sister?’
He bowed his head.
‘My sister will not be pleased if I tell her that.’
‘Your magnanimity and discretion would not allow you to.’
‘I never allow anyone or anything to prevent my doing what I wish.’
‘You are the law and it is our will to obey you. What would you have me do, my Queen? Say it and I will do it or die in the attempt.’
‘It is not exactly one of the labours of Hercules.’
‘I would it were that I might show my devotion.’
‘You should take care. I might set you some impossible task one day.’
‘Nothing could strain me more than to be near you and not allowed to love you.’
‘You do not speak like the prospective bridegroom of another woman.’
‘Bridegroom!’ He was alert. ‘My lady, alas I am married.’
‘To a lady of whom I gather you are not desperately enamoured.’
‘She is my wife. When I am in the presence of the irresistible I must perforce succumb.’
‘Are you referring to me or to my sister?’
‘You know my feeling. I am not alone in my adoration.’
‘And Petronelle? You are in love with her?’
‘She resembles you. What more can I say?’
‘That if you were free you would agree to marry her?’
‘With all my heart.’
‘I do not ask if you would be a faithful husband to her. I know the futility of that. She has a fancy for you.’
‘I would I were free.’
‘You could be if there were a blood tie between you and your wife.’
‘I know not …’
‘You are obtuse, Count. There are always blood ties between families of our blood. So much inter-marrying through the centuries means that if we search back far enough we can find the connection.’
‘If this could be found …’
‘If ! It can be found. It must be found. You have seduced my sister. For all I know she may already be with child. You are responsible. Forget not that she is the sister of the Queen. Would you marry her?’
‘If just cause could be found that I am not already married.’
‘Then found it shall be,’ said the Queen firmly. She was smiling to herself. Certainly Petronelle must marry her seducer; and how amusing that Raoul’s wife was the sister of her enemy Theobald. This would teach that family to flout the King and Queen.
It was disconcerting. Count Theobald was not the only baron who ignored the King’s summons. It should have been clear that the country was in no mood to go to war over Toulouse. The only enthusiasm came from the Queen and that which she imparted to her docile husband. Eleonore rode out of Paris beside her husband ready for the siege which would bring Toulouse into their hands. Eleonore was busy with plans; she had already traced the relation between Raoul and his wife. If one went back far enough there were always blood ties. She had set the bishops working on it and they knew that if they did not find what she wished them to they would incur her displeasure.
Louis had really very little heart for war. He hated death, nor did he wish to punish his people. When he had been victorious at Orleans he had granted his rebellious subjects what they had asked for, and had stopped what he considered the cruel law of cutting off people’s fingers if they did not pay their debts. Of what use was that, he had demanded, when they need their hands intact to work to pay off their debts?
The thought of innocent people’s suffering worried him; but what could he do? Eleonore insisted that Toulouse was hers and therefore his, and she could not forget the insolence of Theobald of Champagne.
‘Are we going to allow our subjects to treat us thus?’ she had demanded. ‘If so we are no rulers.’
He had had to agree with her; he always had to agree with her. So here he was marching on Toulouse.
Into the rich country they went. Louis’s spirits were revived. Of course he would like to add these fertile provinces to his kingdom. Eleonore’s eyes glowed. He wondered whether it was the sight of the land which made them so bright and eager,
He bowed his head.
‘My sister will not be pleased if I tell her that.’
‘Your magnanimity and discretion would not allow you to.’
‘I never allow anyone or anything to prevent my doing what I wish.’
‘You are the law and it is our will to obey you. What would you have me do, my Queen? Say it and I will do it or die in the attempt.’
‘It is not exactly one of the labours of Hercules.’
‘I would it were that I might show my devotion.’
‘You should take care. I might set you some impossible task one day.’
‘Nothing could strain me more than to be near you and not allowed to love you.’
‘You do not speak like the prospective bridegroom of another woman.’
‘Bridegroom!’ He was alert. ‘My lady, alas I am married.’
‘To a lady of whom I gather you are not desperately enamoured.’
‘She is my wife. When I am in the presence of the irresistible I must perforce succumb.’
‘Are you referring to me or to my sister?’
‘You know my feeling. I am not alone in my adoration.’
‘And Petronelle? You are in love with her?’
‘She resembles you. What more can I say?’
‘That if you were free you would agree to marry her?’
‘With all my heart.’
‘I do not ask if you would be a faithful husband to her. I know the futility of that. She has a fancy for you.’
‘I would I were free.’
‘You could be if there were a blood tie between you and your wife.’
‘I know not …’
‘You are obtuse, Count. There are always blood ties between families of our blood. So much inter-marrying through the centuries means that if we search back far enough we can find the connection.’
‘If this could be found …’
‘If ! It can be found. It must be found. You have seduced my sister. For all I know she may already be with child. You are responsible. Forget not that she is the sister of the Queen. Would you marry her?’
‘If just cause could be found that I am not already married.’
‘Then found it shall be,’ said the Queen firmly. She was smiling to herself. Certainly Petronelle must marry her seducer; and how amusing that Raoul’s wife was the sister of her enemy Theobald. This would teach that family to flout the King and Queen.
It was disconcerting. Count Theobald was not the only baron who ignored the King’s summons. It should have been clear that the country was in no mood to go to war over Toulouse. The only enthusiasm came from the Queen and that which she imparted to her docile husband. Eleonore rode out of Paris beside her husband ready for the siege which would bring Toulouse into their hands. Eleonore was busy with plans; she had already traced the relation between Raoul and his wife. If one went back far enough there were always blood ties. She had set the bishops working on it and they knew that if they did not find what she wished them to they would incur her displeasure.
Louis had really very little heart for war. He hated death, nor did he wish to punish his people. When he had been victorious at Orleans he had granted his rebellious subjects what they had asked for, and had stopped what he considered the cruel law of cutting off people’s fingers if they did not pay their debts. Of what use was that, he had demanded, when they need their hands intact to work to pay off their debts?
The thought of innocent people’s suffering worried him; but what could he do? Eleonore insisted that Toulouse was hers and therefore his, and she could not forget the insolence of Theobald of Champagne.
‘Are we going to allow our subjects to treat us thus?’ she had demanded. ‘If so we are no rulers.’
He had had to agree with her; he always had to agree with her. So here he was marching on Toulouse.
Into the rich country they went. Louis’s spirits were revived. Of course he would like to add these fertile provinces to his kingdom. Eleonore’s eyes glowed. He wondered whether it was the sight of the land which made them so bright and eager,
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