The Sun in Splendour - Plaidy Jean (электронную книгу бесплатно без регистрации .txt) 📗

On Richard's last visit to the Court he and Edward had talked at great length about James's young brother, the Duke of Albany.

'Like other younger brothers he is eager to take the throne/ said Edward sadly. He looked with affection at Richard. 'There is so little loyalty in the world.'

Richard met his gaze steadily. 'You will always be able to rely on me,' he said firmly.

'I know it,' said Edward, stretching out a hand and taking his brother's. 'I never forget it. It has been the greatest comfort to me and will always be to the end of my days.'

T beg you do not speak of their ending. You are the king England needs and Edward, this country cannot do without you, so I pray you do not talk of leaving us.'

'Lately the thought comes into my mind now and then.'

'Then dismiss it.'

Edward laughed. 'You know my nature well. Yes, I dismiss it, Richard, because it alarms me.'

'There is no need. You are in good health.'

'Oh yes, I have always enjoyed that. The occasional touch of some disorder. Natural enough, I suppose. I must live until young Edward is of an age to govern.'

Richard looked uneasy. 'Let us hope that he will be a worthy successor to his father.'

'You speak with doubt.'

'It would be hard to match you, Edward, and the Prince is . . . smothered by his maternal relations. . . .'

Edward burst out laughing. 'My dear brother, you never liked

my marriage did you? Too loyal to stand against me of course, but Elizabeth and you were never the best of friends, let's face it.'

'She is a very beautiful woman and she has given you and the country some handsome heirs. She has also set up her own family very well. . . very well indeed.'

'Sometimes I think it is due to Elizabeth and her family that you stay so long in the North.'

'I have duties there.'

'You remind me of Scotland and that is somewhere I would prefer not to remember. But you are happy in the North.'

'I was brought up there. Middleham was my home for so long. Anne loves it. It is her home too. There we can live away from the ceremonies of Court life like a modest noble family.'

'In a way, Richard, you are King of the North.'

'I hold the North for you.'

'And well you do it. You make a fine administrator. I want you to promise me, Richard, that if I should go before young Edward is of an age to govern, you will be close to him . . . you will be beside him, you will govern for him until he is of an age.'

'You have my word on it.'

'Then that is settled. Let us have done with this dismal subject of my demise and speak of the almost equally dismal one of Scotland. What think you of this project concerning Albany?'

Richard was thoughtful. 'Albany is weak, but we could control him. If we helped him to the Scottish throne we could demand all sorts of concessions. We could insist that he break his treaties with France. Scotland has always been there . . . ready to stab us in the back whenever we crossed with our armies to the Continent. Now there are the proposed marriages.'

'There have been several marriages between our two countries but that has brought no permanent peace. I have drawn up a list of concessions we will demand, and let us bring him over. We could have a meeting somewhere ... I suggest Fotheringay. You and I will see him together and we will discover what we can get from him. He should be ready to give us a good deal. Then we will set him up in place of James and he will be our puppet. It is always best to have a puppet ruler who moves when we jerk the strings.'

'If it works it could be good,' said Richard. 'It will mean getting an army and marching across the border.'

'That, brother, I leave to you. But first let us get Albany.'

The brothers spent several days together discussing how they would deal with the situation, and during the last days of March messengers arrived with news from across the seas.

Edward's sister Margaret, the Duchess of Burgundy, wrote to her brother telling him that her stepdaughter Mary, the heiress of Burgundy, had been killed while out riding. Her horse had thrown her and she had died soon after.

This was a great tragedy, for Mary was clever and she had been brought up by her father with a sense of deep responsibility. She was married it was true to Maximilian, the son of the Emperor, and they had two young children, a girl and a boy; but Burgundy had been Mary's inheritance and Margaret was fearful of what the reaction of the King of France would be.

'You know,' she wrote to Edward, 'he has always wanted to bring Burgundy back to France. He will now do everything in his power to achieve this. Maximilian would fight but he has no money to do this. Edward, you must help.'

Edward stared ahead of him. He could see the comfortable existence slipping away. Help Burgundy against the King of France! What of his pension? He was in no mood to fight for Burgundy. He had Scotland to think of.

How could he possibly help Burgundy? What? Lose fifty thousand crowns a year! What of the marriage of his daughter and the Dauphin? That was almost as important to him as the pension.

He wrote to his sister commiserating with her for the loss of the stepdaughter of whom he knew she was very fond. But he offered no help for Burgundy.

There were more messengers.

Louis was now claiming that Burgundy should revert to the crown of France. If it did that would affect trade.

Edward was in a dilemma, but he dared not quarrel with the King of France. Ever since Louis had promised to pay the pension, he had paid it and it made all the difference. On no account must it be stopped.

Edward did what he often did in such circumstances, he turned away from what was unpleasant—more than that in this case. . . alarming.

He must think of Scotland.

After the meeting with Albany at Fotheringay, Richard returned to the North and it was not long before the attack began.

Richard was a clever commander and in a short time he was besieging Berwick. In the South, Edward expressed great satisfaction with the Scottish campaign and he arranged for special couriers to bring him the news because it was such a pleasure to receive it. He had great faith in his brother and Richard's successes could stop his thinking of what was happening in France.

All through the autumn Edward revelled in the news. Richard was triumphant. He had left troops at Berwick to continue with the siege and marched on Edinburgh. James was at his mercy; the Scots were ready to treat for peace and even promised that if Edward did not wish his daughter Cecily to marry the heir of Scotland they would refund the instalments of the dowry which had already been paid.

There were more messages from Burgundy. Maximilian was fighting valiantly but he needed help. Edward must come to his aid.

Edward turned away to read the despatches from Scotland.

By this time however Richard was realizing that he could not keep up his supply lines and good general that he was decided that the only sensible action was to return. He had taught the Scots a lesson; there would be no more raids across the border for a while; but there was one thing Scotsmen were determined on. They would not accept Albany as their King.

Richard rehred to Berwick where the siege was still in progress; realizing that Edward would not want to go on paying a large army he dismissed many of the men, keeping only a strong enough force to take Berwick which he promptly did.

Edward was delighted with the campaign.

He sent a special courier to Richard.

T want you to come to Court,' he said. 'I want to tell you myself how much I appreciate what you have done. I want to honour you. I want all men to honour you . . . my beloved and faithful brother.'

There should be feasting in Westminster. It was a time for rejoicing. The conquering hero should be feted.