The days began to pass. There was no news. Stephen thought that they should soon be continuing with their journey. If they could get to Pisa they could take ship to Marseilles and there they could rely on the good friendship of the King of Aragon.
But something seemed to warn him not to leave in haste and he decided to seek an audience with the Pope that he might solicit his help in getting a safe conduct for his party.
Meanwhile the Queens were a little restive. There was something in the city air which excited them.
It was Joanna who had the idea that if they disguised themselves they might slip out and visit the markets. There were good things to buy in Rome.
It relieved the tedium to study the dress of the women of the city, to acquire similar clothes, to dress themselves in the loose garments girded at the waist by leather belts. Over their long hair they wore wimples not of silk but of linen in the hope that they could mingle unnoticed with the ordinary women of the city.
It was a great adventure to visit the shops, slipping out of the house without the knowledge of Sir Stephen who would have been horrified at the thought of his precious charges roaming the streets.
But how it relieved the days! The three of them – for the Cypriot Princess was still their constant companion – would venture out in the quiet of the afternoon and walk along by the Tiber and savour freedom.
They loved best to visit the market and so carefully had they disguised themselves that they were not recognised and were thought to be ordinary travellers who were pausing on their journey to spend a short time in Rome as so many people did.
All three loved to visit the goldsmiths’ and silversmiths’ shops, there to see the wonderfully wrought pieces of jewellery at which the jewellers of Rome seemed to excel.
They had bought several trinkets and were known as good customers so that when they were seen the traders would bring out what they considered choice pieces.
One afternoon the three young women had dressed in their simple gowns and wimples and gone out into the streets making their way to the market and the goldsmith’s shop.
Berengaria was interested in a ring and wanted to look at it again. It was a glowing emerald set in gold.
She turned it over in her hand, tried it on her finger.
‘The setting is exquisite,’ she said, ‘but there is a flaw in the stone.’
‘I see you have an eye for precious stones, my lady,’ said the jeweller.
Joanna said: ‘’Tis a pretty ring. But if you do not like the emerald why do you not choose some other stone?’
‘I have the very thing,’ cried the jeweller. ‘Some very fine stones have just come into my possession. One moment please.’
He disappeared into a room behind the shop and came back holding a belt which was set with many dazzling gems.
‘I have only just bought this ...’ he began.
Berengaria swayed a little and Joanna caught her arm. ‘What ails you?’ she asked.
‘I feel unwell,’ said Berengaria. ‘But no matter ... May I look at the belt?’
‘Assuredly, my lady. These stones are very fine indeed. It is rarely that such have come into my possession.’
Berengaria held out her hands and took the belt. She turned it over and looked at it closely.
‘You see, my lady, this emerald ... It is finer than anything I have here. And I would not ask much. The one who sold the belt knew not its value. I got a bargain so I am in a position to make you a very fair price.’
Berengaria handed him back the belt.
She turned to Joanna. ‘I must go back,’ she said. ‘I feel unwell.’
‘Then let us go at once,’ said Joanna. She turned to the jeweller. ‘We will come again when my sister is better.’
They came out into the street.
‘Berengaria, what ails you?’
Berengaria said slowly, ‘That jewelled belt ... I know it well. I have seen it before. Richard was wearing it the last time I saw him.’
‘What does it mean?’ murmured Joanna.
‘I don’t know. I am very uneasy.’
‘It could be another belt.’
‘There is only one such belt.’
‘It might mean that he gave it to someone who sold it to this merchant.’
‘I do not know,’ said Berengaria, ‘but I greatly fear that some harm has befallen him.’
Sir Stephen was horrified when they told him – not so much at first about the belt but the fact that they had been out in the streets without protection. It must never happen again, he said; if they must go out he would send two men to guard them.
‘And let it be known who we are!’ cried Joanna. ‘The fun of the adventure is in our not being recognised.’
‘I want no one to know your identity,’ said Sir Stephen, ‘until I have seen the Pope.’
‘But what think you of this belt?’ asked Joanna.
‘If it is indeed the King’s ...’
‘It is the King’s,’ insisted Berengaria. ‘I know it well. I noticed it the very last time I saw him wearing it.’
‘I will go to this goldsmith,’ said Stephen, ‘and ask for fine jewels. I will ask him to show me the belt, and ask him how he acquired it.’
‘And if it is Richard’s ...’ began Joanna.
‘He may have given it away.’
‘To whom would he give such a valuable piece?’
‘We cannot say,’ said Sir Stephen. ‘It is something we must attempt to find out.’
Later that day he went to the goldsmith and came back with the news that he had seen the belt and agreed with Berengaria that it belonged to Richard. The goldsmith told him that he had bought it from a merchant who had come from Austria.
‘That means Richard must be there,’ said Joanna.
They were startled by the news. Richard should never have set foot in Austria. They all knew how Leopold had disliked him. He had never forgiven him for what he called the slight on the walls of Acre, and that other incident when Richard had actually kicked him before his followers.
They were all very uneasy.
Sir Stephen had told them not to return to the goldsmith. He would be suspicious of too much interest in the jewelled belt. They could not resist going out but they did follow Sir Stephen’s orders by taking two menservants with them.
There was a great deal of gossip in the streets. As they mingled with the crowds they heard Richard’s name mentioned.
They went into a shop to buy silk for which the city was renowned, and there they heard more rumours.
The owner of the shop told them that he had heard that the great Richard Coeur de Lion had been travelling near Vienna with his page and that he had been captured.
‘Captured!’ cried Joanna indignantly. ‘How could this be? He would never allow himself to be captured.’
‘I but tell what I hear, my lady,’ said the shopkeeper. ‘The rumour is that the great King was shipwrecked and came to the Austrian coast and that many of his friends were captured. He was the last to be taken but he had gone on with only his page and the page was taken and confessed who his master was.’
‘Where is he?’ asked Joanna.
‘That no one knows,’ was the answer. ‘But it seems certain that the hero of the crusades is now in the hands of his enemies.’
They hurried back. There they found Stephen. He too had heard the rumours.
‘If it is true that Richard is indeed in the hands of the Duke of Austria that means also the Emperor of Germany. We must take especial care. Were we to venture out of Rome it might well be that we too should be captured.’
‘Of what use would that do Richard’s enemies?’ asked Joanna.
‘They would doubtless give a great deal to lay their hands on the wife and sister of the King. Nay, we shall not now ask the Pope for safe conduct to Pisa, but that we may rest here for a while until we can learn whether there is any truth in these rumours.’