When Simon entered Henry came quickly forward.
“Ah, my Soldier!” He would not permit Simon to kneel, but embraced him, and also Alan. “And my Poet! Where is my Knight?”
“At Belrémy, sire,” Simon answered. “Huntingdon came with me.”
Henry was disappointed.
“I would you had brought Malvallet in his stead, Simon, but ye know best.”
“Why, sir,” Alan said, “Simon left Geoffrey in a lady’s arms. He is shortly to be wed.”
“What?” Henry turned in astonishment. “Is it indeed so? No—not the Amazon?”
“No!” It was Simon who answered, quickly. “One of her ladies!”
“Is it so? I had suspected Alan of it, but not Malvallet. Sit down, Simon, and tell me all.” He touched a pile of parchment sheets on the table. “Thy dispatches are very curt.” He smiled, and picked one up. “Listen, Alan! ‘My very dread and sovereign lord the King’—so we start, and all is well. But wait!—‘I have the honour to inform your Majesty that the town of Belrémy did yesterday morning make submission after an attack from my forces. I have also the honour to inform your Majesty that the castle has ceded, save for the Lady Countess, who holds out against your Majesty. I am your Majesty’s faithful servant, Simon of Beauvallet.’ Well! My Majesty’s faithful servant just whets mine appetite for news, and no more. Here again—‘I am constrained to tell your Majesty that on Tuesday last the Lady Countess did escape from Belrémy, accompanied only by her lady, Mademoiselle Jeanne. I did set forth in pursuit, and finding madame in the hands of your Majesty’s ally, Raoul, called the Terrible, did slay him for the treatment he did mete out to the Lady Countess. And so have rid Normandy of a very foul rogue.’ I thank thee, Simon.” Henry’s eyes twinkled. “As you say in this lengthy dispatch, Raoul was mine ally. And a pretty time I have had, seeing his people who flocked here demanding thy head.”
“What said your Majesty?”
“Why, I did say that I desired no further dealings with Raoul’s men, but I would know why my allies are thus summarily slain, without trial or delay.”
Simon stood up.
“Ay, sir. I do owe you an apology, but in my place ye would have done the same.”
“I doubt it not,” Henry said. “But it was unlike thee to kill him without trial, vile though we guessed him to be.”
“I did it in sudden, overwhelming anger, sir.” Curtly Simon told him all that happened in Raoul’s palace.
Henry smote his hands together.
“By my troth, I would I had been there! The knave! I am well rid of him, indeed. But it has caused a deal of pother, Simon.”
“The blame is mine alone, sir.”
“I’d not lay it on thy shoulders, my Simon. I must uphold my generals.”
“Sire, if it please you, punish me for the deed, so the French shall not call you assassin.”
“It is over now,” Henry answered. “Clarence dealt with them.”
Simon smiled across at the Duke, of whom he was very fond.
“Then I thank your Grace.”
“I’d uphold thee through fire and water!” Clarence said. “But I was all amazed when I heard how Simon the Just had fallen.”
Alan upraised his dreamy voice.
“Nay, it was justice. Quick justice.”
“The Poet hath spoken,” Henry laughed. “Now, Simon, tell me from beginning to end, how you took Belrémy.”
“By siege first, and then by storm, sir.”
Henry clicked his tongue impatiently.
“And now I know,” he remarked. “Alan, tell me!”
Alan crossed his legs.
“Certainly, sire. We sat down before Belrémy until Christmastide, and lived in blissful peace. I composed an ode and Geoffrey kicked his heels. Simon likes not bliss, sir, nor peace. He must always be at work. So he dug a mine into the town, under the southern ramparts, which seemed made of granite. Very pleased was he with the mine, sire, and he set his brain to work out a plan. Huntingdon had sat down before the western ramparts, which were unstable and ready for assault. Simon bade him, at a certain hour of a certain day, train his cannon upon it for a while, and at a given signal, storm the walls, thus attracting the garrison. Geoffrey and I were in readiness with the rest of our army, for it was Simon’s plan to go with eleven other men along his mine, to dig themselves out within the town, and, so as Geoffrey had given the signal for assault, and the town was in a turmoil, to speed to the southern gates and open them, letting down the drawbridge. The which he did, sire, by some miracle, and in we rode, Geoffrey first, to hem Huntingdon’s attackers in from the rear. I came second to lead my men into the town. With Simon in his gilded armour at our head, we swept all before us to the marketplace, and there had a fierce battle. I was captured, sire, and borne to the castle, whither fled most of the garrison. The town was Simon’s then, but the Lady Margaret sent to tell him that if he withdrew not his men I should hang from the battlements.” Alan paused, smiling.
“Go on!” Henry commanded. “What did Simon then?”
“He entered the castle, sir, alone, as a herald. From all I can hear he did draw upon the Lady Margaret, who would have had him slain, and held his sword-point against her breast, so that not one of her people dared move hand or foot, lest he should press home. She is a brave lady, sir, and she
