Free Joanna by Roberta Gellis

John’s previous wife for childlessness. There had been the danger, of course, that John would dote more upon the babes than upon herself, but that problem soon resolved itself. John no more than she wished to be bothered with squalling and puking infants and, by the time Henry was old enough to be amusing, his strong resemblance to John’s hated older brother Richard was apparent. In fact, when Isabella saw how coldly her husband regarded the coloring and large stature of his son, she had feared John would accuse her of adultery. However, it soon became clear that his distrust was of the child, not of herself.   The other children meant even less to him. Perhaps he favored Richard, whose coloring resembled his own, a little, but in general John took no delight in childish babble. He enjoyed his family when it made a pretty picturea beautiful wife surrounded by quiet, handsome babesbut he did not wish to be disturbed by any demands the picture made upon him. Once it was established that John’s attention would not be drawn away from her by the children, Isabella dismissed them almost completely from her mind. They were well cared for she knew. They appeared on call, well dressed, healthy, and well mannered. When they became annoying, they were removed.
    Thus there was only one blot on the bright surface of Isabella’s life. There was only one person in the world who was her rival for influence upon John. Isabella did not understand the expression in her husband’s eyes when they looked upon his half brother, William of Salisbury, but she knew he did not look on her that way. She knew too that in any contest of desire between her will and Salisbury’s will, John would yield to his brother. The one quarrel she had ever had with her husband revolved around Salisbury. It was John who had insisted she take William’s sonthe bastard of a bastardinto her service. And then, when Salisbury had removed Geoffrey from her household because he said the boy was ill-treated, her husband had berated her like a madman; he had very nearly hit her. To this day, she was not sure what John had wanted her to do about Geoffrey FitzWilliam. He had seemed equally angry that the boy had survived and that he had been made unhappy.
    The whole affair had annoyed Isabella very much. She could not help it if the bastard was the butt of her other pages, and if he was so careless and awkward that she frequently had to punish him. Surely John did not expect her to put herself out to smooth the sin-born child’s path. And as for having him murderedwell, if that was what John wanted, he could do it himself. Isabella had no intention of endangering
her
salvation for her husband’s convenience. If the boy would not sicken and die of himself or take his own   life, it was his fault and not hers. She had certainly put no impediments in his path. Isabella came as close as it was possible for her passionless nature to hating William of Salisbury and Geoffrey FitzWilliam, but she did not dare attack either of them openly. They were never far from the surface of her thoughts, however, and if she could say a spiteful word or do them an ill turn, she did.
    There had been a short pause after Isabella spoke while both John and the bishop of Winchester stared at her. They were not surprised at her remark. Isabella did not have much sense, but she had sense enough always to agree with and praise her husband. The pause was simply for a pleasurable contemplation of her loveliness. Isabella knew it and sat perfectly still for a time. When she felt she had conferred a sufficient favor by allowing their admiration, she spoke again.
    “You know, my lord bishop, that every plan my husband has designed that rested upon the support of the barons has fallen apart through their cowardice and disloyalty. It is only when he is strong enough to act upon his own that they rush to take credit for his glory and act as if it were their doing alone.”
    “It is true enough,” John