Wolf Wood (Part Two): The Dangerous years

by Mike Dixon

  Steven strained his ears, trying to capture whole sentences. All he got was the occasional key word. He made a mental note: Castillon, Talbot, Henry, Arundel, Bedlam. It wasn't much but it was a start.

  He sat back. The woman was probably Queen Margaret but he couldn't be sure. Henry was almost certainly the king. Bedlam was where they treated the mentally ill. His parents had been there to see someone. They wouldn't tell him about it and he saw no reason to tell them about the cow horn and what he had found out.

  Chapter 23

  Incognito

  Alice grasped Harald's arm. They didn't have much time to speak. She had been sitting quietly, doing her embroidery, when a royal messenger burst into the apartment. His face was flushed and he was out of breath. Dr John Arundel wanted them to go round to the hospital immediately. A carriage and escort were being arranged and would be ready within the hour.

  In the meantime, there were important matters to discuss. As always, the river bank was a convenient place to walk and talk in private. She waited until they were well clear of the gatehouse before speaking.

  'Why the urgency?' she asked.

  'It may have something to do with Talbot,' Harald replied. 'His death and the loss of Gascony have caused a major upset.'

  'What's that got to do with Bedlam?'

  'I'm merely speculating.'

  'There's no time for that,' Alice quickened her pace. 'I'm worried about those documents I was given to translate. We need to talk about them.'

  'Have you got them with you?'

  'Of course!

  She removed some papers from a bag that hung from her shoulder.

  'The Arabic texts concern the subject of madness in families that have become inbred. It's a delicate subject at the best of times.'

  'It can become very dangerous when the fate of the realm is involved,' Harald remarked dryly.

  'That's what worries me.' She handed him a sheaf papers. 'You've seen my translations. You said there was nothing exceptional in them. Do you still hold that view?'

  'There's nothing here that we didn't know already.' Harald thumbed through the papers. 'If Arundel expected something new he will be disappointed. The Moslems know no more than we do.'

  'Quite so. If families inbreed, traits become magnified. If they are undesirable traits then you can have undesirable outcomes.'

  'Any sheep breeder can tell you that,' Harald grunted. 'The generations are shorter so it doesn't take long to discover what can go wrong when you mate cousins with cousins. Sometimes desirable traits are enhanced. That's what we aim at. When the opposite happens, we serve the unfortunates up as lamb chops.'

  'That's not an option with royalty,' Alice smiled.

  'No. But it doesn't stop them doing it. The royal families of Christendom treat their sons and daughters like gaming pieces. Cousin marries cousin. Alliances are cemented and realms get bigger.'

  'That could be preferable to fighting.'

  'It comes at a price,' Harald returned the folios to her. 'King Henry's mother, Katherine, was the daughter of mad King Charles VI of France. Henry's father captured Charles after the Battle of Agincourt and married Katherine. It was his way of seizing the French throne.'

  'I agree that Henry is almost certainly a victim of inbreeding.'

  'Yes. But you must not say anything like that in public.' Harald raised a cautionary hand. 'Any disparaging remarks concerning the king's lineage could be regarded as treasonable.'

  A man approached along the footpath. Alice had seen him before. He worked in the palace and was often there, exercising greyhounds. She suspected that another of his duties was to provide information to the royal spies.

  'Good Morrow!'

  They exchanged greetings as he passed.

  Harald returned to their conversation. 'One wonders if it ever occurred to Henry V that, in marrying Katherine, he ran the risk of having children as mad as their French grandfather.'

  'It would be helpful to know the nature of his grandfather's illness,' Alice said. 'I can only suppose that the queen's father has looked into it. René d'Anjou is a most talented and thoughtful man.'

  Harald put his arm around her. 'My dear, if you are ever called before the queen, pour out your admiration for her esteemed father. She will love you for it.'

  'What do you know about Charles VI?'

  'He was a timid, sensitive man, born of a strong and resolute father.'

  'Just like our King Henry,' Alice observed.

  'Yes. And just like Henry, he couldn't cope with life when they made him king. His royal cousins caused him a lot of angst and his English relatives added to his troubles. On an expedition to Brittany, he ran amok and killed some of his entourage before he could be restrained. His court fell apart. He lost touch with reality and his nymphomaniac wife went from one lover to the next.'

  'Are you saying King Henry's mother had two mad parents?'

  'That would not be too great an exaggeration. But I wouldn't say it in public. As I have already remarked, that would be tantamount to treason.'

  Alice grasped his arm. 'I can't cope with this.'

  'What's the matter, my darling?'

  'I can't be myself. Every moment of the day, I have to watch my tongue and think of what could happen if I say the wrong thing. I have to be alert for people who might be spying on us even when we are out walking like now. You and Steven can manage this sort of existence ... I can't.'

  'It's not as difficult as you think, my darling.' Harald stopped and held her tight. 'All you have to do is follow a few simple rules.'

  She wiped her eyes.

  'First, don't venture anymore information than necessary. Second, take each new development as it comes …'

  Alice listened as he gave advice. A short way off, the man with the greyhounds had stopped and was watching them. Her worse fears were being realised. They should never have come to Westminster. Few people were cut out for such a life. She wasn't surprised that King Henry's grandfather lost his sanity.

