saying that she wished him well. To say more would be hypocrisy and they both knew it.
“You say the coronation is set for January? I will be sure to vacate the palace by then,” she assured him. “I may choose to rent a house in Palermo until the spring, as I would rather not make the long journey to Monte St Angelo during the winter months.” Her smile this time was not as warm as the one she’d bestowed upon Roger, for it was not easy to ask when it had always been hers to command. “I assume that meets with your approval, my Lord Tancred?”
She’d made the request as a mere courtesy, and she was shocked when he said, “I am sorry, Madame. That will not be possible.”
Was he so eager to get her out of Palermo? “As you wish,” she said coolly. “I will depart as soon as the arrangements can be made.”
“I am afraid you do not understand, Madame. Whilst Monte St Angelo is a wealthy province, its greatest importance is strategic. It controls the roads from the Alpine passes, the route that Heinrich von Hohenstaufen will take when he leads an army into Italy. It is imperative that Monte St Angelo remains under royal control. I regret, therefore, that I cannot permit it to be given over to you.”
Joanna had never expected this. “I am sure I need not remind you that my dowry is guaranteed both by my marriage contract and the inheritance laws of the realm. So what do you propose to offer in exchange for Monte St Angelo, my lord?”
“I do not deny the truth of what you say, my lady. But I am facing a rebellion. Many Saracens have fled to the hills after the unrest in Palermo and have begun to fortify villages, whilst some of the mainland lords continue to support the Count of Andria’s false claim to the crown. An even greater threat is posed by the Germans, for we know Heinrich will wage war on his wife’s behalf, with all the resources of his father’s empire to draw upon.”
Joanna’s mouth had gone dry. “Just what are you saying, my lord?”
“I am saying that I cannot afford to compensate you for the loss of your dowry lands,” he said bluntly, and Joanna’s knights began to mutter among themselves, their anger all the greater for their sense of helplessness. Roger was no longer looking at Joanna, and Tancred wished he were elsewhere, too. He’d known it would not be easy, and was hoping she’d not burst into tears, for he felt awkward and ill at ease with weeping women. He saw now that he needn’t have worried, for she’d raised her chin and was staring at him defiantly.
“So you plan to turn me out penniless? Or do you have some other surprises in store for me, my lord?”
Tancred did not try to sweeten the brew; it was bound to go down hard. “I will speak candidly with you, Madame. You and your lord husband were well loved by the people, and I am sure there will be much sympathy for your . . . situation. Your own sympathy for the Lady Constance is well known, too. Should you fall into Heinrich’s hands, either by choice or by chance, he would make good use of you to advance his wife’s cause. I think it best, therefore, that you remain here in Palermo.”
By now there were outraged protests by Joanna’s knights and gasps from her women. She was stunned, too. But she’d not give this man the satisfaction of seeing how shaken she was. She knew how her mother would have reacted to such a threat and she responded accordingly. “So I am under arrest? Is it to be the palace dungeon, or have you someplace else in mind?”
Tancred had dreaded female hysteria. Now, though, he found himself irked by her icy composure. “Of course not!” he snapped. “You will be lodged in comfortable quarters and will be treated with courtesy and respect; upon that, you have my word. And once I am secure upon my throne, I hope to be able to review your circumstances. But for now, you may consider yourself a guest of the Crown.”
“I consider myself a hostage, my lord,” Joanna snapped back. “It is obvious that there is no point in arguing with you. But this I will say, and I hope you heed it. You think I am utterly defenseless now that my lord husband and