< previous page page_165 next page >

Page 165
son of a King and the heir to England's throne. Isobel of Gloucester certainly seemed sure enough of her marriage to John to have been given word of approval directly by the Queen. Yet if the Queen and Lord Richard did not trust John, they might not wish to yield into his hands the power Isobel's lands would give him.
Alinor could not really believe the Queen could be so stupid as to give someone she did not trust half the loaf he expected, particularly not half a loaf such as her own which commanded miles of the invadable coast. For those you did not trust there were only two paths. They must be destroyed or so stuffed that, for fear of losing what they had, they would be faithful. If John had not been flesh of their flesh, there might be some sense in starving his expectations. To give him Alinor instead of Isobel could be an attempt to draw him into open rebellion. In fact, Alinor could have credited that motive anywaythe Angevins were more prone to hunt their kin down than to cherish themexcept that Lord Richard's desire to leave on Crusade as soon as possible was an established fact. One does not incite rebellion and then go on Crusade, leaving it to brew.
Still, Alinor felt herself sufficiently threatened by things she did not understand fully to make her hurry to the Queen's quarters soon after the cavalcade had returned to Winchester and the formal ceremonies of fealty and greeting were over. There she made herself very busybut very small and quietin the niche that was her writing place in the chamber the queen gave over to business. It seemed to her that sons and mother must have private matters to discuss and that the logical place to go would be to the Queen's apartments. Perhaps strict formality would have decreed the King's, but the Queen was old and also, it seemed to Alinor, the sons were still in awe of their mother.
Forethought was soon rewarded. There were foot-

 
< previous page page_165 next page >