Lady of the English - By Elizabeth Chadwick Page 0,70
of Hugh Bigod.”
Adeliza swallowed. Hugh Bigod would sell his own mother; everyone knew that. The decision for men would be whether to go with his word and be absolved of the oaths sworn to Matilda and little Henry, or stay true to what they had vowed.
But if her husband had not named a successor on his deathbed, then the aftermath would be like a host of kites circling and descending to feed on a kill. “You heard and saw nothing?” He looked uneasy, but held her gaze. “Madam, I did not…
but as I was leaving, I saw William Martel preparing to ride, and I do not think he was going to Anjou. More than that, I cannot tell you.”
In her mind’s eye, Adeliza could see William Martel on a galloping horse. He would go to Boulogne, she thought. To his great friend and lord, Stephen of Blois, Count of Mortain.
Where else would he ride in such haste? She must write to Matilda and warn her. But what if Henry truly had cut his daughter out of his plans and Hugh Bigod was telling the truth?
Dear God, already they were a rudderless ship.
Her stomach was churning. She would never hold Henry’s child in her lap. She would never sit in state beside him again.
She was a widow, a queen without a king, bereft of her throne.
In one fell swoop that part of her life was over. She wanted to hide in a dark corner and nurse her grief, and knew she could not. There were things that needed to be done for Henry. A fitting funeral. Prayers for his soul. And surely her role of peace-weaver was more necessary than ever, even if other functions 174
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had abruptly ceased. She must take this one step at a time. “I thank you for bringing this news to me so swiftly,” she said.
“Please, take your ease and ask my stewards for anything you need, but you will excuse me. I have matters to attend to and letters to write, and my mourning to consider.”
“Of course.” He rose and bowed. “If I can help, you have only to say…”
“Thank you,” she said, knowing that there was nothing anyone could do.
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Twenty-one
Le Mans, December 1135
M atilda closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of warm, scented water lapping around her feet and ankles as she took a footbath. She was briefly relaxing in her chamber after a long day working on various religious grants and charters but there was more still to do. Geoffrey wanted to talk to her about Normandy, where he continued to support the rebellion against her father, although of late he had distanced himself.
They had heard a rumour last week that her father might hand over one of the dower castles, but Matilda would only believe it when the keys of the keep were actually in her hand.
Emma combed Matilda’s long, dark hair, intermittently dipping the tines in a solution of nutmeg and rose water, filling the air with a marvellous perfume. In the background, Henry was chattering to his nurse. His vocabulary was prodigious for his years and already he had a fierce intelligence and a temper to match. The screaming tantrums when he was not allowed his own way were devastating. There was no placating him; he just had to be allowed to thrash them out, and then he would sleep, exhausted. The physicians opined that it might be caused by his beacon-red hair, which was a sign of an imbalance of his humours, but there was nothing to be done about that. He was what he was. In between tantrums, he had a vast, sunny nature LadyofEnglish.indd 176
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and an enquiring mind that absorbed information at a gargan-tuan rate. He was sturdy and robust with his royal grandfather’s build and stamina, and copious amounts of energy. Matilda foresaw that when the time came for his lessons it would take stern use of the rod to keep him in his seat. His baby brother was somewhat more placid, although since learning to walk had to be constantly watched. Her monthly time was overdue, but it was too soon to be certain of a third pregnancy. She hoped not, but suspected that hope was going to be thwarted. Her breasts were sore and the taste of mead made her feel nauseous.
There was a sudden commotion at the chamber door, and her young half-brother Reynald burst into the room.