"He was only waiting for my consent and now that I have said I will marry him there should be no delay."
Later that day a messenger came with the news that if I would make myself ready a guard would come to escort me to the Tower where I might see the prisoner, Margaret of Anjou.
Isabel was amazed.
I said: "I told Richard that I was unhappy about the queen and should like to see her, so he has arranged this for me."
"To prove he will do anything for you!"
My spirits were high. I said blithely: "It would seem that that is so.
"He must have asked the king himself. No one else would have dared give permission for you to visit such an enemy."
"She is a poor, tired, lonely, unhappy woman."
"She is a lioness, momentarily caged. Such a woman would be capable of anything. I am indeed surprised that this visit is allowed. As I said, it clearly shows what Richard will do for you."
She kissed me. It was wonderful to see her pleasure in my happiness.
I shall never forget my meeting with Margaret.
She was there in her dark cell a strongly guarded prisoner, a proud woman in defeat; but somehow she managed to create an aura of majesty.
They told me I was to have a visitor," she said.
"I did not expect it to be you."
She was pleased to see me and I was so glad that I had come. She knew it would not have been easy to get permission.
"I have thought of you so much," I said.
"You, too, have been in my thoughts. Are they treating you well?"
"I am with my sister."
"And your mother?"
"She must remain in sanctuary at Beaulieu."
"So it is only you who has been forgiven."
"It would seem so. I am to marry the Duke of Gloucester."
"The little duke! Ha! My boy was tall and handsome. What we have missed, you and II"
I said: "I have known the Duke of Gloucester since my childhood. We have always been friends. I am very happy because I am to many him."
She did not answer. She was staring ahead of her and I wondered whether my coming had reminded her of her son. But I immediately told myself that he would always be in her thoughts.
"I hope they are treating you well. I said.
They let me know I am their prisoner."
"You would like to return to France?"
She nodded.
"My father will be anxious for me. The King of France is my friend. They may do something ... but does it matter now?"
"Indeed it matters. When you are free from this place you will be yourself again."
"I have lost my son. I have lost everything that meant anything to me. They have murdered my husband."
They say he died of melancholy."
Her laugh was bitter, without mirth.
"What will they say I died of? Frustration? Humiliation?"
"You are not dead, my lady. Spirits such as yours do not die easily."
"Why should I want to live? Tell me that.""Who can say what the future holds?"
"I have lost everything. I sit here and wonder, could I have changed anything? Could I have acted differently?"
"Wars are terrible. They destroy people and countries. We should all be better without them."
"What is right must be fought for. The tragedy is when evil prevails."
I looked at her sadly. I could see that her downfall had been because she had never been able to see another point of view than her own and she had an innate belief that she must be right. Poor Margaret!
"And you, child." she said.
"You were thrust into this melee to serve your father's ends. I know your heart is with York ... because of this boy ... this little duke. And now, strangely enough, you are to get your heart's desire. You are young and I am old. But I was your age once. Do you know I was fifteen exactly a month before I married Henry? I came to England. I was beautiful, full of health and good spirits. They cheered me in the streets of London then. The daisy was my emblem. It was displayed everywhere. Henry was so proud of me and I was pleased with him. Oh, how alarming it is for a young girl to be presented to a husband she has never seen! Even the fact that her husband is the king of a great country does not subdue the fear. Henry was so kind, so gentle. I thought I was going to be the luckiest girl in the world."
"I understand," I said.
"The Cardinal Beaufort ... he was my friend ... and then there was the Duke of Suffolk who brought me over and who won my confidence from the beginning. I felt I had the kindest of husbands and friends already in my new country. Where did it go wrong?"
I might have hazarded a guess. It went wrong because Henry was weak and had inherited insanity from his grandfather Charles the Mad; it went wrong because she herself attempted to dominate those about her, because she was arrogant, inexperienced and a foreigner: and because the rival House of York was reaching for the throne.
"The people did not like me." she went on.
"They hate people to be in command if they are not of their blood. They said Henry could not beget a child and that I was too friendly with Suffolk.
They implied that Suffolk was the father of my child. The cruel lies! They would say anything to discredit me. I hated them."
There was too much hatred." I said.
"Life is cruel. When I was with child I was so happy ... so certain that everything would be all right. They did not hate Henry as they hated me. He was so benign, so gentle, so patient, but, of course, he loved learning more than power. He wanted to be a scholar. How happy he would have been in a monastery ... or a church -although many men of the Church seem to be as ambitious as all others. But Henry was doomed from birth. And then, when we might have had a chance ... the madness overtook him. Do you know he was not aware that he had a son? For months after the birth he was unaware of it."
I said: "I know of this. You have told me. Put it out of your mind. Do not speak of it. Do not brood on it if it makes you unhappy."
