William Marshal: Guardian of England. The Complete Series. by Woodman Richard

Author:Woodman, Richard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sharpe Books
Published: 2018-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX: THE LADY OF STRIGUIL 1189

‘Rise, William Marshal. I thought never to see you again.’

William kissed the ring on the Dowager Queen’s right hand and rose. ‘God has preserved us both, Your Grace.’

She regarded him with the cool grey eyes he remembered well. Nor were her features much damaged by age. The straight nose and the well-formed mouth nestled somewhat in furrows but she wore her years well and she remained every inch a Queen.

‘FitzPeter has been sent away upon an errand in my name. He will return hither within a few days. He tells me that you were not present at the death of the King my husband’s death.’

‘Not at the actual moment, Your Grace…’ William began to explain.

‘Why, pray, was that?’ the Queen asked sharply.

‘In the rout of Le Mans, Your Grace, I drew off to the north, to Alençon where the majority of the late King’s mesnie awaited the outcome of events…’

‘They had deserted him?’ she asked, her voice quiet.

‘Yes, my Lady.’

‘The perfidy,’ she whispered, half to herself. William held his tongue as Eleanor appeared to contemplate the ruin of her husband’s ambition. ‘You did not go to join them?’

‘No, Your Grace, I did not. I went thither on the King’s orders and found the place full of rumour and dissent. The late King summoned me then to Chinon, whither he had gone from Le Mans but before I had arrived Count John went over to Count Richard and the King of France which brought about your husband’s apoplexy.’

‘From which he died?’

‘Aye, Madam, and most unkindly too.’

‘Tell me.’

‘’Twas not pretty, my Lady.’

‘Tell me, FitzMarshal. All of it.’

‘All, my Lady?’

‘All. So that I might know of it.’

William related the condition in which he had found Henry and the circumstances leading up to the King’s death that he had discovered by his investigation. He told her also of the manner in which he had brought the King’s body to Fontevrault. Eleanor listened, her face expressionless and when he had finished, she crossed herself and said, ‘I am sorry that you had to do for the father what you did for the son, there were others whose duty should have attended to these matters.’ She sighed, then added after a moment’s reflection, ‘it seems from the papers the man FitzPeter carried from my son, the Lord Richard, that you are destined to serve our family.’ She gave him a wan smile. ‘You may go now. Your lodgings are prepared and I shall send for you when FitzPeter returns.’

‘Your Grace, there is one matter…’

‘Go on.’

‘The Lord Richard’s Coronation…’

‘FitzPeter has the commission for it. I shall see it sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury tomorrow. You may go.’

‘And you shall attend?’ William asked, making his obeisance.

‘Is that what my son sent you hither to determine?’

‘Aye, my Lady.’

The Queen smiled enigmatically but returned no response, only repeating her dismissal.

In the few days that followed, William kicked his heels in a quiet fury, aware that something touching himself was up and not daring to ask for fear of seeming presumptuous.

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