The Lion of Justice (32 page)

Thus was the dowry provided for Matilda's match with the Emperor Henry V; and Henry I of England found the means to equip his army for Normandy, where he knew full well he would shortly be needing it.

With all due honours the young Matilda was betrothed by proxy to the Emperor of Germany.

Matilda was delighted with the pomp which accompanied her proxy marriage. Many guests had been arriving at Westminster for the occasion, and among these were her cousins Theobald and Stephen.

They were older than she was. Stephen was about twelve years old. Theobald some years older.

Matilda thought Stephen the most beautiful young man she had ever seen and she took an opportunity of waylaying him.

She caught him on the way to the stables.

‘Good day, cousin,' she called. He turned to look down at her, for he was tall for his twelve years; and although she was not small for her age he towered above her.

‘I'm Matilda,' she told him, ‘the Empress Matilda.'

‘Already,' asked Stephen.

‘I'm married by proxy to the Emperor, you know.'

‘You don't look like an Empress.'

‘Do I not? My brother says I put on the airs of one.'

‘He may well be right in that.'

Stephen was smiling at her, and she noticed what beautiful teeth he had.

‘You are handsome,' she told him in her forthright manner.

He bowed. ‘I am delighted to hear that I find favour with you.'

‘Who are you? I know that you are my cousin and that is why you are here. But you are not an Emperor.'

‘Alas,' he said ironically, ‘I cannot compare with the Emperor of Germany. He is forty-seven years of age and I am but twelve.'

‘But it is not only in age that you are different.'

‘Nay, he is an Emperor and I am not even the eldest son of a Count.'

‘Still you are the Conqueror's grandson, as I am his grand-daughter.'

‘Which is the reason why you and I are cousins.'

Matilda viewed him frankly.

‘It is a pity you are not an Emperor,' she said.

‘A great pity, but if I were I should not be here, and I am going to stay here for some time. Did you know the King has promised my mother that I shall live at his Court and finish my education here?'

‘I did not know, but it pleases me.' She sighed. ‘How I wish you
were
an Emperor . . . I wish you were the Emperor of Germany.'

Stephen smiled at the colourful, bold-eyed little girl and said: ‘I wish it too, with all my heart.'

Stephen, son of the Count of Blois and his wife Adela, settled in at the Court very happily. The King had a special liking for him: he reminded him of his favourite sister, he told Matilda.

‘When the time comes,' said Henry, ‘I must make sure that Stephen is well looked after. He shall have estates and a good match.'

‘Mary's girl at Bermondsey will be needing a husband ere long,' said Matilda.

‘It may well be that we can make a match there. The daughter of the Count of Boulogne to the son of the Count of Blois. That could be possible. Unless I need to marry Stephen to someone who will bring me more good.'

‘Stephen is a charming boy.'

‘I like him well. I could wish that he were my son.'

‘Well, we have our William.'

‘Only one son,' sighed the King. He wondered why it was that he, whom so many boys claimed as father, could only get two legitimate children.

He took an opportunity while in England to go to see Nesta.

Voluptuous as ever, she was delighted to welcome him.

The trouble with Owen seemed long ago. The war was over and she had returned to Gerald of Windsor and had become, so Henry heard, the mistress of the Constable of Cardigan, while she continued to live with Gerald.

Whatever lovers she had she would always be pleased to
see the King, and on this occasion she had something of special importance to say to him.

It concerned their son Robert. She was proud of the boy. She told Henry he should be proud of him, too.

‘I'll warrant he is the most kingly of all your sons.'

When he saw the young fellow he was inclined to agree with her, and heartily wished Robert had been Matilda's son.

‘You must promise me to find an heiress for him,' said Nesta. ‘Robert has all the virtues except a fortune. But as he is the son of the King of England that ought not to be denied him.'

‘I think I know the woman for him.'

‘Who is that?'

‘Mabel, daughter of Robert FitzHaymon, Lord of Glamorgan.'

‘She seems a likely choice.'

