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He heard a female clear her throat, and spun to face her. He saw that it was Rosamond's tiring-woman, Nan. "I've come to take Eleanora down to dinner; would you tell one of her damned women to open this door? "
Nan was loath to tell Lord Edward news he did not wish to hear, but knew she had little choice in the matter. She cleared her throat nervously. "Princess Eleanora ordered that the door be locked, Lord Edward."
"Well, I order that it be unlocked!” he commanded.
Nan's voice trembled, but she stood her ground. "That will avail you naught, Lord Edward. Your wife is indisposed and refuses to see you or talk with you."
"Splendor of God, if she is unwell, then I must go to her!"
Nan pressed her lips together and cast her eyes upon the floor.
"Nan, kindly explain what is going on here," Rodger requested.
"The princess is upset; her women have put her to bed."
"What have her women said to her?" Edward demanded. "Was it something the damned queen said?"
"Nay, Lord Edward, she was upset before her women arrived."
"Nan, for God's sake, spit it out!" Rodger ordered.
Nan turned beet red. "It was Alyce de Clare."
"Christ!" Edward groaned.
"Where's Rosamond?" Rod asked Nan.
"She's below, my lord ... keeping to herself."
"Excuse me, Edward," he said quietly, then headed for his own rooms. That morning he had been angry when he had learned of Rosamond's use of dragonwort, but now he decided not to confront her about it. If she was afraid of bearing a child, it was far better to talk quietly about it and soothe her fears, than issue his demands.
The moment he saw her, he knew she was seething inside. It gave her a special beauty; she held her head high, her cheeks were flushed, and her violet eyes glittered like amethysts. Rod crushed down the urge to carry her to bed and turn her hot fury into scalding passion. At first he'd thought that she was angry about what Alyce de Clare had said to Eleanora, but her words, shot at him like arrows, told him her anger stemmed from what Alyce had said to her.
"Is it true? Can it possibly be true that Edward has defected from Simon de Montfort?"
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"Lord Edward and Earl Simon have parted ways," he acknowledged.
"You kept this from me, purposely!" she said.
"I knew it would upset you, Rosamond."
"Upset? I am outraged, scandalized, devastated that Edward could do such a vile thing, and that you would condone it! How can you change sides and fight against Simon? Where is your honor?"
"Rosamond, there is little honor in war, none at all in civil war. Edward is a Plantagenet, the rightful heir to the throne of England. If Simon de Montfort wins the war, he will set himself up as the ruler of England. Edward could not tolerate such a thing; he is the wrong sort of man to be subordinate."
"You are not a Plantagenet, de Leyburn. Will you too dishonor your pledge to support Simon de Montfort?" she asked with contempt.
"My first allegiance is to Edward Plantagenet, no matter which side he chooses, Rosamond. I pledged to him years ago; we have a bond that cannot be broken."
"And what of our bond, my lord, our marriage bond? I only agreed to wed you to cement the bond between Lord Edward and Earl Simon. Now that that bond is broken, my sacrifice has been for naught!"
His green eyes narrowed at the cruelty of her words. "Your sacrifice? What cannot be cured, madam, must be endured. I have no time for female vapors. Edward and I must recruit men and fight a war. If you choose to be selfish and self-centered on our last night together, I shall find more amenable company in the hall." Rod paused on the threshold. "When Griffin comes for my war chest, I trust you will not savage him about his honor."
She wanted to hurl something at him, but finding nothing close at hand, she used words instead. "Go to the devil, de Leyburn!"
Below, Edward joined Rod as he watched the men-at-arms dice. "I could cheerfully throttle Alyce de Clare! Eleanora's in tears and has locked her doors against me. Do you think Rosamond could soothe the roiled waters for me?"
"Rosamond is in the middle of her own tantrum at the moment," Rod said dryly.
"Christ, look at the success we had at the Temple today. There isn't a problem we cannot solve, unless it involves a bloody woman! Can you
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explain to me why the fair sex chooses the damnedest times to be totally exasperating?" Edward lifted a goblet of ale and shrugged impatiently. "Well, I haven't time for female vapors. I have the daunting tasks before me of rebuilding royal strength and winning this war."
