The Autumn Throne (41 page)

Seated on a curved chair, her feet propped on a footstool, Alienor covertly studied them. She knew Richard was giving her a ring, one that he had chosen informally and that was for her alone rather than part of the royal regalia. Perhaps this would unravel the knot of reserve between them.

Joanna joined her, arranging her silk skirts in a wide fan around her feet. ‘I do not know what to make of her, Mama.’

‘In what way?’

Joanna pursed her lips, considering. ‘Well, she is reserved. She holds herself back, but not because she is shy or witless – indeed far from it.’

‘I think that too.’ Alienor was interested that Joanna had reached the same conclusion. ‘She is deep like still water.’

‘And we are all variations of fire, Mama.’ Joanna smiled. ‘Do you think he will burn her up or that she will quench him?’

‘I hope they will balance each other.’ Alienor sent her daughter an amused but reprimanding glance. ‘And that she will provide tranquillity in his life.’

‘But you do not want her having too great an influence,’ Joanna said shrewdly. ‘You do not want a wife for Richard who will be your rival.’ She tilted her head to one side. ‘Indeed, I do not believe any woman could be, because there is no other in the world to match you – certainly not in Richard’s eyes.’

Alienor accepted the assessment with a judicious nod. Joanna was perceptive and astute, perhaps even a little cynical. ‘That is probably true except that neither Berenguela nor I will ever rule your brother’s life because he is a man and goes his own way.’

‘But you have influence over him, Mama, I know you do.’

‘Not over him,’ Alienor corrected. ‘I have his ear, which is an entirely different matter. He will listen to my advice but it does not mean he will take it. Berenguela has no share in our
family’s history. She has not had to survive your father for a start, and her own influence on Richard will be very different.’ She looked at Joanna. ‘I do not think I will have a close bond with Berenguela, but I admire her fortitude and respect her strength – and I believe that it is a mutual thing.’ She paused to take a drink of the sweet raisin wine and changed the subject. ‘I am sorry for the loss of your husband and the difficulties with Tancred afterwards.’

Joanna twisted the wedding ring she still wore on her finger. ‘I was fond of William. He had mistresses, I know that, I am not naive, but he was never unkind and he treated me well. I could have anything I desired for the asking – except the heir we both wanted. Even though he had other women, he still came to my bed. I lost one baby scarcely before he had made an impression in his cradle clothes, and I miscarried another child just two months before William died – and so I have nothing.’ Her chin wobbled.

‘I understand.’ Alienor grasped her hand. ‘I am sorry.’

Joanna raised her other hand to swipe away tears. ‘And then all this wrangling over the inheritance because there was no heir and I was powerless, and only saved because my brother arrived and dealt with Tancred’s claim on men’s terms.’

‘It has always been thus for women. But without us men cannot make their alliances, and forge their links.’

‘But it is still their world.’

Alienor gestured acknowledgement. ‘We have our own worlds to rule within it and they are no less complex, and again, without them the bigger worlds cannot function.’

Joanna sniffed. ‘I remember when my father sent you to Sarum – I learned a great deal then about the position of men and women.’

‘It is in the past,’ Alienor said bleakly.

‘Do you still hate him?’

Alienor shook her head. ‘No. All that remains is regret for what might have been. It is like standing in the ashes of a fire you once approached to warm your body a little, but which
burned you to the bone instead. Now the ashes are cold, and sometimes you remember that even when your hand was in the flames, you still had a terrible need to thrust it deeper.’

Joanna swallowed. ‘Mama, don’t. You will make me weep.’

Alienor gave a self-deprecating laugh. ‘I will make myself weep too. I do not dwell on it often for that very reason because I realise it is not in the past at all.’

Richard returned from his moment alone with Berenguela. The sun had set and the horizon sky was turquoise in the west, pricked with diamonds of starlight. Berenguela’s rosy complexion and the coy smile tucked into the corners of her mouth told a story of approval. The ring Richard had given her was set with three rubies and she kept touching it with the fingers of her other hand, clearly moved and proud. Richard was smiling too, but his expression was less readable as he sat on a settle opposite Alienor and drew Berenguela down beside him.

‘England,’ Alienor said after a moment. ‘Richard, what are you going to do?’

