Since then Philip had visited her no more than half a dozen times, and that in the hope of getting his heir on her. He seemed to take no pleasure in the act, leaving her without a word as soon as he was done.
Rosamund's nurse had told her that she should be grateful his treatment of her was no worse. 'If he lusted after you he might come to you night after night, giving you no peace,' Margaret told her when she found her weeping after his last visit. 'Some men enjoy inflicting pain on their wives. At least Sir Philip has not beaten you.'
Rosamund had not answered her. She thought that perhaps the behaviour Margaret had described might be easier to bear than her husband's coldness.
'I have left the Welshman breaking his fast in the servant's hall,' a voice said and Rosamund was brought from her reverie, turning to see Alicia enter the room. 'I offered him the money but Sir Philip had already pledged him to ride with us to Chester and he preferred service to coin.'
Rosamund looked at her thoughtfully. 'What is your opinion of our brave rescuer, Alicia? Do you think him what he claims to be – merely a singer of songs?'
'He hath a stout sword arm for a poet,' Alicia replied. 'But he did you good service, my lady. Had his arrival not been so opportune we might have suffered a fate worse than death. Indeed, some of us might be dead, for only you would have been worth the ransom they would demand.'
'I should have refused to be ransomed without you,' Rosamund said but a shudder gripped her and she felt coldness at the base of her spine. 'My life here without you…' She shook her head as Alicia put out a hand to comfort her. 'Nay, I do not mean to waste tears on something that cannot be mended. They say that King Richard is on his way from Ireland and will try to raise the men of Wales to fight for him. Think you they will rise for him, Alicia?'
'I do not know, my lady. I pray that it may be so – for it might go ill with his followers if the mood should be against His Majesty.'
'Yes, I have thought the same.'
Rosamund did not voice what was in her mind. Would her husband hold firm for the king if it seemed that the advantage was with Henry of Bolingbroke? She herself would never betray King Richard, but she was afraid that her husband might. Sir Philip de Grenville's loyalty might not hold if he thought that the King's cause was lost.
Rosamund lifted her head, forcing a smile to her lips.
'We must pray that Wales rises for King Richard,' she said. 'And now I must go down and greet my husband…'
*
'Richard is returned from Ireland and on his way to Conway,' Rosamund's husband told her after she had greeted him with a cool smile. 'Thomas Despenser, Earl of Gloucester, has been dispatched to Glamorgan to raise support, and John Montagu has the task of rousing the north.'
'Do you think the Earl of Salisbury has much chance of rousing the men of North Wales?'
Philip de Grenville's gaze narrowed as it centred on the slim figure of his young wife. She was intelligent as well as beautiful, but he had married her for the lands she brought him. Women had never stirred him for he had a secret vice, finding his pleasure in the young boys he ordered to his bed when the mood was on him. For years he had resisted marriage, taking a wife at last because he saw a chance to gain wealth and power, but he had not expected Rosamund to stand up to his treatment of her so bravely. He would have liked to imprison her in one of her own castles and forget her, but while Richard was King he would never dare to slight her so
Rosamund's nurse had told her that she should be grateful his treatment of her was no worse. 'If he lusted after you he might come to you night after night, giving you no peace,' Margaret told her when she found her weeping after his last visit. 'Some men enjoy inflicting pain on their wives. At least Sir Philip has not beaten you.'
Rosamund had not answered her. She thought that perhaps the behaviour Margaret had described might be easier to bear than her husband's coldness.
'I have left the Welshman breaking his fast in the servant's hall,' a voice said and Rosamund was brought from her reverie, turning to see Alicia enter the room. 'I offered him the money but Sir Philip had already pledged him to ride with us to Chester and he preferred service to coin.'
Rosamund looked at her thoughtfully. 'What is your opinion of our brave rescuer, Alicia? Do you think him what he claims to be – merely a singer of songs?'
'He hath a stout sword arm for a poet,' Alicia replied. 'But he did you good service, my lady. Had his arrival not been so opportune we might have suffered a fate worse than death. Indeed, some of us might be dead, for only you would have been worth the ransom they would demand.'
'I should have refused to be ransomed without you,' Rosamund said but a shudder gripped her and she felt coldness at the base of her spine. 'My life here without you…' She shook her head as Alicia put out a hand to comfort her. 'Nay, I do not mean to waste tears on something that cannot be mended. They say that King Richard is on his way from Ireland and will try to raise the men of Wales to fight for him. Think you they will rise for him, Alicia?'
'I do not know, my lady. I pray that it may be so – for it might go ill with his followers if the mood should be against His Majesty.'
'Yes, I have thought the same.'
Rosamund did not voice what was in her mind. Would her husband hold firm for the king if it seemed that the advantage was with Henry of Bolingbroke? She herself would never betray King Richard, but she was afraid that her husband might. Sir Philip de Grenville's loyalty might not hold if he thought that the King's cause was lost.
Rosamund lifted her head, forcing a smile to her lips.
'We must pray that Wales rises for King Richard,' she said. 'And now I must go down and greet my husband…'
*
'Richard is returned from Ireland and on his way to Conway,' Rosamund's husband told her after she had greeted him with a cool smile. 'Thomas Despenser, Earl of Gloucester, has been dispatched to Glamorgan to raise support, and John Montagu has the task of rousing the north.'
'Do you think the Earl of Salisbury has much chance of rousing the men of North Wales?'
Philip de Grenville's gaze narrowed as it centred on the slim figure of his young wife. She was intelligent as well as beautiful, but he had married her for the lands she brought him. Women had never stirred him for he had a secret vice, finding his pleasure in the young boys he ordered to his bed when the mood was on him. For years he had resisted marriage, taking a wife at last because he saw a chance to gain wealth and power, but he had not expected Rosamund to stand up to his treatment of her so bravely. He would have liked to imprison her in one of her own castles and forget her, but while Richard was King he would never dare to slight her so
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