The Disappearing Rose

by Renee Duke

  “Ned,” he called, weaving in and out of the crowd to join him.

  Ned turned and gave him a look that was a mixture of surprise and relief. “Dane! It has been such a long time.”

  “How long?”

  “Nigh on a year.”

  Even longer than before, thought Dane. Inspecting him, he could see Ned was taller than he had been, and now looked closer to Paige’s age than his own.

  “Are you going somewhere?” he asked, nodding toward the soldiers.

  “To London, to claim my throne.”

  “Your throne? Then your father must…” Dane trailed off.

  “He was out fishing,” said Ned. “’Twas quite cold. He took a chill, and then a fever, and…and he…” His eyes moist, he was unable to finish.

  “I’m sorry,” Dane said awkwardly.

  “’Twas so unexpected,” said Ned. “I did not think to be king for many a year yet. Still, it must be as God wills it,” he added, straightening his shoulders. “Where are your sister and cousin? Did they not accompany you?”

  “They weren’t feeling well. What about Dickon? Is he here?”

  Ned shook his head. “Would that he were. I long for his company at this time.” He managed a faint smile. “But ’tis good to have yours. Will you come with me to London?”

  “London? Well…yes, I guess I could. The medallion will take me back to Ludlow after. I think. But will your uncle let me?”

  Ned regarded him imperiously. “I am now the king. It is for me to say.”

  When informed that Dane was to join them, Earl Rivers gave a wry smile. “So, the news has brought you from Shrewsbury, has it, Master Wolverton? Lord Hastings has threatened to retire to Calais unless I limit the king’s escort to two thousand men, but I dare say a sprig of your size can scarce be counted.”

  A groom brought a horse for Dane. Half an hour later, he and Ned were on their way to London. They rode between Sir Thomas Vaughn and Ned’s tutor, Dr. Alcock. Dane’s mount was spirited, but manageable, which was just as well, for the pace Earl Rivers set was a fast one. It gave the boys little chance to talk. By the time they stopped for the night, they were too weary to do much but tumble into bed. Even so, Dane knew his presence was a comfort to Ned and was glad that he had made the time transfer when he did.

  Five days later, they reached Northampton. It was there that Ned’s uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, was supposed to meet up with them, but he had not yet put in an appearance. Soon after their own arrival, some other people rode in from London. With them was a nervous-looking young man Ned said was his half-brother, Lord Richard Grey. Earl Rivers spoke to his older nephew at great length and then came over to Ned.

  “We must move on,” he said, sounding displeased. “Northampton is not big enough to accommodate my Lord of Gloucester’s men as well as our own. We will go on to Stony Stratford. His forces can then lodge here.”

  “Should I not stay to greet my uncle?” Ned queried.

  “Nay!” said Earl Rivers sharply. “You must rest. We have been travelling hard. I will convey your apologies to him. Come now, to horse.”

  Stony Stratford was fourteen miles away. As soon as he had settled Ned into an inn called the Rose and Crown, Earl Rivers went back to Northampton with a number of attendants. None of them returned that night. Early the next morning, a detachment from Ned’s party set out for London, and the rest of the royal train made ready to follow them.

  “Why do we not wait for my Uncle Rivers?” Ned asked Sir Thomas. “He and my uncle of Gloucester will surely be arriving within the hour.”

  Sir Thomas looked troubled. “The earl left instructions that you were to leave for London with all possible speed this morning.”

  “Which we must do immediately,” said Lord Grey. “Get on your horse, Ned.”

  “Do not give me orders, sir.” Ned shot back. “Have you forgotten that I am now your king?”

  This royal rebuke caused Lord Grey to flush in what Dane was sure was more anger than embarrassment. Recovering himself, he made a half bow. “Forgive me. But our mother thinks it vital that we press on to London. Tarrying here could bring all her plans to naught.”

  “What plans?”

  “Why, the plans for your coronation, of course,” Lord Grey said smoothly.

  “My coronation is set for the fourth of May. ’Tis not even, as yet, the first. We will be entering London later this day. What difference can it make if that entrance is delayed by an hour or two?”