Rod glanced up at him, realizing with irony how very alike the two of them were.
Nineteen
The lathered horse was ready to drop as it galloped into the courtyard of Windsor two hours past midnight. The messenger had ridden the thirty-five miles from Oxford nonstop with the momentous news that Simon de Montfort's baronial army was moving.
"Damn him, he's heading west to secure the Severn River and the Marcher barons who fought with us in Wales," Edward said. The prince, who needed little sleep, hadn't yet retired for the night.
"Not all the Marchers love de Montfort. Mortimer and Clifford, perhaps even Hay, will join our ranks if we recruit them," Rodger predicted. "You've committed our men to Richard of Cornwall, but I need only a small force to establish our communication with the Marcher barons. I'll get my own men of Tewkesbury, then ride on to Hay. I will leave now!"
De Leyburn, with Griffin and eight men-at-arms, set out within the hour for Tewkesbury and the border country that lay close to Wales. Edward longed to ride with them, but it was fortunate that he resisted his impulse, for later that morning he received word that the king and his men had arrived at the Tower of London.
******************
What manner of man did I wed? Rosamond asked herself. She paced her chamber like a caged lion, tossing back her golden mane of hair, as she decided what she must do. What cannot be cured, madam, must be endured. His words ravaged her pride. Well, she could not, would not endure it. There could be no marriage if they were on opposite sides of a civil war; she would not live with a man who could not be trusted to honor his word.
Rosamond decided to go to the de Montforts at Durham House.
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Deciding against taking Nan, who seemed to be needed by Princess Eleanora at the moment, she did not wish to disrupt her serving-woman's life for her own principles. Nan could decide for herself later to which side she would pledge her allegiance. Rosamond also decided to leave Chirk at Windsor, as the poor dog had spent half its life in a traveling basket.
Rosamond packed only a few clothes; Lady Eleanor and Demi would lend her all the gowns she needed until she could have new ones sewn. She penned a note for Nan, then slipped through the Middle Ward to the stables just as dawn was breaking. Ignoring the curious glances of the groom who saddled Nimbus for her, she searched the rows of stalls for Rodger's black stallion. When she saw that Stygian was missing, she heaved a sigh of relief; the last thing she wanted was to encounter de Leyburn this morning!
As she rode alongside the river, the air was cold, and Rosamond wished she had gotten her fur-lined cloak back from Eleanora. She was glad when she saw Westminster Palace. She knew Durham House wasn't much farther, because she had seen it from the river.
The guard at the gate admitted her, but once she entered the courtyard, she saw it had a deserted air about it. A stableman in livery came forward immediately. "Are the de Montforts not in residence?" Rosamond asked, unable to hide the alarm she felt.
"Earl Simon left for Oxford days ago, my lady."
"But what of Lady Eleanor and Demi? I have come to Durham House to stay with them."
"They are on their way home to Kenilworth for safety reasons, my lady. They left yesterday at first light."
Rosamond literally felt her heart sink in her breast. She knew she had only two options: to return to Windsor or to try to catch u
p with Lady Eleanor's household. The first was intolerable, so she was able to make her decision immediately. "Would you kindly feed and water my horse, sir? I shall get something to eat at the kitchen, then try to overtake Lady de Montfort."
Rosamond knew the de Montfort cavalcade would travel by way of Berkhamsted, the great castle that they always used to break their journey north. She hoped to reach it before nightfall, but she had woe-
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fully underestimated the distance. When it was full dark and she was afraid to ride farther, she took refuge in a country church. She tethered Nimbus beneath the lych-gate and fed her oats, then stole inside the church and lay down upon a wooden pew. The stone building was freezing cold, but at least she was out of the wind. Soon, Rosamond grew fearful of the dead spirits that might be floating about. She chided herself for being fanciful; it was the living she needed to fear. Here, alone, in the middle of nowhere, how would she defend herself against an attack? She also knew that when she was beset by fear, she could not keep the trampling dream at bay.
