The Sun in Splendour - Plaidy Jean - Страница 72

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At first she had been annoyed when he and Edward had gone off adventuring together and then she had thought it was not such a bad thing. Far better that the King should be with Thomas rather than Hastings. Thomas and Hastings did not like each other and she had heard that they were both contenders for Jane Shore now that the King was dead.

What an attraction that woman appeared to have! The King had been devoted to her until his last days. She must have great physical gifts; but there must have been something more than that to hold Edward to her for so long. Hastings, it seemed, was

really in love with her—or so rumour went, but she would have none of him. The same rumour had it that she had succumbed to Dorset now that Edward was dead.

Poor Jane! Although he was her son and she was devoted to him, Elizabeth rather pitied the woman who relied too much on him. He was a rake of a different kind from Edward and Hastings. Edward had been a romanric at heart and Hastings most certainly was. There was nothing of that about Thomas. Thomas knew exactly what he wanted and that was the grarificarion of his sexual appetites which were as voracious as those of the late King—or almost as voracious—for surely none could compare with Edward in that respect.

She was deliberately trying not to think of what might be happening at Stony Stratford because she very much feared something had gone wrong. She had given instructions that couriers were to come in a continuous stream, so anxious was she to be ready when her son arrived.

It had been hours now and there were none. Anthony should be almost in sight of London now.

At last, the messenger had arrived. Something was definitely wrong. The Queen commanded that he be brought to her without a second's delay. He was breathless and stammered out the news.

She could not believe it. Gloucester had the King! He was at Northampton with him! Anthony and Richard arrested!

'Oh God preserve us,' she cried, 'this is disaster.'

She looked at Dorset. He was never at his best in a crisis.

'Gloucester has defeated us,' he cried. 'A thousand curses on Gloucester. A pox on the man!'

'But what are we to do?' demanded Elizabeth. 'He has arrested your brother and your uncle. What do you think will happen to us when he comes to London?'

'We must get away . . .' cried Dorset. 'But where can we go?'

Elizabeth was ready. It had happened before. She said: 'We must go into Sanctuary.'

She looked about her at all the rich possessions which she so loved. Leave them ... go to Sanctuary. How long would she remain there? And yet she must. How could she know what Gloucester would do when he brought the King to London?

'We must prepare to go at once. I will take all the children with me. He cannot harm us in Sanctuary. I lived there before when

the King was in exile. I shall do it again. But this hme I shall take with me . . . some of my possessions. 1 shall not go empty-handed as I did before.'

Then let us start at once to collect what you will take with you. There is little hme to be lost.'

Elizabeth frantically called to her servants and began directing them as to what must be packed. Others must go and prepare the children. She thanked God that young Richard was with them. He and the five girls must be prepared at once to leave and as soon as her precious possessions were crated they would sail up the river to the Sanctuary.

Meanwhile Hastings had received the news that the King was in Gloucester's hands. The city was crowded with the nobles from all over the country who had come for the King's coronation and it occurred to Hastings that he should inform Thomas Rotherham Archbishop of York, who was also Chancellor and who by good fortune happened to be in London at this time, that all was well.

The old Archbishop who was sixty years of age was startled from his sleep by the news.

Hastings' words intended to reassure him did nothing of the sort. 'All will be well,' Hastings' message ended.

The old man pondered it. He was a supporter of the Queen and he did not like this. 'All will be well,' he muttered. 'But it will never be as good as it has been.'

No, it was a great disaster that Edward should have died so young before they were prepared for his death and thus to leave this innocent child to carry on the responsibilities of the crown. He hastily dressed and as he did so it was brought home to him more and more what this meant. The Queen's family was too powerful to stand aside and let Gloucester take over what they had decided was theirs.

He must warn the Queen without delay. He set out at once for Westminster Palace. There he found a most extraordinary scene. The Queen was seated on the rushes, her expression blank and despairing; all about her were servants packing crates, taking down tapestries from the walls and putting valuable ornaments into boxes.

'My lady,' cried the Chancellor, 'you must not despair. 1 have had word from my Lord Hastings. "All will be well", he says.'

'Hastings!' cried the Queen in fury. 'If ever a man was my

enemy that man is. He is determined to destroy me and my family. What he calls good is bad for me, my lord.'

The Chancellor was horrified.

'Oh my lady, my lady/ he cried, 'what shall we do?'

'You will stand by me, my lord? I shall have some friends.'

'My lady, you may rely on me to defend your cause.' He took the Great Seal and placed it in her hands.

Elizabeth took it gratefully and bade the Archbishop go back to his palace. Ere long she, with her family, would be leaving for Sanctuary.

The goods she was taking with her were packed. She sent for her children and they came, bewildered. They had never known the uneasy days. Their lives had all been guarded by their great indulgent all-powerful father. There was lovely Elizabeth, sixteen years old now and who should have been Dauphine of France at this time but for the treachery of Louis, the shock of whose deception had doubtless hastened Edward's death. Cecily, fourteen years old. And Anne eight, Catherine four and little Bridget three. Seeing them together thus the Queen thought of poor Mary and the great sorrow her death had brought them. Elizabeth and Edward had often congratulated themselves that they had been more lucky than most families because although they had lost three children—Margaret, George and now Mary—they had kept the rest and out of ten they had seven left to them and that was a very good number. The Queen embraced them all tenderly. She kept young Richard close to her. He as the boy was very precious. He was ten years old now and he was always asking queshons about his brother and wanting to see him. She had often considered sending him to Ludlow, but she had been unable to resist the temptation to keep him with her.

Now she was glad.

'My dear children,' she said to them, 'something dreadful has happened. Your wicked uncle Gloucester has taken the King from my lord Rivers and now holds him. I am afraid of what he will do when he brings him to London and for that reason we are all going into Sanctuary until we know what is happening.'

'Are we taking all these things with us?' asked Richard.

'Yes, my son, we are not leaving them behind for your uncle to have.'

'Will he kill Edward?'

'No, no. Nobody is going to kill anybody. He wouldn't dare. But he wants to rule through Edward and we are not going to allow that to happen.'

'Are we going to fight him. . . .'

'We are powerful enough to stop him.'

'The Woodvilles will be able to/ said Elizabeth. 'They are the most powerful family in the country.'

'That is so and rightly,' said the Queen. 'Remember, my dears, that you are Woodvilles too. Now Elizabeth and you Cecily, take care of the little ones. We should be leaving at once. The sooner we are in Sanctuary the more relieved I shall be.'

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