‘There. All is well now. You shall see your brother Edward, for he is here with me.’

‘When shall we see our father?’ asked John.

‘Of that we cannot be sure,’ answered their mother glibly. ‘Never mind, you are safe with me now.’

Joanna was ready to be happy but the two elder ones were uneasy, thinking of their father. He had been strange when he and Hugh had gone away and he had told them to do all that Lady le Despenser told them to; and Lady le Despenser had been crying a great deal so they knew that something was wrong.

John had comforted the little girls and told them that it would be all right when they saw Edward, and they were going to see Edward now.

At the moment they could not help being overawed by their beautiful mother who had suddenly grown so fond of them though she had never taken much notice of them before. All her attention had been for Edward. But they forgot that now. It was pleasant to be embraced by her and made much of and told how glad she was to have them with her.

They were presented to Roger de Mortimer and Sir John of Hainault, both of whom smiled affectionately at them and made as though they were delighted to see them. So they had suddenly become important which was very gratifying.

Delighted by the arrival of the children and the head of the Bishop of Exeter, Isabella was anxious to show the Londoners her appreciation.

She told Mortimer that she intended to appoint a new governor of the Tower and a Mayor of London and she believed he would approve of the choice.

‘You remember the two merchants who were so helpful when you escaped from the Tower?’

‘Indeed I do. I don’t think we could have managed so well without them.’

‘Adam arranged it of course.’

‘Ah yes, a good friend Adam, but we do owe a good deal to de Bettoyne and de Gisors.’

‘So thought I. That is why I have decided to appoint de Gisors Constable of the Tower and de Bettoyne Mayor of London.’

‘An excellent choice,’ smiled Mortimer.

‘It will show them that I remember those who serve me well,’ murmured Isabella.


* * *

Edward, accompanied by young Hugh, retired to the Castle of Bristol leaving old Hugh and the Earl of Arundel to hold the City for him.

There was not a hope that Bristol would resist the invading forces of the Queen. The people had no wish to. Like the rest of the country they were against the King.

So the Queen’s army was welcomed and the people came out to cheer the troops as they marched through the streets with Roger de Mortimer at their head.

When he discovered that old Hugh was in the town he was delighted. Now had the time come to settle old scores.

‘There must be no delay,’ he said. ‘Despenser and Arundel with him must be tried and sentenced immediately.’

The Queen agreed with him and the two men were brought before her and the barons, at the head of whom were Mortimer and Sir John of Hainault, for she said that they must be judged according to their deeds.

Sir Hugh lifted his head high and met her gaze unflinchingly.

‘Ah, my lady,’ he said quietly, ‘God grant us an upright judge and a just sentence. And if we cannot find it in this world, we may find it in another.’

Death was imminent, he knew, for he could not expect pity from either the Queen or her lover. The fact that he was a man of sixty-four did not move them in the least. He was one of the Despensers loathed by the Queen and the country. He had been avaricious, it was true, but he had tried to do what he thought was right for the country providing it did not interfere with his personal gain. He was not a good man, not a great man; he had committed sins; but there were many who prospered and were more deserving of death than he was.

This was what he wanted to tell his judges, but they were not interested in his defence. They had determined at the start of his brief trial to prove him guilty.

They did and he and Arundel were sentenced to the cruel death which it had become the custom to bestow on traitors. They believed right to the end that their nobility would save them from that barbarous end and beheading be substituted. But this was not to be.

There should be no mercy for a Despenser and those who upheld them, decreed the Queen and Mortimer.

So the two men were taken out and hanged, drawn and quartered.

The Queen was exultant. ‘There is one Despenser the less,’ she said.

‘And still one to suffer a similar fate,’ replied Mortimer grimly.


* * *

Edward in Bristol Castle was almost mad with grief and fear.

Hugh from a window in the castle had heard the shouts of the people. He had seen the body of his father dangling on a rope and he knew what tortures followed.

He felt sick with grief. He and his father had worked together all their lives; they had revelled in each other’s triumphs and commiserated with each other’s failures. And to think of that revered old man in the hands of his rough executioners was more than his son could bear.

Edward tried to comfort him, but there was no comfort for Hugh.

What there was, was the awful realization that very soon they would come for him and he knew well that a similar fate awaited him.

Edward clung to him in terror. ‘Hugh, they have done that to your father! Oh they are devils! They will burn in hell for this. Your dear, dear father―’

Hugh said quietly, ‘They will come here seeking me and you will see that they will do the same to me.’

‘No,’ cried Edward shrilly. ‘I would never allow it. I should forbid it. They would have to listen to me― the King.’

Hugh looked at him sadly. He thought: They will never listen to you again, poor Edward. This can be the end of you and if it is for you it is for me also.

But they were not taken yet, though it could only be a matter of hours before their enemies came. They would watch the hideous spectacle of his father’s execution and then they would come to take him and make him the next chief actor in their grisly performance.

He stood up suddenly. ‘There is time yet. Edward we must not stay here.

They will march on the castle. It may be they are preparing to do so now. We must get away.’

