The Star of Lancaster (20 page)

There was so much to see at Court. He first went to Eltham where the King was at that time and he was enchanted by the place. It was very different from gloomy Tutbury and even Kenilworth suffered by comparison. Richard, about whom everything must be elegant and in what he considered perfect taste which meant a reflection of his own delight in the combinations of colour and patterns, was amused to see how overawed his young kinsman was and for a while kept him close to him.

He showed him the rebuilding he had done at Eltham – the new bath house. ‘Never neglect to bathe, Harry,’ he said. ‘The practice gives pleasure to yourself as well as those about you. I abhor unsavoury odours.’ It was a practice the King carried out regularly. His person was always exquisite. He gave as much thought to the cut of his long-sleeved coats, the new houpelandes, his high collars, the padded shoulders of his jackets, his skin-tight hose and his long pointed shoes as he did to matters of state. There was also the painted chamber and the dancing chamber – for the King loved to dance – and he had made new gardens for his recreation and alfresco entertainments.

It was a new world for Harry. He had been given a cote hardie decorated with the badge of the white hart which showed he was of the King’s household; and when the Court travelled he travelled with it.

His days were full. He longed to be a knight and take part in the jousts but he was ten years old and others did not forget it if he did. He must attend his lessons with others of his age, for
there were boys like himself from noble households at Court; then he must learn to ride and use his sword, practise archery so that when the time came for him to win his spurs he would be able to give a good account of himself.

It was a very different life from that he had lived under his mother’s care or when he had been at Oxford. Harry absorbed what was going on around him and it excited him. Life at the King’s Court was the life for him.

After he had been at Court for a week or so the King lost interest in him and he was just one of the boys who was being brought up there. He did not mind. There was enough to absorb him and he was more interested in the outdoor life than the books and music and fine clothes which the King set such store by.

The Court had moved to Windsor and the King was in good spirits. It was because the little Queen was there Harry was told, and Richard very much enjoyed the company of the little girl.

Harry was interested in the Queen because she was about his age and he thought how wonderful it must be to be so important.

Sometimes he would see the riders going off into the forest led by the King and beside him would ride the most beautiful girl Harry had ever seen. She was vivacious and added gesticulations to her persistent chatter. Her dark long hair hung loose about her shoulders and she wore the most elegant clothes which Harry learned had been chosen by the King.

One day when he was having a dancing lesson, which he was obliged to tolerate, she came into the room to watch. There were two other girls and two boys as well as himself and his partner and they were practising the newest Court dances. He felt more awkward than ever for those sparkling dark eyes
had selected him for her special attention and it did not help matters when the dancing instructor pointed out another false step he had made.

Then the little Queen ran to him and taking his hand cried: ‘Come, dance with me, clumsy boy. I will show you the way.’

He was overcome with embarrassment and disliked her in spite of her beauty which excited him and made him want to keep looking at her.

‘I do not wish it, Madam,’ he said with a haughty bow.

‘My lord,’ said the instructor. ‘The Queen honours you.’

Harry said: ‘I am not honoured.’

She began to laugh.

‘He has no grace, this one,’ she said in rather halting English.

‘The Queen commands you to dance with her,’ said the instructor glaring at him and trying to convey some message.

‘No, no,’ cried Isabella. ‘I do not command. If he does not wish . . .’ She lifted her shoulders and set her features in an expression of mock tragedy. She turned to one of the other boys and took his hand, as she said, ‘Music, please.’

The musicians began to play. Harry refused to dance and his partner and the girl who had danced with the boy whom Isabella had chosen, danced together while Harry stood by sullenly watching.

There was no doubt that the Queen danced beautifully. She had a special grace all her own. Now and then she glanced Harry’s way and caught his eyes on her. That seemed to please her.

When the dance was over, she seemed to lose interest in the incident and laughing ran out of the room but not without first throwing a mocking glance in Harry’s direction.

As soon as she had gone the instructor cried at Harry: ‘You
are a fool. I never saw such behaviour in all my life. This could cost me my position and you your place at Court. Am I not supposed to be teaching you courtly manners as well as dancing and have I not just seen the worst display of bad manners that have ever been seen at Court? Do you realise she is the Queen?’

‘I knew she was the Queen, of course,’ muttered Harry.

‘And you refused to dance with her when she did you the honour of selecting you!’

‘She was laughing at me.’

‘You refused to dance with the Queen! Rest assured, my lord, this is not the end of the matter. She will tell the King and you will be sent back to the country where you belong.’

‘I do not care,’ said Harry contemptuously.

But he did care. He very much enjoyed Court life. He could not bear to think of going back to the country to the care of Mary Hervey or return to Oxford to work under the stern eye of uncle Beaufort.

He kept thinking about her. She gave herself airs. Well, why shouldn’t she? She was the Queen. And she was very beautiful. He had never seen anyone so beautiful. Her way of speaking was fascinating, as was her manner.

