Epitaph for Three Women Read online

  ‘You will find him in good health,’ Humphrey told her.

  The nurses were with him. One held him in her arms and she was crooning a ditty to him while he played with coloured rings.

  So unceremoniously had she entered that at first they did not recognise her.

  Then someone said: ‘The Queen!’

  They curtseyed deeply – all but the woman who held the child. Katherine went to her and took the baby.

  He stared at her with wondering eyes and suddenly seized the gold chain about her neck and tried to put it into his mouth.

  ‘He seizes everything, my lady. He is so quick and bright …’

  ‘Henry, Henry,’ she said. ‘Don’t you know me? I am your mother.’

  Then she kissed him tenderly and she took him to a window seat and sat down holding him tightly.

  ‘Yes indeed,’ she told herself, ‘I have much to live for.’

  * * *

  In the apartments of the Duke of Gloucester, he and the Bishop of Winchester faced each other. Humphrey had been trying to avoid the interview for he knew what its nature would be and he had no intention of listening to the advice of the old man.

  Who in God’s name are these Beauforts? he asked himself. Bastards all of them. They should be grateful that their father thought enough of them to legitimise them and leave it at that. Instead they think they are as royal as I and my brothers are, and have a right to dictate to us what we should do.

  Henry Beaufort had always had great influence with King Henry. He had been his tutor at one time and Henry had set great store by the views of his uncle. Before he had died he had named him as one of his son’s guardians.

  And he wants to dictate to us all, thought Humphrey. Well, he shall find his mistake there.

  Humphrey knew that the interview was to concern Jacqueline and he was certainly not going to be told what to do about her, because he had already made up his mind that he was going to marry her.

  Humphrey was a man of conflicting characteristics. Dissolute in the extreme, given to frequenting low taverns and consorting with prostitutes, he was yet a lover of the fine arts. He had been most carefully educated at Balliol College and had quickly acquired a love of books which he had never lost. He collected them; and he honoured the men who produced them. When he was twenty he had made a gift of books to Oxford at the time when the library there was being enlarged. A patron of the arts, he was respected by those who performed in them and in their circle he became known as the Good Duke Humphrey. It seemed incongruous that one of selfish ambition who indulged in riotous living should earn such a title; but his was a nature of contrasts.

  On his accession Henry had made him Chamberlain of England, and he had accompanied his brother to France and had taken part in the battle of Harfleur as well as that of Agincourt. In fact at Agincourt he had come near to losing his life when he had been wounded and thrown to the ground by the Duc D’Alençon. It was Henry the King who with characteristic courage and energy had found time to rescue his brother and save his life.

  One must admire and revere Henry, Humphrey had believed; but when Henry was dead, what then? Humphrey was ambitious. A man must look to his own advantage. He had always believed that.

  And who would have guessed that Henry would die so young? He was only thirty-five and strong, hale and hearty so it had seemed. And to be carried off by a fever and dysentery! It had happened to others. Soldiering was a profession which took a high toll of those who followed it. But who would have believed at the glory of Agincourt that Agincourt’s hero could so soon become a lifeless corpse.

  Well, it happened and we must forsooth go on from there, Humphrey told himself.

  His elder brother John had had the King’s confidence. He had the people’s confidence too. There was a quality of honesty in John which appealed to the people. But worthy as he was he had just missed that aura of greatness which Henry had had and which had enabled him to charm all those with whom he came into contact and inspire loyalty and belief in his invincibility. That was true leadership. It is found rarely and Henry undoubtedly had had it. And he, Humphrey? He was no Henry, he knew that. But he was a man who knew how to fight for what he wanted.

  While John was in France Humphrey was in control in England. When John returned he would take a step backwards of course. But in the meantime he was in charge and he was not going to be dictated to by Beaufort, Bishop and royal bastard though he might be.

  When the Lord Bishop had arrived, the squires had heralded him in with a show of reverence which irritated Humphrey, yet he had to admit that Henry Beaufort had an air of royalty about him. He could never forget he was the son of John of Gaunt and grandson of a King, and was not going to allow anyone else to do so either; and now behind him he had the authority of the Church.

  Ambitious – was he not a Beaufort? Handsome – he took after his mother – and dignified. He was reputed to be impetuous and it was true he now and then acted without due thought; and he loved worldly possessions of which it was also said he had amassed a good deal. Whatever his faults he was consistently loyal to the crown. He had lent money to the King for his campaigns in France and none rejoiced more wholeheartedly than he at the success of those campaigns.

  It was for this reason that he was now determined to turn Humphrey from a course of which he disapproved.

  ‘The Queen, God help her, will find comfort with her babe,’ said the Bishop. ‘Poor lady, I doubt she understands the difficulties ahead.’

  ‘’Tis a pity he is of such tender years,’ said Humphrey.

  ‘A matter which time will remedy.’

  Humphrey was a little impatient. The Bishop had not come to him to talk of such an undisputed fact as the King’s youth.

  Humphrey dismissed the squires and when they were alone and comfortably seated the Bishop put the palms of his hands together as though he were about to pray and looking steadily at Humphrey said: ‘I have heard disturbing rumours.’

