She nodded. ‘Something tells me that they will marry even if you do not.’
‘But they dare not!’
‘I have said she would dare a good deal, and so would he. We have too many enemies. Would it not be well, my lord, to have them on our side?’
‘My love, there would be great opposition to a marriage like that. De Montfort is disliked for being a foreigner. The English are an insular race. They think there is something divine in being born an Englishman. If a man they called a foreigner was married to my sister there would be trouble, I do assure you.’
‘And there will be trouble if they do not marry.’
‘You see,’ said Henry fondly, ‘there are many trials in being a King.’
She put her arms about his neck. ‘But you will always overcome them, Henry … with me to help you.’
He kissed her fondly. How he dotes on me! she thought. It had been every bit as easy as she had always believed it to be to charm him, to rule him. He was a man who had been deprived of affection, and a little display of it moved him deeply, particularly from her.
‘I have a plan, Henry,’ she said. ‘Send for your sister and tell her she may marry.’
‘There would be some angry barons in England if I did. I do not think my brother Richard would be very pleased for one.’
‘You are the King. Let it be secret. Then Simon de Montfort will be your friend for ever more.’
‘What a wise little creature you are.’
‘You are teasing me.’
‘Nay. I mean it.’
‘Then show it by taking my advice on this.’
‘By the saints, I will.’
‘I know they will be on your side for ever if you do, and I fancy Simon de Montfort will be a man to reckon with.’
He slipped his arm through hers and they walked to the window and stood there together. ‘Can you guess,’ he asked, ‘what it means to me to have you beside me? Never was a king so contented in his marriage as this one.’
‘There is one thing we lack … a son.’
‘He will make his appearance … in time. You will see.’
‘I trust so,’ she answered fervently.
It was a cold January day when Simon de Montfort was married to the King’s sister in the royal chapel at Westminster, and, although the ceremony took place with the utmost secrecy, Henry himself gave the bride away. As soon as it was over his misgivings were great. The bride and groom however were delighted and as the Queen had prophesied showered him with thanks and protestations of loyalty.
When Henry and the Queen were alone she took his hands and kissed them. Had it not been wonderful to see the happiness of those two? How could they who were so happy themselves fail to delight in it? The Princess Eleanor and Simon her husband would thank them for ever.
‘Unless,’ said Henry, ‘they come to regret the marriage.’
‘People in love as they are do not regret their marriages,’ replied the Queen sternly.
She enchanted him. He had never believed married bliss could be like this. He often thought of poor Richard tied to his ageing wife whom he visited as infrequently as he could. Since this enchanting little Queen of his had come to England he had ceased to envy Richard. As for Richard he not only coveted his brother’s crown but his wife as well.
It was a very satisfactory state of affairs, thought Henry. So did his Queen, for it was becoming more and more clear that she had only to ask for what she wanted and the King could not resist giving it to her.
Two months after the secret marriage the Queen was seated in the solarium surrounded by some of her Provençal attendants when a serving man came to her to announce that there was a visitor to see her.
‘Who is it?’ she demanded.
‘He asked that no name should be given, my lady.’
The Queen was puzzled.
‘Where is he?’
‘He waits in the guardroom, my lady. He said to tell you first before the King.’
‘Where is the King?’
‘He is in the state chamber with the Earl of Cornwall and the Earl of Chester, my lady.’
Eleanor nodded and said she would go at once to solve the mystery.
In the guardroom a cloaked figure came towards her and took her into his arms.
‘Uncle … William!’ she cried.
‘Yes, you see me returned.’
‘It is wonderful to see you. When did you arrive?’
‘But a day or so ago. I came straight here.’
‘Without warning. We should have known.’
‘I thought I would test the climate first. Remember I was all but driven away.’
‘The barons are stupid … jealous … always afraid that someone who in any case is cleverer than they are, will take something from them. This time, dearest uncle, you must not go away.’
‘Perhaps it was well that I went when I did,’ said the Bishop Elect of Valence; and he smiled secretly. It had been a profitable retreat. He had now in safe keeping all the treasure he had taken with him; and if he could garner so much in one short year, it showed what a treasure there was in this land waiting to be taken.
‘Now you are here, dear uncle, you will see that there is no lack of welcome from me or from Henry.’
‘You think Henry will be pleased to see me?’
‘If I am, he will be.’
‘Oh, so it is still thus, is it?’
‘It is thus now and shall always be so.’
‘My clever little niece!’
‘I hope, dear Uncle, that you will not be forced to run away again.’
‘I shall do my best to consolidate my position and the best way of achieving that is for me to have some high post in the kingdom … the Church of course since I am trained for it.’
Eleanor was silent. She knew that she could persuade Henry, but her uncle had been forced to fly the country because of the animosity of the barons.
‘I will explain why I have returned now. I have heard that Peter des Roches, the Bishop of Winchester, since his return to England has become so enfeebled that he is not expected to live much longer. The See will soon be vacant. I want Henry to be persuaded to give it to me.’
‘The See of Winchester! It is one of the most important in the country. Why, it vies with Canterbury.’
‘I know, my dear. That is why I want it.’
‘You are asking a great deal, Uncle.’
‘But I have the utmost confidence in your help. I know you will get it for me. You see, my dear, your marriage has been so good for us at home, as you know. There is no reason why it should not be better still. When I have the See of Winchester your Uncle Thomas must come over. I am sure we could do something for him, eh?’
‘We will,’ said Eleanor firmly. It was most gratifying to be considered of such importance.
Henry was delighted that William de Valence had returned to England.
‘The fact that I do not want to blazon your presence throughout the country does not mean that you are not welcome,’ he told him. ‘I should be most distressed if you were shown that inhospitality once more from which you suffered such a short time ago.’
Uncle William said he had the best niece and nephew in the world and he was sure that the unkindness shown to him had hurt them more than it had hurt him.
He did realise the wisdom of keeping his return as quiet as possible and it was not until the month of June when Peter des Roches died, that he emerged from hiding.
Then Henry, prompted by Eleanor, announced that he had the very man to take over the See of Winchester. A man of wide experience, of saintly habits, and one who had the good of the Church at heart; his wife’s uncle William de Valence.
The response was immediate.
Richard came to see him. ‘Henry, do you know what people are saying? Do you want a return of the old days?’