  “It can make all the difference when men mistrust the motives of your kinsmen, kinsmen who love you and seek only to serve and advise you. Our mother wants you safely in the capital, surrounded by those of our blood. ’Tis there we can best stand against those who would oppose us. Mount up, I pray you, and let us be on our way.”

  Ned and Dane got on their horses. Before they could turn to ride out, they heard other horses approaching. Moments later, a large number of soldiers rode into the yard. Some wore the badge of the White Boar, proclaiming themselves the Duke of Gloucester’s men. Others wore the Duke of Buckingham’s Stafford Knot. Springing down from their horses, they knelt before their new sovereign, Edward the Fifth.

  As Ned dismounted to accept their homage, two other men came forward. They also knelt, rising only at Ned’s bidding. The slightly built Duke of Gloucester was more handsome in person than he had appeared in the portraits Dane had seen of him. His penetrating gaze and steady jaw gave the impression of a quiet, thoughtful man, rather than the cold, calculating one the boy had been expecting. When he spoke, his voice was strong and authoritative but nonetheless pleasant.

  “I give you good greeting, nephew,” he said. “And my heartfelt condolences. My sorrow at this time is equal to your own. My royal brother was most dear to me.”

  “And you to him,” said Ned.

  “I offer my condolences, too, Your Grace,” said the other man. He spoke firmly, effortlessly but without, Dane thought, much sincerity. From his reading, he knew him to be Henry Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

  Ned acknowledged the sympathetic words with a nod. Seeing him then turn to scan the crowd, Duke Richard asked him if he was looking for someone.

  “I seek my governor, Earl Rivers. He went to Northampton last night. ’Twas my expectation that he would return with you this morning.”

  “I could not allow him to do so,” Duke Richard said quietly. “Your father named me Protector of the Realm. In order to carry out that office as he intended, I have been obliged to take certain actions you might find…distressing. Among them is the arrest of Earl Rivers.”

  “Arrest?” said Ned, his eyes widening in horror. “You have arrested Uncle Anthony? But why?”

  “He sought to have you enter London without me and place the governing of the realm in the hands of those who are not entitled to it.”

  “Not so,” Lord Grey protested, still sitting, white-faced, upon his horse, a horse now held by one of Duke Henry’s men. “Our uncle is a man of honour.”

  Duke Richard gave him a solemn look. “Once, mayhap. He has now cast honour aside and involved himself in a conspiracy that seeks to deprive me of the protectorship. A conspiracy you would appear to be full party to, Lord Grey. As is His Grace’s other brother, Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset.”

  “What my brother, the Marquis, might be plotting I cannot say,” said Ned, flustered. “He is indeed highhanded at times. But I am sure that Lord Grey and Earl Rivers are quite innocent of that which you accuse them.”

  Duke Richard shook his head. “They have dealings one of your youth and inexperience can have no knowledge of.”

  “Even so, I trust them. And I trust the governing of my realm to the lords of the realm. And to my mother, the queen.”

  “Look not to her for guidance,” said Duke Henry harshly. “’Tis for men to rule. Women have no place in such affairs.”

  Dane thought it was just as well Paige was not there to hear that.

  “Your realm has not, of late, been
governed as you imagine, nephew,” said Duke Richard. “The brief visits you have made to Court would not have allowed you to see the type of court it has become.” He paused and sighed regretfully. “It was once a great court of a great king. At the end of my royal brother’s reign, the interests of a few were being placed before the interests of the many. The king’s pleasure came ahead of all else. Those whom he considered friends brought him to shame and ruined his health. If permitted, they would do the same to you.”

  Lord Grey began to protest again. Tiring of him, Duke Henry snapped, “Be quiet, boy. We require no yapping from a Woodville whelp.”

  Duke Richard frowned. “Peace, cousin. Our royal nephew has Woodville blood. But ’tis the blood of the Plantagenets which he must look to now. His father’s blood. As directed by his father’s will.” He turned back to Ned. “I served your father with both love and loyalty. ’Twas that, as much as our nearness in blood that moved him to give me the running of your government during your young age. Do you accept the arrangements he has made for you?”

