The Count of Antwerp
Intro
- Storyteller: Elissa
- All the ladies sigh after the story of Alatiel. The author suggests maybe they're wishing they were Alatiel with her many lovers.
- Elissa rejoices that there are so many stories she could choose to tell on the topic of Fortune
- But she has to choose one, so she picks a story about a time of transition (the Roman Empire moving to the hands of the Germans) and how Walter, the Count of Antwerp gets pulled into it all.
Story
- So this Walter, Count of Antwerp is left behind to govern all of France when the King and his son go off to war against the Germans.
- He's a good-looking guy and recently widowed, so it's no surprise that the King's daughter-in-law soon falls for him.
- One day, she summons Walter to her boudoir so that she can confess her passion.
- Walter's astonished and because he's a loyal subject, he asks her if she's completely out of her mind.
- She doesn't take it well. Instead of accepting the situation, she musses her hair and begins to scream that Walter's trying to rape her. (FYI, this episode uses the Bible story of Potiphar's wife).
- Walter doesn't wait around to find out if the household staff believes in his innocence. He takes off for his estates.
- Gathering up his children and taking nothing else with him, he heads for England.
- Meanwhile, news reaches the King and his son about Walter's naughty behavior. They're so enraged that Walter's banished forever and his estates are destroyed.
- Walter knows that he and his children need to travel incognito, so he gives the children the new names of Jeannette and Perrot.
- Jeanette's taken in by the kindly wife of a King's marshal in London; Perrot is fostered by another of the King's marshals in Wales.
- Walter's heartbroken at the loss of his children, but he knows he had to give them up. He heads over to Ireland and becomes a servant to a baron.
- Meanwhile, Jeannette grows up to be a stunner. Her foster mother realizes that she must really be a nobleman's daughter, even though she can't prove it. Old trope: beauty=nobility.
- The lady's son—who is gorgeous and accomplished—falls desperately in love with Jeannette. But he assumes that his Mom won't approve because Jeannette comes from lowly parents. (Which she really doesn't. Are you following this?)
- He hides his love for Jeannette and we all know that doing this will only result in dire illness. (Hey, it's a courtly love story.)
- Pretty soon, the young man's on his sickbed and everyone despairs of his life.
- A clever young doctor quickly realizes that his patient's in love with Jeannette, so he tells the parents what he thinks is going on.
- Jeanette's foster mother tells her son that he should get well soon, because she's going to see to it that Jeannette will be his.
- She has no intention of marrying her son to a person with a questionable background, but she believes a little fling will cure him.
- But she doesn't anticipate Jeannette's unwillingness to become anyone's lover. Jeannette wants marriage and nothing less.
- In the end, the parents have to consent to the marriage because they don't want their son to die.
- So Jeannette marries the young man of the house and everyone's happy.
- Now back to Perrot, who's on the other side of the country. He's grown up to be handsome, courageous, a good jouster, etc., etc.
- As luck would have it, a plague of some sort strikes the area and everyone in the house where he grew up dies—except one daughter of his master and mistress. Naturally, she marries Perrot.
- The King of England elevates Perrot to the position of marshal, to take the place of Perrot's dead father-in-law.
- Walter decides it's time to look up his kids and see how Fortune has treated them. First, he goes to check on Perrot.
- But before revealing himself, he wants to see how Jeannette's doing. He's taken into the house out of pity by Jeannette's husband (whose name is Jacques) and fed in the kitchen.
- Jeannette's children take a shine to the old man and won't be separated from him.
- Despite his father's insults and grumbling, Jacques gives Walter a position in the household to take care of their horse and amuse the children.
- Back in France, the political tides begin to turn. The King dies and his son (the one with the lying wife) ascends the throne.
- Long political story short, the King of England sends some of his men to help the new King of France with a war and both Perrot and Jacques are sent to lead the English forces.
- Walter goes along with Jacques' crew. He performs his duties well but still flies under the radar.
- Meanwhile, the mendacious Queen of France is about to die. On her deathbed, she decides to confess her false accusation against Walter of Antwerp.
- The King of France feels just awful about the banishment of Walter, so he proclaims a reward for anyone who can find him and return him to France. He plans to elevate Walter even higher than his former rank.
- Walter brings Jacques and Perrot together, reveals his identity and tells Jacques to claim the reward from the King of France as the dowry he never received when he married Jeannette.
- Jacques is happy to do this. Walter appears before the King in his ragged clothes, just to shame him more. It works. The King restores Walter to his proper rank.
- Walter tells Jacques to take the enormous reward back to his snob of a father and rub it in his face.
- The whole family's joyfully reunited for a time in France where Walter remains for the rest of his life.