Devil's Brood

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

January 1183

Angers, Anjou

Hal was having a run of luck. He seemed unable to lose, winning every throw of the dice. He was usually elated when he won at raffle, but on this cold, wet afternoon, he was finding it difficult to focus upon the game. His thoughts kept straying to other matters. He was still brooding over his brother’s improbable decision to surrender Clairvaux Castle; he would have wagered the surety of his soul that the old man would never be able to coerce or coax Richard into cooperating. And now what? Without Clairvaux, there was no reason for rebelling, at least none that his father would accept.

“If I surrender unconditionally,” his friend Raoul de Farci pleaded playfully, “can we switch over to hazard?”

Hal didn’t care which game they played, and Raoul quickly removed the third dice before he could change his mind. He had no opportunity to cast the remaining dice, though, for Hal’s brother had materialized at the table, and was insisting that Hal come with him. The other men were not happy at forfeiting the chance to recoup their losses, but Geoffrey was not to be denied, and they could only watch glumly as Hal was spirited away.

Hal followed his brother out into the bailey with poor grace. He did not see why he must be the one to inspect Geoffrey’s lame stallion; their father had forgotten more about healing horses than he’d ever known. But he could not muster up the energy to object. It was sleeting again, and he felt damp and chilled by the time they entered the stables. Several grooms throwing dice scrambled to their feet, looking discomfited. When Geoffrey flipped a few coins their way and suggested they warm up with mulled wine, they did not argue and eagerly abandoned their duties. Hal was standing by one of the stalls, regarding Geoffrey’s stallion and looking perplexed.

“If this horse is lame, he is hiding it remarkably well. What is this about, Geoff?”

“Well, either I needed to talk with you out of earshot of eavesdroppers or I just fancied a stroll over to the stables.” Geoffrey glanced around to make sure they were alone. “I saw Papa this morn. He wants us to enter into a compact of perpetual peace and swear to abide by his disposition of his domains. Then he asked me again if I was willing to do homage to you for Brittany.”

None of this was news to Hal, and none of it seemed worth freezing his butt over. “So?”

Even in the subdued stable lighting, Geoffrey’s eyes shone like silver. “He is also going to ask Richard to do homage to you for Aquitaine.”

Hal’s jaw dropped. “I am not Richard’s liege lord! He owes allegiance for Aquitaine to the French king.”

Geoffrey had often marveled at Hal’s fondness for belaboring the obvious. “I know, and you may be damned sure that so does Brother Richard.”

“Richard will never agree, never!” Hal burst out laughing. “And when he refuses ever so rudely, Papa will be so wroth with him that my minor sins will be forgotten. Geoff, this is a gift from God. How else explain it-unless the old man has gone stark raving mad?”

“He is not mad,” Geoffrey said, “just desperate,” and he frowned, for however much he told himself that his father did not deserve it, he still felt an unwelcome flicker of pity.

Richard stared at his father in shock. “You cannot be serious?” As suspicious as he so often was of Henry’s schemes, he’d never expected this. “I will never agree to so outrageous a demand. Hal and I stand as equals. Just as he lays legitimate claim to your crown and lands, so do I lay claim to my mother’s inheritance. I owe him nothing for Aquitaine, and I owe you nothing either!”

Henry had known how difficult it would be to gain Richard’s consent, and he was prepared to be as patient as needed. “Will you listen first whilst I explain my reasoning, why I want you to-”

“No, I will not! Aquitaine is my mother’s and it is mine, and I will never give that lazy, idle drone any rights over it. I have been unable to gain my mother’s freedom, but I can safeguard the independence of her homeland, and by God, I will!”

“You can at least hear me out-” But Richard was already heading for the door, and when Henry started after him, his son slammed it resoundingly in his face.

Richard was conferring with the most trusted of his household knights, for he and Andre de Chauvigny were cousins, Andre’s mother being Eleanor’s aunt. So tense was the atmosphere in the chamber that they jumped like startled cats when a knock sounded at the door.

