‘Let me look at you, sweet Perrot. You are a little different. What is it? You long dark clever eyes. No. Your dark curling hair, your rather arrogant nose, your laughing mouth― no it is not these.’
‘It is this silk robe. Where have you seen silk like this? I must show you the cotehardies I have brought with me. You will be amazed. What a becoming garment. I promise you, you will love it.’
‘Talk not to me of clothes, Perrot. What care I for clothes? You rogue, you, to talk of grave news― a messenger― from afar. How could you keep me from this bliss even for a moment?’
‘Pardon, sweet lord. It was a mischief in me. I had suffered so―’
‘Forget it. Forget it. You are back., How long has it seemed without you.
You teased me then. You always did. How I missed your teasing. I am surrounded by these dreary lords. They depress me. They compare me with my father―’
‘You are incomparable.’
‘Oh Perrot, my love. I thought I should die when you went away.’
‘Thank God you did not. For how could I have lived without you? It would have been a greater tragedy for Perrot to be robbed of his Edward than for England to lose her King.’
They were incoherent in the joy of their reunion.
‘Let us savor this,’ said Edward. ‘Tomorrow we will talk of many things.’
Lancaster burst into the apartments of the Earl of Warwick and seeing his expression, Warwick immediately dismissed all those who were in attendance on him.
‘By God, Warwick,’ cried Lancaster. ‘ Have you heard the news?’
‘Nay, my lord, and if your looks express your feelings, I fear the worst.’
‘He is back. That low-born traitor to the realm, the King’s evil-genius.’
‘Gaveston?’
‘Who else? By God, we should have had his head were he left in banishment.’
‘I think that the King’s father would not have said nay to such an act. Had he thought his son would break his word to him, Gaveston would not have lived to bring trouble back to our country. But ‘tis no use brooding on what might have been. He’s with the King, I’ll swear.’
‘Has been with him since the moment of his return. They’ll not be parted. It sickens me to see him there. The King will have him at his side, at his table, in his bed. He swears he’ll never let him go again.’
‘The King will have to learn that he rules by the will of barons. Even his great grandfather must have learned that lesson in the end.’
‘I see trouble, Warwick.’
‘Where Gaveston is, there will be trouble. So it was when the King was but his father’s heir. But Edward is King now. The people will support him― for a time.’
‘You mean we must do nothing to bring about Gaveston’s banishment?’
‘I think we should tread warily. Let us see what comes from his return. The King dotes on him and the people are with the King. They always are in a new reign. It seems likely that Gaveston will make such great demands and Edward doubtless grant them that the people will see for themselves what a menace this man is. They will not like the relationship between them. So what we must do at this time, my friend, is wait.’
Lancaster was disappointed. He wanted immediate action. He was noted for his impulsiveness and he was not an especially wise man. But for the fact that he was the grandson of a king, he would have been insignificant, so reasoned Warwick.
So he was eager to impress on Lancaster that they must act with care. That the new King was self-willed was obvious, that he had perverted sexual tastes was another— well he was not the first king to have been afflicted in that way.
He could be a good king for all that. Edward was young. He had much to learn.
It was the task of his barons, who were eager to see peace and prosperity in the country, to bring him to understanding of his responsibilities.
‘So Gaveston is back,’ he mused, ‘though the late King banished him. We must accept that.’
‘Aye!’ cried Lancaster, ‘and the late King advised us and his son never to have him back.’
‘Young Edward is the ruler now, my lord. And he has commanded Gaveston to return.’
‘That he may shower gifts on him― lands, possessions, titles― It is going to be Henry the Third with his extravagant friends soaking up the country’s life blood all over again.’
‘They were his wife’s relations, and they were numerous. This is the King’s lover. Listen Lancaster, Edward must be married without delay. He recognizes the necessity to do so, I’ll swear. He has to give us an heir or two and they say young Isabella is something of a siren. Nay, my lord, let us do nothing rash. We will acquaint the leading barons of Gaveston’s return. We will have them on the alert, shall we say? We have to crown the King and when he is married to this beautiful girl― Oh come, Lancaster. He is young yet. His father was stern with him. He is now free. Let us give him a beautiful wife and a chance. It may well be that Gaveston will mean nothing to him within a few months.’
‘I think you take too facile a view of this, Warwick.’
‘That may well be. But there is little we can do as yet. He has sent for Gaveston and Gaveston has returned. Let us get the coronation over and the King married and then if―’
‘Yes,’ said Lancaster. ‘And then?’
‘Then, my lord, if Gaveston is a danger to the King and the country, we must find some means of disposing of him.’
Lancaster looked into the shrewd dark-skinned face of the Earl and nodded.
‘Perrot, they say I must marry and soon.’
They were walking in the gardens arm in arm. They had not been out of each other’s company since Gaveston’s return.
‘I know it. They seek to turn you away from me.’
‘Fools! It would be easier to conquer Scotland than do that.’
‘I had hoped that it would be an impossible task.’
‘Absolutely impossible, dear Gaveston.’
‘Well, you must perforce marry, get the wench with child and do your duty to your crown.’
‘Well, I will do it for them.’
‘They say she is a beautiful girl.’
‘They say― they say. As you once said before, she is the daughter of the King of France. My stepmother remembered her. Isabella was but a baby when Marguerite left France to marry my father. There is a tradition of beauty in that family. Her father is Philip le Beu and her aunt was so noted for her charms that my father dearly wanted to marry her and he got her sister, my stepmother, instead. Marguerite is not uncomely. Yes, I do think I shall have a beautiful wife.’
Gaveston pouted. ‘You talk thus to plague me.’
‘Never, Perrot. She will mean nothing to me. But I am the King and there certain duties I must submit to.’
‘Hateful duties.’
‘Dear Perrot, I know your feelings well. Do not imagine that I shall not compensate you. I have news for you. You will not long be plain Piers Gaveston, you know. What would you say to an earldom?’
‘I should say my gracious thanks, my lord; and my heart would rejoice― not in the earldom― others have those― but in the love of my lord which is beyond price, beyond assessment and means more to me than any titles or lands.’
‘It shall be an outward sign of my devotion, dearest brother.’
‘My brother indeed.’
When they were young in the royal schoolroom where Edward’s father had put young Piers out of gratitude to the boy’s father who had performed a service for him— they had instant liking to each other. That attraction had never wavered and the first thing of consequence Edward his young friend had been, ‘You are my brother.’