Berenguela sent Alienor a startled look, and Joanna a sharp one, because suddenly politics had come into play and, like the difference between sunset and dark, the vista had completely changed.

Richard replied calmly. ‘I have already sent letters to Longchamp and the justiciars with instructions to deal with those matters. Longchamp has my authority to do as he must to keep a tight rein.’

Alienor was not to be put off. ‘He is over-zealous in his dealings and the barons are turning to your brother.’

‘Who I wanted to keep out of England,’ Richard said with a flare of irritation. ‘But you pleaded with me to give him permission to go there.’

‘Yes, because in constraining him you would have made a rod for your own back, even more so than now. You have unbalanced the situation and made it dangerous by declaring Arthur your heir. From where you stand you might see it as
political necessity, but John will view your making a child of four heir to your lands while ignoring him as a grave insult.’

Richard waved an impatient hand. ‘It was necessary in order to secure Tancred’s support. I needed those ships and I needed Joanna’s dowry. As it is, Tancred is still being difficult because he knows you met his rival for the throne in Lodi.’

‘That was unfortunate,’ Alienor said irascibly, ‘but not deliberate. It could not be helped. Heinrich received the news about your pact with Tancred while we were there and you have made yourself a bad enemy.’

‘I had no choice. I had to make the decision for my situation here and now.’ He clenched his fist and gazed at his bunched knuckles. ‘It would be too easy to become buried in all the fine grains of sand and never walk on the beach. Jerusalem is the objective. Everything else can wait until the tomb of Christ is free. For now I entrust my concerns at home to my more than able deputies.’

‘You are on a path to ruin with Longchamp,’ Alienor said, holding to her point. ‘These letters tell you that. You must do something about it.’

‘Then what do you suggest, Mama?’

‘Whether you like it or not, you must curb Longchamp. If you do not, your barons will look for ways to unseat him and your brother will make the most of it. My advice is that you appoint someone else to be justiciar in England, someone who will work with your lords.’

Richard tightened his lips, revealing his opposition to her suggestion, although he did not refuse. ‘Did you have anyone in mind?’

‘As a matter of fact, yes. The Archbishop of Rouen will do very well indeed. I have every faith in Walter of Coutances and he is better suited to being in England and Normandy than here with you. You have plenty of accomplished advisers.’

He thrust out his jaw, resisting.

‘I shall need an escort to return to England and the Archbishop and his knights will be perfect. We can brief each
other on the way so that we are agreed on a mutual purpose. He will be useful in Rome too, to assist in your half-brother’s ratification as Archbishop of York. Once that happens it will be an additional tie on Longchamp’s ambitions.’

Richard raised his brows. ‘So you are advocating that Jeoffrey also returns to England?’

‘As clergy, yes, not in a secular context. He will be a balance to Longchamp and he has good administrative skills.’

Richard continued to stroke his beard, but eventually nodded. ‘Very well, let it be as you say, but I do not want to act in haste. The situation may yet resolve itself without resorting to a heavy hand.’

‘If Longchamp proves too much of a problem, you must give me the power to remove him if necessary,’ she said adamantly. ‘That is not negotiable.’

She rose to her feet and walked out onto the balcony where Richard had recently been standing with Berenguela. The air was cool now, and the light in the west had blended with the rest of the sky to dark sapphire-blue. The sound of the waves shushing to shore failed to soothe her. She was breathing too swiftly and she felt faint and sick.

Richard joined her silently, and said nothing, although she could sense his exasperation.

‘I cannot do this, my son.’ Her voice shook. ‘You give me responsibilities that seem never-ending, yet do not give me the tools to accomplish the task and at every turn I am blocked. I would come with you to Outremer and see you married, it is my dearest wish, but I must return to your lands for the sake of all of us, because if it is not sorted out it may turn to disaster.’

Richard exhaled and, putting his arm around her, drew her against him. ‘Mama, I understand your concerns even if you think I do not. I would return if I could and deal with the situation but that is impossible for now.’ He dug his free hand through his hair leaving deep finger tracks in the heavy red-gold. ‘You may have as much support from me as you need – always, but I would rather you kept it to yourself. If news spreads of
difficulties in my territories, there are those who will take advantage.’

