twelve years his senior, as he had been fond of reminding her, was preparing to embark on a journey to bring her son’s bride to him.
She could not resist going to see Alice before she left. She was irritated to notice that meek adaptability which had made Alice such a desirable mistress in Henry’s eyes had now helped her to adjust herself to her new conditions. Surely she must rail against the fact that she, who was once the pampered darling of an indulgent lover, was now the prisoner of his wife. But no, Alice went her placid way, choosing her silken skeins and plying her needle.
‘How fares it?’ asked Eleanor.
‘I am well, my lady,’ answered Alice.
‘So I see. I have come to say farewell to you. I am about to set out on a journey. I am bringing King Richard’s bride to him.’
‘How can that be?’ asked Alice mildly.
‘In the simplest manner. I am going to Navarre. He has long loved the elegant and beautiful Berengaria.’
‘He cannot marry her,’ said Alice.
‘So you have become our ruler to tell the King what he may or may not do?’
‘It is not I who tell him. It is the law. He is betrothed to me.’
‘And you, missing a lover, can scarcely wait to put another in his place?’
‘None could be in his place,’ said Alice simply.
‘Why not? Richard is a king also.’
‘It was not of his rank that I was thinking.’
‘Oh? Henry was incomparable was he? He was coarse and lusty, yes. Remember we shared him. So I know him as well as you do.’
‘Sometimes I think,’ said Alice, ‘that none knew him as I did.’
Eleanor was impatient. She had come here to discomfit Alice, not to listen to praise of the dead.
‘Your position is unenviable, Alice,’ she said. ‘I think you should prepare yourself. Life will not go on as it is now. The vital question will not be whether you are to use pink or blue silk but how you will explain your conduct to your brother, and discover what will be said to the world when it is known that King Richard will have none of you and has chosen to marry elsewhere.’
‘That is for Richard to say. He is the one who will have to answer to my brother.’
‘Think you so? Well, mayhap I should leave you in your ignorance. Your conduct with my late husband will no longer be a secret. All the world will know of your games. They will laugh in secret at you, and your brother will be hard put to it to find a husband for you.’
‘I seek no husband,’ said Alice.
‘Have you then had your fill of men after knowing Henry so well?’
‘I know that there will never be another like him.’
‘Then I will leave you with your dreams of the past for those of the future must be nightmares.’
She came away angrily. Oddly enough the triumph seemed Alice’s.
It was good to ride through the countryside to the sea. The crossing was smooth. A good augury. She began her progress down to Navarre. She was fêted at the castles at which she stopped as the beloved mother of the King of England who was on good terms with the King of France.
She had forgotten how exciting it was to be setting out on an adventure, to be treated with great honour, and above all to be free.
Oh, how dared you, Henry, she thought; and she was sorry that he was dead, for how could one be revenged on the dead? Just a little savour had gone out of her life with his passing. How often she had raged against him, made plans for his downfall. How she had exulted when she heard that his sons were marching against him. It was her hatred of Henry which had made her prison tolerable. Now he was gone. She missed him.
At last she came to the Court of Navarre.
The King, known as the Wise – and he certainly believed now that he had been wise in keeping his daughter Berengaria for this great marriage – received her with great honours. When Richard had first come to his court and shown a preference for Berengaria he had been but the son of a great king with an elder brother who had appeared to be strong
She could not resist going to see Alice before she left. She was irritated to notice that meek adaptability which had made Alice such a desirable mistress in Henry’s eyes had now helped her to adjust herself to her new conditions. Surely she must rail against the fact that she, who was once the pampered darling of an indulgent lover, was now the prisoner of his wife. But no, Alice went her placid way, choosing her silken skeins and plying her needle.
‘How fares it?’ asked Eleanor.
‘I am well, my lady,’ answered Alice.
‘So I see. I have come to say farewell to you. I am about to set out on a journey. I am bringing King Richard’s bride to him.’
‘How can that be?’ asked Alice mildly.
‘In the simplest manner. I am going to Navarre. He has long loved the elegant and beautiful Berengaria.’
‘He cannot marry her,’ said Alice.
‘So you have become our ruler to tell the King what he may or may not do?’
‘It is not I who tell him. It is the law. He is betrothed to me.’
‘And you, missing a lover, can scarcely wait to put another in his place?’
‘None could be in his place,’ said Alice simply.
‘Why not? Richard is a king also.’
‘It was not of his rank that I was thinking.’
‘Oh? Henry was incomparable was he? He was coarse and lusty, yes. Remember we shared him. So I know him as well as you do.’
‘Sometimes I think,’ said Alice, ‘that none knew him as I did.’
Eleanor was impatient. She had come here to discomfit Alice, not to listen to praise of the dead.
‘Your position is unenviable, Alice,’ she said. ‘I think you should prepare yourself. Life will not go on as it is now. The vital question will not be whether you are to use pink or blue silk but how you will explain your conduct to your brother, and discover what will be said to the world when it is known that King Richard will have none of you and has chosen to marry elsewhere.’
‘That is for Richard to say. He is the one who will have to answer to my brother.’
‘Think you so? Well, mayhap I should leave you in your ignorance. Your conduct with my late husband will no longer be a secret. All the world will know of your games. They will laugh in secret at you, and your brother will be hard put to it to find a husband for you.’
‘I seek no husband,’ said Alice.
‘Have you then had your fill of men after knowing Henry so well?’
‘I know that there will never be another like him.’
‘Then I will leave you with your dreams of the past for those of the future must be nightmares.’
She came away angrily. Oddly enough the triumph seemed Alice’s.
It was good to ride through the countryside to the sea. The crossing was smooth. A good augury. She began her progress down to Navarre. She was fêted at the castles at which she stopped as the beloved mother of the King of England who was on good terms with the King of France.
She had forgotten how exciting it was to be setting out on an adventure, to be treated with great honour, and above all to be free.
Oh, how dared you, Henry, she thought; and she was sorry that he was dead, for how could one be revenged on the dead? Just a little savour had gone out of her life with his passing. How often she had raged against him, made plans for his downfall. How she had exulted when she heard that his sons were marching against him. It was her hatred of Henry which had made her prison tolerable. Now he was gone. She missed him.
At last she came to the Court of Navarre.
The King, known as the Wise – and he certainly believed now that he had been wise in keeping his daughter Berengaria for this great marriage – received her with great honours. When Richard had first come to his court and shown a preference for Berengaria he had been but the son of a great king with an elder brother who had appeared to be strong
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