duel – the time-honoured method of settling a difference.
When Jacqueline heard she shrugged her shoulders: ‘You have a fair chance of winning,’ she said.
‘Against Burgundy!’ Humphrey quaked at the thought. Burgundy’s reputation was such as to strike terror into the heart of any man. He sought an early opportunity of telling Eleanor.
‘Duel?’ she said. ‘Nonsense. I don’t want Burgundy to murder you … or to return you to me in such a state that you are of no more use to me.’
They laughed but he was seriously disturbed.
‘I’m tired of Hainault and Holland,’ said Eleanor. ‘I’m homesick. I want to go back to England. What are these places compared with home? I’ve always told you you are chasing the wrong things. Think what you can do at home … a baby on the throne and you his uncle! Brother Thomas is no more. Brother John is engaged in France. That leaves Humphrey free of the field. I’ve always said it but I’ll say it again. Get out … before Burgundy comes in.’
‘Jacqueline would never agree.’
‘Then let her stay.’
‘You mean leave her here?’
‘I’ll swear that is where she wants to be.’
‘It would mean she would have to face Burgundy alone.’
‘She doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to. She could go back to Brabant.’
‘I doubt it will come to that unless Burgundy insists. He seems to be the one everyone is afraid of.’
‘He has great power.’
‘Listen to me, my love. Let us go back to England. Would you agree to come?’
‘You don’t imagine I should let you go without me, do you?’
‘Do you think anyone or anything could make me leave you?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘You’d put up as big a fight for me as you would for Jacqueline’s lands. But you’re not going to put up a fight for either. Let the lands go … Humphrey … and keep close to me.’
‘Let them go!’
‘You are going to have to when Burgundy marches in. He’s only waiting until he has made his peace with the French. You don’t want to be humiliated in defeat do you, Humphrey? Of course you don’t. We’ll go to England before that can happen.’
‘How can we?’
‘It is easy. You will say you are going to raise fresh troops and to prepare yourself for your duel with Burgundy.’
‘You are a clever girl, Eleanor.’
‘I live to serve, my lord,’ she retorted with a touch of irony in her voice.
It was amazing how easy it had been to deceive Jacqueline. She accepted all he said. Yes, they would need more troops. He must make preparations for his duel. He must go. She would hold the land until he returned. He could take only a few of his knights with him. It would be better to leave a large force with her.
To all this he agreed. He took a fond farewell of her and started out on the journey to Calais. He had a few anxious hours because naturally Eleanor could not ride openly with him. And of course it was expected that she would stay in Holland in attendance on Jacqueline.
They came to an inn where they would spend a night and still she had not joined the party.
He was beginning to fear that she had no intention of coming with him. Could it be that she had found a new lover and had worked to get rid of him? No, they had had such amazing times together; there could not be another person in the world who suited her as he did. She had interested herself so ardently in his affairs. She wanted to be beside him when he took power in England. She had been homesick for England from the moment she had set foot on foreign soil.
But there he was and where was Eleanor?
The horses were in the stables and he with his small band of men went into the inn. He was taken to a room. The innkeeper opened a door and he went in.
Eleanor was lying in the bed.
‘How long you have been in coming,’ she reproached him.
Then he fell upon her and his delight was greater than he had ever known.
Chapter VI
THE DUKE AND THE BISHOP
H ENRY B EAUFORT , Bishop of Winchester, was
When Jacqueline heard she shrugged her shoulders: ‘You have a fair chance of winning,’ she said.
‘Against Burgundy!’ Humphrey quaked at the thought. Burgundy’s reputation was such as to strike terror into the heart of any man. He sought an early opportunity of telling Eleanor.
‘Duel?’ she said. ‘Nonsense. I don’t want Burgundy to murder you … or to return you to me in such a state that you are of no more use to me.’
They laughed but he was seriously disturbed.
‘I’m tired of Hainault and Holland,’ said Eleanor. ‘I’m homesick. I want to go back to England. What are these places compared with home? I’ve always told you you are chasing the wrong things. Think what you can do at home … a baby on the throne and you his uncle! Brother Thomas is no more. Brother John is engaged in France. That leaves Humphrey free of the field. I’ve always said it but I’ll say it again. Get out … before Burgundy comes in.’
‘Jacqueline would never agree.’
‘Then let her stay.’
‘You mean leave her here?’
‘I’ll swear that is where she wants to be.’
‘It would mean she would have to face Burgundy alone.’
‘She doesn’t have to if she doesn’t want to. She could go back to Brabant.’
‘I doubt it will come to that unless Burgundy insists. He seems to be the one everyone is afraid of.’
‘He has great power.’
‘Listen to me, my love. Let us go back to England. Would you agree to come?’
‘You don’t imagine I should let you go without me, do you?’
‘Do you think anyone or anything could make me leave you?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘You’d put up as big a fight for me as you would for Jacqueline’s lands. But you’re not going to put up a fight for either. Let the lands go … Humphrey … and keep close to me.’
‘Let them go!’
‘You are going to have to when Burgundy marches in. He’s only waiting until he has made his peace with the French. You don’t want to be humiliated in defeat do you, Humphrey? Of course you don’t. We’ll go to England before that can happen.’
‘How can we?’
‘It is easy. You will say you are going to raise fresh troops and to prepare yourself for your duel with Burgundy.’
‘You are a clever girl, Eleanor.’
‘I live to serve, my lord,’ she retorted with a touch of irony in her voice.
It was amazing how easy it had been to deceive Jacqueline. She accepted all he said. Yes, they would need more troops. He must make preparations for his duel. He must go. She would hold the land until he returned. He could take only a few of his knights with him. It would be better to leave a large force with her.
To all this he agreed. He took a fond farewell of her and started out on the journey to Calais. He had a few anxious hours because naturally Eleanor could not ride openly with him. And of course it was expected that she would stay in Holland in attendance on Jacqueline.
They came to an inn where they would spend a night and still she had not joined the party.
He was beginning to fear that she had no intention of coming with him. Could it be that she had found a new lover and had worked to get rid of him? No, they had had such amazing times together; there could not be another person in the world who suited her as he did. She had interested herself so ardently in his affairs. She wanted to be beside him when he took power in England. She had been homesick for England from the moment she had set foot on foreign soil.
But there he was and where was Eleanor?
The horses were in the stables and he with his small band of men went into the inn. He was taken to a room. The innkeeper opened a door and he went in.
Eleanor was lying in the bed.
‘How long you have been in coming,’ she reproached him.
Then he fell upon her and his delight was greater than he had ever known.
Chapter VI
THE DUKE AND THE BISHOP
H ENRY B EAUFORT , Bishop of Winchester, was
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