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The country was divided and it was no use expecting the peace to last. Warwick had learned that he could not gather men to his ba
Edward understood Jacquetta's grief for the loss of her husband; he knew how she and Elizabeth must hate Warwick but Elizabeth never mentioned the Earl to him.
It was pleasant to escape into the peace of her company; she was there providing just what he wanted, and she did not intrude: she did not demand this and that. She was pleased he knew when he took honours from the Warwick faction and bestowed them on the Woodvilles. Her brother Anthony was close to him now. He had become Lord Rivers, having taken his dead father's title.
Edward sent invitations to Warwick and Clarence to come to the Council at Westminster. At first they were wary, demanding many guarantees of safe conduct; finally these were given and they came to London where Edward received them with affection.
There was no real quarrel between them, Edward assured them. 'Let us forget our grievances and go on as before.'
In Warwick Castle the Earl's daughters sat together talking quietly. Every now and then A
'I thank God,' the Countess had said to her daughter A
A
'Ah yes, and so will the Duke. We'll hope for a boy. Your father has been so disappointed not to have a son.'
A
The Countess laughed. 'My dear child, / would not change either of you. But I did often wish that I could give your father the son he wanted. Alas, I shall never do that.'
A
imagine what a great blow it must have been for such an ambitious man; but he was reconciled. When he was with them he was as near to happiness as he had ever been, A
As A
'All that will be expected of us,' Isabel had replied, 'is to marry where we are bidden to. And when we are married to produce sons. . . .'
'Daughters too perhaps,' added A
And they certainly had, for Isabel was soon after that married to the Duke of Clarence.
She had been a little frightened at first, but George Plantagenet had grown fond of her and she of him. It was easy to be fond of Isabel. She was pretty and very gentle and of course she had a vast fortune, or would have when her father died—a fortune she would share with A
A
It was a frightening situation, for Clarence was Isabel's husband and he was against his own brother and had whispered to Isabel that she might one day be a queen, for there was a scheme afoot to put him on the throne in place of his brother.
A
'Visitors?' she asked uneasily. They were always uneasy when visitors came to the castle nowadays, for they could never be
certain what news they would bring.
A
'It is someone from our father/ she said.
Isabel murmured: 'Dear God, I trust not bad news.'
A
A
The Countess was already in the courtyard with A
A
Ominous words, she thought. Something fresh had happened. How she wished there did not have to be this trouble. It seemed so wrong that there should be a quarrel between her father and the King. They had always been such good friends. And Isabel's husband was actually the King's brother which made it all most u
But now something very important was afoot. A
The Earl lost no time in explaining the situation for they must leave at once since there was not a moment to spare. He was being pursued by his enemies and if he were caught that would be the end of him, the end of them all. They must get to the coast with all haste and then sail for France, where his very good friend the King would give him temporary shelter and the means to get back to England.
'You ca
'My dear lady, I know that well and I know that even so it is dangerous for us to stay here. The King's men are marching to take me. My plans have gone wrong. I shall be at his mercy and that will be the end of me. Nothing less than my head will suit him.'
A
'God help us!' cried the Countess.
'Now let us lose no time/ said the Earl; and he began giving orders.
While Warwick's messengers were making their way to the coasts of Devon and Dorset with orders for ships to be made ready, the party set out. Both A
Warwick and his family safely embarked on one of the vessels he had managed to commandeer and they all sailed for Southampton where he kept several of his stoutest ships. Unfortunately for Warwick, Lord Rivers who was more energetic and astute than his father had intercepted them and a battle ensued.