  ‘My lord Bishop, who has not? Disturbing rumours are as commonplace as the air we breathe.’

  ‘Some are more disturbing than others. My lord, I would ask you this. Is it true that you are contemplating marriage with the Lady Jacqueline?’

  ‘I will confess to a liking for the lady.’

  ‘My lord Duke, I must have a straight answer.’

  ‘You must, Bishop? Why so? Is not this a matter between myself and the lady concerned?’

  ‘No, my lord, it is not. It is a matter of deep concern to France and England.’

  ‘You are dramatic.’

  ‘It is a dramatic situation. Have you considered that such a marriage could bring about a breach between England and Burgundy?’

  ‘So?’

  ‘We rely on our allies in France. The late King would have been the first to admit that. So would the Duke of Bedford. I ask you, my lord, have you discussed this matter with the Duke?’

  ‘My lord Bishop, let me tell you this. I will marry where I will, and neither my brother nor the Church shall dictate to me on that matter. I go where my fancy lies.’

  ‘It is to be hoped that your fancy is not to undermine our conquests in France.’

  There was a brief silence. Both men were thinking of Jacqueline. Who would have believed, pondered the Bishop, that when Jacqueline of Bavaria had sought refuge at the English Court this would have been the result? She must be now about twenty-one years old. She was personable, though not outstandingly so, and an heiress, if she could regain what she had lost. The Bishop had no doubt that Gloucester’s eyes were as firmly fixed on her possessions as on the lady herself. Henry had welcomed her to England and had so favoured her that she had acted as godmother at the christening of young Henry.

  Jacqueline was the only daughter of William IV, Count of Hainault, Holland and Zealand as well as being Lord of Friesland.

  Jacqueline had been married to John of France, Katherine’s brother, who had briefly been Dauphin on the death of his elder brother Louis. Almost imm
ediately John had died and when her father died also Jacqueline became the sovereign of Hainault, Holland and Zealand. With such possessions she was not allowed to remain a widow for long and a second husband was soon found for her. This was John, Duke of Brabant, her own cousin and also cousin to Philip of Burgundy.

  Her father’s brother, at one time Bishop of Liège, took her possessions from her and made a treaty with her husband, the weak Duke of Brabant.

  It was at this stage that she fled to England and threw herself on the mercy of the English King. Henry not only gave her asylum but treated her with the dignity due to her rank and the Spanish anti-Pope Benedict XIII was persuaded to grant her a divorce from the Duke of Brabant.

  So here was Jacqueline in England, a member of the Court and a lady who was heiress to great possessions, if they could be won back, and in view of English successes on the continent, Humphrey did not see why they should not. Then he could be not only husband of Jacqueline but the Count of Hainault, Holland and Zealand. A pleasant prospect for a man who could never hope to rule England. His baby nephew and his brother John came before him. He was a man who would seize every opportunity and this had seemed one of them.

  The Bishop saw the matter in a different light and that was why he was so uneasy.

  ‘My dear Bishop,’ said Humphrey at length, ‘you distress yourself unnecessarily.’

  ‘Then you see what the implications of this marriage would be?’

  ‘I see, my lord, that through it I could bring further honour to England.’

  ‘By marrying this lady you would put yourself in conflict with the Duke of Burgundy.’

  ‘I have not the same fear of the noble Duke as you have, Bishop.’

  ‘I fear what it could mean to England if he withdrew his support and ceased to be our ally.’

  ‘An uneasy ally,’ murmured Humphrey.

  ‘I agree and therefore to be treated with caution.’

  ‘One can be too cautious in life,’ commented Humphrey.

  ‘I know this,’ replied the Bishop. ‘My Lord Bedford will be as anxious to avoid this marriage as I am and as are all those who wish our country well.’

  ‘I like not your tone. None serves his country better than I.’

  ‘We are not concerned with what you have done in the past. This is one act which could bring disaster. By such a marriage you would put yourself in competition with Philip of Burgundy for the control of the Netherlands.’

  ‘They are in the hands of the one-time Bishop of Liège at this time.’

  ‘They will not remain there long. Burgundy will see to that. He will press his rights through his cousin of Brabant and, my lord, should this marriage take place I doubt not that you also will turn your thoughts to the lady’s lands. Burgundy will not see them pass to you … any more than you will wish to see them go to him. England cannot afford your quarrel with Burgundy, my lord Duke. That is why I ask you to consider this matter very carefully.’

  ‘Then you have done what you regard as your duty by asking me. Shall we let it rest there, Bishop?’

  Arrogant coxcomb, thought the Bishop. Henry would never have allowed this had he lived. Each day one realised more and more what a tragedy it was that Henry had died.

  The Bishop rose to his feet rather slowly; his limbs were a little stiff nowadays.

  Pompous old fool, thought Humphrey. What right has he to tell me what to do? To hell with him. To hell with Burgundy. Why shouldn’t I have Jacqueline … and Hainault, Holland and Zealand.

