Nigel Tranter: The Wisest Fool

"She would still have to be caught first, Your Grace 1" The Duchess of Lennox pointed out

Presently, a small shrunken figure appeared at the gatehouse parapet with the guard-commander, rather ridiculous-seeming in a high hat with ostrich feathers and an old tartan plaid hugged about her, Annabel, Countess-Dowager of Mar, who had reared King James with her own family. She made no gesture towards the waiting company. "Her ladyship says that she listens," the commander called.

As the Queen exploded with something wrathful and presumably Danish, Linlithgow raised his voice.

"Countess of Mar-Her Grace is much displeased to be kept waiting thus. She demands that you punish severely your insolent churl of a guard. And that you order these gates open, forthwith, that she may see her royal son." The Countess spoke to the captain, who began to answer. "Not you, fool! We do not speak with underlings."

'The Countess says that she does not engage in unmannerly shoutings, sir." And as Linlithgow spluttered, "She says likewise that she will speak only with the Queen-if she is indeed present"

In the ensuing uproar, Heriot moved closer to xthe Queen. "Wrath will achieve nothing, Your Grace," he said. "I urge that you move nearer to the bridge-end where we can speak without shouting." Reluctantly the Queen ordered it

"Countess of Mar," she called clearly, from her litter. "I am Anne of Scotland-as you can see very well, unless age has blinded you I I require you to open these gates and deliver my son to me."

"The Prince Henry is at the hurly-hackit ower the hill, yonder," a thin but strangely forceful voice declared. "It will tak a whilie to fetch him, y'Grace."

"Then do so. At once. And meantime, open to me. I shall no longer wait here like some beggar at your door. Open. Do you understand, Countess?"

"If Your Grace will show me a paper, signed by the King, ordering that I do so, I'll no' refuse, Highness."

"How dare you make conditions to your Queen I Obey my royal commands."

"I dare fine. For, lacking my son, I take instructions only frae the King's Grace, Madam. And his commands are right explicit. Without his written orders, signed and sealed, I deliver the Prince to nonesoever. And none sets foot ower the brig o' this castle!" "But… I am the boy's mother 1" Anne all but wailed. "His Grace kens that I hae nae doubt!" "This is outrage…!"

"Countess Mar," Linlithgow interjected, "I have the same commission from His Grace. To keep and guard the Princess Elizabeth. But I do not keep her hidden from her royal mother. Nor does the Chancellor, Prince Charles. Here is the Princess."

"Maybe so, Livingstone. You ken your orders, I ken mine. But my laddie's the heir. You'll admit there's a difference." The Queen and Heriot exchanged glances.

"With His Grace in England, Her Grace has the supreme authority in Scotland, woman!" "No' to overturn King Jamie's commands."

George Heriot took a hand. "I am the King's goldsmith, Heriot, Countess," he called. "I have come straight from His Grace. At York. He sent me to ensure that the Queen and his family were well, and having no troubles. To help prepare them for their journey to London. His Grace said naught of keeping the Queen and her children apart. Indeed he intended otherwise, I swear."

"Sweer awa', mannie-but did he gie you a writing for me, to deliver up his son?"

"No. But His Grace told me to see well to them all. I cannot do that while you keep this Prince hidden away. He said…"

"Aye, he said! Or you say he said! I need mair than that. Aye, and I need mair than any goldsmith to come to me changing the King's express commands."

"It is of no avail!" the Queen cried. "The old witch is beyond all reason. It is insufferable…" Despairingly Heriot tried one last throw. "Countess-His Grace gave me fullest authority to spend all necessary moneys on the Queen and her family's behalf. My purse, therefore is… not short! If anything is required, for the Prince's welfare, or in discharge of outlays here-I can deal with it…"

"God's death-would you try to buy me, Annabel Mar, you huckstering httle shopkeeper!" the old woman shrilled. "Get out o' my sight before I hae my guards pistol you like an insolent scullion!"

Strangely enough, George Heriot bowed from the saddle. "I apologise, Countess," he said. "I should not have said that"

Alison Primrose actually clapped her hands-although her royal mistress looked less than approving.

"I will have no more of this," Anne declared. "That I, the Queen, should be repulsed and insulted, kept out of a royal castle, by this woman! She will suffer for it-that I vow before God! We go. At once. I will not stay here another moment"

'The boy, Highness? The Prince, your son? Do you not wait for him?" Linlithgow asked. "Yes-let us wait for Henry," the Princess Elizabeth cried.

"Frederick!" her mother said sharply. "Frederick Henry, child." She set her long chin obstinately. "No. I will wait no longer at this door, like a beggar. To be mocked by this she-devil. Sir Harry- we return to Linhthgow."

George Heriot was summoned to the royal bedchamber again that night, the Queen having retired, prostrate, on return from Stirling. He found her recovered somewhat, but very angry.

"What do we do now, sir?" she demanded of him, before he was fully into the room "It was on your advice I went to Stirling- to be defied and insulted. Have you any more, and better, advice forme?"

'The situation is difficult, Your Grace-but no worse than it was," he told her soothingly. "In the strongest fortress in the realm we cannot force the Countess to yield up the Prince. But then, neither can the Master of Gray! All depends on whether or no Lady Mar is in this plot of his. If she is not, then matters may be none so ill. For your son could scarcely be anywhere safer than in Stirling Castle, with that dragon guarding him."

"She will be in it, the horrible creature! The plot. She hates me!"

"I am less sure, Highness. Whether she hates you is scarce to the point, in this. What is to the point is-has she turned against the King? She did not sound so. And she has always loved him like a mother-a fierce mother, but still loved him…" "What of it? I want my son"

"To be sure. But Your Grace has managed without him all these years. A week or two more will not try you too sternly. What is important is that the boy does not fall into the hands of the Master of Gray and his friends. To the King's grievous hurt And your own. If the Countess of Mar is not in the Master's plot and can remain proof against his pressings and blandishments-then the Prince is probably safer with her than even with Your Grace here. This is no fortress. Nor is any other royal palace you might go to. You perceive my point?"

"I perceive that you said nothing of this yesterday, sir, when you urged me to go to get Henry!"

'True. Perhaps I had thought insufficiently deeply myself. But we had to find out whether or no Lady Mar was in the plot. For myself, I do not now think she is."

"Why are you so sure? I believe that you have conceived some shameful liking for the evil old bitch! You… you begged her pardon! When she had spat on me, your Queen!"

"Only in that I had made suggestion that she might be bribed. That was a mistake. Let us be glad that she cannot, it seems."

"Why think you she is not in Gray's pocket?" That was the Marchioness of Huntly, pale shadow of the Queen.

"I am not sure. But she did not speak and act as I think she would have done had she been concealing complicity. She made overmuch of the King's authority, for one about to throw it off. I believe she is still loyal to His Grace. Whether she remains so or not is another matter. Depending on the Master's… inducements."

There was silence in the over-heated chamber. The Queen dropped her head into her hands. "Is there nothing, nothing, that we can do?" she wailed.