I realized that King Louis would be fully occupied with the
problems of the English for some little while and I thought it would be a good
time for me to go home, so I asked for leave. I had an…ah…personal matter to
attend to before I left for Aix, however, and it took me out of the city for
more than a week. Yesterday and today I was packing and putting my affairs in
order—”
“Good God! What am I to do?”
“Take heart.” Alphonse put his hand on John’s shoulder and
shook it gently. “Surely if the court has gone out of Paris they have moved
north to be in easier reach of news from England. I will come with you instead
of going home. You will lose no time. You would have had to cover the ground
anyway. And one piece of good luck brings another. We can follow the court as
soon as you are rested. You are fortunate to catch me here at all. I am all
packed and ready to leave. I would have been on the road for Aix by dawn
tomorrow.”
“No wonder you were not overjoyed to see me.” John sighed.
“I am sorry to have spoiled your leave. Perhaps it would be sufficient for you
to give me a letter—”
“Even if it were, I would not think of it,” Alphonse said.
“I must go with you. Quite aside from the fact that I am very fond of William
and Aubery myself and most anxious to hear what has befallen them, do you think
I would dare show my face in Aix without news of them? Alys would tear me in
shreds and Ray would stamp on the remains.” He shook John’s shoulder again as
John put a hand up to his head. “Come into my bedchamber with me and take off
your mail. You will have to change into more suitable clothing if the court is
still here, and you must eat and sleep before you go farther if it is not.”
He drew John after him toward the back of the house where a
partition had been raised to provide a chamber for private business. Because it
was smaller than the main room, it was also warmer and Alphonse had his bed
there and his clothing. Leaving John near the hearth where a small fire had
burned down to coals, Alphonse threw open a chest and pulled out a set of
clothes, which he tossed onto the bed. He felt considerable relief when John
took off his sword belt and untied the hood of his mail, which he seemed to
have forgotten to do when he came in. Apparently, Alphonse thought, John could
still think rationally and had accepted his reasoning. Nonetheless, he was glad
when he heard the door in the outer chamber open and close, indicating that his
servant had returned. He called out to the man to come in.
“Queen Marguerite and the king are gone to Boulogne,”
Chacier said. “I caught the Lord Steward just as he was sending off a packet
and he put your request for an audience into it gladly, so the queen will know
you are coming.”
“Excellent,” Alphonse said heartily. “The messenger will
take three days to Boulogne, unless the news is very urgent—”
He paused and looked at Chacier, who shook his head. “I
doubt it, sieur. From the look of the Lord Steward and the way he was placing
scrolls in the pouch, I would say it was ordinary court business.”
“Very well, then we can start tomorrow morning and arrive in
Boulogne only a few hours after the messenger, our horses being the better.”
“Not mine,” John said, passing his hand down his face. “I
fear I have ridden the poor beast close to death.”
“That is no problem,” Alphonse assured him, smiling. “I can
provide you with a mount.”
He was delighted that John had not demanded they leave at
once and outride the messenger. At the moment he could not decide whether
John’s reasonableness was owing to common sense or to the sudden reluctance
that comes when one approaches a long-sought goal and realizes it may not be
what one desired after all. But later, when they were talking while having an
evening meal together after John had slept a few hours, Alphonse learned that
John was accustomed to the working of a court. He really
problems of the English for some little while and I thought it would be a good
time for me to go home, so I asked for leave. I had an…ah…personal matter to
attend to before I left for Aix, however, and it took me out of the city for
more than a week. Yesterday and today I was packing and putting my affairs in
order—”
“Good God! What am I to do?”
“Take heart.” Alphonse put his hand on John’s shoulder and
shook it gently. “Surely if the court has gone out of Paris they have moved
north to be in easier reach of news from England. I will come with you instead
of going home. You will lose no time. You would have had to cover the ground
anyway. And one piece of good luck brings another. We can follow the court as
soon as you are rested. You are fortunate to catch me here at all. I am all
packed and ready to leave. I would have been on the road for Aix by dawn
tomorrow.”
“No wonder you were not overjoyed to see me.” John sighed.
“I am sorry to have spoiled your leave. Perhaps it would be sufficient for you
to give me a letter—”
“Even if it were, I would not think of it,” Alphonse said.
“I must go with you. Quite aside from the fact that I am very fond of William
and Aubery myself and most anxious to hear what has befallen them, do you think
I would dare show my face in Aix without news of them? Alys would tear me in
shreds and Ray would stamp on the remains.” He shook John’s shoulder again as
John put a hand up to his head. “Come into my bedchamber with me and take off
your mail. You will have to change into more suitable clothing if the court is
still here, and you must eat and sleep before you go farther if it is not.”
He drew John after him toward the back of the house where a
partition had been raised to provide a chamber for private business. Because it
was smaller than the main room, it was also warmer and Alphonse had his bed
there and his clothing. Leaving John near the hearth where a small fire had
burned down to coals, Alphonse threw open a chest and pulled out a set of
clothes, which he tossed onto the bed. He felt considerable relief when John
took off his sword belt and untied the hood of his mail, which he seemed to
have forgotten to do when he came in. Apparently, Alphonse thought, John could
still think rationally and had accepted his reasoning. Nonetheless, he was glad
when he heard the door in the outer chamber open and close, indicating that his
servant had returned. He called out to the man to come in.
“Queen Marguerite and the king are gone to Boulogne,”
Chacier said. “I caught the Lord Steward just as he was sending off a packet
and he put your request for an audience into it gladly, so the queen will know
you are coming.”
“Excellent,” Alphonse said heartily. “The messenger will
take three days to Boulogne, unless the news is very urgent—”
He paused and looked at Chacier, who shook his head. “I
doubt it, sieur. From the look of the Lord Steward and the way he was placing
scrolls in the pouch, I would say it was ordinary court business.”
“Very well, then we can start tomorrow morning and arrive in
Boulogne only a few hours after the messenger, our horses being the better.”
“Not mine,” John said, passing his hand down his face. “I
fear I have ridden the poor beast close to death.”
“That is no problem,” Alphonse assured him, smiling. “I can
provide you with a mount.”
He was delighted that John had not demanded they leave at
once and outride the messenger. At the moment he could not decide whether
John’s reasonableness was owing to common sense or to the sudden reluctance
that comes when one approaches a long-sought goal and realizes it may not be
what one desired after all. But later, when they were talking while having an
evening meal together after John had slept a few hours, Alphonse learned that
John was accustomed to the working of a court. He really
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