‘What next?’ asked Henry eagerly. ‘We must continue. Everything that my father lost must be regained.’
‘A campaign will need careful planning,’ Hubert reminded him. ‘We will wait for the return of William Longsword and hear what he has to tell us of Louis’s defences.’
‘Louis’s army cannot have been very good for we have defeated it.’
‘One victory does not win a war, my lord,’ warned Hubert. ‘Let us employ a little caution. We will wait for Salisbury’s report.’
A few days later Henry fell ill and Hubert feared for his life. What now? he asked Stephen Langton. There could be trouble. They must bring Richard back without delay. The country was enjoying only a superficial peace and Peter des Roches would be watching for his opportunity.
Stephen Langton declared they must employ patience. The King was young; he was not a weakling. They would do everything in their power to bring him back to health and they would not let anyone know how uneasy they were.
Richard, the new Earl of Cornwall, had certain qualities of leadership which perhaps his brother lacked, but he would be difficult to handle. Fortunately he was there to follow if need be but they would hope and pray that Henry would recover.
He did and no sooner was he well again than he began to talk of preparing for the campaign for France. If they were going to win back their possessions, Henry wanted the glory. He was not going to let Richard claim it on the strength of one campaign.
Louis then made a strange decision. Whether he feared the forces which had come against him, or whether he had some premonition, no one knew; but he suddenly decided that he was going to join the Church’s forces against the Albigensians. This meant that he had undertaken what was tantamount to a crusade. It had the effect which perhaps Louis had desired. The Pope sent a command to the English King that he was not to take up arms against the King of France who was now engaged on a holy war.
Henry was furious, but as Hubert pointed out, he could not go against Rome, for this could result in the dreaded Interdict, and everyone knew what disaster that could bring.
Henry must therefore bide his time. There would be opportunities in the future.
Meanwhile nothing had been heard of the Earl of Salisbury except that some time before he had sailed from France.
When Hubert considered the rich estates of Salisbury and that William Longsword had had a countess who could not be more than thirty-eight years old and who would now be a widow, he decided that it would be a good idea to bring the Salisbury fortune into his family.
He had a nephew, Reimund, who was looking for a suitable wife. What better, thought Hubert, than for Reimund to marry Ela, the Countess of Salisbury. She had brought rich estates to William Longsword. Why should she not bring them to Hubert’s nephew? The family would know how to take care of them.
He approached the King cautiously.
‘It is a sad matter about Longsword for he must now be reckoned as dead. Poor fellow, he was cruel and his sins must be great, but he was a great soldier and a valiant man.’
‘It is true,’ said Henry, ‘but like all bastards he was cursed with the need continually to proclaim his royalty.’
‘Well now he has died. He has left a widow.’
‘That’s true,’ said Henry, ‘and one who brought him great wealth.’
‘And not an old woman by any means. She cannot be more than thirty-eight and still capable of bearing children. She should have a husband.’
Henry nodded.
‘Er … my nephew, Reimund, is looking for a wife. He is a good steady fellow, ever loyal to his King. He would care for the Countess and look after her estates. How would you feel – if he should succeed in winning her – about giving your consent to the match?’
‘If she consented I would be willing enough,’ said Henry.
It was all Hubert needed. He lost no time in summoning his nephew and sending him off to begin his wooing.
If the Virgin Mary had saved the Earl of Salisbury from the sea that marked the end of her help for, although he and some of the survivors from the broken vessel were washed ashore, their refuge happened to be the Island of Ré which belonged to Louis.
They were, however, able to find shelter in the Abbey of the island and as they were in such a sorry state were not immediately recognised. They had come near to death and were in urgent need of rest and nourishment and this was afforded them.
But the Earl could not hope to remain unrecognised for any great length of time and in due course one of the monks realised who he was.
Being a man of religion the monk did not betray him because he knew that the Earl was as yet unfit to make another voyage. So the secret was kept while Salisbury made plans for escape.
More than three months had elapsed since he left the coast of France so it was logical to believe him to be dead; and when in time Salisbury had managed to procure a boat and returned to England a great shock awaited Hubert.
The Earl at once discovered what was happening. His wife being wooed, believing herself to be his widow. And her wooer was no other than a nephew of Hubert de Burgh!
Incensed, the Earl went straight to the King.
Henry declared himself delighted to see his uncle returned from the dead. ‘For,’ he said, ‘that is what we feared. It is so long since you set sail.’
‘It is a shock, my lord, to return and find my wife all but married to another man.’
‘My dear Longsword,’ replied Henry, ‘she is not an old woman and because of my nearness to you I wished to see her in good hands.’
‘And my estates?’ cried the Earl. ‘I doubt not that those good hands were held out greedily to receive them.’
‘My dear uncle, we had every cause to believe you dead. That you are not is a matter for rejoicing. I will send for Hubert and his nephew and they shall welcome you back and make their apologies to you, if you think they should. But, I do assure you, we acted in the good interest of your Countess.’
‘Then, my lord, I thank God – and the Blessed Virgin – that I was brought home in good time.’
The King kept his promise to send for Hubert and his nephew and in a few weeks there was a meeting between them and Longsword over which the King presided.
Longsword glared at Hubert and declared: ‘I understand well your motives, my lord.’
‘They grew from our concern for your Countess, my lord Earl,’ Hubert tried to assure him.
‘And for her estates I doubt not.’
‘My lord, I assure you that my nephew had a genuine affection for the lady. Is that not so, Reimund?’
‘It is indeed so, my lord.’
Longsword was purple with rage. ‘You dare stand there and tell me that you have an affection for my wife and would marry her.’
‘My lord …’ began Reimund, but Hubert cut him short:
‘My lord Salisbury,’ he said soothingly, ‘my nephew had an affection for a lady whom he believed to be a forlorn widow. Now that he knows her to be a wife his feelings have changed.’
‘He changes his feelings as men change a suit of mail,’ snarled Longsword.
The King intervened. ‘Uncle, I would have you make peace with Hubert. I believe his motives to be as he says and I find these quarrels irksome. You have had a miraculous escape. Methinks you should be thanking God that you have emerged from this disaster at sea and arrived home in time to save your wife from a marriage which would have been no marriage.’
Salisbury bowed his head. ‘What’s done is done,’ he murmured, ‘but I shall not forget …’