Виктория Холт: The Queen's Secret

I lay back, awaiting the arrival of my son.

It was midafternoon when he arrived. The children would be at Hatfield by this time, I assured myself. Owen was right. There was nothing to fear. Henry might only be a boy, but he was the King, and wherever he went there must be a certain amount of pomp.

I could imagine them all, lined up below to receive him. Then I heard the trumpets announcing his arrival.

I should have been down there to greet him.

He came into my bedroom. There were two of his courtiers with him. Guards, I supposed. He would be used to having them with him.

My heart gave a little bound of pleasure at the sight of him. He was not yet fourteen, but he looked a little older. He was still a boy, though.

With a regal gesture he dismissed his guards.

He came swiftly to the bed. “You are sick?” he said anxiously.

“I am recovering,” I told him.

He took my hands and kissed them.

“I am so happy to be with my lady mother,” he said.

“And always I find great joy in your presence.”

He smiled. “Dear mother, tell me of your illness.”

“It is nothing. I grow better every day. In a week I shall be up and about as usual. It is just that…at the moment…I am a little weak.”

“What illness was this?”

I lifted my shoulders.

“Could not the doctors discover? I should have sent my physician.”

“Oh no…no. It was soon over. Do not let us talk of my ailments. How have you been?”

“I am well. But when they said you were unwell and wanted to see me, I was greatly distressed.”

“Did you think you would find me on my deathbed?”

A look of anxiety came into his eyes. Poor little King! He was so young after all. How cruel it was to thrust such a burden on those frail shoulders. I wished that I could tell him everything…introduce him to his half-brothers and-sister…say to him, “Leave all that pomp of kingship and come and live with us…with your stepfather and half-brothers and-sister. We will teach you what it is to be truly happy apart from the fears that your secret life be discovered and attempts will be made to destroy it.”

“How relieved I am that I did not,” he said.

“Oh Henry,” I told him. “I often think how happy I should have been if we could have been together always. But that is not the way of life, is it? It is only the humbly born who can have the pleasure of their children’s company. I often wonder why people envy us. But you are wondering why I am talking thus. Oh, it is good of you to come and see me.”

“I would come often if that were possible.”

“I know it, and it gives me the greatest pleasure. You will never forget that I am your mother, will you? And that, I believe, gives me special privileges to speak to the King.”

“Dear lady mother, the privilege is mine.”

“Ah, you make pretty speeches. Is that what you learn from your uncle Gloucester?”

He smiled and I went on: “You enjoy your sessions with him, do you?”

“No one understands literature as he does. His talk is most beguiling.”

“I remember that you always had a feeling for literature rather than riding, hawking, archery and the use of arms.”

“It is far more interesting, dear lady.”

“And the Earl of Warwick, does he think so?”

He gave a rueful laugh. “I think the Earl believes the study of literature to be a waste of time. He would not know Dante from Aristotle.”

“He is nevertheless a good and worthy tutor.”

“I expect that is true.”

“But you, of course, enjoy more what you discuss with the Duke of Gloucester.”

“But naturally. We talk of matters of absorbing interest. I am tired of warlike activities. They tire me as the great writers and thinkers never do.”

“And the Cardinal?”

“He is of the same mind as the Earl of Warwick. My uncle Gloucester thinks I give them too much liberty.”

“They have been good tutors for you, as you admit.”

“My uncle is of the opinion that I should no longer suffer their restraints.”

“Henry, you are not very old, you know.”

“I shall be fourteen years old in December.”

“It is too young to take on the burdens of kingship.”

“My uncle would help me.”

“Gloucester!” I could not hide my dismay.

“Yes. He says that Warwick cannot think of me as anything but a child…and the Cardinal is the same. They want to hold me back. My uncle says that I have shown signs of maturity and firmness. Do you know, dear mother, I spoke to them in Parliament when the Cardinal and my uncle Gloucester were disputing together…and I was able to solve their differences. My uncle says that I have enough wisdom to rule without the Cardinal always at my elbow…and if I were in any difficulties, he would always be there to help me.”

“Gloucester!” I repeated in derision.

“He is very clever, dear mother. He charms people. He is very merry. He makes them laugh. They all love him.”

“Not all,” I said. “The Cardinal and the Earl of Warwick evidently do not. And I believe there may be many others who feel as they do.”

“But I am the King.”

“Yes, you are the King, but this is a great country. It has to be governed with care. There can so easily be trouble…and kings can lose their crowns. Experience is needed to rule a country, Henry, and you are too young to have had any.”

“Yes, but you see, I can learn from my uncle. He would be there to help me.”

“Help you to destroy yourself. Henry, I am your mother. My great care is for you. I want you to be happy. I want you to be a great, good king like your father.”

“That is what I aim to be.”

“Then you must not assume responsibility until you are ready to carry it. The demands of kingship are great. A boy of fourteen, however clever, would be unable to meet them.”

“But I should not be alone.”

“You are too young to see that your uncle is working for himself…not for you. He is an ambitious man. He seeks to rule this country through you.”

“Oh no, my uncle Gloucester is not like that. He wants me to be King.”

“No, Henry. You cannot rule yet. You must listen to your Parliament and your Council. You cannot break away from the Cardinal and the Earl of Warwick. They will guide you. They will help you. And you must listen to the wishes of Parliament. The worst possible thing for a king is to be in opposition to the will of his Parliament and the people. When you are older, you will understand that. In the meantime, put out of your mind those notions. You are a boy yet. In time you will be a great king, but only if you listen to the wise men about you and do not let yourself be taken in by flattery.”

He was looking at me in amazement.

“Henry,” I went on, “whatever you may think, know this: here is a mother who seeks nothing for herself and whose only concern is for your future greatness and above all your happiness. You do know that, do you not?”

“I do,” he said fervently.

“Well then, take heed of what I say. You want to take over the rule of this country. You cannot, Henry. It is a man’s task, and even then he must be a very clever man. You have done well so far, beyond what could be expected of one your age. That is true, and wise as you have shown yourself to be, we shall see that you are even wiser. You are going to put yourself into the hands of…not one who wants to rule through you…but those men like the Earl of Warwick and the Cardinal and the members of your Council who have proved their wisdom and their desire to serve their country well.”

He listened intently. I was proud of him. He really wanted to be a good king, worthy of his father. He was not seeking self-importance—in fact, he rather shunned it. He wanted to be a king with his uncle Gloucester beside him, because they shared a taste for literature and he liked to be with him.