The Marriage Prize (38 page)

the face than his father.

Richard of Gloucester suddenly wrapped his arms about his

bel y and fel to the floor in a convulsion. He kicked his heels

as his eyes rol ed back in his head and agonized groans were

torn from his throat.

"Father!" Gilbert dropped to his knees, his fury rapidly

evaporating as it was replaced by concern. He grabbed his

wrists to hold him stil , but Richard of Gloucester suddenly

went rigid, his arms and legs jerked one last time, and the last

breath left his body. "Help! Help me!" Gilbert the Red cried in alarm.

219

Gilbert's squire rushed into the room, and Alyce came running

from the bedchamber. Her eyes, black as obsidian, widened

in horror. "What happened?"

"My father... drank the wine ... then grabbed his bel y...."

Alyce retrieved the fal en goblet just as two more servants

stepped across the threshold, fol owed by Richard of

Cornwal .

"Splendor of God, what has happened here?" Richard of

Cornwal said.

Alyce told him, "Gilbert and his father were having a terrible

quarrel, when suddenly he grabbed his chest as if he were in

great pain. I think his heart must have burst. Oh dear Lord in

heaven, you know what violent tempers the de Clares have!"

Alyce wrung her hands and began to cry. She was surprised

to realize that her tears were genuine. Her dear father-in-law

lay dead, while her flame-haired swine of a husband was stil

very much alive.

Richard of Cornwal tried desperately to revive his firstborn

son, but his efforts were in vain. He knew the violent temper

came from being a Plantagenet, not a de Clare! Within the

hour, al Westminster was in mourning, then messages were

dispatched to King Henry at the Tower of London and to Lord

Edward at Windsor. Gilbert also sent a secret message to

Simon de Montfort in residence at Durham House, tel ing him

that he was stil his al y. Gilbert was covered with guilt and

grief over his sire's death and refused to be comforted by his

wife.

"Get you out of my sight," he ground out between clenched

teeth. "I don't want you under the same roof, madam. You may

have been able to pul the wool over my poor father's eyes, but

I have known what you were since I was fourteen!" Gilbert

searched his mind for a place to send her; he certainly didn't

want her back in Gloucester. "You may pack your things and

remove yourself to my castle of Tonbridge."

Alyce did not give him an argument; she was quite happy to

leave the scene of her crime. Gilbert was the new Earl of

Gloucester, and the title made him the leading peer in the

realm. Though her plan had gone alarmingly awry, at the same

time there was consolation: She was now the Countess of

Gloucester, which was the sole reason she had agreed to

marry the boy Gilbert de Clare five long years ago. She

decided that she

220

would indeed move to Tonbridge, but not before she sailed up

would indeed move to Tonbridge, but not before she sailed up

the River Thames to Windsor.

******************

to Windsor, but none was happier to see her than Princess

Eleanora. "Oh, Rosamond, I have been so unhappy; you

should have taken me with you. Edward doesn't love me, he

loves that creature, Alyce."

"No, no, Eleanora, you are quite wrong! I told you that Alyce de

Clare cannot help flirting with every man she meets."

"Rosamond, she told me that she is his mistress!" Eleanora's eyes glistened with tears just thinking about it. "I have locked

my doors against Edward ... and I have locked my heart

against him too!"

"Alyce de Clare is a vicious woman who enjoys seeing others

suffer. She would be delirious with joy if she knew that you had

locked your doors against Edward."

"Oh, Rosamond, I cannot bear that they are lovers!"

"Eleanora, they are not!" Rosamond lied. "I wil tel you a secret, if you promise never to tel anyone. It is my own

husband, Rodger de Ley-burn, who is her lover."

Eleanora's hand flew to her mouth. "Ah, Rosamond, you too?

Is that why you ran away? "

"No ... yes, that was one of the reasons, Your Highness."

"Not Highness ... cal me Eleanora, please?"

