But the Queen was stubborn; she would rather fight than work with York.
‘Once again,’ said York, I will send a message to the King as I did before the battle of St. Albans. I will tell him that we are his loyal subjects, but there are certain matters which must be set right.’
The Lancastrian army was before Ludlow; they had camped to the south of the town in the fields which were watered by the River Teme. Margaret was in good spirits. She knew that the people wanted to be loyal to their King. She had men and arms but her greatest asset was Henry himself.
Though he hated battle so much she had insisted on his accompanying the army. He had been so reluctant that she had worked indefatigably, pointing out that he would be called a coward, that he would be failing in his duty if he did not ride with the army and confront those traitors York, Warwick and Salisbury.
She rode round the camp accompanied by the King. The news must spread to Ludlow Castle that the King was with them. Every Yorkist soldier must know that he was fighting against his King.
Once again she sent messages addressed to all the captains in the enemy’s camp. ‘The King is here before Ludlow. If you fight against his army you fight against him. Pause to think what this means. You will be traitors to your King. Come over to us now and there will be free pardons for all.’
It was clever.
Margaret was almost wild with joy when Captain Trollope, leading a company of Warwick’s best troops from Calais, joined the Lancastrian army.
Trollope declared: I will never take up arms against my King.’
Margaret welcomed him warmly. He should have a command in her armies. She was certain now of victory.
There was gloom in Ludlow Castle. Defeat was staring them in the face. Even Warwick admitted it.
T would have staked my life on Trollope,’ he said. ‘And it is not only him. He has taken some of my best men with him. They are not fighting for Margaret, not for the Lancastrians. It is simply that they will not fight against the King. They are good men all of them. If the King had not been there...’
‘But he is there,’ said Salisbury, ‘and what are we to do? We have a handful of men against a trained army. We will be overcome in an hour.’
Warwick nodded. ‘Trollope knows our plans and our strength. It will be folly for us to stay here and be annihilated or worse still taken captive. There is one course open to us, as far as I can see. And that is flight, if we want to five to fight another day. We have been the victims of desertion. We were undermanned before. The Queen has reacted too quickly for us. I think the answer can only be flight. As soon as night falls we should leave without delay.’
York was thoughtful. He was thinking of his family. Salisbury understood.
‘There is no other way, I fear,’ he said. ‘You will have to leave Cecily here with the younger children.’
‘To leave them...!’
‘If you want to live, yes,’ said Warwick. He was thinking York had not the makings of a great leader. He was thinking of his wife and young children when he should have been thinking of survival to Live and fight another day.
‘March and Rutland can come with us,’ said Salisbury.
‘There is no time to be lost,’ added Warwick. ‘As soon as night falls we must slip away.’
York saw at once that Warwick was right and it was easy to explain to Cecily because she too grasped the position.
‘Warwick is wise,’ she said. ‘You must go...you, Edward and Edmund. The little ones will be safe with me. I am sure Henry won’t let us be harmed.’
‘I wouldn’t trust Margaret.’
‘Oh, she won’t have time to think of me. God go with you.’
‘I shall keep you informed and we shall be back.’
‘Indeed you’ll be back, and when you do you’ll be victorious, I’m sure of that.’
Cecily was a strong woman; she would be able to care for herself and the children he was leaving behind.
Darkness was falling. There was not a moment to lose. He summoned his captains and told them that they could not possibly stand out against the mighty Lancastrian army which was gathered to confront them. The soldiers must get away and disperse. They would be in no danger. It was the leaders they were after.
York, Warwick and Salisbury with the young Earls of March and Rutland quietly made their way out of Ludlow. Through the night they rode heading towards Wales. There they decided to break up the party and as York still had connections in Ireland he would go there and stay until he could make plans for his return. He would take Rutland with him.
The others would go back to Calais. Edward was very eager to stay with Warwick. So he with Salisbury and Warwick made his way to the Devon coast where they hoped to find a ship to carry them across the Channel. It would have been too dangerous to attempt to sail from Sandwich or any of the ports in the south-east, for their enemies would surely be lying in wait for them guessing that Warwick would try to make his way back to Calais.
Edward enjoyed the adventure. His attachment to Warwick grew with every hour. Warwick was a hero. He was so resourceful, so strong, all that Edward himself would like to be.
There were some alarming moments during the journey. Warwick was certain that Margaret would have sent out warnings to all her friends in the country that they might keep a watchful eye for the fugitives. And if ever she had York, Warwick or Salisbury in her hands she would lose no time in getting rid of them. It would be certain death.
Warwick was watchful. On one or two occasions he was sure they came near to capture but in due course they came to Dynham Manor which was owned by John Dynham, a trusted Yorkist.
It was a great relief to sleep in a bed; to sit at a table and eat good food and to feel comparatively safe, but they could not Unger, of course. They were close to the sea and the sooner they left England the better for them. It was a long journey across the water but they would be safer there than they were staying here where they might be discovered at any time. Guernsey belonged to Warwick, as a fief of the Crown, so he could make for Guernsey first and from there could find out what was happening in Calais and whether it would be safe to return there.
John Dynham was an ardent Yorkist. He would do everything he could to speed them on their way. At great risk he procured a boat with a party of fishermen to sail it to Guernsey. Meanwhile his wife kept them hidden.
In due course they sailed for Guernsey but they had not gone far when a storm arose. The fishermen were terrified.
Warwick shouted at them to stop their trembling and look to their tasks. ‘Take the ship to Guernsey,’ he cried. ‘That is your duty.’
‘Master,’ said their spokesman, ‘we be but poor fishermen. We know little of boats such as this. We’ve never been near Guernsey in our lives.’
Warwick looked at the consternation of those about him and cried out: ‘By God, I have not come so far to be lost at sea.’
Whereupon he seized the tiller and set the course westward.