  ***

  The women in the crowd made croaking noises. Then stones began to fly. They bounced off the roof of the carriage and the men of the guard lashed out with their poleaxes. Harald slammed down the shutters. Alice had wondered why royal coaches were so strongly built. Now she knew. They were made that way to protect the occupants from the London mob.

  'French Whore!'

  She guessed the venom was directed at her. That was nothing new. She had been through it in Normandy. There they yelled at her in French and called her an English whore. And they didn't croak. They barked to show their contempt for an English bitch.

  Did they think she was Queen Margaret?

  There wasn't time to think about it. People were screaming and whistles were blowing. She squinted through a gap in the shutters and saw uniformed men wearing the badge of the City of London. They waded into the crowd with truncheons and forced a passage for the carriage.

  It hit something soft and rumbled on its way. Alice heard screaming and feared they had run over someone. The carriage turned corners. She lost all sense of direction and had no idea where they were when the coach stopped. A heavy door banged shut behind them and the carriage door was thrown open. They had arrived at the hospital of Saint Mary of Bethlehem, otherwise known as Bedlam.

  An elegantly dressed man approached.

  'Thank you for coming so promptly, my lady.'

  She stepped from the carriage.

  'The seigneur awaits your presence.'

  He ignored Harald. Alice could scarcely believe what was happening. Did the man think Harald was her secretary or some other minion?

  'This way, please.'

  He swirled a gracious arm and indicated the direction she was expected to take. Alice picked up her skirts to lift them clear of the puddles in the forecourt. Servants appeared with a canopy to protect her from the rain. They crossed the forecourt and entered the stairway leading to John Arundel's chambers. She was being treated like royalty.

  Who
did they think she was?

  The door swung open and her presence was announced.

  'Sister Alice de Lambert.'

  John Arundel stood waiting to greet her with another man. She had not seen the queen's father before but recognised him immediately from his portrait. René d'Anjou took a step forward, extended a welcoming hand and greeted her in French.

  'Sister. This is a great pleasure.'

  She curtsied and replied in the same language.

  'Seigneur. The pleasure is mine.'

  'Pray. No formalities. I am here incognito. You must call me René and I shall call you Alice.' He turned to Harald. 'Sir. I trust that you will be happy for me to call you Harald. I have read so many of your dispatches I feel that we are already acquainted.'

  Harald stepped forward and bowed.

  'I would like to take this opportunity of thanking the seigneur for his assistance in arranging a peaceful outcome to the conflict at Bayeux.' He spoke in the stilted French used in diplomatic circles and was cut short.

  'Enough of such sad times.'

  Count René gestured for them to be seated.

  'I have invited you here so that I can have the pleasure of meeting two people who are renowned throughout Normandy for their kindness. Alice will long be remembered for her work with the midwives. You, Harald, are respected as an honest man who refused to show favour, sometimes at great risk to yourself.'

  His eyes wandered from one to the other.

  'You will perhaps have wondered why you were summoned to Westminster.'

  'We have indeed,' Harald said pointedly.

  'I recommended your wife to my daughter, Harald. Margaret is with child and I am concerned that she should be in expert hands during the last crucial months of her confinement. Alice is renowned for her skills as a midwife.'

  'And for her skills with the mentally ill,' John Arundel added.

  'Yes.' Count René nodded. 'My daughter's husband, King Henry, has a history of mental illness and it is best that you hear of it from me. Henry's mother, Katherine, and I are cousins. Her father, Charles, was unable to cope with the burdens of high office when he became king and his mind left him. The kingdom of France fell apart as royal cousins fought amongst themselves. I am sure you would not wish a similar fate to befall England.

  'I vividly recall making a visit to the royal palace as a small child,' Count René continued, My parents were horrified by what they found. Katherine and her brother were dressed in rags and filthy. Their mother had abandoned them and was with her latest lover. Their father was shut up in a corner of the palace. His mind had left him and he was eating off the floor like a dog. Neither he nor the children were receiving the care that a normal descent society would have provided. My father took possession of the children and they lived with us for a while. Both showed none of the mental instability that afflicted their parents ... but it has returned.'

  A silence ensued. Alice followed Harald's advice and said nothing. In the end, John Arundel spoke.

  'The seigneur wishes you to know that His Majesty is similarly afflicted. The symptoms are not as severe as those of his grandfather but they are serious. We are concerned that he be treated in a rational manner without reference to devils and demons as frequently happens. The seigneur has been informed that Alice's approach is to search out causes.'

  'I seek to lessen the traumas of mental instability,' Alice interjected. 'I have never claimed to cure the underlying condition.'

  She spoke without thinking and Count René replied immediately. The conversation was entirely in French. Harald sat back and was content to let his wife speak. The queen's father evidently had a high regard for his wife. They were about the same age and had similar interests. By royal standards, René was not a rich man but he exerted a considerable influence as an advisor to his cousin, Charles VII of France.

