The Star of Lancaster - Plaidy Jean (бесплатные онлайн книги читаем полные TXT) 📗

It had been an inspiration. Margaret was feeding her child. She had milk to spare.

'Will you come and help our little Harry?' begged Henry.

Of course she would. She would deem it an honour.

Within a short time Margaret Montacute was in Monmouth and young Harry was suckling contentedly at her breasts.

After that he began to thrive, although, warned the midwife, he would not be a robust child and they might have difficulty in rearing him. However, his life was temporarily saved and Mary was able to hold her precious child in her arms. A terrible fear had come to her that he was dead and

when she was given proof of his existence she began to recover.

It was not a speedy recovery but she was getting better every day and as for young Harry who had shown such reluctance to accept the world, he began to grow lively with the help of Margaret Montacute's milk and gave promise of remaining in it.

Rather to the surprise of those about her Mary recovered and if Harry was not exactly brimming over with good health he survived, although his nurses insisted he was a child whose health would have to be watched.

One day there came to the castle a young woman, big-bosomed and wide-hipped, who asked that she might see the Countess of Hereford.

Mary received her and discovered that her name was Joan Waring and that she lived in a village near Monmouth.

*My lady,' she said, 1 hear that there is a baby here in the castle who is not as strong as he should be. I love little babies. I have raised my own. They were born strong and healthy but if you would give me the chance I would like to care for this little one.*

Mary was not so surprised as might have been expected; she knew there was a great deal of talk about young Harry's birth. The midwife had boasted that she had saved his life by smacking his bottom hard and forcing him to cry so that he brought the air into his lungs. It was often found expedient to get a good strong village girl to care for a baby of high rank and as Margaret Montacute could not be expected to remain for ever as Harry's nurse, it seemed a good idea to give the woman a chance.

She was obviously eager for the task and when young Harry was brought out and she took him into her arms, he seemed to take to her immediately. He ceased whimpering and lying against her soft sturdy breasts he seemed to find comfort.

Mary decided that she would engage Joan Waring. She did so and for some reason from that moment Harry's health began to improve.

They were anxious months. Mary was not sure whether she wanted to hear the news from Court or to shut herself away from it. She lived in constant terror that some ill would befall

Henry. There was trouble and he was in the thick of it.

He had linked himself with the four who were now called the Lords Appellant. They had gathered together an army and had confronted Richard, arm in arm to show their solidarity, and forced him to dismiss those ministers whom they considered to be giving him evil counsel and they had set up the Merciless Parliament who forced the King's submission.

She had waited in trepidation for something terrible to happen. Nothing did. The country appeared to have settled down; the King was on the throne and he seemed to have profited from recent events. The country had moved into a peaceful stage, and this was confirmed when Henry came to Monmouth once more.

'You see/ he told Mary, 'your fears were without foundation.'

'There might have been serious trouble. You might have been in danger,' she retorted.

'Well, you see me here, safe and well. And how fares young Harry of Monmouth?'

She was able to tell him that young Harry was faring well. She had found an excellent nurse in a village woman named Joan Waring. Harry was devoted to her and she to him.

'These village women make good nurses,' was his comment; and his joy when he beheld young Harry was obvious. The child had changed from the feeble little scrap of humanity which had filled him with such misgivings a few months earlier.

'Now,' he said, 'there is no longer the need for you to remain here in Monmouth. 'I am going to take you away from here to London and then, Mary, you will not be so far from me. Do you like the idea?'

She did like it very much and preparations were set in motion to leave young Harry's birthplace. They were to go to London for a while and as the Palace of the Savoy had been destroyed by the mob during the Peasants' Revolt they took up residence at Cole Harbour, one of the de Bohun mansions.

It was a cold and draughty house and Joan Waring expressed her fervent disapproval of it. The dirty streets, the noise and all those people were not good for her baby, she declared. What he wanted was some fresh country air.

As little Harry seemed to agree with this verdict it was soon

decided that London was not the place to bring up the child and on Henry's suggestion they retired to Kenilworth.

By this time Mary was once more pregnant.

Kenilworth! How beautiful it was with its massive Keep and its strong stone walls. Here Mary felt secure and because Henry stayed with her for a while she was happy.

In due course the time arrived for her child to be born. Perhaps because she felt at peace if only temporarily, because Henry was with her and perhaps because she had already shown that she could bear a son, this confinement passed off with moderate ease and to the delight of both parents another boy was born to them. He was strong and lusty and they called him Thomas.

There was great rejoicing in Kenilworth when news arrived there that John of Gaunt had returned from Castile, and so eager was he to see his grandsons that he was setting out at once for the castle with his mistress Lady Swynford.

Joan Waring was determined to show off her charges at their best at the same time declaring that there was not to be too much excitement for that would not be good for her babies—^particularly the Lord Harry who was naughty enough without that. She was more concerned about him than she was about Baby Thomas. Lord Harry was what she called a Pickle and could be relied upon to make some sort of trouble no matter where he was. Moreover his delicacy persisted and she had to keep a special eye on him.

*We must see that he is not allowed to disgrace himself before his grandfather, Joan,' said Mary.

When the great man arrived accompanied by his beautiful mistress, he embraced his son and Mary warmly, studying Mary a little anxiously for he had had word of the illness which had almost ended her life at the time of Harry's birth. She looked frail still but her skin glowed with health and her eyes were bright.

'And my grandson?' cried the Duke. *So this is young Harry, eh.'

He lifted up the child and the two regarded each other steadily until Harry's attention was caught by the lions and leopards emblazoned on his grandfather's surcoat and he clearly found them more interesting than their owner.

*He looks to me like a young fellow who will have his way/ said the Duke.

'My lord, you speak truth there/ replied Mary. *He is the despair of his nurse.'

'Well, we do not want a boy who is afraid of his shadow, do we. So we'll not complain.'

He put down Harry who made no secret of the fact that he relished being released.

The baby was brought to him and he took the child in his arms.

'Thomas is a good baby,' said his mother. 'He smiles a great deal, cries very little and seems contented with his lot.'

'Let us hope he remains so/ said the Duke. 'You have a fine family, Mary. May God bless you and keep you and them.'

She thanked him and left him with Henry while she took Lady Swynford to the room she would share with the Duke and talked to her about the children and household matters.