She accepted her own selfishness. She faced the truth; she had made him the centre of her life; but she saw now that her love had been selfish. His happiness, his victories were hers, and she must learn to rejoice in his marriage to a wife whom he loved.
Released from her determination to keep her son to herself, she was happier than she had been since his marriage. Marguerite quickly became pregnant again and accepted the new relationship between them with a sweetness which was characteristic of her.
There was so much evidence that Marguerite loved Louis truly, and as a good mother Blanche began to rejoice in their happiness together.
Rumours were coming to court constantly. There were always enemies, and she had never trusted the Lusignans. She talked of them with Louis and Marguerite.
‘Hugh would be a good and loyal vassal,’ she said, ‘but I would never trust Isabella of Angoulême. There is an evil woman.’
‘Hugh is too powerful to be lightly put aside,’ said Louis. ‘He could, if he had a mind to it, stir up great trouble.’
‘He has no mind of his own. That should be our concern. We have to deal with Isabella, and believe me, I know from the past, she is capable of any evil.’
Blanche had always had friends who travelled about the country and reported to her what was happening. Louis knew this and was interested to hear that in Lusignan Isabella made no secret of her determination to take revenge on the King of France and his mother. She greatly resented the desire of Princess Isabella to go into a convent and Alphonse’s marriage had even more infuriated her.
‘I hear that she is stirring up trouble,’ said Blanche.
‘Is that not a perpetual state of affairs?’ asked Louis.
‘Never more than now. I believe the situation is becoming more dangerous there. It is for that reason that I intend to send a man there … He is from Rochelle. He has no reason to love them and I believe him to be loyal to you. His duty will be to listen and to report what he hears.’
‘Another spy,’ said Louis.
‘Yes,’ replied Blanche, ‘another spy.’
The French Court had travelled down to Saumur in Anjou. There the King intended to hold a great display. It would be costly and luxurious although such extravagance was alien to his nature, for his mother had impressed upon him the need for this. It was, she had explained, to show not only the wealth of the King of France, but his power.
She admitted that she had been greatly disturbed by the accounts which had been sent to her by the man from Rochelle. There could be no doubt that Isabella of Angoulême was stirring up trouble. She was impressing on Hugh the need to show the Court of France that they could not be flouted. She was in touch with the powerful lords of Saintonge and the Angoumois and impressing on them the need to hold themselves in readiness to take up arms against the King, for it would soon be necessary to do so.
Louis realised this and agreed with his mother.
‘During the ceremonies,’ she said, ‘it would be well for Alphonse to receive the homage of those counts whose suzerain he is.’
‘Which,’ said Louis, ‘will include those who will be none too pleased to do so.’
‘All the more reason why they should.’
‘Do you think Isabella will allow Hugh to pay that homage?’
‘If we are watchful, yes,’ said Blanche.
Louis looked quizzically at his mother and she said, ‘Our man from Rochelle is a good servant to us.’
Chapter XVIII
ISABELLA’S REVENGE
It was while Isabella had gone to her castle of Angoulême that the summons appeared for Hugh to attend the court at Saumur in order to pay the homage required of him by his suzerain Alphonse.
Hugh could not but be relieved that Isabella was away. He knew that she would have been furious at the summons, but as a law-abiding man and one who had been brought up to study his honour and to do without question what was demanded of him in that respect, he realised that he should in duty bound obey the summons.
When Isabella was not there he could reason with himself. She was wrong, but he understood her anger. She was the Queen Mother of England and as such the equal of the Queen Mother of France, and it was humiliating for her to have to play a humble part in France. He could not imagine his life without Isabella. It had been empty of excitement before he had married her. He never regretted for one moment that marriage. Violent scenes there were, but there always would be where Isabella was. He was a man of peace, but he was only half alive without her; and the truth was he could not live without her. Virago she might be, but she was, to him, the most attractive woman in the world.
And now this summons. He knew he should obey it. It was his duty to. Isabella would be enraged. He would have to try to explain to her that it was his duty to pay homage to his liege-lord and even if he did think the title should not have been bestowed on Alphonse, it would be tantamount to an act of war to refuse to pay homage.
Through years of living with Isabella he had learned that if something should be done it was better to do it first and suffer for it afterwards, for not to do it would mean that he would be persuaded against his judgment; and in this case such an act could plunge him into a war for which he was not ready.
After a good deal of consideration he rode to Saumur and there paid homage to Alphonse.
There was no doubt that Louis and his mother were pleased to see him. They had been afraid that he would not come, but thanks to the man from Rochelle, the summons had been sent when Isabella was absent, which had meant that the sober Hugh had made his own decision, which, of course, was the right one.
Hugh took part in the jousts and tourneys and even though he was no longer young, carried himself through with skill and dignity.
If he had never married Isabella, thought Blanche, how much happier we should all have been. Isabella would have remained in England to plague her son – which would have been good for us too. Alas! But at least we have outwitted her this time.
When the royal party left, Hugh was with them and as they passed through Lusignan, it was natural that they should stay at the castle there.
With what trepidation Hugh had led them through the gates.
Blanche had caught sight of the man from Rochelle among those who came out to pay their respects to the King.
The Lady Isabella was not in the castle, for she had not yet returned from Angoulême.
Blanche was amused. She was indeed scoring over her enemy. And she was showing Hugh how much easier life would be for him without his wife.
There was merriment in the castle. The minstrels sang and there was feasting; and the next day when the royal party left, Hugh rode some way with them to speed them on their way.
When he returned to the castle he was dismayed, for Isabella had returned and discovered that not only had Hugh been to Saumur to pay homage to Alphonse, but also that the royal party had stayed in the castle.
Her fury possessed her, and Hugh feared she would do herself an injury.
She – a queen – had been slighted. Her husband had done homage to a mere count and that meant that she must take second place to his wife … a countess when she was a queen. It was unendurable. It was better that she was dead.
She stormed into the castle calling to her servants to do her bidding. The furnishings of those rooms which had been put at the service of the royal party must be torn down and thrown out. Everything they had used must follow. She stood in the midst of the turmoil, her hair unbound – for it had escaped from her head-dress – and fell about her shoulders in glorious confusion. The colour flamed into her cheeks seeming to add to the depth and beauty of her violet eyes. Even the humblest servant was impressed, though conscious that her fascination flowed from something evil.