"It is engraved on my mind. I could not forget it. I cannot believe that I shall never see my son again. I brought him up to be strong ..."
I shuddered, thinking of his asking that men should be beheaded, and sitting beside his mother, watching the executions. Poor child! Poor Margaret! She had made him what he was and what that was I was not sure. I only knew that I had glimpsed cruelty in him and the thought of being married to him had terrified me. I could only rejoice at my escape, though my escape meant her torment.
"I shall never forget Hexham." she said, for it was no use my trying to stop her thoughts going to the past, and with me beside her she must speak of those terrifying events in her life.
"That was a bitter defeat for us. The enemy were in command of the field. Henry had escaped. He never had a taste for battle and was always eager to get away from it as soon as he could. I was there with my son ... a little lad then. I knew they would kill him if they caught him. He was only a child, but he represented a threat to them. He was heir to the throne and while he lived there would always be a rival to York. He was more important to them than Henry. Henry would never be a true ruler, but if Henry died the rightful king would be my boy. They would take the first opportunity of killing him. What could we do? We were without men, even without horses. I took the boy's hand and fled with him into the forest."
"Where were you going?""I did not know. All I wanted was to put a distance between us and the Yorkist army. So into the forest we went. I told myself we would meet someone who would be loyal to us ... who would help us. But we had not gone far when we ran into a gang of thieves. They surrounded us. I shall never forget how their eyes glinted when they saw the jewels on our clothes. They proceeded to rob us. We had stepped from one danger to another."
I reached out and took her hand.
"Please do not speak of it. It distresses you."
She smiled sadly.
"It is over. I have suffered far worse than that encounter. I would rather be in th
at forest surrounded by robbers than here in this doleful prison. We had good fortune there, for while the robbers were quarrelling among themselves over our jewels, I saw the opportunity to escape. I took Edward's hand and we plunged into the forest. The trees were thick and close together and we were soon out of their view."
"You will escape from this place," I said.
"I know it. Your spirit is too strong to be suppressed. Was it not always so?"
"But now I am old I have no one to care for."
"You have your home ... your father. You love him. You would rejoice to see him again."
She nodded.
"Yes ... yes, that is true. And in the forest there was some good luck. We had not gone far when we came face to face with another robber. He was different from the others a tall man of rather noble countenance and somewhat courtly manners. He was an outlaw. I presented my son to him. I said, "This is the son of your king. Save him." I had taken a chance, and it was strange, for a change came over his countenance. He was touched, perhaps by my pleading, perhaps by Edward's beauty and dignity. He said, "Follow me," and he took us to a hut which he inhabited with his wife. They fed us and led us to safety."
"Who was he?"
"A Lancastrian gentleman who had lost his home and fortune in the wars and taken to the life of an outlaw in the forest."
"It is an inspiring story." I said.
"I am glad you told me. Does it not put new hope into you?"
"You comfort me," she said.
"Tell me. Why did they let you come to see a dangerous prisoner such as I?"
"Perhaps they do not think you are dangerous."
"As long as I live they will regard me as such."
"I think the Duke of Gloucester pleaded with his brother the king, because he knew how much I wanted to see you."
"I shall remember that," she said.
"It will help me through the days of darkness."
"Then I am doubly glad I came."
Still gripping my hand, she said: "Life is strange. Here are you, the daughter of the man whom for so long I regarded as my greatest enemy, and out of your compassion you are the only one who comes to cheer me."
"You were friendly with my father at one time."
"That was not friendship. For him it was vengeance on the man he had set up and who had defied him. He used me for that purpose. As for myself, I knew this. I merely wanted to use his revenge for my purpose. That is not friendship."
"How I wish it had never been."
"The tragedy is that that is the wish of most of us at some time in our lives."
"I must go," I said.
"My visit was to be only brief."
"I shall never forget that you came."
She took me into her arms.
"The pity of it," she said.
"You and I have known true friendship. In spite of ourselves, love sprang between us."
"I shall pray for you. I told her.
"And I for you. All happiness to you, my child ... who should have been my daughter."
"I always loved Richard of Gloucester." I said. She smiled at me sadly and the guard came to take me away.
When I returned to Warwick Court, Isabel was waiting for me. She listened, not very attentively, to my account of my visit to the Tower and then suddenly burst out: "George is displeased!"
I looked at her in astonishment.
"Why?" I asked.
"It is really about you and Richard. He does not think it is right."
"I do not understand."
"He says you are too young and inexperienced for marriage."
"What does he mean? Most people of my age would be married by now. I should have been married already if Edward had lived."
"George is against it, Anne."
"It is not his affair." "It is, because the king made him your guardian. I believe you cannot marry without his consent."
"This is nonsense. Richard had actually talked of our marriage with the king who has given his consent."
"George insists that the king has made him your guardian and your betrothal therefore is his responsibility."
