‘He is a fool,’ agreed Charles. ‘Roger de Mortimer has told me much of
English affairs. Now there is a man of vitality. Edward was a fool to let him escape. A fool to make a man like that a prisoner. He should have had his head while he had the chance.’
‘Edward will always make the wrong decisions. He was foolish to send Kent
here to deal with important affairs. Kent is too young.’
‘I had thought he would have sent Pembroke.’
‘Pembroke died before he could send him. Ah, yes, it would have been
different if Pembroke had come. His old friends are either dying or deserting him. Edward loves the Despensers but no one else does.’
‘He readily gave his consent to your coming here?’
‘Oh, the Despensers were glad to be rid of me, so I was allowed to come.
You see the people like me. They cheer me in the streets. It infuriates Edward because when he rides out they can be very sullen.’
‘And the Despensers?’
‘They would tear them limb from limb if they had a chance.’
‘Not a very healthy state of affairs.’
‘A diseased one I should say, brother. Oh how happy I am to be here.
Everything is so much more elegant. I am going to summon some of the French dressmakers to court. No one makes clothes as they do. See how unbecomingly we dress in England. I look unworthy of you, brother.’
‘I have heard several comment on your beauty. They say you are looking
radiant. Not as though you have been ill-treated in England.’
‘It is because I have come home. I wish to have French clothes. You will
have no objection to my summoning the seamstresses?’
‘Do so if you will, sister.’
‘Then I shall give orders immediately. Then I must talk with you of state
matters. You know I am here to plead for Edward.’
‘I know it well. Can you plead for one whom you so assuredly dislike?’
‘I have a son, Charles. I plead for him. He is young yet, but he is a clever boy. I want him to have a kingdom when the time comes for him to take it.’
Charles alternated between indignation at the manner in which his sister had been treated, amusement at her ability to think of her appearance at such a time, gratification that the King of England had had to send the sister of the King of France to plead for him, pleasure at having the sister for whom he had always had some affection restored to him, and certain doubts in his mind as to whether there was something behind all she said and did.
―――――――
Now she was exquisitely gowned. She had summoned the finest Paris
dressmakers; she had chosen the most magnificent materials and indeed she
looked like a queen. Never, even in the days of her early youth had she been so beautiful. She glowed with that inner radiance which had come to her when she had found Mortimer. She was deeply in love; and she was full of plans for
success. Never had she lived so fully, so dangerously and so excitingly as she did at this time.
She became the centre of a little court. She discovered her latent fascination.
She lured people to her by her glowing beauty, her wit, her vitality and her charm. It was said that she was the most beautiful woman in Europe.
Mortimer adored her and she was entirely Mortimer’s. But others fell in love with her. There was her cousin Artois for one. He grew more and more
indignant at the manner in which she had been treated in England; he told her that his great desire was to serve her.
Those Englishmen whose duty had brought them to France formed a coterie
about her. Mortimer was of course at their head, and joining him and Artois were the Bishops of Winchester and Norwich who were acting as Edward’s
ambassadors in Paris. Others who were disgusted with Edward’s way of life and despaired of England’s future under him paid homage to his Queen. They
guessed that there was something more to her being here than to plead with her brother for her husband. Young Edmund Duke of Kent who was feeling very
depressed because of his failures in France came to her and she comforted him, assuring him that what had happened was no fault of his. There was no respect for Edward abroad, she said, and any mission of his must fail while this was the case. She spent several hours with Kent placating him, winning him to her side.
He was one of those who was half in love with her.
‘It is good,’ said Mortimer, ‘to have the King’s brother with us.’
Others like the Earl of Richmond and Henry de Beaumont were in constant
attendance. All useful adherents, all enemies of the Despensers who had
offended them too often.
So the plan progressed well.
But of course she must appear to be doing the task which she had come out
to do.
At length Charles agreed that he would send no more troops into Gascony
and would consider returning the conquered provinces to England if Edward
came and paid long overdue homage to him for his French possessions.
She had many opportunities of talking to Mortimer because he formed part
of that little court which surrounded her and if she could talk in private with her cousin Artois and the Bishops of Norwich and Winchester so could she with
Mortimer.
‘What if he comes?’ she asked.
‘The Despensers will persuade him against it.’
‘He and they are eager for peace.’
‘Yes, but they are not going to let him come without them and would they
be welcome at your brother’s court? There is an alternative.’
‘I know,’ she said. They looked at each other and marvelled at the manner in which they even thought alike.
‘Do you think he would allow it?’ asked Mortimer. ‘He is fool enough to.’
‘If we had the boy here, we should be half way to victory.’
‘We can try it,’ said the Queen.
‘With the utmost care. Let him think you but do it to ease him and because you think it is time the boy began to realize his obligations.’
‘I will do it,’ said Isabella. ‘But first I must get my brother to agree.’
‘First,’ said Mortimer, ‘let us wait and see what Edward’s answer is. We
must by no means seem over-eager for the boy to come in his place. We have to tread very warily, my dear love.’
‘How well I know it,’ replied Isabella.
When the Despensers heard the terms the King of France had set, they were, as Isabella and Mortimer had guessed they would be, very disturbed.
The matter had been before the Council and there it was agreed that Edward should go to Paris. The Despensers were worried. They discussed the matter earnestly together and came to the conclusion that the King must on no account be allowed to go.
‘Without his protection,’ said the elder to the younger, ‘there would be some excuse to seize us. Then I would not give a penny for our chances.’
‘Edward would never allow them to harm us.’
‘My dear son, they would not wait for Edward. Look how they treated
Gaveston and even Lancaster was hurried to his death. Once they had us, depend upon it, we should be dead men before Edward could do anything to save us.’
‘To go is the only way he can save his French possessions.’
‘To stay is the only way he can save us. No, Hugh my son, the King must
not go to France. You must persuade him against it. He must remain here.
Without him, with the country in the mood it is in, we are lost.’
‘Is it really as bad as you think, Father?’
‘My dear son, you are constantly with the King. You divert him. You are his greatest friend. I have time to look around at what is happening. I happen to know that Henry of Lancaster has been writing to that Adam of Orlton who I am sure had a hand in Mortimer’s escape from the Tower. He had put up a cross to his brother’s memory at Leicester and is circulating more stories about more miracles at Lancaster’s tomb. No, Edward must not go. You must seek means of detaining him. Do not let him give a direct answer.’