He had made her angry – although she had pretended not to be. She would tell the King and everyone said that the King denied her nothing for he loved her dearly and treated her like some precious little pet. She would only have to say I want that ill-mannered Harry of Monmouth sent away from Court and he would be dismissed.

All through the day he kept realising how much he enjoyed Court life. He noticed too how elegant and charming some of the women were. None of them had the style of the Queen of course, although she was only a child. But she had changed
him in some way. She had made him aware of things which he had never noticed before.

He was desolate, calling himself stupid to have antagonised her. At any moment the dismissal would come. His father would be angry with him; his grandfather would despise him. What hope would he have of rising if he was going to let his silly pride govern his actions?

He should have danced with the Queen; he should have flattered her. He should have made her like him. He could see it clearly, now that it was too late.

The summons did not come, however, and in a few weeks he ceased to expect it although he did not forget the Queen and whenever he could he took the opportunity of watching her, though she never noticed him again.

Everyone at Court was talking about the combat which was to take place between the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk and as the Duke of Hereford was the title which had recently been bestowed on Harry’s father this matter was of especial interest to him.

As far as Harry could understand, Thomas Mowbray, recently created Duke of Norfolk – at the same time as Henry of Lancaster had been made Duke of Hereford – had made a suggestion to Hereford which the latter construed as treason and which he had laid before the King.

Norfolk had retaliated by declaring that he was no traitor and that Hereford was bringing the accusation to cover up his own nefarious intentions.

The outcome of the matter was that the King had agreed that the two men should meet in combat. There was a great deal of whispering at Court and Harry had what Joan Waring
had called long ears. If one of these men was a traitor, it was asked, what was the point in having a combat to settle it? A traitor might be the victor and an innocent man killed. It was all very strange. But the excitement grew as the days passed. The Court had moved to Coventry, a fair city surrounded by thick walls mounted by thirty-two towers. There were twelve gates into the city and it was consequently one of the strongest fortifications in the country.

Outside the city walls there was great activity while pavilions were erected. Harry watched the work with mixed feelings for his father would be one of the chief actors in this drama which was about to be played on this glittering field and if his father were to die . . .

The thought bewildered him. He saw little of his father and he had found him stern and undemonstrative – very different from his mother who although long since dead lingered on in his memory. He would never forget the beatings his father had given him. For his own good, his mother had told him; but he had always felt that he would have been better without them, for when he felt the urge to do something which would incur punishment he never stopped to think of the consequences. That came after. In the castle they were gambling on the life or death of the Dukes of Hereford and Norfolk – for this was no
joust à Plaisance
but the culmination of a bitter quarrel, which would mean the end of one of them.

His grandfather arrived. Harry noticed with satisfaction that his pavilion, flying its pennants and lions and leopards, was almost as fine as the King’s. They would be his emblem one day. His grandfather summoned him to his presence. He was a very old man and he seemed to have aged since Harry had last seen him.

‘Your father will triumph over the traitor Norfolk,’ he told Harry.

‘Of a certainty,’ replied Harry loyally.

But he could see that his grandfather was no more sure of this than he was.

‘You will sit with the Duchess and myself,’ said John of Gaunt. ‘It is well that you will be here to see this day.’

He is afraid, thought Harry; and he is reminding me that if my father is killed I shall be my grandfather’s heir. He is a very old man. It could not be long before I would be head of the House of Lancaster.

But Harry was not yet to be head of the House of Lancaster. It was the most extraordinary gathering that had ever been.

Harry saw his father ride out. He looked magnificent on his big white horse caparisoned in green and blue velvet decorated with gold swans and antelopes. His armour, Harry had heard, had been made in Milan where the best armour was made.

Then came the Duke of Norfolk who looked almost as splendid; his colours were red and the velvet was embroidered with lions and mulberry trees.

Then the strangest thing happened. The heralds on orders from the King suddenly dashed forward shouting: ‘Ho! Ho!’ which meant that a halt was to be called to the proceedings.

The King disappeared from his pavilion.

‘Where has he gone?’ whispered Harry.

His grandfather said: ‘This is a strange business. I think he is going to stop the combat.’

Harry could hear the relief in his grandfather’s voice. He knew then how frightened he had been.

There was great tension in the crowd of spectators who felt they were about to witness unusual events. They had come to
see a life and death struggle between two of the highest in the land, but whatever was going to happen now could be equally exciting.

Two hours passed before one of the King’s advisers came out to announce to the crowd, that there would be no combat. The King and his counsellors had decided the issue could not be settled in this way, and it had been agreed that since there was a doubt of the loyalty of both contestants they would be exiled from the country. Hereford would not return for ten years; Norfolk would never return.

A hushed silence fell on the crowd. Harry saw that his grandfather’s face had turned a greyish colour. He gripped his seat and whispered: ‘Oh God help us. Not this. Not this.’

Everyone was talking about the exiles and Harry noticed that when he appeared there was an abrupt termination of the conversation. As son of one of the leading players in the drama, care had to be taken as to what was said in his hearing.