importance.’
‘Perhaps he wishes the views of the common man,’ Baldwin laughed. ‘The most common man he could think of!’
Tuesday before the Feast of St Julian 2
Great Hall, Thorney Island
The next day was the sort of day that only a frog could like. Cold, grey, miserable, and wet. God, was it wet!
Earl Edmund of Kent detested it. He was happier by far in warmer climes, but he was forced to remain here in England against his wishes, just because any man who left his manors could return to find them filched by that gannet Despenser.
There was a sermon Edmund had once heard preached by the Archbishop, which said that no man should covet his neighbour’s property or cattle or wife. But that had never been made clear to Sir Hugh, plainly. Everyone knew what sort of man Despenser was. He controlled access to the King, demanding payment before he would allow anyone to submit a petition, restricting visits to only those whom he knew would not embarrass him. He helped himself to anything he wanted. And now Earl Edmund was sure that he wanted his estates and title too. It wasn’t good enough that his father had been made Earl of Winchester and that thetitle would become his on the older Despenser’s death. No, Sir Hugh had always been greedy for immediate gratification, and now he wanted his own Earldom.
‘The man is intolerable!’ he muttered.
‘My Lord?’
‘
Sweet
Jesus!’ Earl Edmund blurted, starting at the sudden interruption to his thoughts.
From behind a large pillar, Piers de Wrotham cast a look up and down the hall before beckoning his master into the darkness, out of reach of torchlight. ‘I have news,’ he breathed.
‘Well?’
Piers was agitated. Even the Earl could see that. His fingernails were bitten almost to the quick, and his eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep. ‘Master, you are in great danger.’
Earl Edmund felt a tightening in his throat. Ever since the shameful truce he had agreed with the French last year, he had expected to be arrested and held in the Tower, or to suffer a simpler fate, grabbed one night from behind and stabbed in the back while his mouth was covered. ‘Who is it?’
‘Sir Hugh. He wants you to die,’ Piers said earnestly.
‘There is little new in that!’ Earl Edmund said, unimpressed. ‘He never liked the fact that I used to be the King’s constant companion. It made me a rival for his affections.’
‘There is more. I have heard,’ Piers continued, ‘that he intends to make it impossible for the King to travel to France. He cannot afford for Edward to leave the country without him, but daren’t go to France himself.’
‘What could he do to make it impossible for the King to go?’
‘He could harm him – wound him sufficiently so that he couldn’t travel?’
‘Not even
he
would dare do something like that. If his plot became known, the King could well decide to charge him with attempted regicide – and that would mean death.’
Piers shook his head. ‘But my Lord, you have to understand, he is desperate. If he is left alone here with the King in France, the barons will undoubtedly slay him. But if he goes with the King, the French have already declared that they will execute him as their own enemy. He must do anything he can to keep the King over here.’
‘What could he do?’ Edward asked again. ‘He must either make King Edward so fearful of travelling that he dare not, or make it appear that our King has committed some crime against the French that would sufficiently annoy their own King … What could he have attempted?’
‘My Lord, because he wishes to ruin you in the eyes of the King, perhaps he could seek to make more of your failings in France last year. Perhaps he seeks to send someone else to make a better truce than the one that exists.’
‘Aye.’ Better than the one I sealed, Edmund told himself. ‘How would that hurt me?’
‘If he were to persuade the King that he had learned you were plotting against
‘Perhaps he wishes the views of the common man,’ Baldwin laughed. ‘The most common man he could think of!’
Tuesday before the Feast of St Julian 2
Great Hall, Thorney Island
The next day was the sort of day that only a frog could like. Cold, grey, miserable, and wet. God, was it wet!
Earl Edmund of Kent detested it. He was happier by far in warmer climes, but he was forced to remain here in England against his wishes, just because any man who left his manors could return to find them filched by that gannet Despenser.
There was a sermon Edmund had once heard preached by the Archbishop, which said that no man should covet his neighbour’s property or cattle or wife. But that had never been made clear to Sir Hugh, plainly. Everyone knew what sort of man Despenser was. He controlled access to the King, demanding payment before he would allow anyone to submit a petition, restricting visits to only those whom he knew would not embarrass him. He helped himself to anything he wanted. And now Earl Edmund was sure that he wanted his estates and title too. It wasn’t good enough that his father had been made Earl of Winchester and that thetitle would become his on the older Despenser’s death. No, Sir Hugh had always been greedy for immediate gratification, and now he wanted his own Earldom.
‘The man is intolerable!’ he muttered.
‘My Lord?’
‘
Sweet
Jesus!’ Earl Edmund blurted, starting at the sudden interruption to his thoughts.
From behind a large pillar, Piers de Wrotham cast a look up and down the hall before beckoning his master into the darkness, out of reach of torchlight. ‘I have news,’ he breathed.
‘Well?’
Piers was agitated. Even the Earl could see that. His fingernails were bitten almost to the quick, and his eyes were red-rimmed from lack of sleep. ‘Master, you are in great danger.’
Earl Edmund felt a tightening in his throat. Ever since the shameful truce he had agreed with the French last year, he had expected to be arrested and held in the Tower, or to suffer a simpler fate, grabbed one night from behind and stabbed in the back while his mouth was covered. ‘Who is it?’
‘Sir Hugh. He wants you to die,’ Piers said earnestly.
‘There is little new in that!’ Earl Edmund said, unimpressed. ‘He never liked the fact that I used to be the King’s constant companion. It made me a rival for his affections.’
‘There is more. I have heard,’ Piers continued, ‘that he intends to make it impossible for the King to travel to France. He cannot afford for Edward to leave the country without him, but daren’t go to France himself.’
‘What could he do to make it impossible for the King to go?’
‘He could harm him – wound him sufficiently so that he couldn’t travel?’
‘Not even
he
would dare do something like that. If his plot became known, the King could well decide to charge him with attempted regicide – and that would mean death.’
Piers shook his head. ‘But my Lord, you have to understand, he is desperate. If he is left alone here with the King in France, the barons will undoubtedly slay him. But if he goes with the King, the French have already declared that they will execute him as their own enemy. He must do anything he can to keep the King over here.’
‘What could he do?’ Edward asked again. ‘He must either make King Edward so fearful of travelling that he dare not, or make it appear that our King has committed some crime against the French that would sufficiently annoy their own King … What could he have attempted?’
‘My Lord, because he wishes to ruin you in the eyes of the King, perhaps he could seek to make more of your failings in France last year. Perhaps he seeks to send someone else to make a better truce than the one that exists.’
‘Aye.’ Better than the one I sealed, Edmund told himself. ‘How would that hurt me?’
‘If he were to persuade the King that he had learned you were plotting against
Similar Books
