Two incredibly fortunate deaths had given England her chance to strike. Last year the usurping Castilian bastard, Trastamare, had died, leaving the throne to his degenerate son, Juan. And now Charles the Fifth, the wily "avocat" who had so long plagued the English, was gone too. His successor, Charles, was but a boy of twelve, and subject to fits. Spain and France were both, therefore, virtually leaderless, plunged into turmoil. And Portugal had risen as an English ally.
"Ay," said John aloud on a note of solemn exultation, "this time we'll succeed. I know it."
Katherine stiffened inwardly. She had no need to ask what he meant. Nowadays he told her freely of his plans, and she had never but once requited his confidence with the intrusion of her personal fears.
That once she had said, "But what will happen to me, my lord, if you enter at last into your kingdom?"
And he had answered in surprise, "Why, you'll come too, Katrine, after Castile's affairs have settled down. There's a little castle on the Arlanzon outside of Burgos where you shall be installed."
She had said no more and tried to forget the pangs this prospect gave her, and the bitter misgivings.
As anointed Queen of a Castile which she herself had brought to John, would Costanza show the same forbearance she showed now when she was but a penniless alien in her husband's country? And already there had been a change. Philippa said that when the Duchess heard the news of Trastamare's death, she had laughed loud and shockingly. She had decreed a three-day festival at Hertford, her chapel bell had pealed from dawn to dusk and her jewel-studded statue of the Virgin was carried through the streets to the accompaniment of Spanish hymns of thanksgiving. And she had summoned the Duke to Hertford, where he had stayed a week - all matters it were better not to think of.
"Thank God, darling," said Katherine at last, sighing, "that at least you don't leave England soon. 'Tis something I couldn't bear."
He frowned. Her remark pressed on a subject of deep concern. His brothers Edmund and Thomas were to be the vanguard of the new campaign. But he himself must remain at home for a while to strengthen domestic affairs, and cope with both Scottish and Welsh disorders. Richard's council, the Princess Joan and his own judgement had concurred in this policy, though it irked him and he had little trust in Edmund's diplomacy in Portugal.
"I'd not stay here, lovedy," he said gravely, "if it weren't wiser in the long run."
"Nay," she said with a sharp laugh. "I know your love for me could never keep you here - nor should it," she added with quick penitence. "Forgive me."
He turned and looked at her: the luminous eyes between their thick black lashes, the straight little nose, the voluptuous red mouth above the cleft chin, the transparent rose of her cheeks, the tumbled bronze of her fragrant hair, and the blue veins and white curves of her firm full breasts.
"By the Holy Rood, Katrine," he said, half angry, half rueful, "I hope it's not you who keeps me here. That were shame indeed."
There were those who thought so; Costanza did. He had denied it furiously and with truth. No woman, not even Katherine, could turn him from his goal. As the Castilian throne drew nearer to his grasp its lure shone even brighter. But he had learned prudence in these last years, and the need for careful planning. Money must be raised for an army, and sporadic little bursts of rioting, not only on the borders, but in English shires, must be put down with a firm hand - and then Castile.
Katherine heard his deep breath, and knew that he was thinking of those sun-baked plains that he had shown her from their mountaintop in the Pyrenees. She understood now better than she had then why that far-away land was the summit of his dreams.
She no longer wondered that he was not satisfied with being the greatest nobleman in England and its virtual ruler. Not when he could be a veritable anointed king, king of a country nearly twice as large as England. What complete answer that would be to continuing slanders that he plotted for Richard's throne! And, thought Katherine - that other thing. The ghost of the changeling story had been laid, even his enemies had forgotten it, and John could now refer to it with no more than the passing scorn he gave to all rumours about him. But the scar was there.
The King of Castile would be far above all rumours.
Katherine reached an arm through the curtains for the hand bell which would summon Hawise and a valet of the chamber. The bell made her think of Robin, who as body squire had often answered it, and she said, "My lord, you spoke of a second reason why Robin must be sent away?"
"Lollard," said John succinctly.
"But," she protested, "you've never been against the Lollards!" Half the court, the Princess Joan and until recently John himself had subscribed to most of Wyclif's doctrines.
"The Lollards now go too far," said John impatiently. "Their preachers are inflaming the people. And you know very well that I can no longer champion poor old Wyclif. I think his wits've addled. Though I'll not let his enemies harm him either. He shall propound his dreadful new heresies in peace at Lutterworth, but I want no active Lollards in my meinie."
Wyclif against the bishops, and the corrupt clergy, had been worthy of help. Wyclif against the Pope, particularly that now, since the schism in 'seventy-eight, there were most confusingly two popes, had merited many an intelligent person's approval.
Wyclif against the spiritual teachings of the Church was another matter. John had been sympathetic with the Englished Bible which Wyclif wanted given to the people, there was no harm in that, and the Duke believed in learning. He had been patient with the fiery black-robed doctor's arguments against the idolatry of saints, the folly of pilgrimage, the futility of confession.
But lately Wyclif had attacked the sacredness of the Mass itself, had dared to deny the miracle of transubstantiation. He had actually stated that the consecrated wafer and the wine did never change at all into the Blessed Body and Blood, that they were merely symbols. He had said it was better to worship a toad than the Sacrament, for a toad at least had life. And here John's long tolerance had shattered.
Perhaps, thought Katherine, Brother William had had something to do with John's revulsion against Wyclif. The Grey Friar himself no longer had the least sympathy for the reformer. And as for me, thought Katherine wearily, I cannot care either way. The observance of her religion had become dim, meaningless, boring.
John was truly devout in a hearty male way.. He believed as his father and mother had believed, so Wyclif had ended by horrifying him. And yet, she thought, it was like him to continue to protect Wyclif despite their quarrel.
His enemies misunderstood as usual. They gave him no credit for the loyalty that was his strongest trait. When he showed mercy they called it cowardice. But well-a-day, thought Katherine, what use to dwell on gloomy things? Today we'll have the stag-hunt and tonight we'll dance, my lord and I. She smiled, for their bodies were attuned in all ways and they danced so well together that even the most spiteful were forced to admire.
"God's greeting, my lady," said Hawise, popping her broad face through the curtains. "You look gay as a goldfinch. My lord too " She gestured with her white-coiffed head towards the garde-robe, where the Duke's voice could be heard singing,
"Amour et ma dame aussi
Votre beaute m'a ravie!"
while his squires rubbed him down with a herb-steeped sponge. "His Grace is in good spirits, I hear. 'Twas not his mood last night in the Hall, by corpus!" She enveloped Katherine in a chamber robe, encased the slim feet in embroidered kid slippers.
"How do you know that?" asked Katherine startled.
"Even common folk've eyes, sweeting. Tis known through the castle that fool of a Robin bussed you too hotly last night, and the Duke went black as iron. Some thought he'd beat you to a jelly with a pikestaff, some that Robin's bloody corpse'd be found afloating in the Soar; but I never fretted. You can do anything with His Grace nowadays."