  Tight-lipped and pale, Ned said that he would not question his father’s choice. But his eyes were brimming with tears as he watched the arrest of Lord Grey, Sir Thomas, and certain others of his household. And he sobbed openly upon hearing the rest ordered back to their homes. When he was taken back inside the inn, it was by men who were strangers to him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Dane wandered into a nearby stable in a daze. Unable to accompany Ned, he could only return to the hotel in modern-day Ludlow and consult a much-improved Paige and Jack. Their mothers were in Mrs. Kemp’s room, so it was safe to talk.

  “Wow, I didn’t think that much time would have gone by,” Paige said, astounded. “Ned’s uncle’s already taken his throne.”

  “No, he hasn’t. He was just trying to get Ned away from the Woodvilles when he caught up with him at Stony Stratford. And I think they probably were plotting something. Lord Grey seemed pretty anxious to get to London. I remember reading that as soon as the Woodvilles knew Ned was with Duke Richard, they went into a panic. Once they’d divided up King Edward's treasure, the queen took Dickon and the girls into Sanctuary at Westminster Abbey. Her oldest son, the Marquis of Dorset, claimed Sanctuary there too, and one of her brothers hopped on a ship and put out to sea. I don’t remember where the others went, but it’s a safe bet they didn’t hang around London waiting for Duke Richard.”

  “We’ll be back in London by mid-afternoon,” said Jack. “If we can talk our mothers into taking us to the Tower before we go home, the medallion might give us a connection with Ned and Dickon that doesn’t jump as far ahead as the last one did. I know that wouldn’t be in keeping with its pattern, but I think the pattern’s going to change.”

  “How come?” said Dane.

  “Just a theory I have. I’ll tell you about it later if it seems to be working out.”

  While they were having lunch on the train, Paige asked her mother if they could visit the Tower before heading back to Windsor with Mr. Marchand and Uncle Gareth. The two men were in London on business that day and were supposed to meet them at the train station.

  “I suppose we could,” said Mrs. Marchand. “You and Jack are obviously better. It’ll be close to three o’clock by the time we get there, so there shouldn’t be too long a queue for your dad to moan about. I don’t know how Uncle Gareth will feel about it, though. He’s been looking a bit drained of late. He might want to go straight home.”

  “Don’t be silly,” said Aunt Augusta. “He’d live at the Tower if the yeoman warders would let him.”

  Mr. Marchand and Uncle Gareth met them as arranged and agreed to take them to the Tower. But when Paige said they were going to change into their costumes and get Mr. Marchand to take a picture of them in front of the famous structure, her father showed some concern.

  “You’re going to wear your costumes? In public? With hundreds of tourists staring at you? Are you sure this kid’s better, Tania? I think she’s turned feverish.”

  “Dane dared me to do it,” Paige told him. “If I don’t, I’ll have to buy all the ice cream the next time the truck comes round. And you know how tight-fisted I am.”

  “With your own money, yeah. You can usually spend mine quite well. How much is this Tower jaunt going to set me back?”

  “Quite a lot,” said Mrs. Marchand. “There’ll be entrance fees for the seven of us, a meal afterwards, a guidebook, a few souvenirs...”

  Mr. Marchand sighed. “I had to ask.”

  They rode to the Tower on the London Underground and found only a handful of people at the entrance gate beside the River Thames. That late in the day, the number of visitors inside the grounds had begun to decline as well, and since it was not unusual for costumed performers to stroll around giving historical presentations, they drew only a few curious looks when they came out of the public washrooms in medieval raiment.

  Uncle Gareth’s fondness for the Tower had led him to take his son there on numerous occasions. Jack was very familiar with its layout, and this was a leading factor in the children being allowed to go off on their own. The other was the presence of the Yeoman Warders.

  “You’ve no cause to worry,” Uncle Gareth assured Mr. and Mrs. Marchand. “The Warders aren’t just here to conduct tours and add decoration. They do actually guard this fortress and have all spent a goodly number of years in the armed services.”

  “Which means no one’s likely to try to abduct us while they’re around,” Paige added soothingly.

  As soon as Mr. Marchand had taken their picture, she and the boys raced off to what had once been the royal apartments. There were not many tourists there, but it took them a while to find a room from which they could make their time transfer without being observed by anyone.

