Tourney bowed hastily.
"Your Royal Highness," he said. "I had no idea that you had returned from France. Is the King also in England again?"
Prince Edward shook his head.
"No," he said, shortly.
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He left the other man standing where he was and strode away from him without another word. De Tourney looked after him. What had caused the return of the King’s son so unexpectedly? He sensed that Edward had been sent back, rather than coming of his own accord, and it had put his nose out of joint. He had inherited his father’s arrogant and passionate temper, and there were frequent clashes between them as a result. Perhaps one such outburst had caused the Prince to be sent home in disgrace or was he simply pretending to be disgruntled to disguise the true reason for his sudden appearance? De Tourney reached down absently to scratch the head of the hound which he had kicked and which now fawned round him. In the glow of the firelight, the black stone of his ring shone dully.
Giving the dog a last rough caress, he pushed it aside and made his way down the length of the hall to the back. As he expected, in the smaller room behind he found John de Warenne, surrounded by some of his guests. Alice de Warenne was with them, and she came forward as de Tourney entered, smiling her welcome.
"We missed you, Sir Roger!" she said. "Where have you been on such a cold day?
Surely not far from the Castle?"
"No, madam, not far," he said. "I went to the Priory to pray for my lady’s safekeeping."
"Has there been no message from Madeleine, then?" said Alice.
"Not yet, madam," said de Tourney. "I know only that she is needed by her mother though why she should be so urgently required I cannot think. The messenger brought the news to us in France, and I could not refuse to let her stay when the household returned."
"But you miss her sorely," said Alice, sympathetically.
Indeed, madam," said de Tourney, assuming what he hoped as a suitably melancholy expression.
"Alice, you’re being a cruel tease!" said her husband. "You must not keep such a secret from the poor man any longer."
"Secret what secret?" said de Tourney.
"Madeleine’s waiting for you in her room," said Alice, laughing. "She returned with Prince Edward’s retinue."
De Tourney’s eyes blazed at her suddenly.
"I must go to her and..." he checked himself and turned on his heel. Leaving the apartment, he leapt up the stairs and along the short passage to Madeleine’s rooms. He rapped once sharply and flung open the door without waiting for a reply.
Madeleine was standing in the middle of the room, her head flung back as she laughed.
Seated at his ease beside the fire, Jervis FitzHugh laughed with her. As de Tourney entered, Jervis sprang to his feet, his face reddening with embarrassment. There was an BOSON BOOKS
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abrupt silence, then Madeleine smiled at her husband and went to him, lifting her face for his kiss.
"Roger!" she said. "Where were you? I was disappointed not to see you pining for me."
De Tourney put his arm around her and gave her a brief, hard hug.
"I was at the Priory," he said. "I went to see our friend the Prior, to find what news I could gather about the movements of the King."
"Did you learn anything?" asked Jervis.
De Tourney shook his head.
"The messenger was still on his way," he said. "And Foville acted as if he was keeping a secret from the confessional. He would not trust me, although I tried my best to give the impression that I knew all about the confounded messenger and the task with which he was entrusted."
"Did you tell him who you were?" said Madeleine.
De Tourney shrugged impatiently.
"Of course not how could I?" he said. "I didn’t want him checking on my identity by making enquiries of our host."
Jervis clapped his hand to his head.
"Did you tell Foville that you wanted to know if the messenger had made his way home yet?" he asked.
"Yes," said de Tourney. "Where’s the harm?"
"The messenger is a woman!" said Jervis. "Belaset’s daughter, Judith, was sent on this trip. They are bitter enemies of de Montfort, since his men masscred most of the Jews in Leicester. Judith and her mother came to live here in Lewes, but there are branches of the same family in London and elsewhere."
"Who else knows this?" said de Tourney.
"All who have the confidence of the King," said Jervis.
"So John de Warenne will