The Red Rose of Anjou - Plaidy Jean (книги онлайн полные версии бесплатно .TXT) 📗
THE QUARREL
At this time Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick was at the height of his powers. None could deny – perhaps not even Edward the King himself – that Warwick was the most important man in the kingdom. He was indeed the King-Maker. Edward could never have attained the crown but for Warwick; and had Warwick decided to throw in his lot with Henry, Henry would be on the throne at this time.
Life had been good to him, he conceded. Not in bringing him into the world with a fortune in his grasp; that had not been so. True he was the son of the Earl of Salisbury but his great fortune had not come from his birth.
No, life had smiled on him when he had married Anne Beauchamp, only daughter of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Warwick although at that time he had no notion of what great good fortune that was. At the time of his marriage two lives had stood between him and the vast Beauchamp inheritance. Anne’s brother Henry, heir of Warwick, died leaving only a daughter as his heiress and two years after her father’s death this child died. Anne was sole heiress and so everything passed to her husband, who had become Earl of Warwick and the richest nobleman in the country.
Anne had brought him a great deal but there was one thing she had failed in. He had no son. He had his two girls, Isabel and Anne – delightful creatures, but girls. And Anne could bear him no more children. Well, she had made him rich and brought him a great title so he must be content, and his two girls would be the greatest heiresses in the Kingdom.
After the first battle of St. Albans and his exploits in Calais he was accepted as one of the heroes of the age and he had become one of those legendary figures who cannot be suppressed. There might be the occasional setback...but there was nothing which could deter them for long. He could turn defeat into victory as he had after the second battle of St. Albans. Who would have believed that after suffering such a defeat—one might say a debacle—he would be riding into London and proclaiming a new King.
He had genius. There was no doubt about it. He knew it and in his cleverness had made others accept that fact.
He was the Lord of the Kingdom.
Edward would have given him any honour he needed. He only had to ask.
‘What shall it be, Richard?’ he had said. I owe so much to you.’
He had shrugged his shoulders. He could not be the King. But he was Warwick.
He said: I will be just Warwick. I think that is enough.’
Edward declared with ready satisfaction that it certainly was. No one in the kingdom should ever doubt what everyone owed to Warwick.
‘Ah, my good friend, you are right. The name Warwick is as proud as any man could wish.’
Edward had that easy charm. He liked to leave things to Warwick. Warwick was shrewd; he had the people with him. But not so much as Edward had. How they loved that golden youth in whom the marks of debauchery had not yet begun to show, but they would, Warwick knew; none could live as Edward did and remain unscathed. The people thought it was manly. God forbid! But it was a change of course after the piety of Henry. It was surprising that though people admired piety and applauded it, they soon grew heartily sick of it; and when a libertine like Edward rode through their streets and eyed the merchants’ wives and daughters the merchants seemed to like it.
There was no doubt that Edward possessed that indefinable quality called charm. That was all to the good. He was the best possible figurehead behind whom a King-Maker could work, as long as Edward did not forget that he owed his position to Warwick.
Often he told the King that he was not completely safe. True Margaret was on the continent and Henry in the Tower; but while Margaret lived they must be watchful. She had friends in France. Not only her father—poor ineffectual Rene, drooling over a young wife now...well, he would do that very well, Warwick was sure. They must not forget him though. He could be in a position to supply Margaret with the means to return. But the big menace was the King of France.
‘He is not so fond of Margaret as his father was,’ said Edward. I doubt he would want to be embroiled.’
‘He would like to harass us...a pastime greatly loved by the French for as long as any of us can remember.’
‘He would not want to go to war with us.’
‘He might like to help Margaret to do so. The North is ready to rise with her. Don’t forget they hid Henry all those years. He has friends up there. Edward, a marriage in the right quarter could do our cause all the good in the world.’
Edward nodded.
‘Marriage with France,’ went on Warwick tentatively.
‘Indeed yes.’ Edward was thinking of the most enchanting woman he had ever met. When he had been hunting she had suddenly appeared before him and throwing herself on her knees had begged him to restore her husband’s estates. Edward had been amazed that one so young could be a widow. Her husband she told him had been killed at the second battle of St. Albans.
Edward fell in love as rapidly and regularly as most people sat down to dinner; and because of his charm and royalty he could invariably dispense with the preliminaries of courtship. It had been different with the fair young widow. She was most elusive, so he was thinking of her and only half listening to Warwick. He knew Warwick was right, of course. He would have to marry and marry soon. He only hoped the French Princess was personable. He could not abide ugly women. But with his habitual easy-going temperament he shrugged all that aside. He would have to do his duty and that need not interfere with his enjoyment.
Warwick was saying something about negotiations with the King of France, talking a little smugly. Edward smiled inwardly. He believed Louis treated Warwick as an equal. It was amazing what store Warwick set on that.
‘No honours,’ he had said. ‘It is enough to be Warwick.’
‘Louis has changed his tune of late,’ said Warwick complacently. ‘He is aware of our strength.’
Warwick was smiling to himself. He meant his power. The wily King of France knew where the power in England lay. The man who had his respect was not so much the King as the King-Maker.
Oh yes, he could be proud. He certainly was at the pinnacle of power.
###
The King of France was indeed his friend. When his ambassador, Jean de Lannoy, arrived in England he had glittering prospects to lay before Warwick. He could work with Louis. There would be peace between their countries. They would stand against Burgundy; and they would be the firm allies which surely fortune had meant two such brilliant men to be.
And of course there should be a French marriage. Edward needed a wife. Perhaps, considered Louis, his daughter was too young. She needed more years to grow up. What of his wife’s sister. Bona of Savoy?
This would be an excellent arrangement Warwick decided. He discussed it with his brother George.
‘The King should settle into matrimony,’ he said. ‘It is very necessary for one of his temperament. He should be producing heirs instead of bastards.’
George said that this was certainly so but he wondered how the King would feel about the choice of bride. Since he had become a connoisseur of feminine charms he might be difficult to please.
‘This is a marriage, George. No need for romance. Let the King marry and produce an heir. Who knows it might even sober him a little.’
George was in full agreement. It was an excellent idea to make a marriage which would please the King of France and strengthen the friendship between their two countries.
Edward listening to the proposal displayed his usual tolerant charm.
‘Can we trust Louis?’ he asked.
‘A marriage will bring us closer to him. When can one ever completely trust one’s allies?’
