Part 22 (1/2)

Henry decided to utilise it. He knew that he and Charles would always be enemies, and he decided to have Margot on his side.

He asked her to take a walk with him in the grounds of Fontainebleau, and Margot, sensing the importance of this, since she guessed the matter was too momentous to be discussed indoors, was gratified. She was always ready for excitement and intrigue.

As she walked with him through the green alley of the palace garden, Henry put his arm about his sister's shoulders a gesture which delighted Margot, for she was no less aware of Henry's position with their mother than Charles was, and the favour of Henry was greatly to be desired on that account. Margot feared her mother more than anyone on Earth, but at the same time she earnestly longed for her approbation. A friends.h.i.+p with Catherine's darling might result in her finding favour with Catherine.

'You may have noticed, dear Margot,' said Henry, 'that, of all my brothers and sisters, I have always loved you the best.'

Margot smiled happily, for if Henry regarded her in that light, so must her mother.

'We have had many happy times together,' went on Henry, 'but we are children no longer.'

'No, Henry. Indeed we are not. You are a great soldier. You have made a name for yourself.'

He pressed her hand and, putting his face close to hers, he said: 'Margot, my power lies in keeping in the good graces of our mother, the Queen.'

Margot agreed with that.

'And, Margot, I am away from the court so much. The wars continue. My brother the King is always beside her. He flatters her and obeys her in everything.'

'But she would never love any as she loves you, Henry. It has always been so.'

He said: 'I have many enemies who might do me harm with my mother ... when I am not here to protect myself.'

'Charles thinks of little else but making love to Marie Touchet and hunting wild creatures.'

'He makes hate as well as love, and he will not always be content to hunt beasts. One day he will take my Lieutenancy from me and try to lead the army himself. I wish to have someone here at court to uphold my cause with the Queen. You, dearest sister, are my second self. You are faithful and clever. Do this for me. Be with my mother always at her lever, at her coucher. Listen to what is said, and find some means of letting me know. Make her confide in you. You understand?'

Margot's eyes were sparkling. 'Yes. I understand, Henry.'

'I will speak to her of you. I will tell her how fond I am of you. I will tell her that you are my beloved sister, my second self. As for you, you must not be so much afraid of her. Speak up when she addresses you. In doing those things for me, you will do much for yourself.'

Henry put his hands on Margot's shoulders and looked into her eyes; he saw there what he wanted. Henry was the hero of the war; and Margot, a young and impressionable girl, was ready to adore him; she was ready to be his slave and to work for him against the King.

Henry took her along to Catherine and told his mother how fond he was of his sister, and of the part he had asked her to play for him at the court. Catherine drew her daughter to her and kissed her on the forehead.

'So you are to guard your brother's interests at court, dear Margot?'

'Yes, Madame.'

'You will have to give up your silliness, your frivolity. You will have to watch your brothers ... and their friends.'

'That I will do, Mother.'

'Well, my daughter, I shall help you in this. Henry, my son and your brother, is as dear to me as my life. Is he so to you?'

'Yes, Madame.'

Catherine then embraced her son and, as her mother's cold hands touched her, Margot felt that she had become a member of a trinity; and this was none the less exciting because the trinity might be an unholy one.

Growing up was an enchanting experience. Margot had other matters with which to concern herself now. She played the spy with all the verve of which she was capable. She was coming to the fore; she was always at her mother's lever and coucher; she was often in the company of the King; she was ready to continue in her adoration of her absent brother.

But there was one other trait in Margot's nature which both her mother and her brother had temporarily forgotten. If Margot was to grow up, she would do so in more ways than one. She was continually occupied with her dresses; she became the most fas.h.i.+onable lady of the court; she wore a golden wig over her long black hair one day, and a red one the next. All fas.h.i.+ons inaugurated by Margot were provocative, designed to t.i.tillate the senses of the male.

And Henry of Guise came to court.

Henry too had grown up; they were man and woman now, not boy and girl. He sought the first opportunity of being alone with Margot to tell her of his feelings.

'I always loved you,' he told her as they strolled in the gardens.

'And I ... you, Henry.'

Margot could not keep her hands from the fine coat or the golden curly hair and beard. Margot was not the only one who thought there was no man in France, or in the world, to compare with Henry of Guise; others said that the Guises made all other men seem insignificant when they came among them.

'We will be married,' declared Henry. 'I know that it can be arranged.'

'It must be arranged,' agreed Margot.

He took her hands, and kissed them eagerly with burning kisses which made Margot's pa.s.sions flame.

'It will not be so easy as it would have been if my father was alive,' Henry warned her.

Margot was in his arms, all desire and urgency.

'Nevertheless, it must be,' she said.

'Margot ... I cannot wait for marriage.'

Margot laughed. 'Nor I!'

'Where can we be alone?'

Intrigue was exciting, but pa.s.sionate intrigue was the most delightful thing in Margot's world. How could she have set such store on spying for her brother Henry when she could be the mistress of this completely fascinating Henry?

It was not difficult for Margot to find a place where they could be together.

And after that there was nothing of any importance for Margot but these pa.s.sionate meetings with her lover. She was insatiable. She could never have enough of Henry. He was her lover the only person on Earth, she discovered, who was really important to her. For him she would die. She declared that she would never marry any other man. The meetings grew more frequent, and the more frequent the more necessary they became to Margot. Sensual, pa.s.sionate in the extreme, she had discovered something which she could not do without.

She was impetuous. She wanted an immediate marriage. Henry was more cautious. He was as pa.s.sionate, as sensual as Margot they were as well matched a pair as any lovers could be but while for Margot there was nothing but love, for Henry there was also ambition. He was the Duke of Guise, head of the mighty House of Lorraine besides being Margot's lover, and his upbringing would not allow him to forget that. And even while he was making pa.s.sionate love to Margot he could not help remembering that she was a Princess of the House of Valois, and therefore a match with her would be the most suitable he could possibly make.

'We must not be careless,' said Henry.

'Oh, Henry, my darling, what do we care?'

'We must care, Margot; for nothing must stand in the way of our marriage. We can never be completely happy until then. Just think what marriage would mean to us ... always together.'

She kissed him wildly. 'I will never let you leave me. I will follow you to camp. You do not imagine that I should let you go alone!'

'No,' he said. 'We must never be parted. That must be our aim. Margot, you are so impetuous. We must wait ... and watch ... and act carefully. What if people tried to separate us?'

She pressed her body against his. She was not really thinking of anything but the desire of the moment. He laughed, but he was a little uneasy. Margot was an ideal mistress and he adored her; but there were times when he wondered what violence of pa.s.sion, what sensuality he had awakened. He had never known anyone like this gay little Princess of France with the flas.h.i.+ng dark eyes and the eager, sensual lips, the clinging hands, the urgent desire. He was young and virile himself, but he found Margot astonis.h.i.+ng.