The Prince of Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page A

they were in Brittany and the arrogant Constance and her friends would not hesitate to complain to the King of France or perhaps Richard, and at this time John had to play a subdued role, for Richard had not so long ago forgiven him for his rebellion on condition that he mended his ways.
    Besides, his thoughts were too serious to be diverted by such commonplace pleasures as the rape of village girls. Froma window he saw Constance going into the gardens and she was alone. He hurried down to her.
    He watched her for a few seconds before she was aware of him – in his mind stripping her of her garments and assessing her possibilities as a bedfellow. She would not be a mild woman – not like his poor Hadwisa. He was heartily sick of that one and he was going to get rid of her. He had determined on that. Why not? Her lands were safe in his keeping and he had made no secret of the fact that that was all his marriage was about. She had no children – he had decided that he would avoid that complication so that when the moment came to cast her off there would be no question of the issue of the so-called marriage. He laughed to consider how the Church had been against it and how with Richard’s connivance he had flouted the Church. The Gloucester inheritance had been worth a certain inconvenience for the addition of that to his possessions had made him one of the richest men in England. But there was a blood-bond between them. They were related through his great-grandfather Henry I who was Hadwisa’s great-grandfather too – in her case her royal blood came down through the bar sinister, but blood was blood all the same and that old fool the Archbishop of Canterbury had ranted about consanguinity. He had not cared; being rather glad, for he saw from the first that Hadwisa would not interest him except through her possessions.
    So he had no need to worry about Hadwisa. When the moment arrived she would be discarded like some old garment one gave to a servant when one had no further use for it.
    An idea had been forming in his mind for some time. What if he married Constance? Then if Arthur were his stepson as well as his nephew the boy would be completely in his power.Of one thing he was certain, if the opportunity should arise and Richard die without heirs he was not going to be cheated by Arthur.
    Constance turned, startled when he came up behind her – rather silently for the pleasure of seeing her momentarily off her guard. She was indeed a good-looking woman and being rather tall she gave the impression of looking down on him. He would soon stop her giving that impression if he married her.
    ‘How beautiful you are, Constance,’ he said. ‘I always said my brother Geoffrey was the most fortunate of us all in his marriage.’
    ‘You are very kind,’ she said coolly. Her eyes were wary; she was like a tigress who suspects some attack on her cubs. Not without reason too.
    ‘Ah,’ he went on, ‘it is good for families to be together. Not always possible with those of our rank, but rest assured, Constance, that I intend to seek every opportunity of being with my delightful sister-in-law. It does me good to see my niece and my nephew. I say, what a charmer Eleanor is becoming. And Arthur! How proud you must be of the boy.’
    ‘I am well content with my children,’ she answered.
    ‘And may I say what good work you have done with Arthur.’
    ‘You may indeed say it, but whether I can claim the credit is another matter. You know he has spent much time at the Court of the King of France.’
    ‘And a thorough little Frenchman that old scoundrel has tried to make of him.’
    ‘I have reason to be grateful to the King of France,’ she answered shortly. ‘I can’t agree that he is old or a scoundrel.’
    ‘You are a stickler for accuracy, my dear sister-in-law. Philip is certainly not so aged, but wily you must admit.’
    ‘As becomes such a ruler,’ she answered.
    ‘My brother, the King of England, has reason to