Rosamond remembered how Rodger had banished the nightmare and filled her with his strength. Her warm bed at Windsor, complete with husband, suddenly seemed most inviting. She began a prayer to Saint Jude, patron saint of the hopeless. "O holy Saint Jude, apostle and martyr, near kinsman of Jesus Christ, the faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in times of need; to you I have recourse from the depths of my heart, and humbly beg you, to whom God has given such great power, to come to my assistance, and in return I promise to make your name known." Gradually she began to feel warmer, and safer, and her self-confidence returned. Tomorrow she would meet up with Lady Eleanor and Demi; she felt it in her heart.
Rosamond finally caught up with the de Montfort household, but not until she arrived at Brackley Castle, a good thirty miles farther than Berkhamsted. Eleanor was outraged that Rosamond had been so reckless as to travel alone.
"I gave you credit for more intelligence than to be riding about the countryside without escort. Have you no notion of the danger out there? Surely you know the country is at war, Rosamond?"
"I... yes, I do know we are at war, Lady Eleanor, and that is why I wish to return to Kenilworth with you. I cannot be disloyal to you and Earl Simon, who have been like parents to me."
"Does your husband know about this, Rosamond?"
"He knows how I feel, yes! I cannot live with a man who is without honor," she cried passionately.
"I have learned that women's ideas of honor differ greatly from
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men's. De Leyburn has honor, Rosamond, but it is his own honor, different from yours."
"When I agreed to wed Sir Rodger, you told me that I could come back to Kenilworth at any time," Rosamond reminded Eleanor. "I love you, child; I want only what's best for you." "Kenilworth is best for me," Rosamond assured her. "You are best for me."
******************
On his way back from the Marcher country, Rod de Leyburn met up with Lord Edward at Wallingford. The prince and Richard of Cornwall were in charge of a large royal force and had ridden to Wallingford hoping to engage de Montfort's army near Oxford.
"I was fortunate to find Mortimer and Clifford at Hay, holding their own council of war. All three barons have pledged to the king, providing you stand with your father. The news isn't good; de Montfort has taken the Bishop of Hereford prisoner, and his army is seizing livestock to feed itself. De Montfort's barons swarmed across the West Country, exacting tribute from any landowner with royalist sentiments. Those who objected had their fields burned."
"Would you believe that little cocksucker Gilbert de Clare opened the gates of Gloucester to de Montfort?" Edward was livid. "Richard de Clare has summoned the little redheaded prick. I'd not be in his shoes when Gloucester gets his hands on him."
"Gilbert hero-worships Earl Simon. We shouldn't have underestimated him. Where is de Montfort's army now?" Rod asked.
"Just west of Oxford," Richard of Cornwall informed him. "We will intercept them tomorrow!"
"Nay, my lord, we rode through Oxford, and the barons were long gone; de Montfort has eluded you."
"Splendor of Christ!" Edward cursed. "He moves with unbelievable speed. He will try to make London his headquarters; we must cut him off before he reaches the Thames Valley."
"We must move the army to Reading, and we must do it now!" Richard of Cornwall declared.
But when their steel-clad forces reached Reading, they were once
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again too late. All they found was the barons' dust upon the roads leading to London.
"I believe Simon will overthrow the royal forces who hold the seaports of Surrey and Kent before he tries for London," de Leyburn told Edward and Richard.
"The city of London must be his permanent base if he wishes to rule England," Richard of Cornwall insisted.
"But command of the sea is paramount. Any reinforcements from France can only come through the Cinque Ports of Dover, Hythe, Romney, Winchelsea, and Hastings."
"Simon would have to march his army through Kent to get to the ports, and Kent has always been loyal to the king," Edward argued.
But Edward was proven wrong. De Montfort marched to Romney and the men of Kent came out to support him, then the barons of all the Cinque Ports opened their gates to him.
