'If Henry Tudor married Elizabeth of York it would have to be that she was the heiress to the throne in the eyes of those who did not accept the Stillington story.' V 'How could she be while her two brothers lived?'
There was another pause. Then Morton said slowly: 'It could only be after her two brothers were dead.'
'Dead! The elder—King Edward the Fifth, is something of a weakling I beheve. But even if he died there is his brother the Duke of York.'
'When Henry gained the throne they would have to be removed . . . /
'Removed!'
'There is no need to go into details. The position has not arrived just yet. The Houses of York and Lancaster must be united as they would be by Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York. Elizabeth must be seen to be the true heiress of York and Henry of Lancaster. Of course if the Princes are alive . . . they would be heirs. Edward first and if he had no children—^and we know he is too young for that—there is Richard, Duke of York. Only if they are removed and Elizabeth proved to be legitimate can she be the heiress to the throne. Henry on one side for Lancaster, Elizabeth on the other for York. It would be the perfect unity.'
'But there are the Princes . . . /
'My lord, sometimes it is necessary to take certain action.'
'You mean that if Henry Tudor landed here and defeated Richard, killed him in battle, that hme would come.'
'You see that it is so, my lord.'
'I see it is so. I see that King Henry Tudor could not marry a bastard, therefore Elizabeth must be legitimate. I see that she can only be heiress to the throne if her brothers are dead.'
'Then you see my point exactly.'
'But the children . . . those two boys in the Tower.'
'The time is not yet ripe. We should not consider that yet. Rest assured it will be taken care of when the time comes.'
'What will the people say of a King who murders children?'
'They will say nothing for they will not know. My lord Buckingham I am talking of things which may never come to pass, but we know you and I that it is sometimes necessary to take actions which are obnoxious to us. But if they are performed for the good of the greater number of people they are acceptable in God's eyes. What this country needs is the unity of York and Lancaster, an end to the conflict which will never really cease until this comes about. The unity of York and Lancaster can be brought about by the marriage of Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York.'
'That I understand but . . . .'
'You concern yourself with the children. It is a minor matter. It may not be. It cannot be until Henry Tudor lands on this island and proclaims himself King and Elizabeth of York his Queen. Thank God she is in Sanctuary and no husband has been found for her. No husband must be found until Henry Tudor comes.'
Buckingham was thoughtful, and the Bishop said no more that day.
Later he told the Duke that if the Princes were removed the blame must be attached to their Uncle Richard.
'On what grounds?' asked Buckingham.
'That he fears them.'
'Why should he? The people accept their bastardy. They have therefore no claim to the throne and Richard is the true heir.'
'That is true. But we must ensure the peaceful reign of the new King. It will never be so if people blame him for removing the Princes.'
'But you say they must... be removed.'
They will be a menace to him because he must in marrying their sister, accept their legitimacy.'
'Exactly, and they provide no threat to Richard who does accept their bastardy.'
'People forget. There are ways of dealing with these matters. If you tell the people something constantly and forcibly enough in time they believe it. I propose to begin now. I am setting some of my servants to whisper in the shops and the streets and the taverns . . . not only here but all over the country and particularly in London. I am going to tell them to spread the rumour that the Princes have been murdered in the Tower.'
'People can see them shooting their arrows in the gardens of the Garden Tower.'
'I know. But all will not see them and those who do not, may believe. Rumour may be a lying jade but she can be a useful one.'
'I don't like it,' said Buckingham.
Morton was uneasy. Had he gone too far?
'It is nothing. The boys are safe enough. It is just a theory I had in mind. Perhaps the people would not object to the bastardy. Perhaps the marriage between Henry Tudor and Elizabeth of York will not take place after all. I was just looking ahead to the possibilities. The first thing is to depose Richard. Let us give our energies to that.'
'That is what I am most eager to do and I think the time has come for us to go into action/
When Richard heard that Buckingham had put himself at the head of an insurrection to come against him he was deeply shocked.
Buckingham, who had been his friend, his Constable, and the one who had been closest to him in the struggle. He could not believe it.
He immediately set about calling an army together and gave instructions that they were to meet at Leicester. He was quiet and calm, hiding how deeply wounded he was. He did say that Buckingham was the most untrue creature living and everyone knew that if ever the Duke fell into the King's hands that would be the end of him. He was declared a rebel and a price was put on his head.
Richard was supported by his good friends John Howard, Duke of Norfolk, Francis, Viscount Lovell, Sir Richard Ratcliffe and William Catesby ... all men on whom he could rely. But then he had thought he could rely on Buckingham. No, Buckingham had come up too quickly. It had been an error of judgment to have relied on him to such an extent. Then there was Stanley. He did not trust Stanley. He was after all the husband of Margaret Beaufort, mother of the Tudor. He was watchful of Stanley and must make sure that he was given no opportunity to be false.
There were risings in Kent and Surrey and East Anglia. These were quickly suppressed and Richard marched on to Leicester.
Buckingham was in difficulties. He had moved towards the east with a force made up mainly of Welsh troops but when he came into Herefordshire he found the rivers Wye and Severn in flood and impassable. There was no help for it but to attempt to retreat but that became out of the question for he found he was hemmed in by enemy troops. He was forced to wait and the men grew restive. The expedition was ill-timed and ill-planned. Men began to desert and the Duke saw that there was nothing left to him but escape.
There was a big price on his head. If he fell into Richard's hands there would be no mercy. He could not expect that. Therefore he must escape.
Perhaps he could get across the Channel and join Henry Tudor. Then they could plot together and come back in triumph.
One of his retainers, Ralph Bannister, who had a house near the town of Wem, took him in and Buckingham stayed for a few days at his mansion of Lacon Park.
Everyone was talking about the debacle and the price on the Duke of Buckingham's head. It was a large price for Richard was very eager to get the traitor into his hands.
For a day or so Bannister resisted the temptation but after a while it became too much for him. He advised Buckingham to leave his house and showed him a hut where he could stay for a while until he could make good his escape. But no sooner was Buckingham in the hut than he was arrested and taken to Salisbury by the Sheriff of Shropshire.
He asked to see the King. He wanted to talk to him. He confessed that he had been a foolish traitor. He had wronged the King who had been his friend. But if he could but see the King, if
he could talk to him, if he could explain ....
It was no use. He could hardly expect Richard to see him in the circumstances for never had a man more blatantly played the traitor.