Виктория Холт - Epitaph for Three Women

Beaufort should be ousted from the Chancellorship. Indeed he should be ousted from the country. ‘For,’ he told Eleanor, ‘he is no friend of mine.’

It was not long, of course, before Bedford arranged a meeting with his brother.

He has aged somewhat, thought Humphrey. It is all that responsibility in France. He does not know how to live, this brother of mine. He has the power. There is no question of that. He’s King in all but name, but how does he enjoy himself? That wife of his … Burgundy’s sister. What is she like? There is often little fun in these marriages of convenience.

Bedford was cool. He was indignant of course that he had been brought to England when the situation in France – partly due to Humphrey’s feckless behaviour – was not very secure.

Was he ever going to be allowed to forget that he had offended the all-mighty Burgundy? And now he was at odds with Bastard Beaufort and John did not like that either.

‘It seems,’ said John with that aloof manner which made many men respect him and few like him, ‘that you leave a trail of trouble wherever you go.’

‘It is others who make the trouble.’

‘It seems strange that you are always at the heart of it. Burgundy …’

‘Oh please, brother, let us give Burgundy a rest, eh? I am tired of that sacred name. Believe me I have had the power and importance of the gentleman served to me morning, noon and night.’

‘He happens to be of great importance to our success in France.’

‘I know, I know … and you have married his little sister to placate him. A wise move, brother, and one I should expect of you. I hope the Lady Anne is not too burdensome a duty.’

‘I insist that you do not speak disrespectfully of the Duchess of Bedford. Nor have I come to discuss the disasters your actions have caused in France. That sad story is well known to us all. This quarrel with the Bishop of Winchester must stop.’

‘So Uncle Henry has been whining to you, has he?’

‘I have the report of the Council.’

‘Are they too against me? Oh, sly Uncle Henry has primed them, I don’t doubt.’

‘No sooner do you return to England than you are quarrelling with the Chancellor who, with the Council, has kept order very well during our absence.’

‘Has he? Have they asked the people of London?’

‘The merchants of London are often disgruntled. They resent the taxation which is necessary if we are to bring the crown of France to England and keep it there. It is for you to explain to them the need for taxation. They want us to be victorious. These things have to be paid for. Moreover, do you imagine that if the Bishop ceased to be Chancellor taxes would be any less?’

‘Brother, he tried to keep me out of London. He was in a plot to kill me. Do you know he planned to seize the King.’

‘That is nonsense. Why should he seize the King?’

‘That he might rule. That he might have charge of the boy. That he might set his own men about him.’

‘Humphrey, you talk nonsense.’

‘I’ll tell you more,’ went on Humphrey. ‘Do you know that he plotted against our brother Henry? Do you know he counselled me to take the crown from our father?’

John looked at his brother in dismay. Was there no end to his folly?

John ignored the outburst and went on to talk of the need for unity in England. To bring such charges against the Chancellor, and a member of their family at that, could do nothing but harm.

‘But if they are true, if we nourish a viper in our nest … should we not bring this matter to light before he can do much damage?’

John said no more. It was useless trying to reason with Humphrey; his one desire was to patch up the quarrel so that he could restore some sort of harmony and get back to the important business of governing France.

He discussed the matter with members of the Council and explained the charges which Humphrey had brought against his uncle. No one believed them; but Humphrey was after all the King’s uncle, and when Bedford was in France he was the Regent of England. The Bishop had only assumed the role because both brothers were out of the country.

It was decided that to satisfy the Duke of Gloucester there must be an enquiry and that the Bishop should be asked to prove that the charges brought against him were untrue.

That such charges could have been sufficiently believed that they had to be proved untrue was a great blow to the Bishop’s pride. To have been accused of treachery towards his half-brother, Henry the Fourth, and his nephew, Henry the Fifth, and in fact also to the little Henry the Sixth was so unjust that he could only express his amazement.

Bedford tried to placate him. ‘It is better to have the matter settled as amicably as possible. All you have to do is show these accusations to be ridiculous and they will be dismissed.’

Beaufort could see that Bedford was right. Because his accuser was the son of Henry the Fourth, uncle to the little King and brother to Bedford, he had special privileges and one of these was to invent arrant lies about others.

Wounded and humiliated, the Bishop faced the Council, confounded his accuser, made it clear that he had never committed treason, and was exonerated.

‘I will hand in the Seals,’ he said, ‘for I will not remain Chancellor after such accusations have been made against me. I have long intended to make a pilgrimage and this I will now prepare to do.’

Bedford was disturbed. ‘I shall have to return to France in due course,’ he told Anne. ‘I dare not stay away too long. Gloucester will be my deputy here which alarms me.’

‘Could you not persuade the Bishop to return to office and since your brother has shown himself incapable of keeping the peace take the government out of his hands?’

‘You have learned a little about Gloucester. He regards the Regency as his right. While I am here it is mine, that is true; but if I am not, he is the next in succession. I fear if I attempted to appoint someone else there would be trouble. He has his supporters. He is popular with the Londoners. Men such as he is often are. I must stay a little longer.’

