Chương 8: Chapter 7
The procession arrived at the Saint Martin's Church at noon. Isolde got off the carriage and entered the church following the royal descendant. During the prays, she only stared at the black coffin. Sometimes she was riveting her looks on the regent and a faint grain of hate blended with fear turned up in her frail heart. When the divine service finished, Eunice approached to her and whispered:
"Milady, I saw the letter you got from your father in Prince John's hands."
Isolde turned pale and exclaimed:
"Oh, my God!... He must have taken it from me when I was fainted away..."
Then she added in a lower voice:
"If only he was my father..."
Isolde approached to the prince, who was keeping the unopened letter in his bony hands, while listening to the explanations of Maurice.
"Would you be so kind to give me back my father's will?" asked she with a false joviality.
"I found it, milady", interrupted Maurice. "I had no idea it belonged to you."
"So you did not read it?"
"Of course not!" answered the prince, returning the letter with a visible regret.
She made a reverence and slowly distanced. Maurice was about to fly into a rage. Despite his fury, he managed to abstain, but a dark shadow covered his face. On the way back to the palace of Canterbury, Albert of Malvoisin noticed the Lord Chancellor's anger and tried to sound him up.
"His Highness is not the most grateful master", he started perfidiously.
His words did not have the desired effect.
"He is our prince and our duty is to serve him", answered Maurice cautiously.
"That is what I wanted to say, of course", said Albert, unpleased by his partner's distrust.
"What should he be grateful for, anyway?"
"What a beautiful day!" exclaimed Albert, trying to find his words.
"Not as beautiful as it seems, thought", answered Maurice, brooding on his revenge.
He had not even noticed how strange were sounding the young man's words near a coffin.
"Why not?" jumped Albert at the subject he wanted.
"Because something or someone is clouding it."
"That would probably be a someone."
"Sir Albert, you must have overcame King Solomon in wisdom..."
"Sir Maurice, if you ever need an ally, you have one in me."
"Most kind of you... I shall not forget!" smiled De Bracy ironically.
Albert of Malvoisin was biting his nails, impatient.
"I heard you have found the Archbishop of Canterbury's will."
He looked pryingly at Maurice and added with an admiring tone:
"Prince John must be very grateful to you!"
"For God's sake!" got into a temper De Bracy. "Who sent you, sir Albert? Canterbury's ghost?"
"Don't be angry with me, sir Maurice", said Albert with false humility, "and forgive my curiosity."
"Very well. Can you tell me now what does your curiosity want to know?"
"The most important thing. It is my hope for you to honour me with your friendship. What do you say, sir Maurice De Bracy?"
"In my opinion, sir Albert de Malvoisin, friendship means confidence and sincerity, virtues that seem very strange to men like us. All I can offer you is my alliance against common enemies. I do hope it is enough."
Albert would have been very glad to tell De Bracy how unpleased he was, but that would have meant to break down all the intrigue, so he swallowed hard and answered with a sour smile:
"You can be sure..."
Maurice gave his compliments and eased up. Albert returned near his brother and exclaimed with a deep scorn:
"He's a coward. He's afraid to say something that might pester the prince...'And the friendship is not for men like us''...", added he, taking his cue from Maurice.
"Calm down, brother. We only have to wait for the right time and grab the power with both hands. And then, you'll see, Maurice De Bracy, what will happen then...", he murmured, with his eyes gloaming of rancour.
While the brothers of Malvoisin were planning his disgrace, the most terrible thing that could happen to a courtier, even worse than death, Maurice was speaking with the prince in a low voice.
"Our spies have informed me that in the ducky of Austria are happening rather strange things... I've heard that Richard has been imprisoned by Leopold V for some uncertain reasons- some accusations of murdering or something like this... Anyway, the duke Leopold was about to condemn Richard, when a decision of the Emperor has changed his plans. He will probably 'lavish' Richard to Henry IV, because he is going to pretend the English a great account of money for the king's freedom, and a part of them will secretly come into the duke's hands. Their biggest problem is that the old Archbishop is dead, and he was the only who would dare to collect the money. Our advantage is that when they are going to find out what happened, we'll already be enough strong to impede Richard to ever come back... Your Highness, are you listening to me?..."
"The prince was looking at Isolde 's carriage. At Maurice's question, he gave a jump and asked stunned:
"What did you say? Richard? What about him?"
"Nothing", answered De Bracy against the hair. "He may stay out of your thoughts... for the time being..."
"That is good news", said the regent. "Just announce me when something happens."
"Of course."
Just then, the convoy had entered the castle of Canterbury's courtyard, and everyone was heading slowly for the family's burial vault.
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