The Red Rose of Anjou - Plaidy Jean - Страница 23

There was a long way to go yet. Her party consisted of the most important people in England, led as it was by the Marquess and Marchioness of Suffolk and the Earl and Countess of Shrewsbury. The Earl of Wiltshire was also there with the Lords Greystock and Clifford. The English were as determined as the French had been to make a good impression and had sent not only guards but all the servants which the young Queen might have need of on her journey; and besides knights and squires there were carvers, grooms and servants to perform any task which she might require of them. The wages of these people in addition to the food which had to be provided for them had cost the King of England more than five thousand pounds which had to be found from a very depleted exchequer and showed, said those who knew the state of his finances, how very eager he was for the French marriage.

When the party arrived in Paris the people were out to cheer and there was a meeting in the streets between Charles Due d’Orleans and the Queen. The people were delighted and cheered madly. The Queen was so young, so appealing, so beautiful. Our little Daisy, they called her and everyone carried daisies—some of which were made of paper; and it was all in honour of the little Queen. There was a service in Notre Dame where a Te Deum was sung and there was great rejoicing in the street for the people saw in this marriage a prospect of peace; and that was what they longed for more than anything.

When the party left Paris the Due d’Orleans rode with it to Pontoise. This was an important point of the journey because it was at the border between the French and the English possessions in France. And there waiting to welcome her was Richard, Duke of York.

This was her first meeting with a man who considered himself as royal as the King. He was descended from Edward the Third by both parents, for his father had been the son of Edmund Langley, the King’s fifth son; and his mother was the daughter of Roger Mortimer, grandson of Lionel Duke of Clarence. He had come to join the party and conduct her to England.

He was immensely proud and although he was courteous, Margaret thought him arrogant and she did not like him as she had the Suffolks and Shrewsbury. However, he was a man of great importance in England and must be close to the King. She remembered what her mentor the King of France had told her and tried to win the friendship of the Duke of York.

At Pontoise she must say goodbye to the last of her personal attendants, also to her brother John and the Due d’Alencon who had accompanied her so far. She was now entirely among the English.

In a barge decorated especially for her with a fine display of daisies she sailed down the Seine to Rouen and there she was received with great acclaim.

She was taken into the city in a litter lavishly decorated with more daisies. The Marquess of Suffolk, who had stood for the King in the proxy ceremony, rode ahead of her litter, and the Duke of York and the Earl of Shrewsbury were on either side of her. The other members of the party followed behind.

She must rest awhile in Rouen and therefore perform the ceremonies which were expected of her.

Alice proved to be a good friend for Margaret was very soon in difficulty over money. Rene, always financially pressed himself and with many debts which he could never hope to settle, had not been able to provide her with the money she would need to defray the cost of the journey which it was her responsibility to pay.

When Alice told her that it was the custom in Rouen for royal brides to give to the poor certain articles of clothing according to her age, she was bewildered.

‘Clothing,’ she cried. ‘What sort of clothing?’

‘A gown of some sort and a pair of shoes...the shoes are very important. You must give these. The people expect it.’

‘But how many garments and pairs of shoes must I provide?’

‘As many as the years you have lived. In your case it will be fifteen. Oh, do not worry. We have arranged everything and the gowns and the shoes are all ready. They will be handed over as soon as they are paid for. The people of Rouen never trust anyone...even Queens.’

‘I can see they are a wise people,’ said Margaret a little grimly, ‘for frankly, Alice, I cannot pay for these things. If I do I shall not be able to continue the journey. There are other expenses yet.’

‘Your father will pay, I doubt not.’

‘Alice,’ said Margaret slowly, ‘my father can never pay. He is deeply in debt now and has been for as long as I can remember.’

‘I shall have to lend you the money,’ said Alice.

‘I will put some of my silver in pawn with you. You shall hold it until I can pay you back.’

‘There is no need...’ began Alice.

But Margaret silenced her. ‘I do not want to build up debts,’ she said firmly. ‘I do not want to be careless with other people’s money. I fear my father has always been like that and see what has happened to him. He is always warding off some creditor. Not that he minds. He is sublimely indifferent to such matters. Oh, he is the dearest man, the finest man...I love him very much, but he does have this characteristic...and I do not want to be like that.’

So Alice took the silver and found the money for the garments and shoes, and more also for there were all sorts of people to pay on the way and the Queen could not begin by making a bad impression by not paying her dues.

At last they came to Barfleur where two ships lay in the bay awaiting them. One was the Cokke John of Cherbourg in which Margaret and her immediate entourage were to sail and the other, Mary of Hampton, was for the rest of the party.

It was a short journey across the Channel for the strong southeast wind blew them over, but it was exceedingly uncomfortable and almost as soon as they had left the shore Margaret was dreadfully sick.

Most of the party were ill but not as violently so as Margaret. Alice, feeling dreadfully ill herself, tried to minister to her but Margaret could only murmur: ‘I never before felt so ill. I just want to die.’

It was a great relief to all when land was in sight.

Alice bent over Margaret and whispered: ‘We have arrived. This sickness will rapidly pass once we are on dry land.’

All the same she went to call her husband for the Queen seemed to her to be suffering from something more than the effects of the sea.

There was great consternation for spots were beginning to show themselves on Margaret’s face. Alice opened her gown and saw that they were also on her chest.

‘God help us,’ she cried. ‘The Queen is suffering from a plague.’

The Marquess told his wife to wrap the Queen in a blanket and he would carry her ashore. Alice did as she was bid and taking the Queen in his arms Suffolk waded through the sea with her to the beach. From the town came the sounds of revelry and many people having seen the ship lying off the land had come down to greet her.

There was a hushed silence as Suffolk placed her in a litter and took her with all speed to a convent in the town of Portsmouth. This convent was known as Godde’s House, and there the doctors attended her and under their instructions the nuns nursed her.

There was great consternation for it was believed that the Queen was suffering from the dreaded small pox which would almost certainly mean her death or at best her disfigurement, so it was with tremendous relief that after a few days Margaret appeared to be suffering not from small pox but a mild form of chicken pox and the spots began to disappear without leaving any mark behind them and she herself, under the care of the nuns, began to recover.

Meantime Henry, all impatience, came riding to Southampton and immediately sent for Suffolk to hear the latest news of the Queen.

‘She is recovering, my lord,’ said Suffolk. ‘We have all been so anxious, but the Queen’s illness was not what we feared. There is nothing but a minor outbreak of some pox and she is recovering fast.’