by Nigel Green
Richard’s shoulders shook in merriment.
‘We told him that we had urgent news fit only for his own ears, so it would be best if he and his half-brother, Grey accompanied us to a private place.’
‘What was the news?’
‘There wasn’t any!’ Richard bellowed with laugher. ‘The whole thing was just a ruse. Anyway, as soon as we had separated them out we told him plainly that Rivers and Dorset were plotting against us and insisted that he dismiss his attendants and come with us. Of course we arrested a few of his key people; left leaderless, the rest of his servants and troops dispersed peacefully’ He grinned at me. ‘A neat piece of work, I think you’ll agree?’
‘A bloodless coup that saved England,’ I said honestly. ‘But weren’t you a bit worried? I mean, suppose something had gone wrong?’
He pushed his glass towards me. His face was now very red and his eyes animated as he relived his moment of triumph.
‘No, I wasn’t worried, Francis,’ he said slowly. ‘My wife’s plans usually work out extremely well, although this one was probably one of her best.’
I nodded. As a model of deception it could not have been bettered.
‘I’ll tell you something though, Francis.’
‘What?’
‘It was when I rode into London and everyone was cheering me that I thought to myself how easy this has all been.’
‘Well, the people love you, Richard, and admire what you have done.’
He smiled at me.
‘But it’s interesting that it’s actually a lot easier to gain power than you imagine.’
I was proud of his success, so I paid no real attention to the ambition concealed in his words.
Richard quickly consolidated his position. All lords were required to swear an oath of loyalty to the young king, and the coronation was arranged for the end of June. The young prince was lodged, at Buckingham’s suggestion, in the Tower. A committee was set up to work out how to persuade Elizabeth Woodville to come out from sanctuary, and the king’s council was strengthened by the addition of the Duke of Buckingham and a chubby lawyer called Catesby whom Hastings recommended.
I had little time for Buckingham. He had a naturally haughty manner and an overdeveloped sense of his own importance. He was quick-witted and spoke well, but instinctively I mistrusted him.
Catesby loathed him too; he had worked for Buckingham previously and spoke badly of him as he took me around London. He knew the city well and we must have dined together half a dozen times. Gradually I came to appreciate the depth of his intellect and his shrewdness, but I was unprepared when he asked if he might be permitted to serve the Duke of Gloucester.
He plucked at his red and white doublet as he spoke. It was curious for a man of his age how colourful and youthful his clothes were, and I found his habit of sniffing his scented handkerchief oddly effeminate.
I forced my mind back to the subject.
‘But you are Lord Hastings’ man. You’re on his baronial council.’
‘Which would, I imagine, make me extremely valuable to the Duke of Gloucester,’ chuckled Catesby. ‘How useful it would be for him to know what was going on in the minds of Lord Stanley and Lord Hastings.’
‘You’ll consider the matter, my lord?’ Catesby enquired.
‘I’ll mention it to Richard Ratcliffe.’
‘The busiest man in London,’ sighed Catesby. What an honour it would be to serve under him!’
Catesby’s description of Ratcliffe was highly accurate. Ratcliffe was to be found everywhere in London these days, using all opportunities to sing the praises of Richard of Gloucester.
He was singularly successful in his propaganda, but then people were open to hearing reassuring words. Slurs and rumours were flying around and many people knew nothing of the Duke of Gloucester. They wanted to know that he was an honest brother and uncle. It pleased them to know that he cared equally for both great and lowly people, and he was desirous only of working with all men harmoniously in good Christian fellowship.
Ratcliffe was also sufficiently experienced to know that one of the easiest ways to build someone up is to denigrate their opponents. Consequently, his arrival in London coincided with a spate of derogatory rumours about the Woodvilles. At times he went too far. His attempt to persuade the citizens of the city that four wagonloads of rusty armour left over from the Scottish wars was conclusive proof that the Woodvilles had been planning a coup, had been received with polite scepticism. But with so much gossip in the air though, this was speedily forgotten. To my surprise he was greatly excited at the prospect of acquiring a spy in Lord Hastings’ camp.
‘He could be very useful indeed.’
‘I can’t see why; Hastings is an ally. Richard’s only going to be protector for the next three years then Prince Edward will become king’
Ratcliffe shook his head impatiently.
‘In theory if no one thought about their own advancement we could use the three or four years to give Prince Edward an excellent start. But it’s not working out like that.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because, after Richard himself, Buckingham is now the most important person in government and Hastings doesn’t like that. He’s jealous of him, as is Lord Stanley. They don’t like the fact that Buckingham has been given most of Wales. They take issue with Northumberland who is likely to be given extra powers in the North and they certainly don’t like the new men, like you and me, influencing Richard. Hastings and his allies want to regain their old power.’
‘But unless Richard rewards his supporters, few of them are going to follow him,’ I protested.
‘But there’s not enough to satisfy everyone,’ Ratcliffe snapped. ‘There’s another problem too. What happens to Richard in three or four years’ time? The young king will inevitably lean towards his own family. Currently, Richard’s arrested two of them, and the remainder are so terrified of him that they have either fled or taken sanctuary. They’ll be looking for revenge in time.’
