Here Be Dragons - 1 by Sharon Penman (best ebook reader android TXT) 📗

the man.""You're right," he said abruptly. "By God, you're right. The man who seduced my sister, the man I blame for her deathhe is the Count of Mortain."There was a shocked silence; even Helweisa had gotten more than she'd bargained for. Her husband whistled softly, as Abbot John echoed, incredulous, "The Count of Mortain? John, the King's brother?"Roger nodded. "Mayhap you understand now why we could not..." His voice trailed off."Joanna," Abbot John said hastily, "go and sit in the window seat," and held up his hand for silence till she was out of earshot. "That does explain much.But there is one thing I do not understand. For all his vices, Lord John has never failed to acknowledge his bastards. He may spill his seed without care, but he's then willing to claim the crop as his; he has at least five baseborn children, and they lack for little. Why would he not do as much for Joanna?""My sister hated him, Abbot John, blamed him for her plight. She took her vengeance the only way she could, by denying him his daughter. We gave it out that the child was stillborn." Roger saw the Abbot's disapproval, added defensively, "My sister feared, too, that John might take Joanna from her if he knew. Christ curse him, he had the power."He drained the wine cup, set it down. "I am in your debt for what you did for my sister, Abbot John. I shall be taking Maud back with me. she nursed us all;we'd not have her starve. I shall send Luke for the furnishings of the cottage." As he spoke, he was taking a pouch from jus belt, spilling several silver pennies onto the table. "Take these, Abbot John, and have Masses said for my sister on her month-mind."

86The Abbot nodded, but then realized that Roger d'Arcy meant to depart. "SirRoger, wait! What of the child?"Roger seemed no less taken aback. "Surely you do not expect us to take her in?John's spawn? My brother would sooner shelter a leper, and in this I do agree with him. There are always villagers in want of children; place her with one of them.""Sir Roger, these be hard times; few of our serfs have food to spare for their own. And what of your sister? Joanna is her child, too."Roger was shaking his head. "We cannot take her. My brother would never consent, and I Do you not see? Every time I did look upon her, I'd remember the Hell that was my sister's life these five years past. Christ, you cannot ask that of us. She'd be a living, festering sore in our midst, and we will not take her. We cannot!" But he did not move, and after a moment, he shook additional coins out onto the table"There; use that for her corrody, place her with the nuns at St Clements. Ican do no more than that." Not waiting for their response, he moved swiftly toward the door, did not look back.Abbot John approached the table, looked down at the silver pennies. "Well, mayhap it is for the best. May the lass stay with you, my lord, until I can make arrangements with the sisters in York?"Robert Fitz Ranulf nodded, then turned in surprise as his wife said, "No, Reverend Father. We can put that money to better use. Why not send the child to her father, to John?""Madame, you would undertake that? Lord John is in Normandy, and to be truthful, I think such a journey would cost more than d'Arcy's grudging offering.""No matter, we will pay the difference," Helweisa said placidly, and her husband stared at her in outraged astonishment."That is indeed a kindness, Madame, and you shall not go unrewarded for it.God sees . . . and approves.""I do not doubt it, Abbot John." Helweisa smiled, shepherded the Abbot toward the door."Have you lost your senses, woman? Whatever possessed you to make an offer like that? You do not even know that John would accept her as his!""Ah, Rob, that is a false fear. Whatever other evils may be credited to his account, John does tend to his own, and that child is his. Once he sees her, he'd be the last to deny that.""Even so, you do not expect him to reimburse us for our trouble, do you? What prince ever paid back a debt?""That is true enough," she conceded readily. "But it will be a cheap price to pay for the favor of a King.""And what makes you so sure that John will ever be King?"

87"My dearest, can you doubt it? It's been five years now since Richard's mother badgered him into taking a Spanish wife, and she's yet ven to set foot inEngland! Richard will give England no son of his loins; n°r is ne a man *° ^*e peacefully in bed. He has but two possible heirs, his brother John or his nephew Arthur. Arthur is a child of nine. John is twenty-eight, and hasLucifer's own luck. Did we not all think he'd ruined himself with his scheming when Richard was taken by his enemies in Austria? Remember what happened whenRichard's ransom was finally paid? John was banished from England, had the earldoms of Mortain and Gloucester taken from him. And then? He did meet withRichard in Normandy, somehow got Richard to forgive him and, within a year, even to restore his titles. Any man who could work a miracle like that is no man to wager against, Rob."Her husband nodded slowly. "Mayhap I was overhasty in objecting. Very well, you do have my permission."Helweisa, who'd never doubted that for a moment, nonetheless gave him a grateful smile, a dutiful kiss. "I think I know just the one to escort the child, Rob. Simon, our bailiff's eldest. He's a likely lad, and can be trusted to keep his wits about him."Across the solar, Joanna sat, forgotten, in the window seat. She understood now why her mother had not wanted her, why her uncle and Maud