The Follies of the King - Plaidy Jean - Страница 48

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She set out from the Tower and what a joy it was to ride through London

where the people cheered her so loyally! She was their beautiful Queen who had remained faithful to the King and bore him children even though he behaved so badly with those leech-like friends of his.

‘God save the Queen!’ they cried, and she was amused to think that if the

King had been with her she would still have been the one they cheered.

It was a long way to Canterbury and her marshal suggested that it would be a good idea to break the journey at her Castle of Leeds and he would send a messenger on to warn the custodian, Lord Badlesmere, of their approach.

The messenger arrived at Leeds but unfortunately Lord Badlesmere was

away and Lady Badlesmere was in charge.

The Badlesmeres were firm adherents of Lancaster’s cause and stood firmly

against the King. They had been incensed by Edward’s attitude towards the

Despensers, and Lady Badlesmere who was a very forthright woman had been

heard to declare that royalty was only to be respected when it was worthy of respect.

Lord Badlesmere had given instructions that none— no matter who?

should be allowed into the castle unless they carried an order from him or from the Earl of Lancaster. And when she heard from the Queen’s messenger that the visitor was to be Queen Isabella, she decided that she was not going to swerve from the orders she had received even for her.

‘Begone!’ she cried to the messenger. ‘I will admit none to the castle unless he bears an order from my lord or the Earl of Lancaster.’

‘My lady,’ replied the messenger, ‘do you understand this is the Queen of

England?’

‘How can I be sure of that? How do I know that you may not be an enemy in

disguise?’

‘You will see for yourself when the Queen arrives.’

‘My good man, go back to your mistress. Tell her that I shall admit no one—

no one, do you understand? unless they come from my husband or the Earl of Lancaster.’

The perplexed messenger was wondering how he could go back and tell the

Queen that she was denied access to the castle when he heard the sounds of approach. The Queen’s party had arrived at the castle walls.

‘The Queen is here,’ said the messenger. ‘My lady Badlesmere, have you

considered that this castle belongs to the Queen and your husband is merely the custodian?’

‘I repeat my orders and these I intend to carry out,’ insisted Lady

Badlesmere. ‘If this is indeed the Queen, she must needs find lodging in some other place.’

The Queen hearing the dispute was astounded and commanded her guards to

approach the drawbridge, but Lady Badlesmere gave an order to her archers and from the castle walls came a stream of arrows which struck six of the Queen’s company, killing them.

Before the furious Isabella could advance, one of her bodyguards seized the bridle of her horse and forced her to retreat.

‘We must escape from this mad woman, my lady,’ he said and galloped off

with her.

The Queen was shaking with anger. How dared a subject behave thus to her!

She knew Lady Badlesmere of old. A woman who thought she was always right

and knew how to manage other people’s affairs.

‘By God,’ she cried, ‘she shall be taught a lesson for this.’

The Queen’s party minus the six dead, rode away to spend the night with

more hospitable hosts. Lady Badlesmere was in truth, a little disturbed when she found the six dead at the gates. She had them removed and immediately sent a messenger to the Earl of Lancaster.

She knew that there would be trouble. The Queen had been grossly insulted

and six of her servants had been killed. Perhaps, thought Lady Badlesmere, she had been a little rash. She believed though that Lancaster would be delighted with this insult to the royal family. After all, she had been acting on his orders and it was yet another proof that he was more important than the King.

She waited a long time for a reply from Lancaster and finally she sent

another messenger. This time the answer came back. It had been folly to deny the Queen admittance to her own castle. The Queen was seething with rage and unlikely to allow the matter to pass. Lancaster dissociated himself from the affair. The Badlesmeres alone would have to face the storm they had stirred up.

He, Lancaster, had had no hand in it and he did not intend to become involved now.

Even Edward was roused from the lethargy into which he had fallen on the

banishment of the Despensers.

Isabella raged at him. ‘It must not be allowed to pass. What would the

people think of a King who did not avenge such an insult to his wife?’

Yes, he agreed, something must be done. Lancaster had declared he was not

involved so it should not be a difficult matter to take Leeds and let Isabella have her revenge on the Badlesmeres.

When the people of London heard of the insult to the Queen they were

enraged. They marched through the streets demanding she be avenged. Many of them were strong able-bodied men and had taken part in battles when the need had arisen. They were ready to do so again for their darling Isabella.

Edward caught their enthusiasm and within a short time he was marching at

the head of a sizeable army to Leeds. It was exhilarating to find that his men were with him. They could not wait for the battle. They were determined to take Leeds and then let those who had dared behave so callously to their beloved Isabella begin to say their prayers.

Leeds Castle had been built on two islands in a lake of about fifteen acres in size. The islands were connected by a double drawbridge but the two separate buildings were capable of making a separate defence. The water passed between the buildings in three places, which was of great use to the defenders.

Nevertheless Edward had brought up a formidable army and they made a

fierce attack. Within a few days Lady Badlesmere was forced to surrender. Her husband had given her his support in what she had done but he had not returned to the castle to help her withstand the siege.

The army stormed in, at its head Edward the King.

Lady Badlesmere was brought before him. She faced him boldly, and

showed no sign of fear.

‘What made you treat the Queen in this way?’ he asked.

She answered: ‘I was custodian of the castle in my husband’s absence. It

was my right to say who and who should not enter.’

‘You are mistaken, woman. Leeds Castle belongs to the Queen. Yet you

denied her admittance. That is treason.’

She did not flinch even then, knowing the penalties. She said: ‘Lord

Badlesmere will support me.’

‘We will leave it to him to cut down the rope on which you shall hang on

your battlements.’

She shrugged her shoulders. ‘So be it,’ she said. ‘I shall be another victim to the tyranny of kings.’

Edwards was astonished that she could talk thus in face of death and in his heart he knew it would be impossible to put such a woman to death.

In fact he could not bring himself to hang a woman. She should be

imprisoned, he said. Let her be taken to London and lodged in the Tower.

His advisers shook their heads. She deserved hanging. Think what she had

done to the Queen. But Edward would not listen. Instead they hanged the

seneschal Walter Colepepper and eleven of his servants, which was grossly

unfair for they had merely obeyed their mistress’s orders.

However punishment had to be meted out to someone.

The bold Lady Badlesmere was taken to London and as she passed through

the streets the people came out to jeer at her and throw rubbish at her and threatened her with what they would do to her.

The guards managed to protect her from the angry crowds and she was taken

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