‘So you will give me authority to remove Longchamp if I must?’ she pressed.

Richard’s mouth twisted. ‘You drive a hard bargain, but yes, Mama, I will. You and Walter of Coutances shall have letters of sanction to remove him from office should you find it necessary, and Walter will replace him in England. But that move is only to be implemented if there is no other way. Walter will also have power to clip John’s wings if my brother is proving too friendly with the barons. Does that seem reasonable?’

Alienor composed herself. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I can work with Walter of Coutances and the barons respect him. If we are to visit the Pontiff in Rome on our way home, we may need funds.’

‘I shall put those in place for you, Mama, as much as you need.’

‘Then it is settled.’ She looked up at him and shook her head. ‘I do not know why it had to be so difficult. You could have agreed with me in the first place.’

‘But then it would not have been my idea and I would not have digested it in the same way,’ he said. ‘I am still uneasy, but I trust no one in the world as much as I trust you, Mama.’

Alienor made a face because while such words were gratifying to hear, they laid a heavy burden upon her. ‘Well then, on the morrow I shall make ready. Joanna can chaperone Berenguela and be her companion until your wedding.’ She glanced over her shoulder at the two young women. ‘Both are good travellers and will be an asset to your household.’

‘I know they will, Mama, although Joanna nags me just as much as you do.’ His mouth twitched and the moment lightened a little.

‘That is one of the roles assigned to mothers and sisters, as you should know by now. I hope you will be sincere and honest with Berenguela.’

‘It seems to me that those are her own traits too,’ he said, his tone slightly flat.

Alienor tapped
his arm. ‘Do not underestimate her or dismiss her as a means to an end. She will be useful to you if you are prepared to let her help. She would follow you into hell if you asked it of her – if not for love, then for loyal duty. Many wives would not do that for their husbands. I would certainly not have followed your father. Think of her as another weapon in your armoury.’

He looked wry. ‘I will bear your words in mind, Mama.’

‘Richard, I mean it.’

‘So do I. You have my oath that I will honour her and treat her fittingly.’ He kissed her cheek in reassurance, but also in finality, and Alienor knew she had taken all things as far as she could go.

After only three days’ respite, Alienor set out again for Normandy and whatever she was going to find there. Walter of Coutances, Archbishop of Rouen, was her travelling companion, and the prospect was not unpleasant. He was an erudite and affable cleric, snowy-haired with a fresh complexion and a benign, cheerful manner. A mischievous twinkle enlivened his deep-set eyes and a natural upturn to his lips made him look as though he was smiling, but concealed just how wily, intelligent and ruthless he really was.

Alienor made her farewells to Joanna and Berenguela at the Messina wharfside on a warm but overcast day, with the sea a choppy grey at her back. She embraced both young women and gave an especially warm hug to Joanna. ‘Have a care to yourselves,’ she said. ‘Look after each other, and look after Richard.’

‘Inasmuch as he allows us to do so.’ Joanna cast her glance heavenwards. ‘Knowing my brother he will spend most of his time with his men – unless Berenguela can entice him away.’

Berenguela looked embarrassed but smiled.

Richard arrived and presented Alienor with a soft leather satchel holding the letters they had earlier written together concerning the matter of William Longchamp and his
replacement should it prove necessary. Alienor’s baggage was heavily guarded because it contained more than a thousand marks of silver, much of it destined for bribes in Rome. ‘Saint Silver and Saint Gold,’ Richard had said with a twist of his lip. ‘That is the language that Rome knows best above all others.’

Richard knelt to her, and Alienor, with tears in her eyes, pressed her hand to his hair. ‘Parting grows no easier. You would think I had had enough practice by now, but it becomes more difficult each time.’ She raised him to his feet. ‘Go and do great deeds, my son, and know you carry my heart and my pride with you.’

‘I shall greet Jerusalem for you, Mama, and bring you a stone from the Holy Sepulchre when I return.’

‘I know which will be the greater gift,’ she said.

After a final embrace, she let him escort her onto the galley. She harboured a real fear that she would never see him again, that this was the final farewell, and hated that she was powerless to stem the flow but had to follow it downstream to whatever end.