The King would be victorious. So certain was she of this that she went to the kitchens and told them to prepare what food was left and do their very best for she believed that before the end of the day the King would be eating at their table.

They must wear their best livery. They must make a brave show. They were no longer the besieged. There must be adequate celebration of victory.

She went to her bedchamber and commanded her women to bring out her finest garments. Her hair was combed and displayed in all its rippling golden glory, her close-fitting jacket of golden-coloured velvet revealed her small elegant waist and over it she wore her spangled surcoat with its fashionable long hanging sleeves.

Then she went to a turret window to watch.

It was as she had known it would be as soon as she had seen the royal standard approaching.

The Scots were fleeing in disorder and the King was ready to enter the castle.

She gave orders that the drawbridge should be lowered; and as he rode across it she was waiting to greet him.

He dismounted and came towards her.

She made a deep curtsey and lifted her grateful eyes to his. ‘My lord,’ she said, ‘welcome. My heart is too full to give you thanks just now.’

The King did not speak. He continued to look at her. His eyes were intensely blue she noticed; he was more handsome than hearsay had made him.

She stood up and their eyes met. Still he did not speak. He seemed bemused. She repeated her thanks.

Then he said slowly : ‘Lady, I am at your service ... now ... and always. Never in my life did I see a lady as beautiful as you.’

‘My lord is gracious,’ she answered. ‘May I conduct you into the castle which your timely rescue has saved for my husband.’

He did not seem to hear her and she walked beside him into the castle.

Edward, bemused, dazzled, told himself that having seen this perfect woman nothing could ever be the same for him again.


* * *

Wark was not the finest of the country’s castles. It was indeed primitive compared with the grandeur of those to which Edward was accustomed. But he was not aware of it. He could only think of the beautiful Countess. Her fine abundant hair, the contours of her face, the small waist, the dignity of her walk, her elegance.

The Countess was uneasy. She had been afraid of capture and what would happen to her at the hands of the rough Scots, but now a new fear had come to her. She realized what had happened more quickly than Edward did, for she had aroused similar emotions many times before. When ‘William was with her, he could protect her, but William was now a prisoner in Europe and this was the King.

‘My lord,’ she said, ‘I fear we cannot entertain you here at Wark in the manner to which you are accustomed.’

‘There is nowhere I would rather be at this time than in Wark,’ he answered.

He did not notice that the place was little more than a fortress. He knew these buildings, hardly worthy of the name of castle. They had been built by the Normans nearly three hundred years ago and never been improved on since. There was the hall with its high vaulted roof and the rooms were small cell-like places set along the outer walls.

‘I will conduct you to the room I have hastily had prepared for you. It is small, I fear, but the best in the house. You will not find it unbearably cold I trust ...’

‘I know,’ he said, ‘that I shall find it to my liking.’

‘My husband will want to thank you for what you have done for us this day.’

He did not answer. She saw the slight frown on his brow which increased her dismay.

‘My lord, if you will give me permission to leave you I will go to the kitchens to make sure that the best we can offer is laid before you.’

His eyes had never left her. She thought: I must get away. She curtseyed again and this time he took her hand and kissed it.

His lips were hot and fierce on her skin.

God help me, she prayed.

She withdrew her hand and to her amazement he had released it. Then without looking back she turned and ran from the room.


* * *

She went to a room on the other side of the castle. There she stood for a while leaning against the door.

I must be wrong, she told herself. It could not be. William had always talked about his devotion to Philippa. If only William were here!

It was early evening. There was the rest of the day to live through and then he would retire to the room she had prepared ... her room ... the only one fit to offer to the King.

She would sleep as far from him as possible.

There was no bolt to this door. She would choose another room.

Absurd precaution. It was not so. It could not be so.

‘The King is devoted to the Queen,’ William had said that again and again.

‘And he never looks at other women?’ she had asked.

‘He looks. He has a certain fancy for them. He told me once that except when he must discuss going into battle or state matters he preferred the company of women. He says they are wiser in many ways and he likes so much to look at them. Yet he is the most faithful husband in the country. He loved Philippa the moment he saw her and she follows him into battle so that she is never far away.’

Oh Philippa, thought the Countess, where are you now?

But it is a mistake, she assured herself. I imagine this. He has just driven off the enemy. He is overjoyed to have routed the Scots. He is pleased with me because I have given him an opportunity of doing this and being chivalrous it pleases him to help a lady in distress.

There. That was the explanation.

It must be the explanation.


* * *

Alone Edward sat on the bed. Her bed. He knew she had given him her room. The previous night she would have slept here.

He had never seen anyone like her. Naturally he had not. There was no one like her.

What perfections! He noticed many women, beautiful women, women with whom he would have liked to make love. Oddly enough, in spite of his position which would have meant even easier conquests than his outstanding good looks would have brought him, he had abstained from indulgence. Often using great restraint.

