The Follies of the King - Plaidy Jean - Страница 70

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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

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