“I am seeing no one, Rico,” Richard instructed his squire, and the youth hurried to do his bidding. As soon as he’d opened the door, though, he spun around to face Richard, his eyes as round as moons.

“My lord,” he stammered, “it…it is the king!”

Richard was impressed that his father had been the one to seek him out, but he was not about to show it. Folding his arms across his chest, he regarded Henry stonily. Andre did not share his sangfroid and quickly found excuses to leave, with Rico right behind him.

“Richard, we need to talk.”

“No, we do not. There is nothing you can say that I care to hear.”

“Do you not even want to know why I would ask that of you?”

“I already know why-because you’d go to any lengths to secure my idiot brother’s feeble hold on power!”

Henry shook his head vehemently. “No, you are wrong. I am trying to protect you, not Hal.”

Richard was so obviously taken aback that Henry seized his chance, and said quickly, “An act of homage is a double-bladed sword. Yes, it would impose obligations upon you, but it would do the same for Hal. As your liege-lord, he would be honor-bound to respect your rule in Aquitaine, would no longer feel so free to conspire with your vassals. He would owe you protection, and you could hold him to that.”

Richard wondered if his father really believed Hal could be fettered by an oath. “I am quite capable of defeating Hal on my own. Indeed, I would welcome the opportunity.”

“Do not hold your brother too cheaply, Richard. Once I am dead, he will have the resources of England, Normandy, and Anjou to draw upon, money to hire more routiers than you could hope to count. Nor would he lack for allies in Aquitaine; you’ve seen to that.”

“Let him do his best,” Richard said, with such bitter bravado that Henry took a step toward him, yearning to shake some sense into this stubborn son of his.

“I am trying to help you, lad! Why will you not let me?”

He sounded so sincere that Richard almost believed him. “Assuming your intentions are good,” he said, with less hostility, “it changes nothing. I will never agree to do homage to Hal. Aquitaine is mine.”

“For how long? Christ Jesus, can you not see the danger you’d be facing? And not just Aquitaine would be at risk. If you and your brother lunge for each other’s throats as soon as I draw my last breath, what do you think will happen to my empire? My life’s work would be undone in a matter of months if you and Hal cannot make peace. Our enemies would be drawn by the scent of blood, and who do you think they’d choose to side with? They’d flock to Hal the way wolves go after a crippled deer, and after they helped take you down, they’d turn on him. Can you not see the truth in what I am saying? I can think of no other way to rein Hal in, to safeguard my legacy, and to keep our family from being ripped asunder.”

“I do not blame you for fearing a future in which Hal is king. His reign will make Stephen’s look like a golden age. But the survival of your empire is not my responsibility. I am the Duke of Aquitaine, not the King of England. As for our family, it is too late. That ship has already run aground.”

“No, you’re wrong, Richard. It is not too late. I will not accept that.”

“Delude yourself if you will. It is no longer my concern.”

Henry drew a labored breath. “What must I do to get you to agree?”

“You have nothing I want.”

“Are you so sure of that?”

Richard’s eyes narrowed. “What are you saying, that you’d be willing to free my mother?”

Henry had been braced for this. “If that is the price I must pay for your cooperation, yes. I will release Eleanor after you do homage to Hal.”

“No, I’ll do homage after you release her.”

They stared at each other, having reached the end of the road once again. But this impasse was to be different than their others. Instead of storming out, Henry sat down wearily in the closest seat. “Do you remember asking me at Caen why I would not release Eleanor?”

“Why-are you going to answer me now?” And to Richard’s amazement, his father nodded.

“I am not seeking to punish her. In all honesty, I doubt that I could ever fully forgive her betrayal. But ten years have passed, and we’ve made our peace. Even you cannot deny that her life is much more comfortable than it once was. She has her own chamberlain again, her own servants. Despite your suspicions, I have no intention of keeping Tilda from her. I let Joanna see her, did I not? And the wound was still bleeding then.”

Richard was searching Henry’s face intently. His voice was drained of rage; even those defensive echoes seemed to come more from force of habit than genuine indignation. “Why, then? Why have you not set her free?”