Rosamond nodded. "I want you to be happy, Eleanora. I think

you and Edward make a perfect couple. Someday he wil be

the King of England and you wil be his queen. I know how

much you love him; why don't you let him show you how much

he loves you?"

Eleanora shook her head sadly. "He married me because his

family arranged it for political reasons. It was not for love. It

was the same for you, no? Can you love your husband,

Rosamond?"

She hesitated, searching for words. "Yes, I know I must learn

to love him, if we are to have any happiness at al ." Rosamond

wondered wildly if there was a grain of truth in what she said.

"You exchanged vows before God that you would love and

honor each other," Rosamond reminded the princess.

"We were children," Eleanora whispered sadly.

221

Sir Rodger knocked on Princess Eleanora's door, which was

opened by one of her women. "May I speak with Rosamond?"

he asked softly.

Rosamond heard her husband's voice and was surprised he

spoke in Spanish. She went to the door and saw by his face

that something was amiss. "What is it?" she asked with

apprehension.

"Sad news, I'm afraid, Rosamond. Edward just received a

message from Westminster Palace that your cousin Richard

of Gloucester has died suddenly."

"Richard?" Rosamond remembered the last time she had

spoken with him at Kenilworth. He had been a man in his

prime, his ruddy glow giving him an air of health and strength.

"How did he die?" she asked in shocked disbelief.

"Apparently his son Gilbert had just arrived from Gloucester.

The message suggests that it was his heart."

"I must go to the chapel "

"I wil take you, Rosamond," Rodger offered gently.

"Nay, I want to be alone."

"I wil escort you and wait for you at the door," he insisted.

Rosamond found that Rod was as good as his word, and as

she knelt before the altar, she prayed for Richard's soul and

prayed too for his mother, Isabel a, who had been a very

gentle lady. Rosamond had learned from Eleanor de Montfort

that Isabel a had not loved her first husband, Gilbert de Clare,

but her second marriage, to Princess Eleanor's brother,

Prince Richard of Cornwal , had been a passionate love

match.

Rosamond reflected that her own marriage was a passionate

one, but love was something else entirely. Richard of

Gloucester had joined Edward in repudiating Simon de

Montfort, but she realized with a little shock that his son

Gilbert, the new Earl of Gloucester, would be firmly in Earl

Simon's camp. Was this the hand of God, striking Richard

down for his betrayal? Rosamond shuddered. Better to cal it

fate, yet how very strange fate was.

She heard a firm step behind her and turned accusing eyes,

but it was not Rodger, it was Lord Edward who had come into

the chapel to offer his own prayers for Richard of Gloucester.

She watched as he

222

prayed, the candles burnishing his bowed golden head and

beard. She wondered if he feared the hand of God for his own

betrayal. Then she realized that Edward Plantagenet feared

nothing. He was the rightful heir to the throne of England. His

was the power, and his would be the glory! Rosamond had to

admit that he would make a magnificent king.

There was a commotion outside the chapel, and both

Rosamond and Edward recognized the voices. Rodger was

having an altercation with Alyce de Clare. "I am the Countess

of Gloucester, and I wil go to him!"

Edward arose from his knees and strode to the door.

Rosamond fol owed more slowly, but Alyce's voice carried to

her clearly. "Edward, it was Gilbert's fault... he kil ed his father!

It was terrible! They were

having a vicious fight. Gilbert was drinking and screaming

Richard's

face turned purple with rage, and he grabbed his heart and fel

to the floor. Then Gilbert turned his fury upon me—" Suddenly,

Alyce burst into tears, and Edward put his powerful arms

around her and drew her close.

"Hush, my dear, I know how upset you must be."

"Oh, Edward, he was always very kind to me, and I was so

fond of him. It breaks my heart that he is gone! I cannot bear to

stay at Westminster. I shal go to Tbnbridge Castle tomorrow,

but may I stay here tonight?"