Always he thought of Philippa. There was something about Philippa which had made him loath to betray her trust in him. A sweet simplicity which had attracted him from the first. A gentleness, a kindness, a homeliness. No one could have been a better wife to him.

But never before this day had he been confronted by a goddess. For that was what Catharine Montacute seemed to him. Her beauty was blinding. Why had William not told him? Obviously because he wanted to keep her to himself. Why had William not brought her to Court? Ah, that was clear enough. He would have been the same if he had been in William’s place.

For the first time he was glad that William was a prisoner.

He was amazed at himself. He could not stop it. A raging desire had taken possession of him. He had been a good husband; he had never strayed from his marriage bed. But then he had never met Catharine Montacute before today.

She had changed everything. All his good resolutions had fled. This urgent need of her was fighting his conscience, subduing it, destroying it.

He had no conscience. He had only his desire for this woman.

Someone was at the door. He did not see them.

They had come to help him dress for soon he would go down to the great hall where they were doing their best to set forth a feast worthy of a king.


* * *

The table was ready; the knights were entering the hall. The King was not among them. His squire said that he had left Edward deep in thought and he had not even answered when he had reminded him that it was time to descend to the hall.

‘I think, my lady,’ said the squire, ‘that he awaits your coming that you may escort him to your table.’

It was indeed an old custom and with misgivings Catharine went to that bedchamber which had recently been hers.

She knocked on the door and the King himself opened it. When he saw her a smile of great delight spread over his face. He took her hand and drew her into the room shutting the door after them.

She saw that he was as he had been when he arrived and had not removed all of his armour.

She said: ‘My lord, I must leave you to take off your armour that you may come down unencumbered to our simple meal.’

‘I have thought a great deal since you left me,’ he said. ‘I have thought of nothing but you ... and of myself ... and of what this meeting means to me.’

‘My lord, it has meant my rescue and I am sure my lord of Salisbury will bless you for ever for what you have done for his lady this day.’

‘I was not thinking of him,’ said the King. ‘He has been your husband. That is reward enough for any man. Nay, I would think of you and me. For this day that has happened to me which has never happened before. I have met the most gracious and most beautiful lady in the world and to tell the truth I find I love her with all my heart.’

She smiled, pretending to treat the matter lightly. ‘My lord shows his gallantry in speech as well as in actions. You speak kindly of me and now I would show you what we have prepared for you to eat for I am sure you must be suffering from hunger.’

‘I hunger for one thing only, lady. For you.’

‘There are hungry men below, my lord, and they cannot start without your presence.’

‘Let them wait. I can wait no longer to tell you that your beautiful face, your perfections, your manners have so affected me that I cannot know another moment’s peace until you tell me that you do not look unkindly on me.’

‘How could a faithful subject look unkindly upon her King.’ ‘I do not wish this subject to look upon her King but on her lover.’

‘My lord, you amuse yourself thus, but I pray you, consider this. Your presence in this room and mine with you will give rise to gossip. It may be that your good Queen will hear of it and be much distressed.’

The mention of Philippa affected him a little, she saw; but he would not be diverted from his purpose.

‘I beg of you,’ she said, ‘come to our table.’

‘We will talk more of this later,’ he said.

‘Yes, yes,’ she answered, for she knew that she must get away

from this small room, away from those ardent eyes, the eager straying hands.

‘My lord,’ she said, ‘I will return to my guests and tell them that you will join us in a few moments.’

With that she escaped.


* * *

He was silent during the meal but everyone noticed that he could not take his eyes from the lady of the castle.

He must be entertained of course in accordance with the custom and it was Catharine who must sing and play the lute for him.

He watched her all the time, his eyes bright, his feelings for her obvious for all to see.

He expressed a desire for dancing and she must lead the dance with him beside her.

He held her hand firmly.

He whispered to her: ‘We must be together this night, for I cannot live another hour without you.’

‘I beg of you, my lord,’ she said. ‘Consider what you say.’

‘Of what moment is it ... but to us two.’

‘There are others to consider,’ she answered. ‘My husband, a prisoner in your service, your wife the Queen. My honour and duty to my husband, yours to your country and your family. All your subjects who look to you to set an example. I beg of you, my lord, go from here. Forget me.’

‘You ask the impossible. Do you think I will ever forget you? Do not be cruel to me, lady. I have never wanted anything in my life as I want you. The crown of England, the crown of France, I would give them all up for one night with you.’

She laughed as lightly as she could. ‘And the next go to war to win them back. My lord, I know you well. My husband talked much to me of you. He loves you dearly. Would you betray him when he has become a prisoner in your service?’

‘I would not think of him. I would forbid you to do so.’

‘Not even a king can guide a subject’s thoughts, my lord. I should think of my husband as long as I live.’

‘I shall not rest until you tell me that you love me as I love you. And when a man feels as I do—even if he be the noblest in the land—he will not rest until he has obtained the object of his desire.’