“Because…because I no longer fear she’d conspire against me, but I do believe she’d do so for your sake, or for your brothers if one of you rebelled again.”

That was such a simple answer, one that made sense to Richard, and he wondered why it had not occurred to him. Picking up a stool, he carried it over, and seated himself next to Henry. “Maman has always had an appreciation for irony, but this is a jest worthy of Lucifer himself. She told me once that much of your troubles could be traced to the fact that you saw her as your queen and she saw herself as the Duchess of Aquitaine. You could not have picked a worse time, Papa, to come around to her point of view.”

At that hint of grim humor, Henry’s head came up sharply. He’d not truly expected Richard to understand, had fallen back upon utter honesty because he had no more weapons at hand. He saw now, though, that this son was capable of the sort of dispassionate analysis that had been the cornerstone of his own success, and that was a revelation.

Richard was discovering that he felt more kindly toward his father now that he knew his mother’s confinement had not been rooted in vengefulness. It was even a perverse sort of compliment, he supposed, that Papa had recognized what a formidable adversary she’d be, even if she were a woman. But she was a woman with a man’s brain and a man’s daring and she ruled a duchy richer than the domains of the French king. “We are going to have to do something that does not come easily to either of us, then,” he said wryly. “We are going to have to trust each other.”

Henry exhaled a deep breath; he’d almost forgotten to breathe. For the first time he saw in Richard what his wife had seen, and it was a bittersweet moment, this realization that his second son would have made a far better king than Hal. “You will do homage to your brother, then?” he said cautiously. “Here at Angers, on the morrow?”

The younger man’s mouth tightened, but he gave a terse nod. “If you will give the order on the morrow to set my mother free.”

“I will,” Henry said, and Richard studied him pensively, at last able to see the man in the masterful king and the flawed father. It was a pity, he thought, that they’d not been able to talk like this until now-when it was too late. Hal would not honor an oath of homage. Even if he meant well, he’d fall victim to the blandishments of others, let himself be talked into treason again. My beloved brother, the male whore. And now, God help him, but Papa is starting to see it, too. But if agreeing would gain Maman’s freedom and buy him time to make ready for Hal’s future aggression, he would not begrudge the price-or so he tried to convince himself.

Constance was seated on a bench in her bedchamber while Juvette unfastened her braids. When Geoffrey entered, he seemed in good spirits, teasing Juvette, snatching up an ivory comb so he could brush out his wife’s long, dark hair, claiming he’d never understood why troubadours lavished such praise on day, when any man of discernment found true beauty in the night. Juvette giggled, for she was a brunette, too, and Constance marveled how her husband managed to turn sensible girls into simpering sheep with a smile and a few polished gallantries. When Geoffrey deftly steered Juvette toward the door, though, Constance’s interest sharpened. If he wanted more privacy than their curtained bed provided, either he had something confidential to tell her or he had one of his erotic games in mind. Lacking imagination herself, she’d come to value this attribute in her husband.

As soon as they were alone, she turned to look up into his face. One glance was all she needed, for by now she’d learned to see past the mask he showed the rest of the world. “What is wrong, Geoffrey?”

He’d already bolted the door once Juvette departed. “I am beginning to believe my father puts Merlin to shame. If my suspicions are right, he could turn dross into gold. I think he has somehow convinced Richard to do homage to Hal.”

Constance was astonished. “That is not possible…is it?”

“You tell me. Richard was planning to leave Angers at first light, but he changed his mind of a sudden-after my father made a surprise visit to his private chamber. And they were later seen in the hall, conversing together with remarkable amiability given the outrageous demand he’d made of Richard.”

Constance did not ask how he knew so much of Richard’s plans, for Geoffrey believed that knowledge was power and he paid well enough to attract reliable agents. “I fear you may be right. Richard must have come to terms with your father, for nothing else explains his behavior. It makes no sense, though. Why would Richard ever agree?”

Geoffrey shrugged. “Witchcraft, threats, a staggeringly rich bribe-who knows? But if I’ve guessed rightly, the rebellion has breathed its last gasp. Which means our best chance of gaining Nantes or Richmond has given up the ghost, too.”