"Of course you may stay here, my dear; you must not be alone

tonight. Rodger wil have chambers prepared for you."

Alyce threw both Rod and Rosamond a self-satisfied look.

When Rodger returned to their apartment, Rosamond was

awaiting him. "If Eleanora learns that Alyce de Clare is here

with Edward, she wil run mad. Alyce told her that she was

Edward's mistress, and Eleanora has closed her doors to

him, and is ready to close her heart to him too. Rodger, I ... I

did my best to smooth things over—I told Eleanora that Alyce

was your mistress, not Edward's. It was not too great a lie

—most people think you are her lover."

"Is that what you think, Rosamond?"

Her eyes met his for a long moment, then a half-smile curved

her lips. "No, my lord, I think you have better taste in women."

She knew her response pleased him by the green flame that

lit his eyes.

223

"I put Alyce on the top floor, in the queen's chambers."

"But that is directly above Edward's rooms, and you know

what she is. Alyce wil make sure Edward spends the night

with her and then she wil find a way to flaunt the fact to

Eleanora!"

Rod cursed beneath his breath. "Surely you don't wish me to

spend the night with Alyce to keep her from being with

Edward?"

Rosamond raised a brow. "What an odd solution. Rather, you

could spend the next few hours with Edward, to keep him from

being alone with Alyce, but if you prefer otherwise—"

Rod had her in his arms in a flash. He brushed the honey-gold

hair back from her brow with a tender hand. "You know with

whom I wish to spend the night, Rosamond." He knew Richard

of Gloucester's death had affected her deeply, and he didn't

want her to have her trampling dream. "I'l join Edward for a

while, but he may not be pleased. Princes like their privacy,

especial y this prince, and it's real y none of our business with

whom he sleeps, Rosamond."

As his wife had predicted, Rod found Alyce de Clare with

Edward when he went upstairs. "You know you should not be

here alone with Lord Edward," he chastised. "It is far better that you meet at Tonbridge Castle."

Alyce flashed Rodger a look of defiant outrage. "Do not let

him speak to me like that, Edward; he is not my keeper!"

"If I were, Alyce, you wouldn't be able to sit down for a week."

"Oh, Edward, do you not hear him?" she cried.

"Yes, I hear him and I agree with him," Edward said shortly.

The arrival of Harry of Almaine prevented a shouting match.

The young royal had a wild, distraught look about him, and

both Edward and Rod stepped to his side. "Is it true?" Harry asked with disbelief, running a distracted hand through his

brown curls.

Edward poured him a cup of brandywine. "Drink this, Harry."

"Tel me what happened to my brother!" He drained the cup.

Rodger spoke up. "He suffered some sort of attack, shortly

after Gilbert arrived at Westminster. We have been led to

believe it was his heart. But from al accounts he didn't suffer,

Harry; it was over in moments."

"Oh my God, Gilbert saw his father die?" Harry was aghast.

224

"He was violently arguing with his father!" Alyce interrupted.

This time she did not go as far as to say that Gilbert had

caused Richard to die, because Harry was Gilbert's closest

friend.

"I must go to Westminster," Harry said, looking greatly upset.

"Edward, I shal leave my men in your command for the next

few days."

Edward nodded. "Tel your father that we wil come tomorrow

to pay our respects."

******************

foolish girl, why did you let Bebe get you with pup?" she

murmured, gently stroking the little bitch's swol en bel y She

could not think about Chirk's condition without contemplating

her own. Birth and death ...life is naught more than a cycle of

being born and dying! It seemed that Richard's death was one

more in a never-ending line. Everyone related to her, save her

cousin Harry, was now dead and gone. Suddenly she felt

apprehension for Harry, and she quickly crossed herself to

banish the feeling. Rosamond knew she must stop dwel ing on

these dark thoughts. / must separate birth from death, or the

pups may be doomed . . . my baby wil be doomed!

She did not hear a soft tap on the door, but Nan did and