The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [85]
I told him that Aquitaine must be wooed. The people were completely loyal to me, but they had never taken kindly to Louis and I wanted them to feel differently about Henry. He saw that I was right.
I said: “We should make a tour of the country. We should stay in the castles. You must get to know them and let them see that this marriage of ours is a good one for them as well as us.”
He told me that England was very much on his mind. Stephen might not live much longer and when the time came he must be ready.
“Eustace will not meekly stand aside.”
“I do not think the people will want him.”
“Let us talk of these things while we are making our journey through my country.”
And this was what we did.
My people were wary of him, but it was heartening to see the enthusiasm with which they greeted me. They loved me. When I rode among them in my silk and velvet gown, with my hair flowing about my shoulders, they were enchanted. Henry, however, square and stocky, somewhat inelegant, was not their idea of the romantic lover; he did not match the heroes of the ballads they loved to sing; he was not the kind for whom lovesick maidens sigh.
Moreover, he was impatient. The nights we spent at the various castles brought no joy to him. He found it irksome to have to sit still so long. I was disturbed because I knew that, in spite of our passionate relationship, he wanted to be away in England.
The fact was that my people did not take to this uncouth man who had married their Duchess, but I did not know how greatly they resented him until we came to Limoges, where I saw a side to his nature which gave me twinges of alarm. We did not go into the town but encamped outside. This was a pity for if we had not done this, the trouble might not have arisen.
We had had a long day and were hungry. The cook came to me and told me in great distress that the town would provide no food for us.
Henry was present. “And pray why not?” he demanded. “And who has said this?”
“It was one of the servants of the castellan, my lord.”
“Bring him here to me this moment.”
The man was brought and stood trembling before Henry’s wrath.
Henry had changed. His eyes were bulging; they were wild. I had never seen him like that before.
“What does this mean?” he demanded.
“My lord,” stammered the man, “my master has said that the town of Limoges is not obliged to supply food to those encamped outside its walls.”
“Does your master know who comes?”
“Yes. It is the Duchess and her husband.”
That added to Henry’s rage. Not the Duke and the Duchess, but the Duchess and her husband. It was how they regarded him. He thought this a slight to him—which it was probably intended to be.
I could well believe in that moment that he had the Devil’s blood in him. His face was purple, his bulging eyes blazing with fury.
He strode out of the tent. I heard him shouting orders. I did not know at once what those orders were but when I did I was appalled.
The walls of the town were to be razed to the ground and the newly built bridge destroyed. In future when the Duke and the Duchess of Aquitaine visited the town of Limoges there would he no insolent men to deny them hospitality because they had encamped outside their walls.
I suppose I could have countermanded the order. What if I had? What would have happened? What would he have ordered me to do? I was too stunned to act. I did nothing to stop the orders being carried out.
I thought afterward: Suppose I had given orders that it was not to be done. There would have been war, I was sure . . . war between my people and my husband, and I should have stood with them.
It was the first time I was aware of those black rages of his. This was when I knew that there was a great deal to learn about my husband.
We left Limoges and continued our journey. It was not the same.
The news of what had happened spread through the duchy, and I noticed some sullen looks. My people would accept me and all my sins, for they were the sort of peccadilloes which they understood. The burning of the walls