Constance gnawed her lower lip, a habit she reverted to under stress. She and Geoffrey had agreed, after considerable deliberation, that their only hope of claiming the rest of her rightful inheritance depended upon Hal’s alliance with the rebels. If he won control of Aquitaine, he’d reward them with the promised Poitevin castles now and Richmond and Nantes once he became king; given the lavish way he’d been willing to compensate his allies during the last revolt, they had no worries that he’d renege upon the deal. And if he lost, it was still possible that they could win, for the unrest might give them the leverage they needed to pressure Henry into giving up Richmond at least.

“And if the rebellion sputters out like a quenched candle,” Geoffrey said morosely, “we’ll actually lose more than Hal. Those routiers I hired did not come cheap, and if I have to cut them loose, they’re likely to do what masterless men usually do, and plunder the Breton countryside the way Richard’s dismissed routiers sacked Bordeaux a few years back.”

Constance frowned at this reminder of their financial investment in the rebellion, for she was thrifty by nature. “Let’s assume the worst and you’re right about Richard. Why does that mean the rebellion is dead? Why not just delayed until a more opportune time?”

“Because Hal is ruled by whim, and who knows what he’ll decide to do six months or a year from now. And because if Richard really does homage, he will earn himself unlimited credit with my father for the foreseeable future. Which means that Papa is likely to turn a blind eye to Richard’s border incursions.”

As they were convinced that Richard was too predatory a neighbor for comfort, this was a prospect that they both found daunting. Constance chewed on her lower lip again, thinking that Richard’s next Clairvaux Castle could well be on Breton soil. “Well,” she said, “then we have to make sure that Richard does not do homage to Hal.” They’d dissected Hal’s failings with merciless honesty, but they’d not really discussed Richard’s weaknesses. “You know Richard better than I do, Geoffrey. Where is he most vulnerable to attack?”

“At one time, I’d have said his temper, but he is showing signs of learning self-control. So I would say his hubris.”

“I already know you had a fine education, so you need not flaunt it. What is hubris?”

“Pride,” he said, “vainglory, arrogance, vanity, all terms that can fairly be applied to Brother Richard.”

Constance nodded thoughtfully. “So we have a man who is prideful and hot-tempered. Surely you can find a way to turn those traits against him?”

He was silent for some moments, and then he smiled. “Yes,” he said, “I think I do know a way.”

Before a distinguished audience of bishops, barons, and highborn lords, Geoffrey did homage to his brother for Brittany, and then it was Richard’s turn. Making little attempt to hide his aversion, he came forward, fixed Hal with a baleful hawk’s stare, and knelt in the floor rushes. Before he could speak, Hal held up his hand for silence, and beckoned to his chaplain. The man hastened over, cradling a silver-gift reliquary as if it contained the Host itself. Hal accepted it with equal solemnity, although as his eyes met his co-conspirator’s, he winked. Geoffrey winced, thinking that if this was Hal’s idea of circumspection, God have mercy upon them all.

Smiling down at his glowering brother, Hal seemed in no hurry for the ceremony to begin, and Henry frowned, for he was taking too much obvious pleasure in Richard’s submission. All eyes were upon his sons, and Henry could see the bafflement on many faces; from the moment he’d announced that Richard would do public homage to Hal, there’d been no other topic of conversation at Angers, for none could figure out how he’d gotten Richard to agree to this. Wanting to get it over as soon as possible, exasperated by behavior he saw as juvenile and petty, Henry shot his eldest son a warning look, making up his mind then and there to return Clairvaux Castle to Richard’s custody, and if Hal liked it not, what of it?

Taking his cue at last, Hal again signaled unnecessarily for quiet. “An act of homage is not to be entered into lightly,” he said gravely. “Whilst I am gladdened that my brother, the Duke of Aquitaine, has offered to do so, I regret that I cannot accept his oath without some misgivings.”

