Crusade

‘Are you playing another astute game with me, Prince Edgar, as is your wont?’

‘No, sire. I am genuinely trying to protect my sister and to prevent Malcolm from overreacting to the provocation you have inflicted on him.’

‘You are impudent to suggest such a thing!’

‘Sire, please. Malcolm may not be able to discern your tactics, but I see them clearly. You could achieve what you want in Scotland without bloodshed. Let me go and try; I’ve done it before.’

Rufus smiled. Despite his foppish appearance he had become a clever and ruthless politician.

‘Very well, but don’t placate him too much. I’ve got him just where I want him.’

We made haste to Scotland and, travelling lighter and faster than Malcolm, managed to get ahead of him before Preston so that I could speak to Margaret in Dunfermline before he arrived.

The sturdy walls of Malcolm’s fortress were always a welcome sight, and Margaret looked as serene as ever.

After a long embrace, I introduced my friends.

‘Edwin of Glastonbury, Knight of England, Sweyn of Bourne, Knight of Normandy and Islam, and Adela of Bourne, Knight of Islam.’

Adela chose not to curtsy, so all three bowed deeply.

‘A lady knight, how interesting; I didn’t know women were allowed to be knights in the world of Islam.’

‘Ma’am, we are not usually, but I earned the right.’

Margaret smiled benignly, then took Adela’s hand to lead her away.

‘I’m sure you did. Come, tell me about it.’

Margaret was a wonderful host and made us all very welcome. She made a particular fuss of Adela, insisting that she sit next to her at dinner later that day.

Adela reciprocated my sister’s warmth by wearing a dress, one given to her by the Queen. It was only the second time I had seen her concede to female convention, the other time being her wedding day, and she looked as fetching now as she did then. Sweyn and Edwin beamed when they saw her — proud of her as a fellow knight, but also as a handsome woman.

Over dinner, I could not help but hear how well Margaret and Adela got on with one another. Margaret was a marvellous listener and conversationalist and made everyone feel at ease. Adela was charmed by her. Inevitably, they talked about me and I was gratified that they were full of praise for my kindness and wisdom. The only negative part of the eavesdropping concerned their misgivings about the lack of appropriate women in my life. I overheard that my greying hair and increasingly gaunt appearance should be telling me that I needed to settle down and raise a family!

Malcolm returned the next morning and, although calmer than when he had left Gloucester, was still in no mood to listen to reason.

‘I suppose you’ve come to tell me to calm down?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well, your fop of a King has set me up for a fall, but I’m going to teach him a lesson. He’s not half the man his father was. I respected William and his army, but this boy is no match for me.’

‘He may not be William the Bastard, but he’s cunning, immensely rich and can call on the same Norman army his father built.’

‘I have always listened to your advice and followed it. I’m going to do it again. I’ll avoid a direct confrontation, but I’m going south to plunder and burn until he comes north again to settle with me, then I’ll retire once more to count the windfall for my treasury. But if he insists on a fight, then so be it: this time I’ll fight.’

‘I think this time you should reconsider; he’s up to something. What he did in Gloucester was far too deliberate. I smell a rat.’

‘Nonsense, he’s just an arrogant little upstart.’

No amount of cajoling could persuade Malcolm to be cautious. So, while we stayed with Margaret in Dunfermline, he launched a series of raids deep into England, returning with more to plunder each time. When he returned to his fortress in early November, I tried once more to persuade him not to go south again. My suspicions had grown as he reported only token resistance from the Normans in the west as far south as Lancaster.

‘His tactic is to make you complacent. Winter is coming; lie low until the spring.’

‘My scouts tell me his army is on the move through Mercia. When he gets to Durham, I’ll pull in my horns and parlay with him on my terms. There’s time for one more raid. I have my eye on Alnwick.’

Neither Margaret nor I could make him listen. Two days later, he was heading south yet again.

Margaret was very anxious.

‘Would you go with him and try to make him come home as soon as possible? He’s taken Edward with him — he wants to toughen him up, but he’s only a boy.’

I knew how important young Edward was to Margaret. She had already lost her stepson, Duncan, who was still confined in the Norman court at Rouen. But Duncan was the offspring of Malcolm’s Norwegian first wife, Ingebjorg, whereas Edward was Margaret’s firstborn and thus very precious to her.

‘Of course. I’ll try, but Malcolm is very stubborn — I can’t make him listen to me.’

‘Do what you can and bring them home safely.’