Suddenly those who had been staunch supporters of the king, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, fled to the Continent along with other royal advisers who had picked up the scent of danger. Londoners, who had ever been unpredictable, began rioting in the streets. King Henry and Queen Eleanor were now most thankful for the strong walls of the Tower of London when the mob turned upon the foreigners and the Jews because they had always financed the king in his opposition to the barons.
King Henry had no guts for adversity. He caved in immediately when Simon de Montfort rode in from Kent to take control. The king sent his brother, Richard of Cornwall, to acknowledge de Montfort's victory and accept the terms he proposed, promising to remain within the walls of the Tower of London.
It took Earl Simon only three days to set up his own government in London. He appointed a new Chief Justiciar to replace Humphrey de Bohun, who had guarded London's walls against him, and gave custody of the Great Seal of England to Nicholas, Bishop of Ely.
At Durham House, Simon de Montfort discussed with his sons the sweeping changes he planned. "I intend to select new castellans for all of the royal castles. Simon, I shall put you in charge of Northampton 209
Castle, which lies near Kenilworth. That will demonstrate de Montfort strength throughout the Midlands." Earl Simon turned his authoritative gaze on his eldest son. "Henry, you are to take your men to Dover and guard the Channel. I have drawn up an official order for the king's younger son, Prince Edmund, to vacate the Castle of Dover."
"Am I to take him prisoner?" Henry asked.
"Nay, Richard of Cornwall negotiated freedom for himself and the king's sons. Only King Henry is to be held under guard. The Planta-genets are finished. I assure you there will be no more royal resistance," Simon de Montfort said with deep satisfaction.
Lord Edward Plantagenet, however, was furious that his father the king had given in. Edward's fighting spirit would not allow him to give up. Though the royal resistance had ended, it did not weaken Edward's resolve to go on with the struggle. He had a shrewd head on his shoulders and knew the weak Hnks in the baronial chain. Edward returned to Windsor to begin secretly persuading and recruiting.
******************
At Windsor, Chirk gave Sir Rodger an ecstatic welcome, and when he picked her up, he could feel that she was with pup. When he could not find Rosamond, he summoned Nan.
"She went where?" Sir Rodger demanded incredulously.
"To Durham House, my lord," Nan said, nervously fingering the note Rosamond had left her, then added hastily, "but I sent a message immediately, begging her to return."
"And?" Rod asked in an ominous tone.
"The messenger returned without a reply, my lord. They told him Lady Eleanor had returned to Kenilworth."
"Splendor of God, my wife is living with the enemy!" He went immediately to Lord Edward and asked leave to go and get his wife.
"Rosamond is at Kenilworth?" Edward asked in disbelief. "If you ride into the enemy camp, they will take you prisoner."
"I am resolved in this, Edward; no power on earth will stop me from returning my wayward wife to Windsor."
Edward shrugged. "So be it, my friend. When you have brought your own wayward wife to heel, perhaps you can do something with mine. Princess Eleanora treats me like a stranger."
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Rodger de Leyburn took only his squire Griffin. They were well armed and wore breastplates and helmets as they rode north through enemy territory. Rod avoided both Berkhamsted and Brackley Castles, opting instead to sleep outdoors, since the weather had turned mild. They passed by the high-walled town of Northampton and saw that the castle, a gray-stone fortress of a place, was proudly flying the de Mont-fort flag. Rod made inquiries and learned that Northampton Castle was in the hands of Simon de Montfort's son Simon and his cousin Peter de Montfort.
Kenilworth Castle lay thirty miles west of Northampton, and de Leyburn arrived at its gates in the late afternoon, flying a white flag of truce. He gave his name to the guard on the barbican and waited while the man sought Eleanor de Montfort for permission to admit him. "Stick closer than my shadow," Rod cautioned Griffin.
Rosamond, on the ramparts with Sir Rickard de Burgh, saw her husband ride up the causeway to the gates, and rushed below to seek out Lady Eleanor. "Please, do not admit him, my lady; I have nothing to say to him!"
"Obviously he has something to say to you, Rosamond. I cannot deny him the right to speak with you. After all, he is your husband." Eleanor de Montfort could afford to be magnanimous with her husband in control of London.