The Prince of Darkness Read Online Free PDF Page B

exchanging fair words with her. There was not one of her advisers who had not been on the alert from the moment he had arrived at her court. She had ordered that Arthur was to be watched and that if it were possible he was never to be left alone with his uncle. If anything happened to Arthur while John was near, John would immediately be suspected and that would not help him. But how could she be sure how foolish John would be? He was not noted for his wisdom.
    It was certainly not inconceivable that Richard and his advisers might have some idea of a marriage between her andJohn since there was a question as to who – John or Arthur – was the rightful heir to the throne. Such a marriage could mean that John might rule until Arthur was of age or on John’s becoming a kind of regent.
    Never, she thought. I would not trust my son in his hands … not for a moment.
    That she was married to Ranulf de Blundevill, Earl of Chester, and John to Hadwisa of Gloucester would be no impediment. Those marriages could be set aside without a great deal of trouble. Marry John! He would be a thousand times worse than Ranulf. Besides, there was Guy. Her expression softened as she thought of her lover. He might see her from one of the castle windows and if he did he would come to rescue her from her odious brother-in-law. They had talked of the Prince only last night and Guy had said he was in Brittany for no good and that they must take double care of Arthur.
    She turned away from John, murmuring that she must leave him now, but when she walked towards the castle he was beside her. She went quickly to her apartments and there she asked one of her trusted women to bring Guy de Thouars to her. When he came and they were alone she embraced him.
    ‘Oh, Guy,’ she said, ‘I’m afraid … afraid for Arthur.’
    ‘Arthur is well cared for, my love, while we are here.’
    ‘There is something in John’s mind. I can see it. He came to me in the gardens. He has some plot brewing.’
    ‘We must be careful of him, and we are. We knew that from the start.’
    ‘I see him watching Arthur.’
    ‘Oh yes, he does not forget that Arthur has a greater claim to the throne of England than he has.’
    ‘That’s what terrifies me.’ She leaned her head against him and he rested his lips on her hair. ‘This is peace,’ she murmured. ‘Peace for just a few minutes.’
    ‘Nay, my love, longer than that. Arthur is well protected. His faithful squire sleeps across his door. ’Tis necessary while John is here.’
    ‘I wish he would go away.’
    ‘Then he would be somewhere else plotting against Arthur.’
    ‘At least he would not be so near him.’
    ‘Nay. ’Tis better he were where we can keep an eye on him. We will continue watchful. Never for one moment will we allow Arthur to be alone with him.’
    ‘Yet in the forest …’
    ‘He is always followed. I have seen to that. John but seeks to plague us. He would not allow harm to come to Arthur when it was known that they had been together. The people of Brittany would kill him before he had time to escape and Richard would not forgive him. He knows full well that that would be the end of his hopes.’
    ‘Life is so cruel,’ said Constance vehemently. She was thinking of her brief life with Geoffrey – perhaps it had not been idyllic but Geoffrey had been young and handsome and had a certain charm and it had resulted in her two children Eleanor and Arthur; it was after his death the nightmare had begun. Ranulf! She shuddered at the thought. What right had the King of England to give her to a man she loathed because it suited him to do so? That had been no marriage. She had fought desperately against its consummation and had quickly escaped from Ranulf, and the people of Brittany had rallied round her and she had had four years when she had governed the dukedom, and cared for Arthur, bringing him upin the way she wished him to go. Alas, Ranulf had after that time captured her and kept her a