Lady of the English - By Elizabeth Chadwick Page 0,111

what was happening and accepted her hug with a grimace and a wriggle.

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Lady of the English

Matilda knew if she let emotion in, she would weep and grieve, and she made herself as hard as stone. She had learned as a child herself that life was a series of partings governed above all else by duty.

She turned to her husband, who was watching her with an enigmatic look in his eyes. She half expected him to mock, but he said quietly, “You are an empress and a true queen. Only you can do what has to be done. Now is your opportunity to prove yourself.” He took her hands in his and gave her a formal kiss of peace on both cheeks, as she had done to their sons. And then his grip tightened and he claimed her mouth in a lingering, hard intimacy. As the salute ended, he said with a strained smile, “I will miss you.”

“I wish I could say the same,” she retorted, more disturbed than she cared to admit, not least because she could see he was guarding against emotion too, “but I will hold you in my prayers.”

Geoffrey snorted. “As you should. You might not want me, beloved wife, but you do need me to conduct your affairs in Normandy and raise our sons. I will hold you in mine also.” Drawing herself together, Matilda went down to the courtyard and allowed Alexander de Bohun to assist her into the saddle. When she picked up the reins, it seemed as if she were picking up her destiny too. She gazed at her children in final farewell, her eyes lingering on Henry, then she faced forward and although her heart was aching, did not look back.

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Thirty-two

Arundel, September 1139

T he autumn tide was running fast onshore and surging up the estuary of the river Arun as Matilda’s fleet navigated the channel at full flood. She gazed at the approaching shore, land of her birth, ignoring the sting from the hard, salty wind. It had been eight years since she had last set foot here.

Then her father had been alive and men had knelt at her feet and sworn to uphold her as future queen of England. Now she came to claim her crown from them.

She looked round as her brother Robert joined her. “Soon enough the warning beacons will be lit, and Stephen will know I am here,” she said.

“Already he is too late.” Robert gave a confident smile.

“There is nothing he can do.”

Matilda compressed her lips, feeling queasy. She told herself it was seasickness, but in truth she felt she was being dragged into the deep by riptides of doubt. Supposing Stephen was waiting for them close by? He had his spies, after all, even as they had theirs. Supposing Adeliza had been unable to prevail on her husband to open Arundel’s gates for them? What if William D’Albini forbade them to land the troops, horses, and equipment they had brought from Normandy?

The river Arun wound and looped inland like one of LadyofEnglish.indd 276

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Adeliza’s silver hair ribbons. Although autumn was advancing, the grass was still green and the fields were full of grazing sheep.

In other circumstances, Matilda would have taken interest and pleasure in the journey, but for the moment she was too tense and impatient.

By the time they moored at the wharf near the castle mound, the silver of the river had become sunset gold and a party was waiting to greet them. Matilda stiffened as she saw the soldiers lining the bank, spears held at the upright and shields bearing the Albini rampant lion on a red background. Beside her, Robert came to attention. As the mooring ropes snaked out to the bollards, a bellowed command from the shore sent the men to their knees as one in a clatter of mail and weaponry. Matilda saw Adeliza, and her new husband kneeling at the front, and her heart leaped with relief. The first barrier was down; they had an uncontested landing.

The moment she disembarked, Matilda went straight to Adeliza, raised her to her feet, and tearfully embraced her. “I am in your debt,” she said against her ear. “Thank you for keeping the faith.”

“Nothing would have stopped me,” Adeliza said fiercely.

“You are kin, and I have missed you so much, and been so worried for you.”

Will D’Albini turned from greeting Robert and knelt again to Matilda. “Empress,” he said. “Be welcome at Arundel.” Matilda