‘I have heard rumours that he is interested in a woman of not very good reputation.’

‘Yes, that is Eleanor Cobham. She is the daughter of Lord Cobham … or said to be his daughter. Some will tell you she is of doubtful antecedents. It may be that she is a bastard of Cobham’s whom he has brought up in his household.’

‘Your brother seems to be deeply enamoured of her.’

‘Humphrey is rarely enamoured of anyone or any project for very long. It seems likely that his obsession with the woman will pass. But, my dear, I am more concerned with the political strife he seems to delight in raising. His women are of no great concern to me.’

‘Then we must perforce resign ourselves to staying in England for a while.’

‘At least you enjoy seeing my country.’

‘That I enjoy, but I do not enjoy seeing you anxious.’

‘Ah,’ said Bedford smiling. ‘That is the cross I have to bear as do all those who live close to the throne.’

‘The cross sits lightly on your brother Humphrey’s shoulders.’

He looked at her very seriously. ‘Sometimes I wonder how it will all end for him.’ And for a moment he let his thoughts dwell on how pleasant life could have been if he had been born a humble squire and Anne a lady of no great birth. They could have found much to interest themselves and occupy them in a country estate shut away from the perils and intrigues from which he knew they would never escape.

Sometimes such thoughts came even to the most ambitious men.

He was further disconcerted when the Pope offered Henry Beaufort a Cardinal’s hat and nominated him cardinal priest of St Eusebius. Beaufort had been offered this during the reign of Henry the Fifth, who had sternly forbidden him to accept it. To become a Cardinal would direct Beaufort’s efforts, and even loyalties, away from England and towards Rome. Henry had been very much against that.

Now Beaufort accepted.

‘My brother’s work once more,’ muttered Bedford.

CHRISTMAS had come and Katherine decided that it should be kept at Eltham. The King was now five years old and earlier in the year his uncle Bedford had made him a knight and several other boys had received their knighthoods at the hands of young Henry himself. That had been an interesting ceremony and Henry was now beginning to realise that he was different from other boys. People bowed to him, kissed his hand, cheered him, applauded him and made him feel very important in every way. He found it pleasant and was now beginning to expect to be treated in this special way by everyone as soon as he escaped from the nursery. There his mother, Joan and Dame Alice remained in command.

There were great festivities at Christmas. He very much enjoyed the giving and receiving of presents. Joan Astley helped him to choose a pair of gloves for his mother and hide them so that they would be a surprise for her. He had great difficulty in keeping the secret and on more than one occasion nearly let it out. His mother had caught Joan putting her fingers to her lips and had looked very bewildered. He had enjoyed it all very much. He loved the smell of pies baking and meat roasting and his mother had told him that there would be mummers and dancing and Jack Travail would be invading the castle with his merry companions.

Eltham, that palace which had been built by Edward the First, was some eight miles south of London on the road to Maidstone. Henry was used to living in palaces but it was exciting to come to this one at Christmas time and to pass over the ivy-covered bridge with its four groined arches. As they entered the great hall he held his mother’s hand and the retainers came forward to kneel before him. He extended his hand for them to kiss with a natural grace. It was all part of being the King.

He could scarcely wait for Christmas morning when he would give the gloves to his mother and see what he was to be given.

Among his presents were some coral beads which delighted him more than anything else for they had once belonged to his great ancestor Edward the First. Joan Astley told him stories of the great Kings of England and the glorious lives they had led. Edward the Third interested him particularly because he had been a boy when he had come to the throne – a little older than Henry it was true. Quite old, Henry thought him. But everyone said he was just a boy.

There were a few other children who had been brought to the palace to share his games – the sons and daughters of noblemen – and they played bob apple and blind man’s buff in which the elders joined. Then there were the players who performed a miracle play. Henry found this a little dull but when Jack Travail and his companions came into the hall and entertained them all with his games and plays Henry was enchanted. He clapped his hands with the rest and cried: ‘More! More!’ much to Jack Travail’s delight. Henry wished it was always Christmas.

Dame Alice came all too soon and declared that it was well past bedtime. The other children were seized on too and Henry was taken, protesting a little, to his bed where he was soon fast asleep.

In the hall the Christmas merriments continued.

Katherine seated on a low stool surrounded by a few of her attendants watched the dancing. It was four years since she had become a widow. A long time. She should marry again, all said it. She was surprised that they did not try to persuade her to do so and perhaps persuade forcibly. She supposed her father’s death and the preoccupation of her brother who was trying to regain his throne and the fact that she was a French princess who had her home in England were all reasons why she was given some respite.

Besides, when a woman has married once for State reasons she should be allowed to make her own choice of a second marriage. That had always been a kind of unwritten law, not always adhered to, of course, especially when a woman was a specially good bargaining counter which she would have been but for the upheaval in France.

Because of that she was allowed to live her quiet life at Windsor whenever the fancy took her.

The ladies and the squires were dancing together. She declined to join in. She wanted to sit quietly and watch. Christmas had made her thoughtful. Lately the question of what her future would be had been constantly in her mind. She was twenty-five years of age. No longer a girl.