The Passionate Enemies by Jean Plaidy

of hers, for once Adelicia was with child, Matilda knew that the King, having done his duty, would seek his pleasure in other quarters.
    The commission finally decided that the honour of marrying the royal pair belonged to the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Ralph was triumphant and immediately set out for Windsor. Roger was angry. This meant more to him than performing a ceremony. It was a set-back to power. His goal was to see his family in all the important positions in the country and with a doddering old Archbishop as the Primate, he had believed he was already at the head of the Church.
    Henry placated him. ‘Never mind, Roger. The old man has right on his side. And the council is behind him. He’ll have to perform the ceremony. There’s no doubt of that and I cannot put it off any longer. We shall have to have the Queen crowned though. That will be at Westminster and I promise you you shall officiate at that ceremony.’
    Roger was appeased.
    Ralph d’Escures made his painful journey from Canterbury to Windsor.
    He had not been the same since his seizure and found travelling a great burden to him. Nevertheless he was not going to allow that upstart Roger of Salisbury to usurp his place, which was what he was trying to do on every occasion.
    It was scandalous that Roger should live openly with his mistress. The King should order him to dismiss the woman. Perhaps it was not easy for a man who had had more mistresses than any in England to ask a subject to dismiss one. But kings were kings and allowed such a licence, though it was to be deplored; while churchmen who defied the law of Holy Church deserved excommunication.
    Roger with his Matilda of Ramsbury and their sons and his nephew, who had a wife, made their own laws of which poorer members of the clergy were not allowed to avail themselves. Ralph wondered that the King, who was so meticulous in many ways, should allow this. It must be because he valued Roger and was eager to give him special privileges; moreover being nothing more or less than a lecher himself, he looked leniently on that sin in others.
    Ralph regarded himself as a virtuous man because he had not been tormented for many years by any desires for women. Now that he was paralysed and his speech was impaired, a poor old man on the edge of the grave, naturally he gave no thought to such matters – except to condemn others who made them a too important part of their lives.
    The King must get an heir. All agreed on that since God had seen fit to punish him by taking his only legitimate son – and small wonder. How could God have driven home the lesson better than by taking the one legitimate son of a man who had indiscriminately scattered illegitimate ones throughout the kingdom?
    The Archbishop approved of the marriage and hoped God would forgive the King his past sins and favour him with a child, but he was not allowing anyone but himself to perform the ceremony.
    Arriving at Windsor he was exhausted and must take to his bed. The King visited him there and reproved him for making such a journey when his health was in such poor state.
    â€˜My lord,’ gasped the Archbishop, speaking so that the King had to come close to hear, for his speech was at the best of times slightly slurred and when he was tired, very much so, ‘I know my duty.’
    â€˜I had thought to spare you,’ said the King. ‘The Bishop of Salisbury in whose diocese we are was very ready and willing to perform the ceremony.’
    â€˜I doubt it not,’ said Ralph grimly.
    â€˜Now you are here, if you should not be well enough to rise from your bed on the morrow . . .’
    â€˜I shall be well enough,’ replied the Archbishop firmly. ‘I have spent many hours on my knees asking God to bless your union with a child.’
    â€˜I thank you,’ said the King, for he supposed that a man of Ralph’s piety would be more likely to soften God’s heart and so ensure a