‘Indeed she is. Her father has just died and she is his sole heiress.'

‘Of considerable wealth?'

‘Indeed: his wealth is considerable. She will own all the lands and honours of Gloucester which my brother Rufus bestowed on her father for services rendered. These lands came to our family through my mother, who confiscated them from a certain Saxon gentleman named Brihtric Meaw. It was said that when my mother was young she fell in love with this young Saxon and offered her hand, which he refused. When she became Queen of England she took his lands from him and he died soon after . . . in prison.'

‘She must have loved him dearly!'

The King laughed. ‘She loved her pride even more so. That will teach you, my dear, not to refuse the requests of sovereigns.'

‘When have I ever?'

‘I will say that you have been generous to this one from our first meeting.'

‘Tell me more of Robert's heiress.'

‘I have told you that the lands and honours of Gloucester are hers. What more could you ask?'

‘And they shall be Robert's?'

‘I promise that they shall.'

‘And this is one of the promises that you will keep?'

‘Have I ever not kept my promises to you?'

‘You have not come to see me as often as you promised, for a start.'

‘Only state matters could keep me from you.'

‘Well, since your visits are so rare and becoming rarer, let us settle this matter of Robert's future now.'

‘It will be simple,' he said. ‘Mabel's father left her in my care when he died. I am her guardian. I will tell her that I have found a husband for her and that shall be Robert. Let him ride back to Court with me. There is no reason whatever why the marriage should not take place without delay.'

‘Presuming the lady is agreeable.'

‘You are not suggesting that she will attempt to disobey her King.'

‘So she will have no choice in the matter. I do not pity her. She could not find a more worthy husband in the kingdom than our handsome Robert.'

And when the King rode back to Westminster his natural son Robert rode with him.

Henry was so proud of his son – who looked a little like Nesta and had inherited a modicum of her charm – that he made no secret of their relationship.

Matilda knew he had natural children. There were plenty more of them who would need a start in the world, so Matilda would have to grow accustomed to seeing him bring them forward.

He told her what he proposed for Robert.

The boy needed a rich wife and one who could bring honours to him.

‘I shall give him Glamorgan's heiress, Mabel. I pray you summon the girl to your presence and tell her that we have a husband for her.'

Matilda said, ‘Do you think such a great heiress will accept this young man as her husband? He has no fortune, I believe, and he is a bastard.'

Her lips quivered as she said that word, and Henry laughed aloud.

‘There is a great difference, my dear, between a commoner's bastard and a king's. The only rank above a king's illegitimate son is his legitimate one.'

‘We shall see if the young lady agrees with you.'

Henry's temper rose suddenly. ‘I tell you, Mabel FitzHaymon is going to marry my son Robert and be glad to. You will inform her of this fact.'

The Queen accordingly sent for the heiress. The girl, although but sixteen, was, as Matilda expected, a haughty young woman. She knew that she had been one of the greatest heiresses in the country and, now that her father was dead, was the possessor of great wealth.

‘The King has asked me to speak to you,' said Matilda. ‘He is your guardian and he wishes to place you in the hands of a husband who will care for you.'

‘I am able to take care of myself,' replied Mabel. ‘And when the time comes I shall doubtless marry.'

‘The King appears to think that that time is now. He has chosen his son Robert as your husband.'

‘Robert, my lady? Do you mean the son of Nesta of Wales and the King?'

‘I do.'

Mabel laughed scornfully. She was bold for her years. She said, ‘My lady, I must ask you to tell the King that the ladies of my family do not marry bastards.'

‘Do you indeed wish me to give this answer to the King?'

‘I do indeed.'

‘You know it will displease him.'

‘Then displeased he must be, for that is my answer.'

Matilda herself was not displeased to do so. It would show the King the general opinion of his philanderings and that the children he had so thoughtlessly scattered about his kingdom were not regarded with any respect by the noble families of the land.

When he heard Mabel's reply the King narrowed his eyes and the sudden rush of colour to his face told Matilda that he was angry.

