A few days passed during which René, Yolande and Ferri did all they could to persuade her. She was adamant.

‘It is too much to ask. Moreover if he is ready to betray his friend Edward, whom he made King in name, how could I trust him?’

‘Edward deceived him. You must take advantage of this quarrel between them.’

‘I will have nothing to do with Warwick.’

René was a little impatient. The King of France was anxious for a rapprochement between Warwick and Margaret for it was very much to his advantage to make life uncomfortable for Edward.

‘I will see that an understanding is brought about between these two,’ said Louis. ‘When Warwick arrives he shall be presented to me in Margaret’s presence.’

And this was what happened.

The King of France greeted the Earl with warmth and then presented him to Margaret, who regarded him stonily.

‘Nay, my lord,’ she said ignoring Warwick and looking fixedly at Louis, ‘in all respect to myself and honour to my son I cannot receive the Earl of Warwick.’

Louis was annoyed but could do nothing about it. He drew Warwick on one side.

‘The lady has a violent temper,’ he said. ‘We shall have to find a means of placating it. When she realizes what you can do for her and her son she will be more gracious.’

Yolande came to Margaret’s private apartments to remonstrate with her.

‘You were always stubborn,’ she said. ‘The King will be furious. What you did was tantamount to an insult to him.’

‘In presenting that man to me he was insulting me.’

‘You, my dear Margaret, are not the King of France!’

‘Nay, but I am the Queen of England.’

‘Some would say England has a Queen Elizabeth.’

Margaret had to restrain herself for she could have slapped her sister’s face. Yolande and she had quickly discovered that their temperaments did not blend well together.

‘I shall do what is right according to my own standards,’ she snapped.

‘And lose yourself a throne. You may do that but that you should prevent your son’s taking what he has a right to is nothing but selfish.’

Yolande flounced out of the room but her remark had made more impression on Margaret than all the persuasion had done and very shortly afterwards she agreed to see Warwick.

It was not in her nature to make it easy for him. She intended that he should grovel before her, and Warwick, proud as he might be, was ready to go to great lengths to obtain what he wanted. Friendship with Margaret was essential to his plans. Therefore this reconciliation must be brought about.

He tried to appeal to her common sense.

‘I put Edward on the throne,’ he said. ‘It was a mistake. I should have given my allegiance to Henry. If I had what a different story we should have had to tell.’

‘Indeed you have created much mischief,’ retorted Margaret. ‘You have been a traitor to the anointed King.’

‘I was wrong and am now ready to repair my misdeeds. I shall now be Edward’s foe as vehemently as I have been his friend.

I was misled by what I believed to be his claim to the throne and because of the King’s illness...’

She silenced him. She wanted no reference to Henry’s weakness of mind.

‘I see that what you did is unpardonable.’

‘There is no sin on earth that cannot be pardoned by magnamity and generosity of heart, my lady.’

All the time she was thinking what this man could do. He emanated power and strength. He was not called the King-Maker for nothing.

But she was not going to give way lightly. It was when the King of France appeared and with a certain humble grace begged her to pardon the Earl of Warwick that she at length agreed.

‘It will be necessary for my son to do the same,’ she said. ‘I am not sure that he will agree.’

The King and Warwick exchanged smiles. Of course he would agree. He would do exactly what his mother told him to.


* * *

Louis expressed a wish that they should all travel to Angers where the Countess of Warwick and her younger daughter Anne would be waiting to receive them.

Margaret’s spirits were uplifted. She had had to subdue her pride to agree to friendship with Warwick but she knew that she had to catch at anything that might help her regain the throne for her son. Warwick could do that. He was the one man in England who could. It was really a miraculous piece of good fortune that he had quarrelled with Edward. Yolande was right. She would have been a fool to let that pass just because of her stubborn pride.

And how good it was to ride in a procession again like a royal Queen. And Edward beside her. Growing up handsome, brave, a son to be proud of. Nearly eighteen years old now. Old enough to take the crown.

