‘Owen says …’ Gloucester was not interested in what Owen said, but he was disturbed at how often the Welsh squire was creeping into the conversation.
Henry was clearly impressed by his stepfather.
‘I shall visit them again soon,’ he said. ‘I enjoyed being with them. My mother is so … young still. She has such a joyous laugh and Owen is interesting to talk to … and the children, they are amusing.’
The Duke of Gloucester was growing more and more thoughtful. ‘I should be wary of visiting them,’ he said.
Henry looked haughty. ‘I am the King,’ he said. ‘I shall do as I wish.’
Eleanor wanted to know what was on his mind.
‘Young Henry has been to Hadham and met his stepfather and his mother’s new family,’ he said.
‘Did the foolish woman really marry the Welsh squire?’
‘Whether she did or she didn’t she lives with him and has produced four children.’
Eleanor felt a sudden anger surge up in her. Four children! And she could not get even one!
‘That upsets you,’ she said tensely.
‘She can have fifty brats if she likes. What disturbs me is this pleasure the King takes in them. He says he is going to see them often and when I reminded him that that might be unwise he reminded me that he is the King.’
‘High and mighty, eh?’ said Eleanor. ‘The stripling is becoming a man. The King indeed! Well, he has it so frequently drummed into him that it is not surprising that he knows it now.’
‘He is obviously taken with the Welsh squire. It is Owen says this and Owen does that. By God’s ears, you would think Owen was the Pope himself.’
‘Obviously it must be shown that Owen is not the Pope. He is not even a Duke. He is just a Welsh squire who has managed by excessive good looks – I presume they are good looks – to creep into the Queen’s bed.’
‘They are a very happy couple, according to Henry,’ said Gloucester.
‘I am sure Owen is happy. Who would not be?’ She was serious suddenly. ‘What are you going to do about it?’
‘Do? What can I do?’
‘Well you are not going to allow Owen to become chief adviser to the King, are you? You are not going to bring his mother back into his life.’
‘They just want their life in the country.’
‘Nobody wants just their life in the country.’ Eleanor, with her overweening ambition, could not understand the lack of it in others; she was sure it existed and they pretended it did not in order to achieve it the more quickly.
‘I fancy they do.’
She ruffled his hair and kissed him on the lips. ‘You are a very romantic gentleman sometimes, dear husband.’
‘You see,’ he said, ‘the Queen is really simple at heart.’
‘Indeed. The Princess of France who married the King of England and dutifully produced the heir to the throne! She hated giving him up, did she not?’
‘He is her son.’
‘He is the King. No, I tell you Katherine is not so simple. She knows how to get what she wants. She fancies a country squire so she enters into an intrigue with him although she knows that the Council would never have allowed it. There is nothing simple about Katherine. And now when our dear little King goes to her he is shown the delights of domesticity. Dear Owen is so good to him. His mother loves him dearly. Why, Humphrey, what are you thinking of? They want to get the King in their grasp.’
He looked at her steadily. ‘And if so … what can I do about it?’
‘What can you do about it? You can act, Humphrey. That’s what you can do. Now there is a law that noble ladies like the Queen cannot marry without the consent of the Council. You brought in that law. Have you forgotten?’
‘It may be that they were married … before …’
‘Before or after, what matters it? It may be that they are not married at all. This is an illicit union and one in which the Queen cannot be allowed to indulge.’
‘What good would it do to break it up?’
‘Great good, Humphrey. Henry is growing up. Do you want him turning to anyone but you? His mother will have a great influence on him. She has already begun to. And our Welsh squire, his dear stepfather, will be advising him before long, when our Henry is a little more sure of himself – and he is fast becoming that. Were you not reminded, with a certain asperity I gather, that he was the King? Of course if you want to be ousted from your place as chief councillor by the Queen and her lover let well alone. Let Henry visit Hadham. Let them weave their spells around him. What does it matter if Humphrey of Gloucester be set aside for a frivolous Queen and a low-born squire.’
Eleanor certainly knew how to rouse her husband to action.
He said: ‘I could arrest the Tudor for breaking the law.’
She went to him and slipping her arm through his nestled against him.
‘There you speak more like the great Duke.’
She was smiling to herself. Their influence must be removed. Margery Jourdemayne seemed to be losing her touch. Although pins were inserted into the wax image of the King nothing had happened. He was still in good health.
‘It takes a long time with a King,’ Margery had explained.
Perhaps it did. But when one had great plans one did not want the loving eyes of a mother to see too much.
It should be an easier matter to remove the Tudor household from the sphere of influence than it was to bring a child into the world and drive a boy out of it.
The summer was passing but there were still pleasant days when one could sit in the garden. Katherine was nearing the end of her pregnancy. There was already a midwife in the house and she was expecting the child would be born any day now. Owen was beside her, taking great care of her. Edmund watched her wonderingly. He had been told that he might expect a new brother or sister. Jasper who was unusually advanced said that he wanted another sister and he would not accept another brother. He had two brothers already and he liked his sister Jacina best.
‘You will love the baby whether it be boy or girl,’ he was told.
‘Will I?’ he said wonderingly.
And there they were on that fateful day when one of the servants came into the garden to tell them that visitors had arrived.
‘I wonder who it is,’ said Katherine beginning to rise. ‘Perhaps it is someone come to tell us Henry is on the way.’
Owen said: ‘Stay where you are. I will go and see.’
Katherine turned. Men were coming onto the lawn. Two of them came forward and stood one on either side of Owen.
‘You are Owen Tudor, Welsh Squire to Queen Katherine?’ she heard them say.
‘I am.’
‘We must do our duty and arrest you.’
Katherine felt her heart leap in terror. She started forward.
‘On what grounds?’ cried Owen.
‘In the name of the King,’ said the Captain of the guard.
Katherine started to run. ‘Owen … Owen … stay here … Don’t go.’
He was looking back at her. She saw the anguish in his eyes and she knew that as long as she lived she would never forget his face as it was then.
‘Katherine … my … Queen.’ The words seemed to escape from his lips. He was holding out his arms. She stumbled towards him. She reached him and fell into them.
‘Owen … Owen … what does it mean …?’
‘I don’t know. It can’t be much. I have done nothing wrong. It will soon be explained.’
‘It won’t … it won’t,’ she exclaimed. ‘They are taking you away from me … It is what I always feared.’
The Captain said, almost gently: ‘We must go now.’
‘I want an explanation,’ cried Owen.
‘You will get that.’