cup and drank, careful not to soil his full moustache and beard.
“The deed is done,” he said. “Against all advice our uncle has betrothed his daughter to the Angevin whelp.”
Stephen refreshed his own cup. “That is up to him.” He shifted in his chair to ease his broad frame and powerful thighs.
“You do not really believe that, do you?” Henry looked Stephen up and down. Sometimes his brother irritated him beyond belief. “Do you really want to see a woman on the throne? Are we all to become petticoat-followers?”
Stephen flushed. “It won’t come to that. Matilda is just another pawn for him to move around on his chessboard. You know what he’s like.”
“But if it does happen, the last thing we want is Angevin influence spinning the policies. We would be finished. Better that one of us rules than a woman who has lived in Germany all of her life and is about to take a puppy for a husband.”
“There is le Clito too,” Theobald spoke up.
Henry faced his eldest brother, who was Count of Blois and head of the family in name, although Henry’s policies and opinions were usually the ones that held sway. “He is our common enemy for the moment, I agree.” He leaned forwards, the light shining on his silk sleeve. “But both of you have a claim to England and Normandy as the king’s nephews.
Stephen is married into the English royal house and we know one of our uncle’s schemes is to bring him close to the throne.
We must make sure that it stays the foremost plan despite the vows everyone has been forced to make.” He fixed his gaze on Stephen. “We have to be ready with a strategy should the king die.”
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Lady of the English
A look of alarm crossed Stephen’s face and he signed his breast with the cross. “I wish him continued longevity.”
Theobald cleared his throat. “I will not be a party to anything that threatens our uncle’s well-being.”
Henry mentally rolled his eyes. Sometimes he thought their wits were made of fleece. “Was I advocating any such thing?
I too wish him continued long life, but even if our cousin Matilda bears a son nine months from her marriage, the king will have to stay alive and in sound mind until that son is fit to rule, and she is not even wed yet. It does not take a fool to tally up the years. The same goes for a son of his blood born of the queen.” He spread his hands in an open gesture. “I am not asking you to contemplate treason, but we must plan ahead, just like a farmer husbanding his supplies for the winter. If we want to see our family prosper, we must work to ensure it happens.
Do you really want to see Robert of Gloucester rule by proxy when one of you could wear a crown? Because that is what will happen if Matilda becomes queen. Robert will be the true power behind the throne.”
As Henry had known he would, Stephen recoiled. There was little love lost between himself and Gloucester. Since boyhood they had been rivals over everything, from games of chess, to swordplay, to contesting for the king’s attention and approval. The king had always shown them both favour and affection, but had played one off against the other. Stephen was malleable, Henry thought; furthermore he was his brother and his own best chance to become the power behind the throne—because every ruler needed a chief minister and every reign could be manipulated.
“What shall we do?” Stephen asked.
Henry touched the jewels on his sleeve, exploring with his fingertips the cold gemstones. “Find men who are reliable, utterly discreet, and who see matters the same way that we do, 79
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and make of them allies so that they will support us when the time comes. You have charm, brother, and prowess. Men like you. Use it to win them to your side.”
“And those who won’t be won over?”
Henry shrugged. “If we are sufficiently thorough, they will be too few to
“The deed is done,” he said. “Against all advice our uncle has betrothed his daughter to the Angevin whelp.”
Stephen refreshed his own cup. “That is up to him.” He shifted in his chair to ease his broad frame and powerful thighs.
“You do not really believe that, do you?” Henry looked Stephen up and down. Sometimes his brother irritated him beyond belief. “Do you really want to see a woman on the throne? Are we all to become petticoat-followers?”
Stephen flushed. “It won’t come to that. Matilda is just another pawn for him to move around on his chessboard. You know what he’s like.”
“But if it does happen, the last thing we want is Angevin influence spinning the policies. We would be finished. Better that one of us rules than a woman who has lived in Germany all of her life and is about to take a puppy for a husband.”
“There is le Clito too,” Theobald spoke up.
Henry faced his eldest brother, who was Count of Blois and head of the family in name, although Henry’s policies and opinions were usually the ones that held sway. “He is our common enemy for the moment, I agree.” He leaned forwards, the light shining on his silk sleeve. “But both of you have a claim to England and Normandy as the king’s nephews.
Stephen is married into the English royal house and we know one of our uncle’s schemes is to bring him close to the throne.
We must make sure that it stays the foremost plan despite the vows everyone has been forced to make.” He fixed his gaze on Stephen. “We have to be ready with a strategy should the king die.”
78
LadyofEnglish.indd 78
6/9/11 5:35 PM
Lady of the English
A look of alarm crossed Stephen’s face and he signed his breast with the cross. “I wish him continued longevity.”
Theobald cleared his throat. “I will not be a party to anything that threatens our uncle’s well-being.”
Henry mentally rolled his eyes. Sometimes he thought their wits were made of fleece. “Was I advocating any such thing?
I too wish him continued long life, but even if our cousin Matilda bears a son nine months from her marriage, the king will have to stay alive and in sound mind until that son is fit to rule, and she is not even wed yet. It does not take a fool to tally up the years. The same goes for a son of his blood born of the queen.” He spread his hands in an open gesture. “I am not asking you to contemplate treason, but we must plan ahead, just like a farmer husbanding his supplies for the winter. If we want to see our family prosper, we must work to ensure it happens.
Do you really want to see Robert of Gloucester rule by proxy when one of you could wear a crown? Because that is what will happen if Matilda becomes queen. Robert will be the true power behind the throne.”
As Henry had known he would, Stephen recoiled. There was little love lost between himself and Gloucester. Since boyhood they had been rivals over everything, from games of chess, to swordplay, to contesting for the king’s attention and approval. The king had always shown them both favour and affection, but had played one off against the other. Stephen was malleable, Henry thought; furthermore he was his brother and his own best chance to become the power behind the throne—because every ruler needed a chief minister and every reign could be manipulated.
“What shall we do?” Stephen asked.
Henry touched the jewels on his sleeve, exploring with his fingertips the cold gemstones. “Find men who are reliable, utterly discreet, and who see matters the same way that we do, 79
LadyofEnglish.indd 79
6/9/11 5:35 PM
Elizabeth Chadwick
and make of them allies so that they will support us when the time comes. You have charm, brother, and prowess. Men like you. Use it to win them to your side.”
“And those who won’t be won over?”
Henry shrugged. “If we are sufficiently thorough, they will be too few to
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