‘Well, Richard could release Earl Rivers and the queen’s son Grey and try to make peace with the Woodvilles now.’
‘Buckingham wouldn’t allow that and nor would Hastings and Stanley. The Woodvilles would demand a substantial share of power immediately and the only way that they could be satisfied is if other people had less.’
He groaned and put his head in his hands.
‘On the one hand, Richard has the threat of the Woodvilles in the future but, on the other, he has the immediate problem that the council are not being particularly supportive. Maybe there is a way forward, Francis, but I can’t see it and it would be useful to have a spy in Catesby At least he could tell us what Hastings and his crew are thinking.’
Anne Neville listened intently to my analysis of the situation in London but made no comment. When I had finished, she continued to sit motionless in her tall carved chair. Presently she roused herself to look at me directly.
‘Did my husband let it be known to anyone that he had sent you to me, Francis?’
‘No, my lady. It was put about that I would be serving on Commissions of Peace in East Yorkshire, Northamptonshire and…’
‘Excellent. Now tell me, did my husband remember to request the council to grant him an extension of the protectorship from four to thirteen years?’
He had and that was why I was with Anne Neville now. Richard had sent me to discuss the matter with Lord Stanley Predictably, he heard me out in silence, the deep grooves between his eyes growing deeper.
‘But why does Gloucester want such an extension, Francis?’ he asked. ‘I’ll grant you that our young prince is a trifle young to become king at sixteen or seventeen, but why should he wait until he’s twenty-five?’
‘In thirteen years’ time, the Woodvilles would be a spent force and there will be no revenge taken against Gloucester or Buckingham. Also, in fairness, the extension of the protectorship gives the young prince a chance to gain more experience. He’ll be mature by th
e time he comes to the throne.’
‘Assuming he does actually come to the throne! Francis, let me talk to Hastings. I’ll revert to you.’
Surprisingly, Hastings’ response was quick. I doubt whether he even bothered to think about it. He and the other lords in council were the devoted servants of the late King Edward. His heir had a legal right to inherit the throne. He, Lord Hastings, would have failed his late friend and master if the boy did not take up his crown when he was entitled to do so. With regard to the position of the Duke of Gloucester and Buckingham at that time, Lord Hastings regretted the situation but their role would come to an end then.
‘That ungrateful old fool!’ hissed Anne Neville. ‘The extension of the protectorate would have made my husband safe.’
Her hand shook with fury for a moment until she composed herself
‘What message would you have me take back to Richard, my lady?’ I asked a moment later.
Her fingers softly drummed the armrest of her chair and her blue eyes focused on the wall above my head; she ignored me completely as she marshalled her thoughts. I waited patiently until she was ready.
‘There are three messages, Francis. The first one is the longest. Tell my husband that with the failure of the council to grant him an extension of the protectorate he has no choice but to pursue a path which he and I have already discussed. He should begin to make preparations immediately’
‘The second, my lady?’
‘I will arrive to assist him early in June.’
‘And the third?’
Her pale blue eyes shone with amusement.
‘Tell him to make you chief butler.’
I must have looked puzzled. Anne Neville sat upright, smiling slightly at some secret joke before turning back to me.
‘I understand that one of your ancestors was Chief Butler of Normandy’
I had forgotten telling Richard the story that Henry Lovell had narrated.
‘And, under the circumstances, it seems particularly appropriate that you become the Chief Butler of England. Now Francis, you’ll have time to see your wife quickly before you return to London. Tell her that she’s always in my thoughts.’
I waited with Ratcliffe outside the council chamber at Crosby Place; it was where Richard had based us while we were in London20. It appeared that the Duke of Buckingham was with Gloucester, and it was well known that when the two of them were together there could be no interruptions.
Ratcliffe brought me up to date on the situation in London. On the face of it, everything was proceeding normally. Merchants were going about their business, and the government was running smoothly. All the great offices of state – the justices, the heads of the Exchequers, the offices of Chancery and the Privy Seal – were functioning as before.
‘The coronation committee under the new chancellor, Bishop Russell, seems busy too,’ Ratcliffe continued. ‘It’s getting a bit awkward though since most of the next king’s relatives are either fled, under arrest or still in sanctuary.’
‘Is the situation with Hastings any better?’
There were raised voices now in the council chamber, although the words were indistinct. We looked at each other awkwardly.
‘If anything it’s getting worse. Catesby reports that Hastings, Stanley, Bishop Morton and the rest of them feel totally excluded from power now. They are demanding that Richard gets rid of Buckingham. But I suspect support for them is gradually beginning to erode. Did you know that Lord Howard has left Hastings and has joined Richard’s party now?’
‘Because he believes that Hastings is wrong not to extend the period of the protectorship?’
Ratcliffe chuckled.
‘Catesby would have liked to hear you say that! No of course not, Francis. Lord Howard has ambitions to become the Duke of Norfolk; he has a claim that the late King Edward rather neatly blocked. Howard’s price for his support of Gloucester is simple. He becomes Duke of Norfolk and his eldest son will be the Earl of Surrey’
The council door was flung open and Buckingham emerged, snapping his fingers for his attendants. He nodded to me and, by the keen expression in his swarthy features, I guessed that he had a question for me. But then his eyes flicked to Ratcliffe and, changing his mind, he moved away.
