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Page 23
As it was, the delay caused by Marie's problems and by Gervase nearly precipitated a catastrophe. Hubert de Burgh, Chancellor of England, had seized Richard's lands in the name of the crown, and Richard had to threaten civil war before the lands were disgorged.
Naturally enough, this seemingly contemptuous dismissal of Marie's right to her dower property did not endear Richard to her. He had tried to make her understand that he was aware of the uncomfortable and unhappy situation of a portionless woman. He had assured her that she would not be, in fact, portionless, explaining that her property was so insignificant in comparison with that of the earldom of Pembroke that he would make up to herfor the presentin money or in purchased land what her brother-by-marriage had withheld. In the future, if he had time and resources, he would reclaim her property from les Maures.
Although Marie was not dissatisfied with this arrangement at first, she soon began to think of it as a deceitful trap. Richard had placed her and Gervase for safety in Pembroke keep, an isolated spot far away from the English court or, indeed, any social life. There they remained for something over two years. Marie began to believe that this was Richard's way of escaping his obligation to her; Gervase began to wonder whether she had been brought to a foreign country where no one knew her as a first step to disposing of her. Each sister fed the other's fear and discontent.
The truth, however, was far less dreadful. Richard had serious political troubles and had simply established the women where they could not be seized and used as hostages against him. After that, he had pushed the very minor and disagreeable problem out of his mind. He had used the brief halcyon period after he had been invested with the earldom of Pembroke to visit Ireland and see what his younger brother Gilbert was doing with the Irish estates. But hardly had Richard returned when Henry dismissed de Burgh as chancellor. After that, the Bishop of Winchester had been named chancellor and Richard's political troubles had multiplied in geometric progression, far too fast for him to give a thought to two women he did not like. Even if he had thought of Gervase and Marie, he could have done nothing for them. Soon he was, essentially, an outlaw. He had neither the contacts nor the money to satisfy their craving for brilliant social lives.

 
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