She had heard with some surprise that Warwick’s elder daughter Isabel had married Clarence. Clever Warwick. He had somehow won Clarence to his side and no doubt the bribe of Warwick’s vast wealth had worked with the young Duke. He was a traitor to his brother. It seemed to her the world was full of traitors.

It pointed to one factor. Events were moving. The period of stagnation was clearly coming to an end and no matter what had brought it about that was something for which she must rejoice.

The King of France rode beside her into Angers. She noticed that the people did not cheer vociferously. Louis lacked that appeal which she accepted grudgingly belonged to Edward of York. The Valois were not handsome as the Plantagenets had been. Appearances were important. She herself was still a beautiful woman in spite of the ravages of time and events. She noticed approving eyes on her dear son and that warmed her heart a little.

Louis was aware of it too for he commented on the Prince’s royal appearance.

‘A great joy to you, my lady,’ he said.

‘My only one for a long time,’ replied Margaret.

‘And what a blessing. He will soon be marrying I doubt not and then you will have your grandchildren.’

She was wary. This conversation was leading somewhere. The Spider King was not known to waste words in idle chatter.

‘I believe the young Duke of Clarence is very happy in his marriage. Warwick’s girls are beauties...moreover they are the richest heiresses in England.’

‘That may be so and I wish Clarence joy of his marriage. I’ll swear his brother does not feel the same pleasure in it as my lord Warwick appears to.’

‘Ha!’ Louis gave his short bark which was meant to be a laugh. ‘Edward has been acting with great foolishness. That is not the way to hold a crown...especially when a man has no right to it. Warwick put it on his head and Warwick will take it off when the time comes...and put it where it belongs.’

‘If justice prevails that is assuredly what will take place,’ she said.

‘And princes should marry young. The sooner they begin to produce heirs the better. Warwick has a charming young daughter. What a prize...a beautiful healthy young girl and a half share in the greatest estates in England.’

‘I cannot believe, my lord, that you suggest that the Prince of Wales should marry Warwick’s daughter.’

‘It seems to me...and to others...an admirable solution to the problem of the Prince’s marriage.’

‘My lord, it is quite out of the question.’

‘Oh surely not.’

‘I have forgiven the Earl of Warwick his treatment of me and the King. It has cost me a great deal to do that. To allow my son to marry his daughter is something I will not consider...not for one moment...’

Louis bowed his head and was silent. Indeed he was not one to waste words.

At Angers the Countess of Warwick was waiting with her young daughter. Anne Beauchamp was a pleasant creature. Poor woman, thought Margaret, married to a man like Warwick. What life had she had! But her real interest was for the girl. Comely, yes, rather delicately formed and dainty, of good manners and some beauty. If she had been the daughter of the King of France or the Duke of Burgundy instead of a mere Earl—and an old enemy at that—Margaret would have considered the girl a possible match.

There were fetes and entertainments at Angers. Warwick submitted with as much patience as he could muster. So did Margaret. The Earl had a promise of help from Louis but he did not want to move until the time was ripe. His friends were amassing forces in England; his most important scheme was to land when Edward was in the North for Warwick had arranged with his brother-in-law Lord Fitzhugh to send out rumours of a rising in the North which would take Edward up there with an army. If he could land in the South, free Henry from the Tower and set him up as King, he would have an immediate advantage; Warwick’s brother John had deliberately not joined with him for the reason that he could be more useful seeming to remain loyal to Edward, and when Edward was lured to the North John would at the right moment desert him and declare for Henry and Warwick would then be in a position to defeat Edward.

It was a clever plan and Warwick’s strategy had always been more successful than his actual physical warfare.

He needed everything to fall into place. Margaret was a stubborn woman; he wished he could do without her. When he looked back he could see that had Henry had a different Queen he might not be in the Tower today.

But Margaret would not agree to a union between Edward and Anne. Meanwhile the two young people had met and clearly liked each other. Edward said he thought she was a delightful girl, not in the least bit like her father. There was no trace of arrogance about her.

‘Nor should there be,’ snapped Margaret. ‘Who is she but the daughter of an upstart Earl who got his titles through his wife?’