Passage to Pontefract by Jean Plaidy Read Free Book Online

and John.’
    ‘It was a glorious battle John tells me.’ Blanche frowned a little. Could any battle which meant death to many be called glorious? She did not think so and she knew Philippa would agree with her. If she mentioned this to John he would have smiled at her indulgently, amused at her woman’s sensibilities.
    ‘Aye,’ added Philippa. ‘Pedro the rightful King back on his throne. I hear news from Joan though that Edward returned from the battle in poor health. She is alarmed for him. She has changed since her marriage. She was such a flighty girl. Capable of any indiscretions I am sure. But she seems to be a good wife to Edward and they have those two dear boys.’
    ‘It is good for young Edward to have a little brother.’
    ‘It is always good for kings to have several sons, and Edward will of course be King of England one day. I always rejoiced because he was so worthy, right from the time of his boyhood. But in battle one never knows what may befall and it is good to have others who could step forward in case of disaster.’
    Blanche was thinking: John believed that. John had hoped … but his hopes had been dispersed because of the birth of those two boys to the Black Prince.
    As they were speaking a woman had entered the room. Blanche had seen her at court once or twice and had on each occasion been very much aware of her. She was tall and had a flamboyant somewhat coarse kind of good looks. There was a boldness about her which Blanche found decidedly unattractive.
    Instead of joining the women at the other end of the chamber she came to the Queen and bowing to her and to Blanche she took a seat beside them.
    Blanche was startled. Surely it was the duty of the woman first to wait until she was summoned to the Queen’s side and to sit only when she had been given permission to do so.
    She waited for the Queen to dismiss her but Philippa did no such thing.
    The woman took up the piece of needlework on which they were working.
    ‘It grows apace,’ she said. ‘My Lady Blanche is a rival to the Queen … with her needle.’
    ‘You like the colours, Alice?’ asked the Queen.
    ‘They are a little sombre, my lady.’
    ‘Ah, you like the bright colours.’
    ‘’Tis a weakness of mine. What thinks Lady Blanche?’
    Blanche was astounded. She could not understand why the Queen endured such insolence.
    She said coldly: ‘I like those well which the Queen has chosen.’
    She noticed that a ring of rubies and diamonds glittered on the woman’s hand. Who was she? wondered Blanche.
    ‘Alice,’ said the Queen, ‘I wish you would join the ladies and tell them they are dismissed. I wish to be alone with the Duchess of Lancaster.’
    The woman nodded but made no haste to rise and it was some minutes before she sauntered to the other end of the room. There she laughed with the women for a while and Blanche noticed that they seemed somewhat sycophantish towards her. At length they went out together.
    Blanche said: ‘Who is that woman?’
    ‘She is one of the bedchamber women.’
    ‘She seems to give herself airs …’
    ‘Oh … that is her way.’
    Blanche was astonished. The Queen was friendly to those around her; she had never stressed her rank or behaved in an imperious manner but there had been a certain dignity about her which prevented people from abusing her gentleness. Blanche had never before seen her so subdued by one of her subjects.
    There were many questions which Blanche wanted to ask, but she could tell from the Queen’s manner that it was not a subject she wished discussed.
    That there was some mystery about this woman was clear. She would ask John if he knew what it was. The incident had been extremely unpleasant and Blanche felt faintly depressed. It had obviously had the same effect on the Queen and the intimacy between them had become clouded.
    Blanche took her leave soon afterwards and made her way to her own apartments in the castle. As she did so she heard the clatter of horses’