The Lion of Justice - Plaidy Jean - Страница 42

‘Henry you would never dare!’ cried Matilda in terror.

‘My dear Queen, I would dare much.’

The outcome of the quarrel was that Anselm asked for permission to go to Rome and put his case before the Pope and as in the case of Rufus, the King was glad to give his permission and if the sorry question could not be settled, at least to have a rest from it.

The Pope was aware of the mood of the English King and, having no desire to lose any of his adherents, vacillated. But he could not do so for long. He must make a decision; and as Anselm was his representative in England he came down in his favour.

Henry was furious and declared that since Anselm was so well received in Rome he might stay there until his King was in the mood to recall him.

For the second time Anselm was in exile.

The Queen and the Duke

Robert Duke of Normandy was growing restive. Since his attempt to invade England had ended in a treaty the advantages of which had been largely on Henry’s side, he began to consider new adventures.

To his great delight Sibyl had presented him with a son who had been christened William. He was known as the Clito which meant the Prince; and Robert was ambitious for him.

Normandy was in a state of chaos. Robert of Belleme, having been expelled from England, was back and, in an access of rage against Henry for banishing him, practised his vile cruelties with even greater vigour than ever before from his Norman strongholds. No one was safe. He would send his band of followers – almost as cruel as himself – to bring in victims for his entertainment and that of his guests. Young girls, young men, the elderly and the infirm, were not exempt. The name of Belleme was like a plague that swept through the countryside. Robert of Belleme gave up his time to devising new and more exquisite tortures and was in a constant fever of anticipation to try them out.

The custom of impaling men and women on stakes was a practice in which he delighted. That he was fiendishly made was undoubted; the perverted wickedness of his actions was having its effect on Normandy and it became clear even to the Duke that if he was going to save his country from absolute disaster he must do something about it.

He decided that he would go into battle against the tyrant. Henry had satisfactorily driven Belleme out of England where he had attempted to establish the same diabolical rule that he practised in Normandy, so the Duke would follow his brother’s example and take Belleme’s castles one by one and if possible destroy him.

Alas for Robert, he lacked Henry’s skill. He went into action but was very soon suffering from a humiliating defeat at the hands of his vassal.

Belleme concluded a treaty of peace with the Duke which was to the effect that he was to be permitted to live as he pleased in his own domain.

The troubled state of the country continued as before.

Robert had given shelter to many of the Norman barons who had escaped from England to Normandy, for they had proved themselves to be his allies and therefore he must befriend them. This gave Henry the excuse he had been looking for. The pension, he said, was to have been paid while there was friendship between him and his brother. To shelter the King’s enemies could scarcely be called a friendly act, in which case the Duke had broken the treaty.

Ranulf Flambard, still chafing against his ill judgment in the first place, realized immediately that Henry was going to take an opportunity to seize Normandy. He had admired the manner in which Henry had extricated himself from a confrontation which could have been disastrous to him. He knew that Henry had not meant to pay that pension for long; his lawyer’s mind had been searching for a loophole and he had found it. Ranulf was now eager to see Normandy pass to Henry. He knew what was in Henry’s mind. As the son of the Conqueror he had inherited to an intense degree the avariciousness which was one of the strongest characteristics of his father. Ranulf was well aware that Henry yearned not only to remain King of England but to be Duke of Normandy as well.

Well, why not? Ranulf could grow rich and powerful in a prosperous land as he never could in one such as Normandy had become with the Bellemes’ power rising and that of the Duke diminishing.

‘The King of England,’ he reminded Robert, ‘has not paid the pension which was granted to you.’

‘Nay,’ answered Robert. ‘He is cheating me of it.’

‘Will you allow this, my lord?’

‘By Saint Mary, I will not, Ranulf.’

‘Nor did I think you would, my lord.’

Ranulf’s eyes were gleaming with the prospect of an enterprise which should be devious and cunning, such as his soul loved.

Robert said: ‘I should go to England and demand it.’

‘Would my lord take an army with him?’

‘How else?’

‘You did that before, my lord, and what resulted but this treaty?’

‘I never cared to take up arms against my own brothers.’

‘Kings and rulers can be enemies as well as brothers. You made this treaty in good faith and Henry has not honoured it.’

Robert’s face grew scarlet with a sudden rush of temper. He smote his knee with his fist and cried: ‘‘Tis so. I should teach him a lesson.’

Ranulf surveyed the Duke through half-closed eyes.

‘He complains that you have given shelter to barons who have displeased him.’

‘They are Normans. Why should I not?’

‘Perhaps this is a matter which you should talk out together.’

Robert looked interested. When they were making the treaty he had stayed at the English Court for six months. It had been a pleasant experience. He had greatly enjoyed the company of his sister-in-law Matilda—a charming cultivated lady and she had been very gracious to him because she said she had greatly appreciated his gallant gesture in not bringing his soldiers into Winchester where she was lying-in.

They had good beverages to drink at his brother’s court and he had on several occasions drunk himself into a stupor and had to be carried to his bed. It had been vastly entertaining and he had been sorry to leave the English court. Perhaps he had had enough of fighting. He had distinguished himself in the Holy Land; but it was different fighting an infidel, from engaging in what could prove a death struggle with his own brother.

‘To go in peace to my brother, discuss with him the reasons why he has not paid my pension, that seems a good idea.’

‘This suggestion of yours does seem a good one.’ It was always wise to shift the responsibility of a doubtful enterprise to other shoulders and Robert, like most men in his position, could always be persuaded to believe that an idea which seemed to him a good one had originated with himself.

‘I am sure it is.’ cried Robert, his enthusiasm mounting. ‘I will take a few gentlemen with me and cross to England. Henry will then see that I come in peace and we can together discuss our difference. I am sure I can make him realize that he does in truth owe me the pension and that I need it desperately.’

Ranulf nodded slowly. What a fool Robert was. Did he think that Henry was the man not to take advantage of every opportunity offered him? Did he really think that he could put his flighty mind against that astute lawyer’s brain?

It would be interesting to see what came of this visit, and as Henry’s very covetous eyes were almost certain to be fixed on Normandy—now that he was so admirably putting his own house in order—it might well be that Robert would never see Normandy again.

* * * * *

Henry was hunting in the New Forest when news was brought to him of his brother’s arrival in the country.

The Count de Mellent who had come with the news was disturbed when he saw Henry’s delight.

‘He comes.’ said the Count, ‘with only twelve gentlemen in attendance.’