knew quite well that
it was impossible to thrust oneself into a royal presence without warning and
with a private problem.
Thus it was not at all difficult, as they rode north the
next day, for Alphonse to make clear to John the problem with King Louis’s
character. Both the discussions of the best way to approach King Louis and the
fact that they were riding, doing something, soothed John. He did not beg to
travel through the dark each night, recognizing that Queen Marguerite would
need time to arrange an audience for them with her husband so that it would do
no good to arrive before Alphonse’s letter. By the time the walls of Boulogne
were in sight, John had lost the frantic, desperate look that had so disturbed
Alphonse and had begun to speak of more practical subjects, like the fact that
Boulogne was packed like herrings in a barrel.
“You may lodge with us,” John told him. “Queen Eleanor found
a house for Hugh in the town, unless you think that lodging with Hugh Bigod
would prejudice King Louis against your appeal for William.”
“He will not ask where I am lodging,” Alphonse said. “And I
will be glad not to need to pitch a tent in a field or ride twenty miles before
dawn each time I come to court. I doubt I could find lodging closer with those
who came from England and Louis’s people filling the town. Usually my aunt includes
me among her household for lodging when she travels with the king, but I told
her I was going home.”
“Good God,” John said, “I hope Hugh still has the house.”
“Louis is not the kind to demand his people be given the
room of other noblemen,” Alphonse began.
John cut him short with an impatient gesture. “At least he
would have the right. No, I was not thinking of Louis. We had some trouble with
King Henry’s half brothers, Guy de Lusignan and William de Valence. They
insisted on having the place Queen Eleanor wished for Hugh—”
“The Lusignans.” There was little expression in Alphonse’s
voice, but the corners of his full lips, which usually seemed to curve upward
in a slight smile, drew back, making his mouth into a straight, hard line. “I
will see to them if need be,” he went on, shaking his head as John began to
protest. “I do not think you fear them, but one must respect the wishes of
one’s king. Louis, I know, dislikes them for many reasons and will not be sorry
to see them… ah…encouraged to leave Boulogne.”
John laughed. “In a general way, I agree with you. Aside
from Henry himself, there must hardly be a man alive, whatever his party, who
would not be glad to see the backs of all that brood of vipers, but I must say
that in this case we were grateful to them. Hugh really preferred a smaller
lodging—he was very short of money, of course—and he wanted to be somewhat
farther from Queen Eleanor—”
John stopped short in confusion, but Alphonse echoed his
laugh. “That, too, I understand. Eleanor is my aunt, and I love her, but she
has grown harder and more demanding as her husband’s troubles have multiplied.
And for any reasonable man who can see that Henry’s troubles are mostly of his
own making, it must be very hard to deal with her. As to the money—”
“Raymond has taken care of that,” John said quickly. “And
Hugh and I will cover your expenses too, of course. In fact, if I had not been
half out of my wits, I would never have let you pay our scores—”
“Zut!” Alphonse laughed again. “Do not be so foolish. All
the money is coming from my brother’s purse anyway. So what does it matter who
pays it out? And my expenses? What expenses? I will not have any if I lodge
with you. Moreover,” Alphonse’s eyes brightened, ”if we are here some weeks,
someone will get up a tournament in a neighboring town, and I will make a
handsome profit on all the young fools in the area who want to try to overset
me.”
He held up a hand as John was about to speak and rose in his
stirrups, pointing ahead to what seemed to
it was impossible to thrust oneself into a royal presence without warning and
with a private problem.
Thus it was not at all difficult, as they rode north the
next day, for Alphonse to make clear to John the problem with King Louis’s
character. Both the discussions of the best way to approach King Louis and the
fact that they were riding, doing something, soothed John. He did not beg to
travel through the dark each night, recognizing that Queen Marguerite would
need time to arrange an audience for them with her husband so that it would do
no good to arrive before Alphonse’s letter. By the time the walls of Boulogne
were in sight, John had lost the frantic, desperate look that had so disturbed
Alphonse and had begun to speak of more practical subjects, like the fact that
Boulogne was packed like herrings in a barrel.
“You may lodge with us,” John told him. “Queen Eleanor found
a house for Hugh in the town, unless you think that lodging with Hugh Bigod
would prejudice King Louis against your appeal for William.”
“He will not ask where I am lodging,” Alphonse said. “And I
will be glad not to need to pitch a tent in a field or ride twenty miles before
dawn each time I come to court. I doubt I could find lodging closer with those
who came from England and Louis’s people filling the town. Usually my aunt includes
me among her household for lodging when she travels with the king, but I told
her I was going home.”
“Good God,” John said, “I hope Hugh still has the house.”
“Louis is not the kind to demand his people be given the
room of other noblemen,” Alphonse began.
John cut him short with an impatient gesture. “At least he
would have the right. No, I was not thinking of Louis. We had some trouble with
King Henry’s half brothers, Guy de Lusignan and William de Valence. They
insisted on having the place Queen Eleanor wished for Hugh—”
“The Lusignans.” There was little expression in Alphonse’s
voice, but the corners of his full lips, which usually seemed to curve upward
in a slight smile, drew back, making his mouth into a straight, hard line. “I
will see to them if need be,” he went on, shaking his head as John began to
protest. “I do not think you fear them, but one must respect the wishes of
one’s king. Louis, I know, dislikes them for many reasons and will not be sorry
to see them… ah…encouraged to leave Boulogne.”
John laughed. “In a general way, I agree with you. Aside
from Henry himself, there must hardly be a man alive, whatever his party, who
would not be glad to see the backs of all that brood of vipers, but I must say
that in this case we were grateful to them. Hugh really preferred a smaller
lodging—he was very short of money, of course—and he wanted to be somewhat
farther from Queen Eleanor—”
John stopped short in confusion, but Alphonse echoed his
laugh. “That, too, I understand. Eleanor is my aunt, and I love her, but she
has grown harder and more demanding as her husband’s troubles have multiplied.
And for any reasonable man who can see that Henry’s troubles are mostly of his
own making, it must be very hard to deal with her. As to the money—”
“Raymond has taken care of that,” John said quickly. “And
Hugh and I will cover your expenses too, of course. In fact, if I had not been
half out of my wits, I would never have let you pay our scores—”
“Zut!” Alphonse laughed again. “Do not be so foolish. All
the money is coming from my brother’s purse anyway. So what does it matter who
pays it out? And my expenses? What expenses? I will not have any if I lodge
with you. Moreover,” Alphonse’s eyes brightened, ”if we are here some weeks,
someone will get up a tournament in a neighboring town, and I will make a
handsome profit on all the young fools in the area who want to try to overset
me.”
He held up a hand as John was about to speak and rose in his
stirrups, pointing ahead to what seemed to
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