Jean Plaidy - The Prince of Darkness

‘She will not leave this night,’ said John, ‘for this night she and I will bed together.’

Eustace had to restrain himself from giving the King such a blow as would have felled him. But being a quick-thinking man he realised what the result of that would be. Of what use would he be to Margaret, how save her from this lecher if he were confined to a dungeon, and deprived of his hands or perhaps his eyes?

He said slowly: ‘Is my lord so set on that?’

‘Never was I more set on anything,’ replied John. He smiled slyly. He knew Eustace – a man of rather narrow tastes. The sort who would have considered it sinful to amuse himself outside the marriage bed. And Margaret was of like mind. She was afraid of him, he knew. That was one of the reasons for her attraction for him. He doubted she had ever known any man but her husband. He would find her most diverting.

‘’Tis hardly to be expected that a husband would look on such a project with favour,’ suggested Eustace.

John conceded this. ‘If it were a baron who desired your wife you could object. Just as if he wanted a castle which was yours. You would fight for it with all you possessed, my good Eustace. But if your King decided he wanted a castle which was yours, you would be wise, as you well know, being a wise man, to give it to him. Thus it is with your wife.’

You are a monster, thought Eustace. Do you think I will serve you? From this day forth I will work against you and I will not rest until I have brought about your downfall.

But he did not show his anger. John did understand something of his feelings though and it amused him that this moral man had not the courage to oppose him. He cared for the virtue of his wife but his freedom and his limbs were of more importance to him.

‘Why, Eustace,’ went on the King, ‘I have decided to honour you. After tomorrow you may boast that your wife so pleased the King that he took her to his bed. It may even be that I shall plant a royal seed within her. How would you like that, Baron? What if there should be a little prince or princess in your nursery?’

It was difficult for Eustace to restrain himself, but he managed it. To show his disgusted anger was not the way to deal with this situation. John was becoming more gross, even more of a libertine than he had been in his youth; he was capable of any cruel act and the more cynical the better.

Eustace bowed his head and asked leave to retire. He could no longer endure to be in the King’s company.

He went to his wife’s chamber where she awaited him fearfully. She dismissed her women and when they had gone she ran to him and threw herself into his arms.

He stroked her hair thoughtfully.

‘You have been with the King,’ she said. ‘When will he go?’

‘Not until tomorrow.’

She began to shiver.

‘I am afraid of him, Eustace,’ she said.

‘With good reason,’ answered her husband grimly. ‘He has blatantly asked for you.’

‘Asked for me!’

‘This night he will command you to his bed.’

‘I can’t do it, Eustace.’

‘You know him well. He will force you. This castle is surrounded by his soldiers who would do his bidding. It will not do to refuse him. But listen. An idea has occurred to me. Someone must go to his bed tonight but need it be you?’

‘What have you in mind?’

‘There are several light women in the castle. There are some I doubt not who would give a great deal for what they think of as the honour of sharing the King’s bed. Why should not one of them take your place?’

‘You think he would agree?’

‘No. But why should he not believe his bedfellow is you when it is someone else?’

‘Oh, Eustace, how clever you are!’

‘’Tis not done yet. Let us not be hasty, but give much thought to this matter. If we could select the woman, bathe her, dress her hair, perfume her body … is it possible, think you, that we could deceive him?’

‘He has seen very little of me,’ said Margaret, ‘and I think this mad desire is partly to discountenance you and to prove to my father that even his daughter dare not refuse him. I am sure he could be deceived.’

‘He must be deceived,’ declared Eustace. ‘We will select one of the whores, dress her up and send her to him. There is no time to lose. She will need a little tuition. But I intend him to be so intoxicated with wine, so heavy with food that his powers of observation will be numbed; and in the morning early, you must set out on a journey. There must be no delay about that. And you will wait nearby until such a time as he shall have left the castle.’