"It is all a misunderstanding, I am sure."
"George is truly angry."
"If George is displeased by the match I am sorry, but that is not going to stop Richard and me doing what we want to."
"I think it could, Anne."
"I never heard anything like this."
"George says that Richard only wants to marry you because you are an heiress."
"I am sure Richard thought of no such thing."
"Don't be simple, Anne. Of course he thought of it. You know our father was the richest man in England. Our mother has a great deal, too. You and I have a large inheritance."
"I thought our father's estates would be confiscated, for according to the king, he died a traitor."
"I do not know about that. Many of his estates were brought to him by our mother and George says that because I am his wife they now belong to him and me."
"Shouldn't they belong to our mother?"
"We are not sure whether she is judged a traitor or not. She is really under restraint and cannot leave Beaulieu, so she is in a way a prisoner. I had not thought of these things, but George knows, of course."
"Is that why George married you?"
She flushed hotly.
"George and I were in love when we were at Middleham."
"So were Richard and I"
"Well, George is against it. He is going to the king to protest."
"Richard will also go the king, I am sure."
Then it will depend on which one wins with the king."
"It will be Richard, of course."
"Why?"
"Need you ask? Not so long ago, George was fighting with our father against the king. He wanted the throne for himself, and he married you because you were our father's daughter ... a great heiress. All that time Richard was faithful to his brother, the king. So I am sure that he will choose to be on Richard's side in a conflict like this."
"I do not believe that. He gave his word to George that he was to be your guardian."
The guardian of my fortune, do you mean?" I thought Isabel was going to strike me. She turned and walked deliberately away.
Later George made a point of seeing me. He was suave and his anger had evidently calmed a little: I just saw a gleam in his eyes which betrayed it.
"My dear Anne," he said.
"I wanted a word with you. I believe Isabel has spoken to you?"
"She told me that you do not approve of my proposed marriage."
The king has appointed me as your guardian, and your happiness is a matter of concern to me."
"It would not seem so my lord, for my happiness lies with Richard."
He smiled at me with a show of patient indulgence.
"My dear little Anne, you are young. You know nothing of the world. Why, but a short time ago you were betrothed to Henry's son."
"I was considered to be old enough by my father."
"A marriage of expediency that would have been."
"It would seem that many marriages are, and if one can make one for love, how fortunate that is!"
"Romantic dreams are very pleasant, but they are often out of touch with reality. Do you think your marriage to my brother would be one of love on his side?"
"I know it. You forget, Richard and I know each other well. We were together at Middleham."
"Do you know what Richard wants?"
"He wants to marry me, for he has told me this."
"He wants to marry your fortune, child."
"As you did Isabel's? No. Richard does not want that."
"You speak foolishly. I married Isabel because I loved her as she did me."
Then, as you were not greatly concerned about her fortune, you will understand our feelings ... Richard's and mine.""I was never concerned about such matters, but I cannot say the same for my brother."
"You are indifferent then to money ...
to power? You lack his ambition?"
He knew it was a reference to his traitorous act when he had believed he had a chance of gaining the crown.
"I am as ambitious as most men, but I know what is more important." He was lying, and he was aware that I knew it. I guessed that soon his anger would break out.
"I should tell you," I said firmly, "that I intend to marry Richard."
"Remember that I am your guardian and I am determined that you shall not be forced into marriage with the first fortune hunter who comes along."
"You speak of Richard thus?"
"Richard wants your fortune, and therefore he can be so termed. But I shall protect you from him ... and from yourself. It is my duty."
I said: "I believe Richard will not submit to your wishes."
"I repeat: he seeks marriage with you because of your fortune. The Earl of Warwick's estates are large. He wants a share. It is as simple as that. He would marry you and then make sport with his mistress. Did you know he had a son not very long ago?" He was watching me closely, expecting to see the horror on my face.
I said coolly: "I did know of this. Richard told me."
"And you said, "Very well, fair sir, I am content. Marry me and enjoy your mistress to your heart's content!" Is the title of the Duchess of Gloucester worth such humiliation, Anne?"
"I believe you yourself, my lord, were not entirely chaste before your marriage. Most young men are not. Marriage is sacred according to Holy Church. When we are married Richard and I will be faithful to each other."
"When he.had his hands on your fortune, you would see."
I understood perfectly. Isabel and I were joint heiresses. If I married we should have to share. He did not want that. He wanted me to remain unmarried. Then the whole would be Isabel's ... which meant his.
He sat there smiling, watching me. But it was an evil smile.
I was trembling a little, and I was afraid he would notice.
I stood up as firmly as I could.
"I will leave you now," I said.
"And I assure you that both Richard and I intend to marry each other."
He gave me a look of assumed sadness and said: "I am your guardian. I must do all I can to protect you." I turned and left him.
The Reluctant Queen Page 17