The Heart of the Lion by Jean Plaidy Read Free Book Online
Authors: Jean Plaidy
set in motion that plan which he had always intended to carry out. Eleanor was distressed; she tried to remonstrate with him.
‘I know you have taken an oath to go to the Holy Land,’ she said. ‘That was before you were King, but now you have a kingdom to govern.’
He snapped his fingers and his eyes shone with a fanatical light. ‘I have one desire, Mother, and that is to fight the Infidel.’
‘There is so much for you to do here.’
He shook his head. ‘I tell you this: I would sell London if I could find a purchaser. I need money . . . money . . . money to take me to the Holy Land.’
‘You are rich in worldly goods, Richard.’
‘I need so much more. Much of my riches is such that cannot be realised.’
‘I see you are determined to go,’ said Eleanor.
He seized her hands. ‘While I am away you will guard this realm for me.’
‘I will with all my heart, but I am an old woman. What of John?’
‘You mean make him King during my absence?’
‘Indeed I do not. Once you did that he would never relinquish the power you gave him. Your father made one of the biggest mistakes of his life when he crowned your brother Henry King. Never make that mistake, Richard.’
‘Have no fear of it. I had no intention of giving John that power. He has his estates to look after. He has plenty to do, and I trust you to guard my realm. I have good servants.’
‘They are scarcely tried yet.’
He turned to her. ‘Make no mistake of this, Mother. Nothing will turn me from my purpose.’
‘I know well your nature. I realise this urge in you. What of your marriage? That will be expected of you.’
‘I shall marry in due course. Forget not that I must free myself from Alice first.’
‘And claim Berengaria.’
‘You will do that for me, Mother. You will go to Navarre and take Berengaria from her father. Readily he will give her to you, and when I am free from my bond with Alice I will marry her.’
‘And your crusade to the Holy Land?’ asked the Queen.
‘I can marry her there as well as anywhere else.’
‘The people will expect . . .’
He laid his hand over hers. ‘This is my desire,’ he said quietly; and she knew that he was telling her that he was the King.
He was now thinking almost entirely of his crusade. His great desire was to raise money. He began by selling crown lands, which was legitimate enough, but when large sums of money were paid into the royal coffers for some post which should have gone to a more worthy applicant the practice was far from admirable. He began to think up wild schemes to raise money. It was not difficult to find men who were eager to accompany him; money was the great concern. But there were some who could not go; he would command them to join his party and then allow them to avoid the obligation by the payment of a huge fine. Nothing was too devious if it added to the funds; and the King who was honest enough in other matters grew more and more unscrupulous in his mad passion to raise enough money that there might be no more delay.
John was delighted to see Richard’s determination and did his best to foster it. With Richard out of the way he would be a very important figure. He was the heir to the throne, although people had begun to talk of Arthur of Brittany, and some said that Arthur as the son of an elder brother had more claim than John who was only a younger son of the late King. But he did not think of Arthur as a serious threat. He was only a child and was far away in Brittany. If Richard were killed in his Holy War, John was the one the people would look to.
So Richard must be persuaded to go on his crusade. Not that he needed persuading. John laughed at the thought.
His mother was uneasy and well she might be.
She talked to Richard about his marriage. At thirty-two and a crowned king he could delay no more. ‘You say,’ she said, ‘that you have a great fancy for Berengaria.’
‘All in good time,’ he said.
She sighed. She did not think
‘I know you have taken an oath to go to the Holy Land,’ she said. ‘That was before you were King, but now you have a kingdom to govern.’
He snapped his fingers and his eyes shone with a fanatical light. ‘I have one desire, Mother, and that is to fight the Infidel.’
‘There is so much for you to do here.’
He shook his head. ‘I tell you this: I would sell London if I could find a purchaser. I need money . . . money . . . money to take me to the Holy Land.’
‘You are rich in worldly goods, Richard.’
‘I need so much more. Much of my riches is such that cannot be realised.’
‘I see you are determined to go,’ said Eleanor.
He seized her hands. ‘While I am away you will guard this realm for me.’
‘I will with all my heart, but I am an old woman. What of John?’
‘You mean make him King during my absence?’
‘Indeed I do not. Once you did that he would never relinquish the power you gave him. Your father made one of the biggest mistakes of his life when he crowned your brother Henry King. Never make that mistake, Richard.’
‘Have no fear of it. I had no intention of giving John that power. He has his estates to look after. He has plenty to do, and I trust you to guard my realm. I have good servants.’
‘They are scarcely tried yet.’
He turned to her. ‘Make no mistake of this, Mother. Nothing will turn me from my purpose.’
‘I know well your nature. I realise this urge in you. What of your marriage? That will be expected of you.’
‘I shall marry in due course. Forget not that I must free myself from Alice first.’
‘And claim Berengaria.’
‘You will do that for me, Mother. You will go to Navarre and take Berengaria from her father. Readily he will give her to you, and when I am free from my bond with Alice I will marry her.’
‘And your crusade to the Holy Land?’ asked the Queen.
‘I can marry her there as well as anywhere else.’
‘The people will expect . . .’
He laid his hand over hers. ‘This is my desire,’ he said quietly; and she knew that he was telling her that he was the King.
He was now thinking almost entirely of his crusade. His great desire was to raise money. He began by selling crown lands, which was legitimate enough, but when large sums of money were paid into the royal coffers for some post which should have gone to a more worthy applicant the practice was far from admirable. He began to think up wild schemes to raise money. It was not difficult to find men who were eager to accompany him; money was the great concern. But there were some who could not go; he would command them to join his party and then allow them to avoid the obligation by the payment of a huge fine. Nothing was too devious if it added to the funds; and the King who was honest enough in other matters grew more and more unscrupulous in his mad passion to raise enough money that there might be no more delay.
John was delighted to see Richard’s determination and did his best to foster it. With Richard out of the way he would be a very important figure. He was the heir to the throne, although people had begun to talk of Arthur of Brittany, and some said that Arthur as the son of an elder brother had more claim than John who was only a younger son of the late King. But he did not think of Arthur as a serious threat. He was only a child and was far away in Brittany. If Richard were killed in his Holy War, John was the one the people would look to.
So Richard must be persuaded to go on his crusade. Not that he needed persuading. John laughed at the thought.
His mother was uneasy and well she might be.
She talked to Richard about his marriage. At thirty-two and a crowned king he could delay no more. ‘You say,’ she said, ‘that you have a great fancy for Berengaria.’
‘All in good time,’ he said.
She sighed. She did not think