Their very need seemed to endow them with special skills. They found the substitute whom they chose because her hair was very similar to Margaret’s. It was washed and perfumed and bound in the same way as hers. The woman was bathed and dressed in a robe of Margaret’s and well primed in her part.

It amused her and she was told that if she succeeded she would be well rewarded for the night’s work so she was determined to play her part to the very best of her ability.

That night John supped well and drank deeply. Margaret, on his right hand, Eustace on his left, plied him with wine. He was delighted with Margaret and anticipated the night’s adventure with excitement. He looked from one to the other with undisguised pleasure.

As the night wore on, Margaret whispered that she would go to his bedchamber and there await him. He nodded a little drowsily and turned to smile at Eustace.

‘After tonight, my friend,’ he said, ‘you and I will have shared our experiences. I know the lady will please me as she has pleased you.’

Eustace led him to the door of the bedchamber. There Margaret’s substitute awaited him. There was a little moonlight coming through the narrow slit of a window. Not enough to show him his companion’s face. He did not doubt for a moment that it was Margaret for she was dressed exactly as the baron’s wife had been and her hair was worn in a similar manner.

He kicked the door shut and fell upon her.

Had he been a little more sober he might have been surprised at her response, which was hardly what it would have been had the woman been Eustace’s wife.

He was amused and exultant. This would show his barons that they must bow to him no matter what he asked.

At dawn, Margaret left the castle and John’s night companion slipped out of his bed, her duty done and all that was necessary now was to collect her rewards. It had been a profitable night and some day she would be able to boast that she had slept with the King.

John awoke late in the morning. He remembered the previous night and laughed aloud.

He would not linger at the castle. He must move on.

He was in a good temper as he resumed his journey.

With the passing of each week, John’s fortunes seemed more dismal. The barons were grumbling together about him and asking themselves how much longer they were going to endure the rule of a king who believed he could make free with their wives and impose on them the most ridiculous fines which were in fact bribes and impositions.

The members of the Braose family would never forget the fate of Matilda and her son. To put a woman of her age into a dungeon and leave her to starve to death was monstrous, when her only fault had been to refuse the money which was demanded of her family and to defy the King in this matter of sending members of her family as hostages. Very understandable, was the verdict, when one considered the fate of Arthur. And it seemed that everyone now was considering the fate of Arthur. Philip of France was demanding that the young Duke be produced, knowing full well that he never could be. Anything that could be used to discredit John he was going to use.

Eustace de Vesci was arousing the barons against him; not that they needed much rousing. They were only too ready to accuse the King and many of them were meeting to discuss what could be done.

There was one who regretted the course events were taking and who determined to make yet another effort to save the monarchy. This was William Marshal and he came to see John.

The King, who was beginning to realise how friendless he was and that such friendlessness could mean he was in acute danger of losing his kingdom, welcomed the Marshal warmly.

‘My lord,’ said William, ‘I come to speak in a straightforward manner to you which you may not find very much to your liking. Yet speak I must for if something is not done with speed, I see disaster overcoming this country and your kingly house.’

‘You may speak as you wish,’ said the King.

‘Then I will say that it is folly to allow this state of affairs to drift as it is now. The barons are dissatisfied.’

‘A plague on the barons!’ muttered John.

‘You may wish a plague on them, my lord, but forget not that such would infect the entire country, as they are now beginning to infect it with their dissatisfaction.’

‘Who are they to show their displeasure?’ demanded John. ‘Am I their King or am I not?’

‘At this time yes,’ said the Marshal bluntly, ‘but who shall say for how long if matters drift along in the direction they are now set.’

‘You are over-bold, Marshal, for it would seem you are critical of me.’

‘I warned you I was over-bold. I ever have been, and if you are not prepared for my boldness it would be well for us both if I retired.’

‘Nay,’ said John, ‘say on.’

‘Think how we stand. Interdict! Excommunication! Inward turmoil, and perhaps most serious of all Philip awaiting his opportunity.’