The Prince of Darkness by Jean Plaidy Read Free Book Online Page A

have been conscience but was more likely to be fear of what reprisals the dead might take. Then there was Richard, freshly laid in his tomb – Richard, for whose death he had prayed a hundred times and more. Could it be that the dead did not leave this earth when they died, that they stayed to haunt those who had wronged them? Morbid thoughts. It was that old ghoul of a bishop standing over him so disapprovingly, determined to maintain the war between Church and State.
    It was all fancy. Those two were dead … finished … no more earthly glory for them; and their departure meant that John had what he had always longed for.
    He rose from his knees, and going towards the choir door, knocked. From behind a grille a nun appeared. The Abbess was away, she said, and the rule was that none must be admitted in her absence.
    Thank heaven for that, thought John. He was weary of these pious pilgrimages. He wanted to have done with them and get to England. Oh, the glory of his coronation! He remembered Richard’s which was not really so long ago and how envious he had felt that Richard was the one who would wear the crown and carry the orb and sceptre. My turn now, he thought exultantly. He was thankful to the old Abbess for being away.
    He turned to Hugh and said: ‘Tell them that I promise benefactions to their house. I pledge this in my name. Perhaps in return they will pray for me.’
    Hugh looked at him sceptically. He did not trust the new piety in one of whom he was well aware rumour had not lied. ‘I could promise nothing in your name until I was sure that the promises would be met. You know full well how I detest falsehood, and promise given and not fulfilled is that.’
    ‘I swear,’ cried John, ‘that what I promise shall come to pass.’
    ‘Then I will give the sisters your message, but if you should break your word, forget not that you are offending God.’
    John bowed his head in assumed piety.
    As they left the church the Bishop began a lecture on the need to govern well. The new King would have to bring a seriousness to his task; God had entrusted him with a great mission. It was to his advantage to carry it out to the best of his ability.
    ‘I shall maintain the crown,’ boasted John. He brought out an ornament on a gold chain from under his cloak and showed it to the Bishop.
    ‘You see this amulet? It was given to one of my ancestors and passed down to me. My father gave it to me. That waswhen he wished that I should follow him on the throne. The legend is that while this stone is in the possession of our family we shall never lose our dominions.’
    ‘You would do well, my lord,’ answered the Bishop tersely, ‘to trust in the Chief Corner Stone.’
    John turned away with a grimace.
    They stood for a moment in the porch on the walls of which had been sculptured a scene of the Last Judgement. God sat on his throne and on one side were depicted the torments which awaited the sinners and on the other side the angels on their way to heavenly bliss.
    ‘I beg of you, my lord,’ said the Bishop, ‘take good heed of this. See what awaits those who offend against the laws of God.’
    ‘Look not at them, good Bishop,’ retorted John. ‘See rather those on the other side. The angels are taking them to Heaven. That is the path I have decided is for me.’
    The Bishop regarded him uneasily. This virtue had descended too suddenly to be plausible.

    They travelled on to Beaufort where Queen Eleanor with the sorrowing widow Berengaria and John’s sister Joanna were waiting to receive him.
    His mother embraced him warmly.
    ‘This is a sad day for us all,’ she said. ‘Your brother, our great King, struck down in his prime by this madman’s arrow.’
    ‘Alas, alas,’ replied John. ‘He who survived the Holy Land and cruel incarceration in an enemy castle to come to this!’
    He was studying Berengaria intently. What if after all she were pregnant? The thought was too horrible for contemplation. Shewould have