The Lioness Wakes by Blanche d'Alpuget

Author:Blanche d'Alpuget
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ventura Press

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When Eleanor had sent women to Avranches to abuse her husband during his punishment, it was against the advice of Raoul de Faye. ‘My dear Seneschal, I have other duties for them in the north,’ she’d replied. She instructed the women to be on the lookout for men from the Île-de-France. If any were spotted in the crowd, the women were to say that the Duchess enquired about the health of her daughters, Marie, now Countess of Champagne, and Alix, Countess of Blois, whom she’d not seen since they were children. ‘You may add that I’d greatly appreciate a visit to Poitiers from Marie, who I hear blossoms as a writer of poetry. Louis will get the message.’

When they left her audience chamber, one woman asked, ‘What’s the message?’

Her companions goggled. ‘Our lady is too deep to fathom.’ As events turned out, the most dim-witted woman was the one who identified Louis’ men. Having delivered her message, she felt the need to add a note of explanation. ‘Our Duchess misses Paris,’ she said.

Louis jolted at the news, raising an eyebrow to his senior counsellor, a tall, gaunt Benedictine whom he’d appointed to reform morals in the latrine known as ‘the university of Paris’. The monk had spent his youth in debauchery, until one night St Denis appeared before him, his severed head under his arm. ‘Reform or die,’ he announced. Brother Ambrose, as he became, developed a glance so deadly it turned miscreants to stone.

‘My ex-wife is as artful as her current husband. How am I to read this message?’ Louis asked Brother Ambrose, who stood glaring at the spies. Louis knew that his invitation for the Young King to live in the Île-de-France, a secret so far, would not be well received by Henry. ‘Since that terrible day three centuries ago when Beautiful France had to cede Normandy to the Men of the North, we’ve tried to weaken their duchy. So far without success. My father’s reign was further burdened when Normandy allied itself with the devils of Anjou. Now Normans and Angevins have collected as the House of Plantagenet. I can do nothing but clench my teeth and agree to marry Capet daughters to Plantagenet sons. The question, Ambrose, is: do I trust my ex-wife?’

The men who had brought the message from Avranches looked warily at the Benedictine before answering. ‘We think so, sire. We observed the Duchess’s other women upbraid her for over-speaking.’

‘And you? How did you respond?’

‘We did not over-speak, sire. I said you’d be happy to send Marie de Champagne to visit her mother. I added that Your Highness would be interested in news from the south.’

Louis glanced at the Benedictine, who gave a slight nod. The King drew rings from his fingers and gave one to each man.

‘She is exceedingly fickle, Highness. But in this instance, I believe you may take her request at face value.’

Hamelin, Earl of Surrey, returned to England with the bear while Henry made progress with the Young King from Normandy to the border of Aquitaine.

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