Michael Jecks - The Templar, the Queen and Her Lover

‘Perhaps I could. My apologies if I shocked you. It was not entirely my desire to do that.’

‘Entirely? You did mean to a little, you mean?’

‘Oh yes. I wanted to see whether you looked guilty, you see. And you do.’

‘What nonsense is this? You think you can upset me like this? Excuse me, Sir Baldwin, but I have work to be getting on with.’

‘Wait a moment, Comptroller,’ Baldwin said, moving to stand between him and the entrance. ‘Who was that man with whom you were conversing?’

‘I don’t know what you mean.’

‘I was watching you, de Bouden. I saw you talking to a man over there. Who was he? I did not recognise him.’

‘No one. There was no one you need worry about. It is my business — only mine.’

‘Then you will not mind my mentioning it to Lord Cromwell?’

‘You’d tell him?’

‘I am here with other knights charged with the protection of the Queen. You appear to be holding clandestine meetings with a stranger, and refuse to tell me who it is. That is surely enough to warrant my informing the leader of our party.’

‘He wants to meet the Queen.’

‘Who does? Come along, man! Speak out!’

‘Lord Mortimer of Wigmore. The rebel.’

‘And what did he say to that?’ Simon asked.

Baldwin had gone to Simon in their room, and since, fortunately, none of the other knights had retired yet, he could tell Simon all about the conversation.

‘He begged me to keep his association secret. Secret, in God’s name! The Queen’s Comptroller meeting with the King’s most detested traitor!’

‘What will you do? You should tell the Queen herself, or at least tell Lord Cromwell. He’s charged with her safety. The traitor Mortimer tried to have the King assassinated, after all. It would be perfect for him to embarrass the King by harming the Queen here. He might have her killed, or capture her and take her away. What could a man like that do to her?’

Baldwin said nothing for a moment, and Simon shot him a look. ‘Baldwin? Did you hear any of that?’

‘Well yes. Yes. I suppose you are right,’ Baldwin said.

‘There was a “but” at the end of that sentence, wasn’t there?’

Baldwin rose and walked to the window. Staring out, he spoke as though musing to himself. ‘I know that the King would expect me to tell Cromwell about Mortimer’s being here. But in truth, all know this is where he has been hiding. He sought sanctuary with the French king as soon as he escaped from the Tower of London. There is no surprise to anyone in the fact that he is here. This is a royal palace. So his presence is not news.’

‘Even if that were true, Baldwin, the simple fact that he appears to be on friendly terms with de Bouden, the Queen’s own clerk, is surely enough to raise warnings in the minds of any who have her interests to heart.’

‘Simon, I know you are probably right, but let me just ask you to consider this more deeply. This man Mortimer, whom all eagerly declare to be a traitor, was a close friend of the King’s for twenty years or so. He has backed the King in everything, even supporting his friendship with Gaveston, when all the other lords and barons had the man exiled. He served the King with his body and arms in all the King’s wars.’

‘I know that, Baldwin. But if you have a good, loyal dog, you still kill it if it develops the rabies. You can’t trust it after that. Mortimer has lost any rights because he raised a host against the King.’

‘He never raised his standard against the King, only against the rapacity of the Despenser — and we both have had experience of that devil!’

‘I don’t say I don’t agree with the aim of removing Despenser. But we’re here to protect the Queen, and if Mortimer’s here, he is a threat to her. He is the King’s own stated enemy, he was held under sentence of death, for Christ’s sake! Now he’s escaped from the Tower, he’s more dangerous than ever. We have to tell Lord Cromwell.’

Baldwin said nothing for a few moments, but then he turned away from the window. ‘And what will that achieve? John Cromwell will be determined to find the man and execute him, which will lead to more bad feeling between the French and the Queen’s party. I have already experienced the trouble that a killing can bring, Simon. People still look at me askance, thinking I killed Sir Enguerrand. The men who killed the Comte de Foix endangered my reputation. If another man is slain here, we shall be put in a dreadful position. It may well ruin the talks about Guyenne, and then we would be guilty of harming English interests and the King’s.’

‘So you would keep this secret?’ Simon demanded. ‘I tell you now, Baldwin, I cannot agree to that. I believe that the danger must be pointed out.’

‘I agree. However, I think that we should put the news in the hands of the one person here who knew Mortimer and can form a judgement on the degree of the threat he presents to the Queen — and that is the Queen herself.’

‘You seriously believe it’s better to tell her than Lord John?’

‘John Cromwell is a good man, but he takes his orders from the King — and in his case, I think that many instructions actually come from Despenser. Despenser hates Mortimer. The conclusion is clear — Despenser would command John Cromwell to have Mortimer murdered. The Queen knows Mortimer, though. She would surely understand him better.’

Saturday before the Annunciation of Our Lady 17

Poissy

The King had arrived in his royal palace a little earlier, but it was important for a king to ensure that all was prepared before he made his entrance. Jeanne, his bride-to-be, had already welcomed his sister to France, so King Charles IV could give himself up to making the preparations for the welcome feast.

And at last all was ready on the Saturday.

To Baldwin’s embittered eye, it was as unprompted and natural as any play-actor’s performance.

The King was a tall, handsome man. He had the natural grace of a man of authority, and the lightness on his feet of a trained man-at-arms. This was a noble who was experienced in the lists, he thought. And he was genuinely interested in people.

‘You are?’

Lord John Cromwell gave his name easily enough. He was used to speaking with kings, and he bowed low and respectfully, gruffly introducing the other men from his party. De Sapy was careful to bow low, as was Peter de Lymesey, but Sir Charles, Baldwin saw, was less reverential in his approach. He bowed, but in an almost perfunctory manner, which made some in the chamber eye him suspiciously. For his part, Baldwin bowed as low as he would to any king. There was no point in making a show of rudeness. It could all too easily make an enemy of a ruthless man in the lands where his power was absolute.

‘Sir Baldwin de Furnshill,’ Lord John intoned.

‘I am delighted to meet you,’ the King said in that soft voice of his. His tone was light, but Baldwin had the impression that it would carry clearly a great distance.

‘I believe you have all looked after your queen, my sister, well. I am most grateful to you all for that. If there is anything you require while you stay here in Poissy or in Paris, let my servants know and I will ensure that they will provide it for you. You are all my honoured guests.’

He had turned to return to his throne when the doors opened at the far end of the hall, and the Queen stepped in.

She was clad in black, a dress rather like a widow’s, Baldwin thought, and then his mouth twitched cynically. No fool, she would have carefully considered what to wear before entering. This was designed to make men question her state of mind. Everyone knew of Despenser’s relationship with her husband, and wearing widow’s weeds would allow them to appreciate the depth of her own disgust and shame.