  “The bands worked,” Jack informed his cousins as the mist faded. “I don’t feel at all nauseous.”

  The room was as devoid of people as it had been in their own time, but they could hear voices nearby. One was Ned’s, dismissing someone. Scurrying into the shadows, they waited until a teenage boy had gone safely by before they went to join Ned, who was standing at a window watching boats go up and down the Thames.

  “Oh, ’tis you,” he said, hurrying toward them with a smile. “I did not think to see you again so soon. But much has happened since you left me at Stony Stratford, Dane.”

  “Is Dickon here?” asked Paige, looking around.

  “He joins me today. My uncle of Gloucester is fetching him at this very moment. I have been quite busy of late but am now temporarily at leisure, awaiting his arrival. Sit you down. I will have refreshments brought.” He went to the door. “Otes! Otes! Come in here at once. I have guests, and you are neglecting them.”

  The boy who came in answer to his summons was the one who had passed them earlier. He gave a start when he saw Dane and the others. “I crave pardon, Your Grace. I was not aware that guests had arrived.” He paused, a confused look on his face. “I was in this chamber but a moment ago. How…how could they have entered it without my seeing them?”

  “’Tis not for you to be concerned with how they entered,” Ned said loftily. “’Tis enough that they are here, and that I require you to serve them.”

  “Your Grace.” Otes bowed and withdrew.

  “Sit you down,” Ned said again, settling himself onto a low couch piled with velvet cushions. “I will give you an account of all that has happened.” He waited until they had seated themselves on some carved wooden chairs standing beneath a rich tapestry. “I have not yet been crowned. My uncle of Gloucester did not bring me to London until what would have been my coronation day. That date was planned in too much haste, however. ’Tis now set for this coming Sunday and will be a much grander affair. I have seen some of the garments Master Curteys has made for me. They are quite splendid.” His voice had risen enthusiastically but fell as he continued, “’Tis most vexing to think my royal mother and other Woodville relatives will not be at my coronation. I fea
r they have set themselves at odds with my uncle of Gloucester. He is the one my father decreed should hold all power now.”

  “Why?” Paige queried. “You’re the king.”

  Ned shrugged. “I must have a Protector during my young age. And ’tis he my father appointed to the task.”

  “Do you like him?”

  “I scarce know him. ’Twas Christmas when I last saw him. He did not oft attend my father’s court. But my father loved him dearly. He trusted him with all manner of important affairs. I must do the same. I have no other family about me.” He sighed. “My mother is in Sanctuary at Westminster, you know. She says she will not come out. ’Tis not likely that she will either. She is well used to living there. Just before I was born, the Lancastrians managed to wrest back the throne my father had so valiantly won at the Battle of Towton. When he was forced to flee to Burgundy, he was unable to take my mother with him. She took Sanctuary at Westminster and gave birth to me there. ’Twas months before my father regained his throne and she could bring me and my sisters out in safety.”

  “Why’s Dickon coming out today if the others aren’t?” asked Dane.

  “I asked my uncle to bring him to me. Methinks that request fell in with what he planned to do anyway. As soon as they knew I was in his charge, some of my mother’s advisors wanted to crown Dickon instead of me. She did not allow it, of course, but Dickon is next in line to the throne. My uncle would be foolish to let us be kept apart.”

  There was a sudden commotion in the next room.

  “Is that them coming now?” Paige asked.

  In answer, Dickon burst into the room and ran to hug Ned. Behind him, an elderly man made a bow. “Here is the Duke of York, delivered to Your Grace just as your uncle of Gloucester and I did promise.”

  “Thank you, my Lord of Canterbury,” said Ned, pushing Dickon back, so he could get a good look at him. “And welcome to you, brother. Did our mother agree to your coming?”

  “She was not much in favour, but I begged her to allow it. ’Tis so dull in Sanctuary. Our sisters were right vexed when she would not let them leave too.” He gave his brother another hug. “Oh, Ned, I am so pleased to see you. And you,” he said, turning to Dane and the others. “I was not expecting you to be here.”