The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [146]
“Made up to what, may I ask?”
“You may indeed. Made up my mind that I have finished with you.”
He threw back his head and laughed. He came to me and took me by the shoulders. He was ready, I knew, for a little love play. He was going to placate me, tell me that no other woman—not even Rosamund—was of importance to him. I was the Queen, was I not?
I threw him off.
“You could not tear yourself away from her. All those months at Woodstock . . . and all that was happening to the dominions overseas . . . it mattered not. You could not leave your mistress. Very well, you are free now to set her up in the palace, to live openly with her, for I shall not be there. Never . . . never . . . Our marriage is over.”
“I did not think you would be so jealous.”
“Jealous? I? Do you think I envy your whores? No, I pity them. That poor creature at Woodstock . . . awaiting your summons . . . You want to own the world . . . but most of all, womankind, I do believe.”
“It is a dazzling prospect.”
“Laugh if you will. My mind is made up. I am not sure about divorce. I don’t think it is necessary. There are children enough. I shall go back to my home. I shall go to Poitou. And I hope I never have to see your face again.”
“Are you not being a little rash . . . just because you have discovered I have had a beautiful mistress? What are you envious of . . . her beauty? Her youth? You are eleven years older than I, you know.”
“Eleven years older in wisdom, I hope. But I have been foolish. I should have done this before. I have no need of you, Henry. I can go home to my own estates.”
“You will forget all this . . .”
“I have been thinking of it for over a year and I have made my plans.”
“What a fuss to make!”
“I have had enough. As soon as I saw your mistress and knew that you had set her up in the palace while I was absent, I knew that that was the end. Oh, she is pretty enough and the boys are fine ones. What a man you are for getting sons on harlots. We have your bastard Geoffrey in the nursery as proof of that.”
“A very pleasant boy he is.”
“He has been brought up in my nurseries, that is why.”
“You accepted him.”
“It was different. His mother was a camp-follower. I wonder you did not set her up as a queen. Your conduct is a constant scandal.”
“And your past is not free from it. You should not be surprised. Were you not brought up in a Court where it was the order of the day? I am tired of this nonsense. I will not be called to book for my misdeeds. I will do as I will.”
“With your low-born loose-living women, perhaps, but not with the Duchess of Aquitaine and Queen of England.”
“Even those two august ladies shall not dictate to me.”
“Nor shall any dictate to them. You speak of having your will. But at least you tried to hide your mistress from me in her cozy little place beyond the maze.”
“I thought to spare your feelings. Do you blame me for that?”
“I want no such kindness from you. Do you think I care how many mistresses you have? I know they are legion. It would be a superhuman task to try to count them.”
“You may be right.”
“And this one was different, was she not? You had a special fondness for her.”
He smiled reminiscently. “I have,” he said.
“She has been as a wife to you and no doubt you wish she were.”
He looked at me, his hatred matching mine. “I do,” he said.
“Very well then. Go to her. Go.”
“Don’t be a fool.”
“It is you who are a fool . . . over this woman.”
“You are not planning to harm her . . . If aught happened to her through you I would kill you.”
“Oh, you feel as strongly as that, do you? And what do you think would happen to you if you harmed me? The people of Aquitaine hate you as it is. They would rise against you. In addition to all your troubles, you would have war with Aquitaine . . . and this time they would defeat you.”
“I would soon subdue them. Stop this folly. You are the Queen, no matter what other women there may be.