He said, ‘Send for the maiden. I will speak with her.'

She came defiantly and not in the least fearful. Matilda
trembled for her. Evidently she did not know how fierce the wrath of the King could be.

‘Now,' he said, ‘the Queen has told me that you do not care for the match I have arranged for you.'

‘My lord King,' answered the bold girl, ‘I care for it not in the least. I cannot marry a nameless person.'

‘I do not ask you to.'

‘Then I am mistaken. I had thought that you were offering to me Robert the bastard.'

‘I offered you my son Robert.'

‘A bastard nevertheless.'

‘You foolish girl, do you know that the greatest man of his age – my father whom all men honour – was a bastard?'

She held her head high. ‘I can only tell you, my lord, that the ladies of my house do not marry men of no name.'

‘Then I will give my son a name. He is Robert Fitzroy and do you know a greater name than that?'

‘Whatever the name, sir, he has no wealth. No lands. Of what use is a name, however honoured, without these?'

‘You are a shrewd maiden, I see. A true daughter of your father. So shall you be to me. For I like your boldness. I have decided to endow my son with the lands and honours of Gloucester, and from this day he shall be known as Robert of Gloucester.'

‘The lands of Gloucester were my father's . . . they are mine . . .'

‘While the King pleases to allow you to hold them.'

‘But . . .'

‘Come, my clever girl. You have not lost your lands, for I am giving you the chance of sharing them with Robert of Gloucester.'

There was no avoiding the King's ultimatum, and shortly after that interview both Henry and Nesta were delighted to see their son united in marriage with the heiress of Gloucester.

It was a happy day for Matilda when her brother Alexander, King of Scotland, visited Henry's Court. The fact that her uncle Edgar had been against Henry in the battle for Normandy had upset her deeply, and she had been grateful for
Henry's leniency towards him. He might so easily have imprisoned her uncle as he had his brother. It was a relief, therefore, that Alexander should come in friendship.

The Scottish royal family were more or less vassals to the English throne since Rufus had helped it regain the crown from the traitor Donald Bane, but Henry treated Alexander with great respect because, he told Matilda, he was her brother.

Mary joined the Court briefly, for her husband was away on a crusade and she was residing for a while at Bermondsey, the Abbey where she had placed her daughter Matilda and which she now honoured with her patronage.

The sisters talked a great deal of the old days when they had been children together, before that terrible time when their father had been murdered while their mother lay dying.

Henry insisted on entertaining Alexander royally, and, knowing her husband well, Matilda believed that he had some reason for being so delighted to receive his brother-in-law.

She soon discovered that reason when a certain young woman arrived at Court.

‘I wish you to take Sybilla under your wing,' he told her. ‘She is the daughter of the Count of Meulan's sister. I should like to find a suitable husband for her.'

‘And who is her father?' asked Matilda with a sinking heart.

‘Come, my dear, you should guess.'

‘Another of them?'

‘I fear so. I told you there were many of them.'

‘And after the clever manner in which you made poor Mabel take Robert, you would like to repeat the action?'

‘I would like to do my best for this girl. And I ask you to help me.'

He laid his hand on her arm and smiled at her beguilingly. ‘Come, Matilda. Help me with my responsibilities. I shall soon have to leave you. Let us be good friends while we are together.'

‘To leave me!'

‘There is trouble brewing in Normandy,' he said.

‘But you have conquered Normandy.'

‘Would that I had!'

‘But surely the battle of Tinchebrai was decisive?'

He shook his head. ‘I captured Robert. He is my prisoner. I listened to what I believed all along to be unwise counsel and the Clito goes free. I have enemies. The King of France is not pleased to see me become so powerful. I must watch him closely. Robert of Flanders, Robert of Bellême, Fulk of Anjou: I do not trust these people for one moment. Depend upon it, they are biding their time to rise against me. I shall be in Normandy soon to quell rebellion after rebellion. So, as I say, let us make the most of the time we have together.'