Richard stiffened, Henry took an involuntary step forward, and a low buzz swept the hall. Hal let the suspense build for a few moments longer, noticing that his brother’s eyes had fastened suspiciously upon the reliquary. Holding it up as if it were an actor’s prop, he said loudly, “As sorry as I am to say it, I cannot trust the lord duke’s sworn word without additional validation. Therefore, I would have him swear homage to me upon these blessed holy relics so that there will be no doubts as to his good faith.”

Bedlam ensued, even more chaotic than Hal had hoped. Cat-quick, Richard was on his feet, his face flushed with incredulous fury, his lips peeled back in a snarl that went unheard in the confusion. Henry looked no less dumbfounded, staring at Hal in disbelief and, then, utter outrage. Quarrels were breaking out across the hall, as Richard’s followers began to exchange insults and threats with Hal’s household knights. Watching from the sidelines, Geoffrey kept his face carefully impassive, but inwardly, he was relishing the moment, a master puppeteer who’d succeeded even beyond his expectations.

Richard had leaped onto the dais, was telling Hal in no uncertain terms exactly what he could do with those holy relics, and if his suggestion was anatomically impossible, it was nonetheless an eloquent declaration of his mood at the moment. By then Henry had reached them and, as Richard cursed his brother to Hell for all eternity, he grabbed Hal in a grip that would leave bruises. “Have you lost your bloody mind? Come with me-now!”

Hal was not pleased to have his dignity disparaged like this, but Henry’s fingers had clamped onto his wrist like talons, and he decided against attempting to break free, not wanting to be seen physically brawling with his father in public. As Henry pulled Hal toward the stairwell, Richard turned on his heel and made a dramatic departure, slamming out of the hall as people scattered out of his way and his men made haste to follow.

Constance moved to Geoffrey’s side with a low, throaty “well done” meant only for his ears. They were soon joined by several of the bishops, and when they entreated him to act as peacemaker between Henry and Hal, he graciously agreed to do what he could in the interest of family harmony.

As he mounted the steps, Geoffrey could hear the yelling, only slightly muffled by the closed door. Entering without knocking, he found his father and brother glaring at each other, both shouting at once, neither listening. Geoffrey closed the door, and then leaned back against it to watch. Henry was as angry as he’d ever seen him, giving off as much heat as a flaming torch, berating Hal bitterly for his lunacy, his irresponsible, selfish blundering, saying all that he’d kept bottled up for years. Hal was more in control, but he was angry, too, defending himself by casting as much blame as possible upon Richard.

His chest heaving, his blood pounding in his ears, Henry at last exhausted even his hoard of invectives. Once his rage no longer burned so hotly, his suspicions began to flare up. “With that insulting demand, you alienated Richard to the point where he’s not likely to ever agree to do homage again. Is that what you had in mind, Hal-to cripple my efforts to make peace between you?”

“Of course not!” Hal exclaimed indignantly, and Geoffrey decided it was time to intervene, not wanting to give their father a chance to dwell upon those suspicions.

“Hal is not alone in his mistrust of Richard, Papa,” he said, moving to step between them. “I share it, too. I daresay you do not want to hear this, but we know Richard better than you do, and he has given us reason, time and time again, to doubt his good will, to suspect his good faith. Hal’s method may have been lacking in subtlety, but he was only trying to protect himself, hoping that a sacred oath might be more binding upon Richard than the one he intended to make.”

Henry was inclined to give Geoffrey more credence at that moment than Hal. But their treacherous, ravening Richard did not resemble the man he’d bargained with last night. “Whatever your suspicions, Hal, you could not have handled it worse. I am not even sure I can repair the damage you’ve done this day.”

When Hal would have argued further, Henry cut him short. “We’ve said enough,” he said curtly. “Better that we discuss this later, once our tempers have had time to cool.” And turning away, he left the chamber, left them alone together, hoping that Geoffrey might be able to convince Hal that compromise was an important aspect of statecraft. He’d spoken the truth when he’d confessed that he did not know if Richard could be placated, knew only that he dreaded trying. Could he truly blame Richard if he suspected collusion, if he’d concluded that he’d been led into an ambush?

