expression.
Isabella did not, and she bit her lip, hoping her brother would say no more on
the subject of marriage. She held her breath as Richard turned to look intently
at Simon again. The servants were leaving. When the last two were gone,
staggering slightly under the weight of the tub, which was still a third full
of water and would be tipped empty in the yard, he signed to Isabella, who went
and closed the door.
“Did you love William?” Richard asked unexpectedly.
“Yes,” Simon replied shortly, but his bright eyes misted,
and Richard was more assured of the depth of his feeling than if he had made a
passionate avowal.
“Then—” Richard began.
“Richard,” Isabella interrupted, “the reason my husband is
not here to greet you is that he does not wish to lie to his brother. If he
does not know you are here, he does not have to tell Henry. Will you not
take warning and go, dearling?”
Distracted from what he had been about to say to Simon,
Richard frowned. “But you just said you sent him word that I had come.”
“The servants! I sent him word not to come home,” Isabella
said with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Richard, it hurts me how much he suffers. In
his heart he agrees with you. He has done everything from pleading on his knees
to threatening to turn rebel himself—but he cannot do that, no matter how
wrong—”
“I am no rebel!” Richard thundered. “That I am here in
answer to Henry’s summons is proof I am a loyal vassal. I have a right, even a
duty, to complain of a breach of law and custom.”
“If you do, you will be taken prisoner,” Simon warned.
“And if I do not, outlawry will be cried on me,” Richard
responded angrily.
“It is better to be a free outlaw than an unoutlawed
prisoner,” Simon remarked cynically. “Think what has befallen de Burgh, who
yielded and threw himself upon the king’s mercy. My lord, I am young, and you
doubtless think I see all things as black or white. Let me ask Geoffrey and my
father to speak to you. You know both are loyal to the king, but—but neither
would betray you.”
“Yes, yes, please, Richard,” Isabella pleaded.
There was a little silence while Richard considered Simon’s
remark, the offer that followed, and the result of the action he would have to
take if Geoffrey and Ian confirmed that the situation was really desperate.
Then he said, “Very well, I would be glad and grateful. Before you go,
however—Isabella, will you go and tell someone to ready Simon’s horse?”
Her face whitened. “Do you no longer trust me, Richard?”
“With my own life, to the uttermost, sweet sister, but—but
if I leave this house without attending the council, as you have urged me so
strongly to do, it is most likely that, within days, your husband and I will be
enemies—”
“No, Richard, no!”
“Did you not just say he would support his brother? Now,
now, Isabella, do not weep. I know you will not do me, nor anyone else, hurt
apurpose, but there are questions I wish to ask that—well, if you never heard
either question or answer, no blush or look could give a hint to Richard that
you knew more than you were willing to tell him. There will be strains enough
between you and your husband if he and I… I do not wish to add to that. Go, my
dear.”
“It is monstrous,” Isabella whispered, but she was a
sensible woman and understood her brother was right. Her husband had enough
problems without adding the knowledge that his wife was concealing information
from him. She wiped her eyes and left the room.
Simon was puzzled. “I will tell you anything I can, my
lord,” he said, “but I do not know anything more than I have already said.”
“I do not want information. That was just for Isabella’s
ears. I do not distrust her purposes, but she might say something thoughtlessly…
She is only a woman, after all. I wish to ask you where you stand in this.”
“With you,” Simon responded at once, his lips tightening.
“Somehow
Isabella did not, and she bit her lip, hoping her brother would say no more on
the subject of marriage. She held her breath as Richard turned to look intently
at Simon again. The servants were leaving. When the last two were gone,
staggering slightly under the weight of the tub, which was still a third full
of water and would be tipped empty in the yard, he signed to Isabella, who went
and closed the door.
“Did you love William?” Richard asked unexpectedly.
“Yes,” Simon replied shortly, but his bright eyes misted,
and Richard was more assured of the depth of his feeling than if he had made a
passionate avowal.
“Then—” Richard began.
“Richard,” Isabella interrupted, “the reason my husband is
not here to greet you is that he does not wish to lie to his brother. If he
does not know you are here, he does not have to tell Henry. Will you not
take warning and go, dearling?”
Distracted from what he had been about to say to Simon,
Richard frowned. “But you just said you sent him word that I had come.”
“The servants! I sent him word not to come home,” Isabella
said with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Richard, it hurts me how much he suffers. In
his heart he agrees with you. He has done everything from pleading on his knees
to threatening to turn rebel himself—but he cannot do that, no matter how
wrong—”
“I am no rebel!” Richard thundered. “That I am here in
answer to Henry’s summons is proof I am a loyal vassal. I have a right, even a
duty, to complain of a breach of law and custom.”
“If you do, you will be taken prisoner,” Simon warned.
“And if I do not, outlawry will be cried on me,” Richard
responded angrily.
“It is better to be a free outlaw than an unoutlawed
prisoner,” Simon remarked cynically. “Think what has befallen de Burgh, who
yielded and threw himself upon the king’s mercy. My lord, I am young, and you
doubtless think I see all things as black or white. Let me ask Geoffrey and my
father to speak to you. You know both are loyal to the king, but—but neither
would betray you.”
“Yes, yes, please, Richard,” Isabella pleaded.
There was a little silence while Richard considered Simon’s
remark, the offer that followed, and the result of the action he would have to
take if Geoffrey and Ian confirmed that the situation was really desperate.
Then he said, “Very well, I would be glad and grateful. Before you go,
however—Isabella, will you go and tell someone to ready Simon’s horse?”
Her face whitened. “Do you no longer trust me, Richard?”
“With my own life, to the uttermost, sweet sister, but—but
if I leave this house without attending the council, as you have urged me so
strongly to do, it is most likely that, within days, your husband and I will be
enemies—”
“No, Richard, no!”
“Did you not just say he would support his brother? Now,
now, Isabella, do not weep. I know you will not do me, nor anyone else, hurt
apurpose, but there are questions I wish to ask that—well, if you never heard
either question or answer, no blush or look could give a hint to Richard that
you knew more than you were willing to tell him. There will be strains enough
between you and your husband if he and I… I do not wish to add to that. Go, my
dear.”
“It is monstrous,” Isabella whispered, but she was a
sensible woman and understood her brother was right. Her husband had enough
problems without adding the knowledge that his wife was concealing information
from him. She wiped her eyes and left the room.
Simon was puzzled. “I will tell you anything I can, my
lord,” he said, “but I do not know anything more than I have already said.”
“I do not want information. That was just for Isabella’s
ears. I do not distrust her purposes, but she might say something thoughtlessly…
She is only a woman, after all. I wish to ask you where you stand in this.”
“With you,” Simon responded at once, his lips tightening.
“Somehow
Similar Books
