‘A good match,’ said the King. ‘Sir Bernard has served me well and I should like to reward him. The marriage would be a great one for him. She will bring him the family estates and I shall feel that I have rewarded him for his good service.’
The Prince nodded. As the only surviving member of her family the Kent title and estates had come to her. She was indeed a great heiress.
‘Of course,’ said the Prince, ‘she is a widow and will doubtless wish to have her say.’
‘We may trust Joan for that,’ replied Edward. ‘But it shall be known that I am agreeable to the match and it is only for her to agree to it. Perhaps, my son, you would speak to her and tell her my wishes.’
The Prince said he would do so and at the earliest opportunity sought out Joan.
He asked if he might speak to her in private.
Her heart was beginning to beat so wildly that she wondered if he would be aware of her excitement. Was this the moment? Had he at last made up his mind?
‘You are a widow, Jeanette,’ he said, ‘rich and by no means old. My father thinks you should marry again.’
She dared not look at him but she said quietly : ‘And you, Cousin. What think you?’
‘Yes,’ he replied. ‘I think you should.’
She closed her eyes. Her dream was coming true. He was going to suggest marriage. Princess of Wales, Queen in the not too far future.
‘As a matter of fact there has been an offer for you.’ ‘An ... offer I ‘
‘Sir Bernard de Brocas loves you dearly. He has spoken to the King.’
She stared at him blankly, angrily.
‘And the King,’ she said shortly, ‘what says he?’
‘He says that he would wish to reward Sir Bernard and this would be a way of doing so.’
‘So ... I am to be a ... reward! ‘
‘You are an excellent match, Cousin.’
‘My family’s estates, yes. A good reward for a faithful servant.’
‘And you are very beautiful, Cousin.’
‘I had not thought you had noticed.’
‘You know full well how much I admire you.’
‘You have never deemed it fitting to tell me so.’
‘Why should I tell you what you know already?’
‘The answer is that I should have liked to hear it.’
‘Well then, ‘tis so, Cousin. I repeat you are a beautiful woman and a rich one. But I do not believe it is your estates alone that he considers. What is your answer?’
‘What would you have me do?’ she asked almost plaintively.
‘I would have you consider the offer.’
‘Then let me tell you this,’ she said. ‘I shall never marry again.’
He was surprised. ‘You do not mean that,’ he protested. ‘You are too young ... too beautiful to remain unmarried. I know that you have had many suitors.’
‘None that I would take,’ she said. ‘I hope the King does not plan to force me into this.’
‘Indeed he would not. He would only advise you.’
She turned to him and lifting her beautiful eyes to his cried: ‘You advise me.’
He took her hand and held it fast. ‘Sir Bernard de Brocas is a very worthy knight,’ he said.
‘Stop it! ‘ she cried. ‘Don’t say it. I will not listen.’ Then she sat on a stool and covered her face with her hands.
He stared down at her in amazement; then he knelt down beside her and drew her hands away from her face. Her eyes were feverish with excitement.
‘Dearest Jeanette, what is wrong with you? You must know that de Brocas is one of the most chivalrous knights in my father’s service.’
‘I will never marry him ... as long as I live. I cannot because ...’
‘You are in love with someone else!’ cried the Prince.
She did not deny it. She cried out: ‘You tell me Bernard de Brocas is a chivalrous knight. I am in love with the most chivalrous knight in the world. How can you ask me to take something less.’
‘Then perhaps ...’
She shook her head. ‘Nay,’ she said. ‘I cannot marry this man so I shall take no other.’
‘He has made you unhappy ... this knight. That does not seem to me a chivalrous act.’
She smiled wanly. ‘Nay, he knows not the extent of my love for him. It has ever been so and he unaware of it.’
‘Tell me his name.’
‘You know it well.’
He stood up and she rose and stood beside him.
‘I could never bring myself to tell you,’ she said.
‘Jeanette,’ he said, ‘you shall tell me. I must know. I want to do everything I can to make you happy.’
She laughed. ‘Oh, Edward, surely you know. Is it not clear? Who is the most chivalrous knight in the world? Who was the companion of my childhood? Whom did I love always? Surely you know.’
He looked at her incredulously.
‘The Black Prince,’ she said. ‘There has never been one to compare with him nor ever shall be and as I will take only the best I shall remain unmarried all the rest of my life.’
He continued to stare at her and the joy suddenly showed in his face. She had made up his mind for him. Jeanette! Of course it was Jeanette. The most beautiful woman at Court. She was the one he had been waiting for.
He kissed her hands fervently.
‘So all the time ... I was the one ...’
‘All the time,’ she said fervently. ‘Since I was small and you were small ... Even then it was only you.’
‘Yet you married Holland.’
‘Because I despaired. I would not take Salisbury whom I disliked. I thought it was no use waiting for you. There now, I have betrayed myself and you will despise me.’
‘I vow to God,’ said the Prince earnestly, ‘that I will not take any to be my wife but you—my dearest cousin, my Jeanette.’
She was triumphant. Why had she not done this before? It was so easy. This strange man whose thoughts were so wrapped up in military glory had only needed a woman to make up his mind for him.
She was alert to danger. What would the King and Queen say to the proposed match? Before she had married Thomas Holland they would have agreed to it; but she was no longer a favourite of the Queen. Philippa had not approved of the somewhat shady match with Holland when Joan had disclosed that she had already lived with him as his wife while pretend- ing she was going to marry Salisbury. Moreover Philippa had noticed the King’s eyes on the beauty. There was that incident of the garter. Philippa would not want her eldest son to marry a scheming woman. And the King. How could he feel about accepting as his daughter-in-law a woman whom he had once desired—for Joan knew well enough that he had and because he was the King she had given him several promising glances knowing full well that the high moral code he set upon himself would prevent their relationship straying beyond the boundary of flirtation.
They would both regard her as something of an adventuress and that was not the woman they would want as future Queen of England.
They would want someone like Philippa—stern, always aware of her duty.
And how determined was Edward? A short while ago he had been ready to offer her to Bernard de Brocas.
‘My dearest Edward,’ she said quickly. ‘I am bewildered by my happiness. So precious are you to me, for I have waited all these years never believing that my dreams would be fulfilled, that now I am afraid.’
‘You must never be afraid of anything with me beside you.’ ‘I am afraid they will try to stop our marriage.’
‘Nay, they never would.’
‘To please me, Edward. Do not tell anyone yet ... not until we have made our plans. Not until we can go to the King and tell him that we are set for marriage, that the plans are made and there can be no delay.’
To humour her, he agreed.