Leonora arrived to visit her mother-by-marriage, and spend a little time over wine and wafers. Her gaze wandered to the group of chamber ladies. On taking her leave, she paused to speak with them, asking after their families, admiring the needlework. Then she lightly touched Joanna’s shoulder and said with a smile, ‘I am pleased to see you back at court, Aunt.’
‘I think you are the only one,’ Joanna replied ruefully.
Leonora’s touch became a squeeze. ‘You must come and share sweetmeats with me and my ladies tomorrow. Bring the children too. I would love to see them.’ She continued on her way.
Joanna wanted to weep with gratitude at Leonora’s kindness, but sat quietly with downcast eyes. The women continued to ignore her, but the atmosphere changed and the claws were sheathed because no one wanted to put a foot wrong with the wife of the heir to the throne.
The following day, Joanna went to pay her respects in Leonora’s household and was immediately welcomed with wine and sticky Spanish sweetmeats. Leonora’s coterie of young ladies made a fuss of the children, especially little William with his curly hair and angelic features.
After the first warm greeting they found her a place to sit and join the sewing. The ladies conversed quietly among themselves while Leonora’s musicians played in the background on lute and harp. The women included Joanna in the conversation. She could listen and even relax a little, although she was aware of being on trial – like a stray dog being observed to decide whether it should have a permanent place at the hearth. Leonora was kind but cautious, and Joanna understood the boundary. She was only sixteen, and reports would be made to the Queen of her conduct and associations. She had to protect herself.
When Joanna rose to leave, she thanked Leonora for her hospitality.
‘You are welcome whenever you choose to come,’ Leonora answered graciously. ‘I know you have business of your own to conduct and I shall not expect to see you tomorrow, but come again in two days. Whatever has happened, you are still my husband’s dear aunt, and my friend. Nothing changes that.’
‘Thank you.’ Joanna had to swallow a choke of tears. ‘There is one boon I would ask if it is at all possible.’
Leonora glanced at her chattering women and then beyond at her clerks, busy with their parchments and quills. ‘If I can,’ she said warily.
‘I have gifts for the King and the lord Edward. I would like to present them myself and I wonder if you could intercede on my behalf. I am the King’s sister-by-marriage after all. I am not going to do anything untoward, but I want very much to see them … I also need to ask for money to keep my household and my horses.’
‘I shall see what I can do,’ Leonora said, ‘but you must be prepared for disappointment. The barons know your loyalty to your husband and they believe any funds they give you will be sent straight to him.’
Joanna flushed, because she would indeed do that, and more. She had to play a subtle game, even with people who were sympathetic to her. ‘I just need enough to tide us over.’ She bit her lip. ‘One of the Queen’s ladies told me that the sons of Simon de Montfort were besieging William and his brothers in Boulogne. Surely that cannot be allowed when they had a safe conduct to leave the country.’
Leonora shook her head. ‘I think it is just a petty intimidation on the Earl of Leicester’s part, like setting your small dog to snap at someone’s heels. His sons will return soon enough. Do not worry on that score. Concentrate on what you must do, and I will help you as much as I can within my limits.’
Leonora’s petition succeeded, and a week later Joanna presented herself to the King and Edward. She had dressed with great care for the occasion. Nothing too fine and ostentatious lest they think she had wealth to spare. She had chosen a gown of soft brown wool with a few fine lines of embroidery and her veil of plain white linen severely framed her face. Cecily’s prayer beads hung at her belt and her fingers were unadorned save for her wedding ring. She had pinned the little silver brooch Henry had given to her as a child on the breast of her gown. She stood quietly at the back of Leonora’s women with Iohan, Agnes and Margaret, and they too were sombrely dressed, and on their best behaviour. William had been left with the nurse.
Simon de Montfort stood close to the King, broad-chested, lips pursed, alert to all that was happening. Her Bigod cousins were there too, and Richard de Clare. John de Warenne was also present, but in the background, not attracting attention.
An usher called Joanna and the children forward to kneel before Henry’s chair. She was shocked at how much he had aged in so short a time. The fine lines between nose and mouth had deepened and one eyelid drooped heavily.
‘A sight for sore eyes, my sister,’ he said, giving her a tremulous smile. ‘And my nephew and nieces so grown up too. I hope you are all in good health.’
‘Yes, sire,’ Joanna replied. ‘We are indeed, and very pleased to be at court.’Because we have nowhere else to go.She tried to keep smiling. ‘I have come to present my loyalty to you, my liege lord and King. I ask you to accept my faith, and I wish to bestow this gift as a token of my esteem.’ She turned to Iohan and, with a very correct bow, her son presented Henry with a box containing a small jewelled orb to fit on top of a staff.
Henry laughed with delight like a child as he held the orb to the light to admire the intricate work. He shot a look at de Montfort, almost as if asking his permission to keep it, and then put it down at his side, away from the Earl of Leicester’s scrutiny. ‘A very fine gift indeed, sister, I shall treasure it.’
Joanna then turned to Edward. ‘And I have this for you, sire.’ Once again Iohan performed the honours and gave Edward a slim wooden box holding a pair of hunting arrows with tiny lions carved into the shafts. Edward’s face lit up and he leaned forward to kiss Joanna’s cheeks. ‘My thanks, Aunt, these are very fine. I shall think of you when I am hunting. You are indeed thoughtful.’
Joanna curtseyed to him and Henry, and to de Montfort, because she must.
‘I know your loyalty is not in doubt, Aunt,’ Edward added, thereby extending her his protection.
With a churning stomach, Joanna withdrew to safety among Leonora’s ladies, but she was triumphant because she had succeeded in making Henry and Edward acknowledge her presence and their duty to her. They were hemmed in; she understood now. She had to make her own plans and obtain a safe conduct to go to William – but not yet. He needed financial resources first.
William and Aymer were busy in their lodging in Boulogne dictating letters to a scribe when Guy and Geoffrey returned from the tavern.
‘You should have come with us!’ Geoffrey slapped his taut belly. ‘Best mussel broth I’ve ever tasted, good wine and a serving wench with breasts like pillows.’ He turned to Aymer, grinning. ‘When you get Southwark back, she’d earn you some money.’
Aymer shook his head at them.
William said curtly, ‘While you have been out entertaining yourselves, Aymer and I have been working on a request for letters of safe conduct from the King of France.’
Guy flopped on to the padded bench before the hearth and belched. ‘You could still come with us. Safe conducts will be simple enough to obtain. I don’t know why you are fussing.’
‘Because the Queen of France is Queen Alienor’s sister,’ William snapped. ‘It cannot have escaped even your notice that Alienor has been delighted to see us sent into exile with our lands confiscated. We are the enemy, and she will whisper in her sister’s ear. This letter must be worded with diplomatic skill, not scrawled in assumption. If we set off now for the Limousin without a safe conduct, we would get no further than fifteen miles from Boulogne before we were picked off.’ William rubbed his hands over his face, feeling tired and irritated. ‘We have to have a plan and we have to have money. Aymer is writing to the French clergy to intercede and hopefully we can be out of here by the end of the week.’