  * * *

  Although Katherine found great comfort in the royal nursery she realised that this was a short respite. Soon people would want to see the baby and when the Parliament met she would have to take him to London. She would have to travel through the City holding the baby. Poor child, he would have to get used to being on show. But in the meantime she could be quiet. She could stay in her beloved Windsor; she could be with her baby like any other humble mother; she could ride in the forest although she could never get the solitude she longed for because always she would be accompanied by her attendants. They kept their distance, it was true; they understood her desire to be alone. Once or twice she had caught a glimpse of the Welsh squire. She remembered him with pleasure and she was glad that she had commanded that he be a member of her household. He stood out among the rest. He was not especially handsome but there was an air of innocence about him which she found refreshing. Perhaps, she told herself, it is because as a Welshman he seems different from these English; as I must seem.

  She knew little about the Welsh. She vaguely remembered Henry’s saying that at one time they had given trouble … as the Scots had in the past and as the Irish did always.

  It was late October when the messengers came from France. She received them immediately in her private apartments and she saw at once that the news they brought was of a melancholy nature.

  ‘My lady,’ she was told, ‘the King your father has died in Paris.’

  She was silent. She could not judge her feelings at that moment. The father whom she had loved and for whom she had so often feared was no more. Poor sad King of France, whose life had been such a burden to him and to others. For a moment she was back in the Hôtel de St Pol, a frightened child listening for strange noises which might come from that part of the mansion which had been set aside for the King. She could remember turning to her elder sister Michelle and burying her face against her to shut out the sounds, and Michelle’s stroking her hair and whispering: ‘It is all right, Katherine, he can’t hurt you. He can’t get out. His keepers are with him.’

  Then there was another memory, her father emerging from the Hôtel de St Pol, coming to the Louvre, himself again after one of those strange periods, caring for them all, caring for his country and his people.

  ‘His end was … peaceful?’ she asked.

  ‘My lady, when he came back to Paris he was well. He came through the streets and the people cheered him. He was deeply loved.’

  She nodded. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He was deeply loved. He was a good man when he was free of his affliction.’

  ‘The people knew it, my lady. They were saying that if the King had not suffered his illness the trials which have come to France would never have happened.’

  The man stopped abruptly. He remembered suddenly that he was talking to the wife of the Conqueror. She was the enemy now.

  She cut in quickly: ‘I understand how they feel. They are right. Everything went wrong for France when my father became ill.’

  But she was thinking: Nothing would have stopped Henry. He was determined to win the crown of France and none knows more than I that he was a man who would have his way.

  ‘My lady, it would have warmed your heart to see how the people greeted him when he came to Paris. They were under the rule of the English …’ again that fearful pause and again she nodded reassurance … ‘but they shouted for him. “Noel!” they cried. “Noel!” and they seemed to think that because he was well again we should regain our country. And when he died his body lay in state for three days and the people came to see him and to show their respect and their sorrow. My lady, they said of him “Dear Prince, there will never be another as good as thou wert. Accursed be thy death for now thou hast gone there will be nothing for us but wars and trouble.” They likened themselves to the children of Israel, my lady, crying out during the captivity in Babylon.’

  ‘It must have been very moving.’

  ‘My lady forgive me. Like many I loved the King your father.’

  She said: ‘Alas that he should have been so afflicted. And what is happening now in Paris?’

  ‘The Conqueror is there.’

  The Conqueror. Her brother-in-law, John of Bedford!

  ‘He has ordered heralds to proclaim Henry of Lancaster King of England and France.’

  The baby in the cradle. Her little Henry. Not yet a year old. Such weighty titles for such a little one to bear.

  The messenger was nervous. His was an un
enviable task. He must proclaim the death of the lady’s father when her husband had been the reason for France’s downfall and her own child was the usurper King of France.

  She understood and her glance and gentle tones reassured him once more that she attached no blame to him because he showed so clearly his loyalty to his own country.

  She dismissed him that he might be refreshed after his journey and she went up to the nursery for she felt an irresistible urge to be with her child.

  Henry was sleeping peacefully in his cradle. His small hand was clenched about the bed quilt and he was sucking the corner of it. It brought him some sort of odd comfort and he sought it as soon as he was laid in his cradle.

  Such a baby. Not yet a year old and already the crown of England was his and they were trying to force the crown of France on top of that.

  She was afraid for him. In that moment she wished that she were the wife of a country gentleman living far away from the events which rocked the country. She imagined herself waking each day to the sound of birdsong and the lowing of cattle. It was absurd. Life was not like that. She tried to imagine the warlike Henry in such circumstances. Battle with conquest had been his life; and it seemed certain that it would be the lot of this little one in the cradle.

  Why did men seek to be kings and rulers? What joy did it bring them? It had brought death to Henry and to her poor sad father nothing but unhappiness.

  And as she looked down at her sleeping son she thought she saw her father’s face.

  She began to tremble. It was almost like a revelation. She stared down at the baby. What had come over her? The little face was in repose; the chubby hand clutched the edge of the quilt. He was just a baby … not in the least like a sad old man.

  She was melancholy; she mourned her father; and she was filled with apprehension for the future.

  If only Henry had not died, she thought. How different everything would have been. Then she thought that if he had lived, he would have been the one who was proclaimed in Paris, and she would be beside him … the crowned King and Queen of France. And there would have been those in the crowd who would murmur against them.