Wolf Wood (Part Two): The Dangerous years (28 page)

'Our son has a very complex character.'

'Harald. That is hardly an answer.'

'No. But it's a start. Our son did not have an ordinary upbringing and he has not grown into an ordinary young man. As a child, he was dragged from pillar to post as we tried to escape Beaufort's men. Then I got a job with the Normandy garrison and he grew up as the son of a senior officer in an army of occupation. You will recall that I interrogated prisoners of war and spies. Steven used to sneak in and sit behind a screen while that was happening. Commanded Gough encouraged him. He saw exceptional talent in Steven and wanted to see it developed …'

'Harald.' Alice cut him short. 'Where is this leading?'

'Our son has a deep fascination for espionage and affairs of state. I suspect it surpasses the sexual urges that dominate the behaviour of most young males.'

'Are you saying he's associating with Margaret for some sort of political advantage?'

'I can't think of any other reason. If Margaret wants him for sex, I doubt he will resist. You will not understand Steven if you think of him as just another sixteen-year-old.'

Alice took a deep breath. Harald's assessment of their son was appallingly frank. She wanted to think otherwise but found it difficult to refute. There was a frightening ring of truth in what he said. Steven had always been a loner. As a small child he loved to mix with other children but never made close friends. He was never King Arthur in the games they played. He always wanted to be Merlin. That told you a lot about Steven.

It was impossible to say what he was doing. In all probability, he was spying for York. His sympathies were unlikely to lie with Queen Margaret and the House of Lancaster. Margaret was a vindictive woman. Her fury would know no bounds if she ever discovered that her favourite was an enemy agent. Alice feared for her son's future.

End of Part Two

Part Three

England slips into civil war as the Houses of York and Lancaster fight for control of the realm. Duke Richard of York is charged with treason and Edward joins his father in the struggle that follows. Maud Perry has her eyes set on Edward. Steven Gascoigne is trapped in his role as a double agent.

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Acknowledgements

Photographic images in this publication come from a variety of sources. Those of places were taken by me. Those of people derive mainly from "living history" re-enactments, available at http://commons.wikipedia.org and licensed for reuse under terms specified at http://creativecommons.org/licences .

Les Baux-de-Provence Medieval Festival (France):
attribution
Mike Dixon (Ch. 1, 3, 9)

Rougement:
attribution
Membre de Rougement (Ch 10)

Tewkesbury Medieval Festival (UK):
attribution
Andy Dolman (cover, Ch 8), Antony Stanley (Ch 12)

I confirm that in using these images I am in no way implying that the author of licensor endorses either me or the use of the work. The images were adapted by me and inevitably suffered degradation. Any defects are due entirely to me. Visit http://commons.wikipedia.org to view the images in their original form. Use tags:
medieval, festivals, fairs, markets, displays, costumes ...

Living history re-enactments bring the past to life in a way that words cannot convey. They are not merely good entertainment; they have contributed immensely to our understanding of history. I am hugely impressed by the high standards.