‘Where to?’ asked Edward. ‘You mean just the two of us? Oh where are all my loyal friends? There must be some of them left.’

‘My father is dead. Arundel is dead. And they died cruelly. No, Edward, we have no one but ourselves. We must get away. There is a boat on the shore.

Perhaps we could go to Lundy.’

‘To Lundy, yes. To Lundy. We shall be safe there, Hugh.’

‘Come then. There is not a moment to lose. Take a thick cloak. You may need it. Stop for nothing more. It may be that they are already at the castle gates.’

Swiftly and silently they made their way out of the castle and came to the shore.

The boat was there. They got in and Hugh seized the oars. The strong wind caught at their hair but they were free.

‘To Lundy!’ cried Edward. ‘Once there we will make plans. Perhaps we can escape to France. Oh, this will not last, dear Hugh. The people will turn against that she-wolf whom I made my wife. My son Edward would never work against me.’

Hugh did not remind the King that young Edward was with his mother and had come with her to Bristol. It might be that the boy would turn against such perfidy in time, but at the moment he was under the spell of his beautiful mother and while he was with her he must work against his father.

The wind grew fierce and the boat could make no progress. Again and again it was blown back towards the shore. It was no use trying to row against such a sea.

They would never reach Lundy at this rate.

Hugh shook his head sadly. They would have to abandon all hope of leaving the country. With some difficulty Hugh brought the boat back to land and they disembarked on the coast of Wales.


* * *

Hugh and the King slept the night in the shelter of a wood and the next day they walked until they came to the town of Cardiff. Hugh sold a jewel to buy them food and they rested at an inn where they talked with men who had heard of the Queen’s coming to England and setting herself up against the King.

‘‘Tis no more than a whore she be,’ said one man. ‘The true King will rise up, depend on it, man. God will not be with those that live in adultery.’

Such talk tempted the King to reveal his identity and he was warmly welcomed and several men swore they would stand with him. His father had defeated the Welsh but he had brought good rule to the country and they wanted no adulteress and her paramour ruling them.

The King was filled with hope. Hugh was more realistic. A few men at an inn would count for little against the armies the Queen had raised.

Still it was good to see Edward in better spirits and they talked through the night of how they would raise men and Edward should win back what he had lost.

In the morning they were less sanguinary. The terrible fate of the elder Hugh had sobered both of them. Edward was terrified more for his friend than for himself. He was certain that they would not dare harm him.

‘What we must do,’ said Hugh, ‘is to disguise ourselves, sound the people and if many feel as this innkeeper and some of his friends do we may raise men to fight for us.’

‘You are right, dear Hugh,’ said Edward. 1 think we could take the innkeeper into our confidence,’ replied Hugh.

They did and the man was clearly excited to be drawn into the conspiracy.

Welshmen of strict morals, he reiterated, will never support a whore and her paramour.

For some days they lived in high hope. Edward pinned his faith on his son.

‘He is but a boy yet,’ he said. ‘When he is a little older he will never stand against his father, that I know.’

‘But he has to grow up and much can happen before that,’ Hugh reminded him.

There were days when their cause seemed hopeful but although there were some who sympathised with him they had no desire to go to battle for his sake.

It was not long before the Queen and Mortimer heard of his adventures.

Mortimer said: ‘It is a pitiful attempt, but it would be wiser to put an end to his wanderings. Moreover, we want the Despenser. We will send a force to take them and bring them to us. A certain amount of harm can be done by these wanderings.’

‘Let us send Henry of Lancaster, Edward’s cousin. That will show that people of authority are with us. Lancaster should not have much difficulty in finding him.’

The news that Henry of Lancaster had come into Wales in search of the King quickly spread and Hugh suggested that they go into hiding because he was not altogether sure who were their friends.

They disguised themselves as peasants and left the small band of supporters they had managed to muster to wander the country like two itinerant farm hands.

They were discovered by a farmer sleeping in one of his fields. He wanted men to help dig a field and they would be given food and lodging in payment for their work, he told them.

Hugh said quickly that they would be glad to earn a lodging and a meal but they were so urgently in need of the latter that they must eat before they worked.

The farmer studied them suspiciously and at length agreed as he said to humour them, so they were given cold bacon and bread with ale which due to their hunger tasted good to them.

Then they were set to work. Strangely enough it was Hugh rather than the King who betrayed them. Edward was quite handy with a spade. As a youth he had gloried in physical labour as a release from lessons. He had enjoyed working with the blacksmith and had often helped with thatching and digging trenches. In those days too he had sought the society of grooms and workmen, so he slipped naturally into the role of farm worker.

Not so Hugh, and it was very clear to the farmer that he had an unusual pair in his house.

There had been rumours about the King and the Despenser and he had heard that they were in the neighbourhood. He wanted no involvement in these matters. God alone knew where they could lead a man. Someone would be calling him traitor next.

He sent one of his workers into a nearby town with a message for the mayor.

He had a strange pair working for him and he thought it was his duty to tell someone who was wiser than he was and would know what a man should do in such circumstances.