Retreating to his own chamber, he pondered the best way to heal this ugly breach between his sons. He could think of only one way to convince Richard of his good faith, and while it would not be easy for him to do, his son had spoken true yesterday. They had to trust each other. If he still held to his part of the bargain and ordered Eleanor’s release, that should convince Richard that he’d known nothing of Hal’s duplicity.

Deciding that once again he must be the one to come to Richard, he rose tiredly from the bed, limping slightly for his bad leg was sensitive to wet weather. The bailey was muddy, but at least the rain had eased up. Catching sight of his steward, he called the man over; it might be best to avoid any surprises, to give Richard warning that he was on his way. When he instructed the man to carry this message to his son, though, the steward flushed in dismay.

“I am sorry, my liege,” he mumbled, looking anywhere but at Henry’s face. “I thought sure someone would have told you…The lord duke is gone. He and his men rode out immediately after the…the altercation in the hall. He did not even take the time to pack, left his clothes behind in his chamber.”

Hal escorted Marguerite to her mare, assisted her to mount. She was pale, but her eyes were dry. She’d shed her tears already in the privacy of their bedchamber as she’d argued against being sent to her brother’s court in Paris. She did not want to go. She could not counter Hal’s contention that it was too dangerous for her to remain as long as war might be looming. She’d had no answer for him when he’d reminded her how she’d been caught by Henry at Poitiers and held in honorable confinement for several months. She still did not want to go, for she did not trust Hal’s protestations of innocence. She suspected that he was still conspiring with the rebel lords against Richard, and she had a terrifying premonition that if they were parted now, she might never see him again.

He’d laughed away her fears, assuring her that she had no cause for concern, that even if Richard forced a war, he’d be in no danger. Holding her hand in his, he pressed a kiss into her palm and promised that he’d soon join her in Paris. She mustered up a brave, farewell smile, trying very hard to believe him.

Constance was no happier than Marguerite. She’d quarreled with Geoffrey for days, to no avail, for he was stubbornly set upon having her accompany Marguerite to Paris. She’d preferred to return to Rennes, but he insisted that she’d be safer in France in the event the war went badly for them. She’d finally stopped arguing, although she had no intention of humoring him. Once they were well away from Angers, she meant to inform her escort that there’d been a change of plans and they’d be heading back to Brittany.

Standing in the castle bailey with Geoffrey, she found herself reluctant to mount her mare, reluctant to leave. She realized that her reluctance was illogical; she could not very well ride to war with him. Yet she continued to linger, delaying her departure with needless questions and last-minute admonitions. It was disconcerting to recognize the real reason for her disquiet-fear for his safety. She was not accustomed to worrying about someone else’s welfare, and did not like the sensation in the least. Nor did she want to sound foolish by urging him to take care. Instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a kiss that was not at all wifely, breathing in his ear a promise to celebrate his victory with a game of the novice nun and the lecherous monk.

Geoffrey laughed, said with an incentive like that, how could he possibly lose, and helped her up into the saddle. Henry had come out to bid his daughters-in-law a safe journey, and he joined Geoffrey as the women’s escort mounted and they headed off. Hal went back indoors, but Geoffrey remained in the bailey to watch their departure.

So did Henry. He looked drawn and tired, for he’d not been sleeping well. He’d sent an urgent message after Richard, but so far there’d been no reply. He knew, though, that Richard would have to come to Mirebeau for the peace conference with the rebels of Poitou and the Limousin, and he hoped, then, that he’d be able to give Richard the reassurances he clearly needed. How he would reconcile Richard and Hal, he did not yet know, but he told himself that he could only take one step at a time. For now, he had to concentrate upon making peace between Richard and his defiant barons, and with that in mind, he drew Geoffrey aside.

“I want you to go to Limoges on my behalf. Do whatever it takes, but convince Viscount Aimar and the others that they must meet with me at Mirebeau. Assure them that I will hear their grievances and Richard and I will work out some sort of accord. Can you do that for me, Geoffrey?”

His son looked startled, but then he smiled. “I can do that,” he said.