John of Gaunt loved Catherine Swynford. There was a clever woman. She must be to have kept John at her side all those years. She would speak to Catherine.
Sighing she ordered the carriage to be made ready and endured the jolting of her poor old bones across the rough and rutted roads.
Catherine was delighted to see her. They had always been good friends. Joan had never looked askance at her relationship with John as many did. Joan herself had had not too spotless a reputation in the days of her youth. But it was not that which affected her. It was the recognition of true love which she respected and she found it more to be admired than a contracted marriage which was loveless and made for expediency.
‘My dear Catherine,’ she said, ‘my stay will not be long. John is not with you at this time, I hope.’ She smiled. ‘I know that is a matter which does not please you, my dear, but what I have to say is for you alone.’
Catherine understood perfectly, and during the few days Joan spent with her they had many talks together. Joan stayed in bed most of the time. The journey had shaken her up considerably and there was the return one to be made.
‘I should not have come here,’ she said, ‘if I had not considered the matter of the utmost urgency. Catherine, I am afraid. I like not the way England is going.’
‘Nor I.’
‘These attempts on John’s life …’
Catherine shivered.
‘My dear,’ went on Joan, ‘I know your feelings. You are as worried as I am. There must be peace between my son and his uncles.’
‘How I wish there could be.’
‘It is for us to arrange it, my dear. I must leave John to you. Your word carries a great deal of weight with him.’
‘I can never tell him what to do where the King is concerned.’
‘You can persuade him, Catherine. He must be persuaded. He and Woodstock. Woodstock is hot-headed. John is cautious. It is for John to make the move. There must be a reconciliation between the King and John … and chiefly between de Vere and Mowbray and John.’
‘My lady, they planned to murder him.’
‘I know, and will plan again unless this silly quarrel is patched up.’
‘I should never trust them … nor would John.’
‘I know, but we must have a surface trust. I am sure there must be some outward show of reconciliation. If there is not there will be civil war. I feel sure of it. And that is the greatest of all tragedies.’
‘I agree with all my heart.’
‘Catherine, speak to John. I want him to come to Westminster and declare himself ready to forget what has happened. I want a show of friendship. Believe me, I know it is the only thing to save the country. Will you do it, Catherine?’
‘I will do my best,’ she answered. ‘I know you are right. This enmity must end … or appear to end.’
‘We shall have to be watchful, of course. But it will be an end to this plot to bring John to trial. That must be stopped. I know you can do it, and I know John will see it is the right way to act. It will come better from you, my dear. Promise me you will do it.’
‘I will do what I can.’
‘My dear Catherine, he loves you dearly. He listens to you. He trusts you as he trusts no one else. You will do it. And tomorrow I must leave here. Oh how I dread the journey. I am getting so old now. I feel the jogging of my carriage for days after I have left it.’
‘It is noble of you to come.’
‘He is my son, Catherine, my little son. He is but a boy really. And these men who long for the crown do not understand that it can be more of a burden than a glory. And when the head on which it rests is young and inexperienced then that burden is a heavy one indeed.’
The next day she trundled off in her carriage and in due course she came to Sheen where she talked with Anne.
Anne was a bright girl, quick to understand. It was a pity she had been thrust into all this intrigue, thought Joan. It was a pity that de Vere had entered their married paradise like the serpent in Eden, a great pity.
But Anne had influence with the King. She did not seem to mind his pleasure in de Vere. She was a thoughtful girl, unaware that so many in her position might have been jealous. Not so Anne; she seemed contented, or perhaps she was merely clever.
Joan talked to her as she had talked to Catherine.
She feared civil war, she told Anne. This quarrel which was brewing between the King and his uncles must be stopped.
Anne agreed with her.
‘There should be an end to these attempts to incriminate Lancaster. He is too powerful to be incriminated. Moreover there is no proof against him, and he is too clever to allow there to be. Woodstock is with him. And Langley would be too if it came to the point. It would be the King and his favourites on one side and Lancaster and his men on the other. Anne, Lancaster was once very unpopular. He could not venture out in London without someone shouting abuse at him. He is more popular now. Do you know why? The people have turned their hatred on de Vere. Anne, we must bring them together. It must be seen that there is no enmity between the King and his uncles.’
Anne said, ‘Yes, I agree. We must do what we can to bring this about.’
‘I am an old woman,’ went on Joan. ‘I cannot make many more of these journeys. Anne, I want to see peace in this land before I die. I want to see my son set on a fair course. You understand, I know.’
Anne did understand.
Between them, the three women worked the miracle.
At Westminster a reconciliation took place between the Duke of Lancaster and the men who shortly before had been plotting to bring him to his end.
Richard was delighted. It seemed to him that all the bickering was at an end.
‘Now we are all good friends,’ he said benignly.
From the turret Catherine saw her lover approaching. She went down to the courtyard to meet him. Swept up in his embrace she clung to him.
She was trembling. ‘I have been terrified. I feared it was a plot.’
‘No, no. The Queen Mother insisted that we profess friendship for each other and somehow she and the Queen have convinced the King that he wants it too.’
‘And what does it mean? What friendship will those men ever have for you or you for them?’
‘None,’ he said. ‘We shall be watchful of each other but at least we have declared our friendship and that has pleased the Queen Mother.’
‘You will not cease to be watchful.’
Arm in arm they went into the castle.
‘I have news for you,’ he said. ‘How soon will you be ready to leave?’
‘With you? We are going away together?’
‘That pleases you?’
‘That for me is heaven,’ she answered.
‘We are going north,’ he said. ‘To Pontefract. It’s the favourite of all my places, you know.’
‘I did know and for that reason it is mine.’
‘A fortress. We could hold out for months, Catherine, if any came against us. When can you be ready?’
‘Tomorrow morning … early.’
‘We will leave at dawn,’ he said.
The stay in Pontefract was not long for there was trouble from the French.