Ratcliffe gestured to the council chamber.
‘I imagine that Richard will want to see you first.’
CHAPTER 14
Ever since he had arrived in London, Richard had been in black. The natural assumption of any onlooker was that he wore the dark shade to mourn his brother, Edward. In reality it was part of Ratcliffe’s strategy; he had argued that not only did the colour give its wearer a natural gravitas and air of authority, but its sombreness, when contrasted to the brightness of the clothes worn by many of the nobility, emphasised Richard’s serious nature.
Catesby, whose tunics according to Ratcliffe were growing increasingly brighter, had naturally criticised the idea, but as I approached Richard I thought how well the colour suited him. His features were composed and he appeared calm, but I noticed that he played with the jewelled rings on his hands incessantly.
‘Your message, Francis?’ his voice was flat.
I reported the first two messages. He looked stern as he heard them, but then he glanced at me quickly.
‘There was nothing else?’
‘She said that you are to make me chief butler.’
A thin smile crossed his pale face. He was relaxed now and gestured to a large crossbow that lay on the table next to him. With curiosity, I moved over to examine it and then gave a gasp of surprise for, save its cord, the crossbow was made entirely of metal.
‘It’s the future,’ Richard quietly advised me.
‘Where did you get it? I’m not too sure about it being the weapon of the future though; it seems a bit heavy.’
‘It was a present from Lord Howard. So I am to make you chief butler, Francis. Do you know what a chief butler’s role is? He, among other things, has to provide service to the king at his coronation or at his coronation banquet.’
I thoroughly dislike ceremonial duties.
‘I’m not really sure that I would be the best person for the job.’
‘I am. Not many families can claim to have been chief butler in two different countries.’
I cursed my long-dead Norman ancestor and my own folly in mentioning the matter. Probably Richard thought that he was doing me a favour.
‘So I am to be chief butler at Prince Edward’s coronation?’
‘Well, not exactly.’
His fingers stole back to his jewelled rings. He looked at me in silence. I looked back at him in bewilderment and then my heart sank as I finally understood.
He had the grace to hear me. In the spirit of friendship and loyalty, I had to tell him the fears that I harboured. He listened carefully as I put it to him that he was neither the lawful heir to the throne nor was he up to the task of being king. There are many times that I have to think before I speak but this was not one of them. I spoke simply and from the heart in order to persuade Richard not to do what he intended to do. He was calm, so calm indeed that by the time I finished speaking I was beginning to doubt my own argument. After I had stuttered out the last of my words, he invited me to be seated and systematically set out to refute the points I had made.
‘Let me speak of the protectorate. Would you not agree that it was necessary for me to become protector in order to prevent the Woodvilles from taking over the government of England?’
‘Yes I do.’
‘And would you not agree that by becoming protector, civil war has been averted between Hastings’ party and the Woodvilles?’
‘Yes, that’s true.’
‘Then can you explain to me how I am to protect myself and my allies, Buckingham and Northumberland, from the vengeance of the Woodvilles in a few years’ time?’
‘No I can’t.’
‘I believe there are two possible methods. The first is practical but totally dish
onourable. To save myself I could make an immediate alliance with the Woodvilles. They would probably agree to it but would want a substantial share of power immediately. This could only be achieved by taking such power from my own supporters; I would probably have to sacrifice the lives of men such as Buckingham to appease the Woodvilles. Surely you agree that to abandon men who have assisted me in order to save myself would be totally dishonourable?’
‘Yes I do.’
‘And even if I pursued this route, there would be no guarantee that in a few years’ time the young king and his Woodville family might not seek to take belated revenge on me. Then the only other way I can look to safeguard myself and my allies is to extend the length of the protectorate, but the council has refused this. Seemingly they have little or no concern for my fate. Despite everything I have done to preserve order and uphold the rule of law, they are content to throw me to the wolves. Perhaps I am mistaken. Do you view the council’s action – or lack of action – in a different light?’
‘No yours is the only possible conclusion.’
‘Have you considered another point which Buckingham has raised with me? In all the divisions that would arise in England in three or four years, when I step down as protector is it not possible that the Lancastrian claimant to the throne of England might take advantage of the chaos to make a bid for England’s crown? Do you wish to plunge England back into the wars between Henry Tudor’s Lancastrians and the divided House of York?’
‘Of course not!’
‘Nor am I alone in my belief that only through me becoming king could all these dangers be avoided. The lords would support me. Buckingham would keep Wales safe, Northumberland could be relied upon in the North and Lord Howard could hold East Anglia. Of course, the northern lords would rejoice to have one of their own on England’s throne and, in turn, I could help the North far more if I was king. Do you disagree with any of this?’
‘No, except I mistrust Buckingham.’
‘You’ll find that you’re wrong there, Francis,’ he said with a smile. ‘He was wholly supportive of my wife’s idea when I went through it with him. His view was that I was merely doing my duty and had only the best interests of England at heart. He said that his role must be to ensure that I became king in order that I may fulfil my destiny.’