The Canterbury Murders Read Online Free Page A

valid, William? That the poor woman thwarted an attempt on their lives?”
    Marshal shrugged. “It could be so, I suppose. Many of the king’s nobles are disgruntled with him for the loss of the fiefs they hold in Normandy from King Philip, but I can think of none that are so angry they would stoop to murdering him, or Isabella, especially in such a covert fashion.”
    â€œThe rumours of John’s laxity are true then?” Nicolaa asked.
    Marshal shook his head decisively. “That is a falsehood, a malicious rumour spread by those who wish to justify their betrayal of the king. John has done all that could be expected of him, and more, to keep Normandy secure, but he has been hampered by the disaffection of his vassals and the severely depleted treasury he inherited from his brother. Richard bled his subjects’ purses dry to support his crusade, and then further monies were needed for his ransom after he was captured by Leopold of Austria. Not only does the financial situation leave John hard-pressed to pay for the armaments and supplies he needs to defend his lands, but due to the lack of support from those who should ply their swords on his behalf, he has been forced to hire mercenaries for his personal guard. It is an additional expense he can ill afford.”
    The earl shook his head in disgust. “There are a few barons that have remained loyal but, despite their efforts, many towns have been taken. Conches is lost, and Vaudreuil, and now the French are attacking Château-Gaillard. De Lacy, a stalwart knight, is constable there and trying to hold firm, but the castle is under siege, and it is likely he will eventually be forced to surrender.”
    Château-Gaillard—the “Saucy Castle”—had been built by John’s older brother, Richard. It was only sixty miles from Paris, a fortress intended not only to protect the Duchy of Normandy but also to be a base from which a campaign could be launched to take back the Vexin, a strategic area that was always in dispute between France and England. The late king had been a master of siege warfare and had directed the castle to be erected upon a towering limestone crag—the Rock of Andeli—and the stronghold, with its elliptical inner citadel and curvilinear enclosing wall, was considered impregnable. But there was always the chance that, without outside assistance, de Lacy and his men would be starved into submission. If Château-Gaillard was taken by the French, it would be a blow of major proportions.
    The earl’s glum expression reflected the seriousness of the situation. “I am afraid that Normandy is as good as lost, as are Maine, Anjou and Touraine, but when I ventured to suggest to John that he should try to make peace with Philip, he took umbrage and asked me if I, too, intended to betray him. Although I assured him I did not, and would never do so, the relationship between us is strained.”
    This was indeed dire news and Nicolaa was hard-pressed to understand the king’s attitude towards Marshal, who had proved his loyalty time and again, and had supported John’s claim to the English throne after Richard died. She said as much to the earl, but he shook his head in dismissal. “The king has changed in the last months, lady. Due to the faithlessness of many who swore him fealty, it is understandable that he is full of mistrust, even when there is no foundation for it, but ever since he removed his nephew Arthur from Falaise to a prison cell at Rouen, his attitude has worsened.”
    Nicolaa recalled the rumours that had been circulating about John’s nephew. “I have heard that Arthur has not been seen since Eastertide and, because of the terrible threat John made—that he intended to blind and castrate the boy—it is said he has been murdered by the king. The Bretons are a volatile people and fiercely loyal to their count. If