Read Online For the King’s Favor by Elizabeth Chadwick - Free Book Online
Authors: Elizabeth Chadwick
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fragile and not so much use. You can’t melt down glass when you become short of funds and if you drop it, that’s the end. Not much you can do with a few shattered pieces.”
“So that would make glass the more precious?”
“And the less practical, my sweet. Give a king silver gilt any day.” He grinned playfully. “I’ll exchange this one for a glass cup if you want.”
Ida shook her head. “It’s a gift from a kinswoman, I’ll keep it.”
Henry threw back his head and roared. “A diplomatic way of saying that while you yearn, you’re practical enough to know the true value of things in life.”
“I am learning,” Ida replied demurely.
“Learn all you wish, but do not lose your innocence because that is a treasure beyond price and everyone will try to be near you because you have it, and steal it from you if they can.”
Ida thought that Henry had been the first one to do that, but she didn’t say so aloud. They both knew it, and he had just as good as admitted his own part. “Are you going to give Lady Gundreda’s son the earldom?” she asked after a moment.
Henry grimaced at the notion. “My sweet, one Hugh Bigod is enough for any man to suffer in a lifetime. The old bastard’s dead. I’ll think twice or even three times before I replace him with another of the same blood—even if she did offer me a thousand marks to recognise him.”
Ida oiled her palms, smoothed them over Henry’s shoulders and began to knead again. His groan of pleasure vibrated through his flesh and into her fingertips.
“I’m tempted to take it,” he said, “but the older son is the proven soldier and administrator…still a Bigod though,” he added with a slight curl of distaste.
Ida stopped rubbing. “So the Countess’s son is not the oldest?” she asked with surprise.
“You thought that he was? Ah, I suppose there’s no reason you would know better and she wouldn’t tell you. Hugh of Norfolk has a son, Roger, from his first marriage to Oxford’s sister. In fact he’s here now—arrived just as the gates were closing, so I was informed. I’ve warned the marshal to be on his guard lest family affection grows a little too warm.” His eyes sparkled. “I wonder what he’ll offer me for the right to his father’s earldom. Certainly not any of those cups, because his stepmother appears to have appropriated them.”
“Why, if he is the oldest son, is he not the heir?” Ida asked.
Henry shrugged. “He is, but his father annulled his first marriage, and the new Countess is trying to prevent him from inheriting so that her own son may claim the earldom. She wants Roger to be declared a bastard.”
Ida made a soft sound of dismay. She didn’t want to think Gundreda had played her for a dupe. “What are you going to do?”
Henry looked thoughtful. “Despite her efforts, Roger Bigod will remain legitimate. He’s the Earl of Oxford’s nephew and his great-uncles are de Clares. I’m not about to meddle with that. I suspect Gundreda knows she can’t win on that score, but what she can do is claim a large portion of the inheritance for her son if I am so minded to bestow it. Her eldest boy has a good claim on the lands his father acquired during his term as Earl, and they’re a substantial part of the inheritance—most of the Yorkshire estates for a start.” A calculating note entered Henry’s voice. “I’m not inclined to give it to either party. The father was a treacherous whoreson and blood will out. Roger might have fought for me at Fornham, but to do so he deserted and denied his own father.”
Hearing the censure in his tone, Ida took heed. She knew the fact that his own sons had rebelled against him had created an unhealing sore spot in Henry’s soul. That the Queen had joined their defiance had deepened his distrust and increased his cynicism. “You must do as you see fit, sire,” she murmured.
He turned round and kissed her. “Indeed I must. And what best serves my kingdom
“So that would make glass the more precious?”
“And the less practical, my sweet. Give a king silver gilt any day.” He grinned playfully. “I’ll exchange this one for a glass cup if you want.”
Ida shook her head. “It’s a gift from a kinswoman, I’ll keep it.”
Henry threw back his head and roared. “A diplomatic way of saying that while you yearn, you’re practical enough to know the true value of things in life.”
“I am learning,” Ida replied demurely.
“Learn all you wish, but do not lose your innocence because that is a treasure beyond price and everyone will try to be near you because you have it, and steal it from you if they can.”
Ida thought that Henry had been the first one to do that, but she didn’t say so aloud. They both knew it, and he had just as good as admitted his own part. “Are you going to give Lady Gundreda’s son the earldom?” she asked after a moment.
Henry grimaced at the notion. “My sweet, one Hugh Bigod is enough for any man to suffer in a lifetime. The old bastard’s dead. I’ll think twice or even three times before I replace him with another of the same blood—even if she did offer me a thousand marks to recognise him.”
Ida oiled her palms, smoothed them over Henry’s shoulders and began to knead again. His groan of pleasure vibrated through his flesh and into her fingertips.
“I’m tempted to take it,” he said, “but the older son is the proven soldier and administrator…still a Bigod though,” he added with a slight curl of distaste.
Ida stopped rubbing. “So the Countess’s son is not the oldest?” she asked with surprise.
“You thought that he was? Ah, I suppose there’s no reason you would know better and she wouldn’t tell you. Hugh of Norfolk has a son, Roger, from his first marriage to Oxford’s sister. In fact he’s here now—arrived just as the gates were closing, so I was informed. I’ve warned the marshal to be on his guard lest family affection grows a little too warm.” His eyes sparkled. “I wonder what he’ll offer me for the right to his father’s earldom. Certainly not any of those cups, because his stepmother appears to have appropriated them.”
“Why, if he is the oldest son, is he not the heir?” Ida asked.
Henry shrugged. “He is, but his father annulled his first marriage, and the new Countess is trying to prevent him from inheriting so that her own son may claim the earldom. She wants Roger to be declared a bastard.”
Ida made a soft sound of dismay. She didn’t want to think Gundreda had played her for a dupe. “What are you going to do?”
Henry looked thoughtful. “Despite her efforts, Roger Bigod will remain legitimate. He’s the Earl of Oxford’s nephew and his great-uncles are de Clares. I’m not about to meddle with that. I suspect Gundreda knows she can’t win on that score, but what she can do is claim a large portion of the inheritance for her son if I am so minded to bestow it. Her eldest boy has a good claim on the lands his father acquired during his term as Earl, and they’re a substantial part of the inheritance—most of the Yorkshire estates for a start.” A calculating note entered Henry’s voice. “I’m not inclined to give it to either party. The father was a treacherous whoreson and blood will out. Roger might have fought for me at Fornham, but to do so he deserted and denied his own father.”
Hearing the censure in his tone, Ida took heed. She knew the fact that his own sons had rebelled against him had created an unhealing sore spot in Henry’s soul. That the Queen had joined their defiance had deepened his distrust and increased his cynicism. “You must do as you see fit, sire,” she murmured.
He turned round and kissed her. “Indeed I must. And what best serves my kingdom
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