The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [79]
“I can think of nothing but your beauty.”
“But Aquitaine is beautiful, too. Surely you will agree with that?”
“I daresay it is. But I had not thought of it.”
“Oh, had you not? It is not very clever of you to forget Aquitaine.”
“What I mean is that I am so deep in love with you that it would not matter to me if you were the lowest serving maid and not a great lady.”
“Then you are a man without discernment. One who does not see the advantages will not get very far in life, I fear.”
“You are laughing at me.”
“Forgive me. I thought you were laughing at me. Laughter is good for us. Let us enjoy it.”
“If I could realize my dearest dream and marry you, I should be the happiest man on Earth. I beg of you be kind to me. Tell me you will consider this. There is nothing I would not do for you. Please, please think of it.”
I did think: This has gone too far and is quite absurd. The man must think I’m a fool, and I could not forgive anyone for thinking that.
I said coolly: “Let us have done with this farce, shall we? Of course I will not marry you.”
He looked quite taken aback. Oh yes, he was very drunk but there was a certain shrewdness in his eyes.
“I will never give up hope,” he said.
“Hope sometimes comforts even when the goal is quite out of reach. And now, if you will indulge us, I should like to hear your minstrels once more before I and my ladies retire for the night.”
His tongue ran around his lips at my mention of retiring. Indeed he had plans and I must countermand them. He called for the musicians and I watched him as he listened to the songs of love. When it was over, I rose, my women with me.
“And now, my lord, I shall say good night to you.”
“I shall conduct you to your bedchamber.”
I bowed my head and we went, my ladies and I, the Count leading the way.
And there was my chamber with the ornate bed, the sight of which made his eyes glisten.
I turned to him. “My thanks to you, Count. Your hospitality has been all that I could have expected.”
He put his face close to mine. “If you should need anything . . .”
“I will remember,” I told him.
He went reluctantly and I immediately called my women to me.
I said: “I do not trust the Count. He will attempt to come to this room tonight. Four of you will sleep here—and where is my esquire?”
They brought him to me—a fresh-faced young man, earnest and eager to excel, the sort who would be immune from bribes and therefore completely trustworthy.
“I am relying on you,” I said. “You see me here, not exactly alone but with a small company compared with that which the Count could muster. I believe he wishes me ill and I would be prepared. Lie outside my door, across the threshold, all through the night. Let no one pass. If anyone should come, shout and draw your sword, threaten to slay him, no matter who he is. Tell him my orders are that you shall let no one pass. No one is to enter my room without my permission. Shout. Make a noise. Wake the whole castle.”
“I will defend you with my life, my lady.”
And I knew he would. How right I was. It must have been just after midnight when we heard the commotion outside the door.
My young esquire was declaring: “On the Queen’s orders no one passes this threshold.”
Then came the Count’s blustering voice. “You young fool, do you realize that this is my castle, my room? Everyone under this roof is either my servant or my guest.”
“My orders are, my lord, that no one passes.”
The Count must have realized that he was awakening the household. He was just sober enough to see that his best plan was to return to his own apartment. The silly young fool, if he wanted to make such plans, he should give them more consideration and above all keep a cool head. He should have studied my grandfather’s methods.
I was temporarily safe but I must not stay another night in his castle. Perhaps even during this night the Count might sober up and the first thing such a bombastic young man would want to do would be to justify himself in my eyes and his own. He had means at his disposal; here in his castle he could easily subdue my