richard.”
Events were taking on a momentum of their own and choices were being made for her, much to her dismay. If only she did not have to rely upon Louis. If only she could take command of this ill-assorted coalition. But men like Philip of Flanders were not likely to pay heed to a woman. And for a moment, she could hear echoes of Maud’s tart-tongued reminder that she could not take the field herself.
Looking up, she saw that Saldebreuil was watching her with the protective concern allowed an old and devoted retainer, and she mustered up a smile for his benefit, before saying grimly, “Raoul was right when he said that whether we are ready or not, the hunt is on. Hal’s rebellion has become a war, and it is a war we must win.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
April 1173
Rouen, Normandy
Henry held his Easter Court that April at Alencon. It was one of the most miserable times of his life. His rage still smoldered, yet the object of his anger was well out of reach, being lauded at the French court. He sent Archbishop Rotrou to Paris to fetch his son, but he did not have any hopes of success. He was still waiting, too, to hear from Eleanor. He’d dispatched an urgent message, instructing her to use her influence with Hal, but he’d not yet gotten a response from her. Not that he expected she’d have any luck in bringing Hal to his senses. The youth who’d betrayed him so cruelly and then fled to his enemy’s embrace was a stranger to him. It was almost enough to make him believe in changelings. And since nothing in his life seemed to be going right anymore, he was not at all surprised to get a communication from Rome informing him that on February 21 the Pope had canonized Thomas Becket as a saint.
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