< previous page page_350 next page >

Page 350
an unnatural intensity. Alinor was terrified that the King would notice and take offense, but if Richard saw he turned a blind eye. Berengaria teased Alinor gently about her knight's fervor, but when she saw the anxiety in Alinor's face, she forebore. Once when they were alone, Joanna asked whether Alinor had quarreled with her warden; so she too realized that Simon's behavior was not natural. However, she accepted Alinor's flat denial without pressing the matter further.
The uncomfortable situation was soon over. Queen Alinor left to begin her long journey home on April 2. To replace Alinor's troop of men, who would accompany their mistress and incidentally serve as additional guards for Berengaria, Richard sent those in his army whose devotion to God's cause he felt was failing. The next day the King began his preparations for departure and Simon, of course, went with him. To Alinor's blank amazement, their vessel with two guard ships was the very vanguard of the entire fleet. Joanna's eyes met Alinor's once when they heard how the fleet would be arranged, but she said nothing and Berengaria did not feel there was anything odd in the plan. Their ship was broad-beamed and not very swift so that it might give the most comfortable accommodation. Thus it was reasonable they should start first; the King would soon overtake them. Alinor listened to Berengaria's recounting of Richard's explanation with downcast eyes. It was true they were broad-beamed, not a racing galley; on the other hand, they were very light-laden.
For two days the ships progressed smoothly, although slowly, with soft breezes. On April 12, however, the wind began to rise and by the middle of the day the ship in the van of the fleet was running wildly before the wind, completely out of steering control. Joanna and Alinor who had often been at sea knew from the voices and behavior of the sailors that there was no immediate danger and Berengaria, although chalk white with fear, modeled her behavior on theirs.

 
< previous page page_350 next page >