One day when she was riding through the domain of the Count of Blois, a party of horsemen came riding towards them. As they approached, Eleonore saw that they were led by a young man of pleasing appearance.
He pulled up before the Queen, doffing his hat and waving it in a gesture of gallantry as he bowed before her.
‘It is indeed the Queen of Queens,’ he said.
She inclined her head, pleased to be so addressed.
‘Journeying from the court of France to Bordeaux,’ he went on. ‘You will need to rest for the night at some worthy castle. Yet knowing mine to be unworthy I offer it to you. My castle of Blois is close at hand. It is the finest shelter you could find in these parts. I should be honoured indeed if you would allow me to entertain you there.’
‘We should be delighted,’ replied the Queen; and added, ‘You are Theobald, Count of Champagne.’
‘I am honoured that you should know me.’
‘I knew your father well,’ said Eleonore and thought grimly: He had a great influence on our lives. It was our conflict with him over Petronelle’s marriage that led to the burning of Vitry and our crusade.
That elder Theobald had been dead for some two years. This was his son, and he was clearly not only young and good-looking but ambitious.
As they rode side by side towards the castle of Blois he was congratulating himself on the prospect of having such a notorious lady under his roof. She was a beauty too.
Eleonore was aware of his admiration but it pleased her only mildly. She longed for one man and one man only - Henry, Duke of Normandy.
When they reached the courtyard of his castle Theobald leaped from his horse and commanded that a goblet of wine be brought. He stood by her horse while the goblet was brought; then sipped it and passed it to her.
Their eyes met over the cup; his were bold, and he could not hide from her the speculative gleam in them.
Foolish man! she thought. Did he think that she was ready to accept any man, and that the only qualifications he needed to accept her favours were those of his manhood? Did he think he could compare with Raymond of Antioch, Saladin, and chief of all, Henry of Normandy? She would be delighted to teach him a lesson.
‘How honoured I am that you should come to my castle,’ he said as he helped her to alight. ‘I warn you I shall do everything in my power to make your stay here a long one.’
‘My lord is gracious,’ she said. ‘But we are but passing on our way to my town of Bordeaux and I am in some haste to reach it.’
‘You will at least rest here the night.’
‘Indeed I will and it is good of you to play the host so kindly.’
‘I would give all the kindness of which I am capable to such a gracious lady.’
He himself conducted her to her bedchamber.
‘The finest in the castle,’ he said. ‘It is my own.’ She looked startled and he added: ‘I shall occupy one close by to make sure that you are well guarded through the night.’
I must be careful of my lord of Champagne, thought Eleonore. He is too ambitious.
It was easy to see what was in the young braggart’s mind. He would indeed need to be taught a lesson.
She ordered that her baggage be brought to the chamber and there her women dressed her in a gown of velvet with long hanging sleeves lined with miniver; she wore her beautiful hair loose about her shoulders and thus she sat almost in state in the hall of the castle of Blois.
Theobald had ordered that the choicest meats be prepared for the banquet; he had instructed his troubadours to make songs to celebrate the Queen’s stay at his castle. Nothing that could be done to make her stay memorable was forgotten.
She sat in the great hall of the castle, enthroned as a queen, and beside her was Theobald his eyes growing more and more caressing, and more bold, as the night wore on.
She was amused and a little cynical.
Can it be that he wishes to marry me? she asked herself. She was free now. Men, had courted her when she was Louis’s wife because of her reputation. Now they would court her because of her fortune.
She decided to amuse herself a little with Theobald.
‘This,’ he told her passionately, ‘is the finest hour my castle has ever known.’
‘Let us hope,’ she answered, ‘that it will know many more.’
His eyes lit with pleasure. Could she really mean that she would stay here?
He answered: ‘That could only be if you consented to stay here.’
‘How could I do that, my lord, when I have my own castles beyond Blois?’
”Tis true you have many fine castles. I would like this castle of Blois to be one of yours.’
‘You are over-generous with your castles, my young lord. Is it because they have been such a short time in your possession? What would your noble father say if he looked down from heaven and heard you giving away what he has left you.’
‘He would be happy indeed for he would know what went with the castle.’
‘And what is that?’
‘My heart, my hand, all that I possess.’
‘Is this a proposal of marriage ?’
‘It is.’
‘Ah, I doubt not you are one of many. When a woman is possessed of many rich lands it is amazing how ready men are to fall in love with her.’
‘You know you are the most beautiful woman in the world. The fact that you own Aquitaine is of no importance.’
‘I could never marry a man who was not sensible of the power of lands and riches. It seems he would be a poor helpmeet to me in the governing of my possessions.’
‘Nay, I am well aware of them. What I tell you is that were you the humblest serving-maid I would be willing to sacrifice all for your sake.’
‘What you mean is you would be ready to take me to your bed for a night, perhaps two, if I proved worthy. I could never marry a man who thought me such a fool that he must tell me blatant lies.’
‘I see you are too clever for me.’
‘You realise that then. A man should never marry a woman who is too clever for him. It is not the key to happy marriage.’
‘Oh, Eleonore, you are known throughout the land of France as the Queen of Love. Have done with banter. I would marry you. I beg of you consider my proposal.’
‘I do not need to consider it. I could not marry you. You must look elsewhere for your wife.’
‘I shall not give up hope.’
‘It is always comforting to hope,’ she said. ‘Now I would listen to your excellent minstrels.’
She was amused by the young man. His wooing was almost abrupt. She had been in his castle not more than a few hours and he had asked her to marry him. Nay, my little man, she thought, you must do better than that. Do you think you could compare with my Henry?
She would tell Henry about the brash young fellow. How they would laugh together. Perhaps she would make a song about it. Oh, she could not wait to be with Henry!
She was thoughtful as her women undressed her, combed her hair and helped her to the bed which had been made ready for her.
‘Four of you will sleep in this room tonight,’ she said, ‘and one of my esquires will sleep across my door. It has occurred to me that we may have a visitor.’
Her women laughed. ‘Surely the Count would not be so bold.’