The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [20]
Louis changed overnight. He admired me. Not only was I beautiful beyond his imaginings, not only had I brought him rich Aquitaine, but I had made him see that marriage was not so fearful after all. There was even some enjoyment to be gleaned from it.
The marriage was a success.
We were in Poitiers for a few days, and there we were to be consecrated Duke and Duchess of Aquitaine at a very impressive ceremony.
It was pleasant to be in that castle which—much as I had loved the Ombrire Palace at Bordeaux—had always been my home. Dangerosa was there and it was wonderful to go into the Maubergeonne Tower and talk to her. She wanted to hear all about the wedding and I was able to talk to her frankly about my relationship with Louis.
She was amused. She said it was a pity that the fat King of France did not see fit to teach his son a little of the ways of the world instead of so much about those of Heaven. “Time enough for that when you get there,” she added.
She was still the same Dangerosa who had delighted me in my childhood and my grandfather in the last days of his life.
We were now going to entertain the company at Poitiers and she must help me.
“We have to show the French that we can do better than they can,” I told her.
“We shall. What do they think of us so far?”
“We shock them a little. Our dresses . . . our gaiety . . . our women. They think we should be a little more demure. And what they think of our songs, I cannot imagine. I believe they think we should be more subtle.”
“We will shock them even more. I will tell the minstrels to sing our most bawdy songs.”
“I don’t think my Louis would be amused by that.”
“What a pity your grandfather is not here to see this.”
“Louis is not like my grandfather.”
“Nobody on Earth ever was.”
“No. But I am rather pleased with my young Louis.”
“Then I rejoice with you. Let us plan how we shall entertain them. Does he love the chase?”
“I think he loves best meditation and prayer.”
“I hope he does not engage too much in those habits in the bedchamber.”
“I think he is just a little eager to be in bed with me.”
Dangerosa laughed. Then she looked wistful—thinking of my grandfather, I guessed.
While we were at Poitiers I arranged a hunting expedition for Louis and some of the men. An unfortunate incident occurred—or perhaps not so unfortunate, for it gave me a different view of Louis. One of the castellans of the duchy, a certain Lezay, who had often been in conflict with my father and was always stirring up some mischief, had refused to pay homage to Louis as Duke of Aquitaine, and when the party went out on the hunt, Lezay with a few followers waylaid them and set upon them. It may well have been that they planned to take Louis hostage. However, Louis, it seemed, had a side to his nature which I had not suspected. He had a violent temper and when it was aroused—which was rarely—he was quite unable to control it.
He turned on his would-be captors and slew several of them. Lezay, unfortunately, managed to escape. The party returned to the castle with the tale of how they had been attacked and how, largely through Louis, they had routed Lezay and his men.
Louis told me his version of the affair after. “When they attacked us, I was seized with a fury which was uncontrollable. I just drew my sword and slashed at them. I am afraid I killed several of them.”
“They deserved it. I’m proud of you.”
“Such rage is not pleasing to God. I should have controlled my anger.”
“And stood by and let them slay you! No, Louis. It is no use your pretending you are not a hero. You are. And I intend to treat you as such.”
He was very pleased that I should admire him, but I could see that his conscience still troubled him, and he was on his knees for a long time that night before getting into bed, though I was there waiting, propped