  Whether Margaret took as much notice of her father's advice was an open question. Harald had the impression that the relationship between father and daughter was far from smooth. He was learning a lot about the royal court. Steven would be intrigued by what he had found out but was far too young to be entrusted with such sensitive information. Harald looked forward to the day when he and his son could talk freely on important matters.

  Chapter 24

  Edward

  Ludlow castle had rarely been so packed. Munitions were piled in the forecourt and the meadows were crammed with tents. Robin had made special arrangements to bring in extra fodder and drinking water. The Earl of Salisbury and his son, Warwick, had arrived with a force of heavily armed men.

  Henriette climbed the stairs to the battlements and looked out onto the meadows. By a strange twist of fate, they were welcoming the Earl of Salisbury. Twelve years ago, she had fled from him. That was when Alice was being hunted as a witch.

  She was sixteen at the time and had led a sheltered life with Alice and Harald in their manor house in Wolf Wood. Four months later, she had grown used to her new life as a fugitive and was pregnant with Maud. The father was Robin. She seduced the one man who could protect her and had lived with him ever since.

  The charges against Alice were entirely false. She had become a pawn in the dangerous game of court politics. One side of the royal family was fighting the other for control of the king. They couldn't accuse a duke of using sorcery to kill his nephew the king so they accused his wife and his wife's friends. That was one of the perils of being too close to royalty.

  When whales fight ... little fish get crushed.

  It was one of Robin's favourite expressions. He often repeated it to the children in case they got conceited about living in a castle and having a father who wore a smart uniform. They had to remember that they might be important in some people's eyes but they remained very small fry in the eyes of others. They could easily get crushed when the gauntlet was thrown down and the fighting began.

  They nearly got crushed last year. York got together an army to challenge the Lancastrians in Westminster. They marched south and looked very impressive until their followers drifted away. Robin described the outcome as humiliating. That put it mildly. If the Lancastrians had pushed home their advantage, they could have marched on Ludlow and seized the castle. Only the fear of civil war saved them from that calamity.

  The Lancastrians made a total mess out of everything. Their followers were all the time clambering for handouts from the king. Since he no longer had much to hand out, that meant taking from some and giving to others. Earlier in the year, they had tried to take land from The Earls of Salisbury and Warwick.

  The idiots made enemies of two of the most powerful men in the land. As Robin said, they could have raped their wives and daughters and not caused such an uproar. The nobility value nothing more than land. Everything else takes second place.

  York had the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick on his side. Robin believed they were now strong enough to sort out the Lancastrians once and for all. One concerted push was all that was needed. The problem was to make it work first time.

  Henriette crossed to the other side of the battlements and looked down into the courtyard. Some children were playing amongst the equipment that had been unloaded from the carts. She saw the duke's son, Edward, amongst them. He was the same age as Maud and a year older than her son, Simon. Maud wore a paper crown and was gesticulating wildly.

  ***

  Maud liked the games that Edward made up. He was always good fun and she wished he could stay at the castle all the time. Others called him March. That was the sort of name you got if your father was a duke. It wasn't a surname like hers was Perry. His surname was Plantagenet so his name was really Edward Plantagenet and his father's was Richard Plantagenet. But people called his father Duke Richard or just York. Edward didn't mind the girls calling him Edward but got mad when the boys did. They had to call him March.

  Today, the game was about a wicked French Queen who went around shouting "Chop of their heads!” Maud spoke French so she got the part. Simon was her cham
berlain. He spoke French but not as well. Her brother was eight when they left France three years ago and didn't like to speak the language. Edward said he mustn't forget it because languages are best learnt when you are young.

  Her father liked Edward. He said he was generous and warm hearted. Her mother agreed but said people can change a lot when they grow up and become adults. That would start to happen to them soon. Edward would find life very different when his voice changed. People would no longer think of him as a little boy. He would be expected to behave like a man and that was not easy when your father was a duke who wasn't liked by the king and his French wife.

  Maud wondered if Edward was thinking about what would happen to him. His games seemed fun. Perhaps there was more to them. When you are worried it helps to think things though. That's what her mother had told her. You can make a game of it. Perhaps Edward's mother had told him that. She was a nice lady.

  They would soon be growing up. Her mother had told her what would happen. Girls periods start and boys produce seed. Some of the mothers in the garrison were angry when she told their daughters about it and she stopped. Maud had learnt not to upset people. She wondered what to expect as they grew older. One thing was certain. Edward wouldn't change. He would always be her friend.

  ***

  Robin stood in the gallery at the end of the hall and surveyed the people dining at the high table. The duke and the two earls were there with their relatives. Apart from the duke, everyone was a Neville. Strip away the titles and Salisbury became Richard Neville. His son, Warwick, was another Richard Neville. York's wife was Cecily Neville. Cecily and Salisbury were sister and brother, and Cecily was Warwick's aunt. The two other people at the table were also Nevilles. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, was outnumbered five-to-one.

  People had rejoiced when the two earls came in on York's side. To Robin, it looked more like a Neville takeover. Warwick's loud voice resonated throughout the hall. People on the lower tables were listening to him rather than the duke. Guests were expected to show more restraint but Warwick didn't care. He continued to dominate the proceedings.