The Red Rose of Anjou - Plaidy Jean - Страница 33

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‘My lord,’ he said, ‘you must ride quietly out of the town. It would be unwise to go with your company. The people are muttering against you. Slip away quietly with one servant only. It may be then that you will not be recognized. Your attendants can follow later.’

‘God help me,’ said Suffolk. ‘Have I not suffered enough?’

‘You know what the mob can be like,’ was the answer.

He knew it was wise to take the advice so he rode quietly out of the town with one servant beside him as two friends taking a journey together.

He realized what sound advice that had been when he saw the gathering crowds and listened to their murmurings. He was however unrecognized and came safely to the country. The men of his company were less fortunate. As soon as his livery was recognized they were set upon.

‘Where is the Duke?’ the people cried. And it was clear what his fate would have been if they had laid their hands on him. Several of his servants were injured, but when it was discovered that the Duke was not with them they were allowed to pass on, while the crowd went to the Tower to wait for the Duke to emerge.

Meanwhile riding eastwards he realized what a lucky escape he had had.

He spent a rather melancholy six weeks in Suffolk. He could not forget that he was an exile but those weeks passed quickly and it was soon time for his departure.

Alice had not left his side and she constantly assured him that they would not be parted for long. She would soon be with him.

‘I am going to write to our son, Alice,’ he said. ‘I know he is only eight years old but there are things I must say to him in case I never see him again.’

‘Of course you will see him again. It is only for five years and perhaps I can prevail on the Queen to make it less. I am sure she wishes to help us all she can and the King loves us too and he will do what the Queen asks him. Yes, write to little John and keep in good heart. Be thankful that you have escaped from the Tower. Remember the soothsayer. If you can escape from the Tower you will have a long and prosperous life.’

‘God bless you, Alice,’ said the Duke. ‘Now I will write to our son. And in the morning we leave for Dover.’

###

It was a good sailing wind and the air was clear. He could see the outline of the coast of that land which would provide him a refuge from his enemies. It was so near and yet it would be so far because he could not leave it until the period of banishment was over. How often he would gaze with longing across that strip of water.

But Alice would come to him. They would plan...and who knew she might prevail upon the Queen to get the banishment curtailed. The King would not do it unless prompted to. Poor Henry. He was a good and loyal friend, a good and saintly man, but he lacked the will and the power to act.

In his heart Suffolk knew that he had been wrong to rejoice in a weak King because such a King meant power to his ministers. The country needed a strong King like the First and Third Edwards and the Fifth Henry. Hard, stern men all of them. It was no use putting a gentle scholar on the throne and expecting strong rule.

He had been at fault. He had made the most of the situation.

He had enriched himself. What man wouldn’t? He had wanted riches and power for his family.

It was too late now to regret.

But I’ll come back, he told himself. I have escaped from the Tower.

He went aboard. There was an accompanying ship and a pinnace. He began to wonder what his reception would be in Calais and decided to send the pinnace on to discover if there would be anyone there to greet him and whether he could expect hospitality or hostility.

Then they set sail.

They had not gone more than a few miles when he saw a ship bearing down on them.

They were hailed and the master of the ship invited Suffolk to step aboard.

Suffolk did so and as he climbed on to the deck a shiver of apprehension ran through him for he saw the ship’s name painted on the side. St. Nicholas of the Tower.

It was the word Tower which had haunted him all the time he had been in that formidable fortress because he could not forget what the soothsayer had said.

No sooner had he stepped aboard than there was a cry of ‘Welcome, Traitor.’

Then he knew that his worse fears were realized. His enemies had determined not to let him go.

The Captain spoke to him. He said that those who believed injustice had no intention of allowing him to escape to banishment. He had been tried and condemned and his last hours were near.

They were Christian folk however and would give him the rest of the day and a night in which to shrive himself.

He knew it was useless to appeal. This was the end.

He asked for writing materials which were given him for men such as these did not want to deny the last requests of a man condemned to die at their hands. He wrote to the King protesting his innocence.

He thought of Alice and his little son John. He was glad he had written to him; and he thought how fickle fortune was to raise a man to the heights of power and then as easily dash him down.

The Tower. He had not thought of any other Tower. But here it was and the prophecy was true. He was here, a condemned prisoner in the Tower...St. Nicholas of the Tower.

He faced his executioner, an Irishman with a cruel countenance which betrayed his delight in the deed he was about to perform.

Suffolk looked at the rusty sword in the man’s hand and prayed that death would come quickly.

It took six strokes to sever his head from his body and when the deed was done, both body and head were taken back to Dover and thrown on the beach there.

###

The whole country was talking of the Duke’s murder. Many called it execution for he was judged guilty. He had worked for the French, it was said. He had surrendered Maine; he had enriched himself; he was a traitor to his country; he was the lover of the Queen and had been conducting an adulterous intrigue since her arrival in England. He, with her, had murdered the Duke of Gloucester who now, for no reason but that he was dead, had become a saint.

Any ridiculous charge which could be brought against Suffolk was brought; his death was used to increase the unpopularity of the Queen.

The King still kept the regard of the nation. He was good, he was a saint, he was deeply religious, he founded colleges and he hated bloodshed. Yes, they still loved the King. But he was weak and he was the slave of a wicked woman...an adulteress, a murderess...a French woman...and were not the country’s greatest enemies—and always had been—the French?

Alice was heartbroken. The Queen tried to comfort her and Alice was relieved that not all the calumnies uttered against her husband reached Margaret’s ears.

Henry did show a certain strength when Suffolk was attainted in an attempt to make his execution legal. The St. Nicholas of the Tower was a royal ship and it was certain that the captain and crew had acted on orders from someone in a high position.

There was a whisper that Richard Duke of York was involved. He was in Ireland, it was true, but he had his supporters all over the country. He had been a great enemy of Suffolk. But then Suffolk had had so many enemies.

Margaret kept Alice with her. The Queen was seething with hatred against those who had murdered her friend. She wanted to arrest the captain of the St. Nicholas and have him die the traitor’s death.

Margaret was fierce in her denunciation of those whom she considered worthy of the most dire punishment. Her feelings went deep whether they were engendered by anger against her enemies or loyalty to her friends. She grieved with an intensity which matched Alice’s own.

But it was useless. That would not bring Suffolk back.

The King however refused to agree that Suffolk was a traitor and ordered that his body should be taken for honourable burial to Wingfield. A stone effigy was placed above it; and the King and the Queen, with Alice, continued to mourn.

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