The Lion of Justice - Plaidy Jean - Страница 31

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‘And our boys?’

‘Rest assured they will always be in my thoughts.’

‘And what is more important, recipients of your bounty?’

‘I swear it on our love, Nesta.’

‘Is that a firm foundation on which to swear?’

‘I would swear on that more fervently than anything else.’

‘You always had the right answers. I wonder if Matilda will find it so?’

‘So you accept?’

‘What else can I do? You are the King. It is different for a penniless prince to come riding this way and to find a loving heart waiting for him. But a king! All his actions are noted. What is Matilda like I wonder? Is she beautiful, tell me that?’

‘She is not ill-favoured.’

‘As I am not?’

‘You are as the sun, blazing hot, without which no man could live.’

‘Which is what you are proposing to do.’

He ignored that. ‘She is as the moon.’

‘The moon is considered beautiful.’

‘I said she was not without a charm.’

‘A man can live without the moon, is that not so?’

‘I know only that this parting breaks my heart.’

‘Now that is not worthy of my lawyer King. Your heart is sound enough, Henry, it’s your head we are concerned with, not your heart.’

‘Have done.’ he said, and drew her to him.

‘The last.’ she said.

‘Let us make it as memorable as the first. But you know I shall come back.’

‘Could I be faithless to what is his name...Gerald?’

‘Yes, I think you might.’

‘As you will be to Matilda?’

‘It seems likely.’

‘Oh yes.’ said Nesta, ‘it seems very likely.’

As he rode back to Winchester he congratulated himself that the interview with Nesta had gone off better than he had anticipated. But then Nesta was a woman of the world. She would understand.

However, when he returned to Winchester he was met by a concerned Roger, who told him that the Abbess of Wilton had made a statement to the effect that the Princess Matilda was a confirmed nun and that it would be an act of sacrilege to remove her from the Abbey.

* * * * *

Henry was furious. Matilda had sworn to him that she had not taken the veil and he believed her. The girl was too innocent to lie. It was that wicked old Abbess who was lying.

‘Nevertheless,’ said Roger, ‘the doubt will always be there. The Church will be against the marriage and that means that many of the people will be with them. It will not be the popular marriage you need. If you did marry the least little trouble would be laid to its door. Remember how ready people are to see signs and portents. Remember how they were sure the cathedral tower crashed because Rufus was buried beneath it, though it was well known that the work was too hurriedly done. If you are going to marry Matilda, it will have to be believed without a doubt that she never took the veil.’

‘She swears she didn’t.’

‘That is not enough. You want the leading churchmen to confirm absolutely that she is able to marry.’

‘Churchmen! The clergy are more likely to support that old harridan of an Abbess than me. One moment. An idea occurs to me. You know my father was excommunicated for his marriage to another Matilda. For years he was ostracized by the Church. He had exiled Lanfranc and then reinstated him. Lanfranc went to Rome and the excommunication was withdrawn. There is a very clever churchman who had a quarrel with my brother. I have it. Anselm. I will recall Anselm.’

‘You think he will work for you against this Abbess?’

‘Yes, for he will be grateful to me for recalling him.’

‘They say he lives in pleasant retirement. Is it at Lyons?’

‘My good Roger, in spite of his piety he is an ambitious man. He lost the great See of Canterbury. What if I promised to return that to him? Do you not think that might prove irresistible?’

‘We can but try it.’

# # #

Anselm in the house of his friend Hugh at Lyons received the messengers from the King.

He read the dispatches and discussed the matter with his friend.

‘Henry has become King. He is cleverer than his brother. He will make a better ruler than Rufus did. He will be more like his father. He is educated as Rufus never was. We shall be able to understand each other.’

‘Well, he is offering to reinstate you.’

‘It is clear why. He is determined to marry the Princess Matilda. If it is true that she has taken the veil he cannot do this. Such a marriage would be cursed.’

‘But you say the Princess denies this.’

‘Yes. She is, I have heard from her uncle, a good and pious young woman. It seems hardly likely that she would lie.’

‘Either she or the Abbess is lying. Would the Abbess lie?’

‘The Abbess might well do so and convince herself that she was obeying God’s will.’

‘Could you make the decision?’

‘I doubt if I could alone. I would have to convene some sort of council.’

‘Well what will you do?’

‘I think I should at least return to England and have discourse with the King.’

# # #

Henry had impatiently awaited the coming of Anselm and when he arrived, greeted him warmly.

Henry said: ‘I intended to recall you in any case. It is not fitting that the Church of England should have no head. You are the Archbishop of Canterbury. Even though you were in a form of exile nothing could alter that.’

Anselm bowed his head.

T trust since you have arrived here you have been treated with all the respect due to an Archbishop of Canterbury?’

‘I have nothing of which to complain on that score. Although a very important ceremony over which I should have presided was held in my absence.’

‘ You mean my coronation?’

‘I believe the Bishop of London performed that duty which rightly belongs to the Archbishop of Canterbury.’

Ha, thought Henry, we are going to be a somewhat intransigent Archbishop and I shall not be ruled by the Church any more than my brother was. But at the moment Anselm’s help was needed so he should be placated.

‘The circumstances were such, my lord Archbishop, that they brooked no delay. It was for this reason that I allowed the Bishop of London to crown me.’

Anselm said that he could understand the reason while he regretted the act.

‘Now, my lord, I need your help. I am determined to marry the Princess Matilda. Her aunt, the Abbess of Wilton, had made other plans for her against the Princess’s will. For years she has been ill-treating her and endeavouring to force her to take the veil. This the Princess refused to do; and now that I am ready to marry her, the Abbess insists that she has taken the vow.’

‘So it is a question of who is speaking the truth, the Abbess or her niece.’

‘There is no question in my mind and I want you to prove the Abbess is lying.’

‘This would be too big an undertaking for me alone. I should have to set up a council.’

‘Then, for the love of God, set up a council. But do so without delay. I am impatient for this marriage.’

* * * * *

An emissary from the Archbishop arrived at Wilton. There was nothing Christina could do to prevent his seeing Matilda. He stated what was expected of her.

‘The Archbishop has set up a council to decide whether the marriage of the King and yourself can be proceeded with. It will be necessary for you to appear before that council and tell the truth.’

‘I always tell the truth.’ said Matilda warmly.

‘You will have to convince the council that indeed you are free to marry. Will you do this?’

‘I will,’ said Matilda, ‘with all my heart. I can stand before God if need be without fear and say that I have never taken the veil.’

‘That is well for you will be on oath to state the true facts.’

He left and Matilda waited for the summons.

She rarely saw the Abbess. Christina was furious because it looked as though her hopes were going to be frustrated. She had rejoiced at first when she had heard that Anselm was back and would preside over a council. She had thought that as a good churchman he would have the interests of the Abbey at heart. But the King had sent for him. The King was urging him to discover that Edith...she would not call her by that absurd name Matilda...was in the right.

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