who was no refugee and refused to give his name asked private audience. The audience was not quite private. Jasper stood at Henry's shoulder, his hand on his sword hilt.
"I must speak alone with Henry, earl of Richmond."
"You are speaking alone with him. This is Jasper, earl of Pembroke, flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood. His ears are as mine; his silence is as mine. Speak or be still as you desire, for we are one," Henry rejoined.
The messenger was not pleased, but after a moment he shrugged. "I come to tell you of the welfare of Lady Margaret Stanley. It is her safety, not mine, which is at stake."
The blood drained from Henry's face and he closed his eyes for a moment. Richard had Margaret; he held her life in hostage for Henry's. The choice was to return to England with the messenger or to doom Margaret. Henry decided as quickly as the idea clarified. To go could not save his mother. Richard would kill them both or imprison Margaret with the knowledge that her son had bought her life with his. What life could she have with that knowledge? She might even be dead already and this a mere trap.
"Speak." Henry's voice was soft, but it boded ill. He could see Jasper's free hand clinging to his chair, and he did not need to see Jasper's face to judge its expression, because the messenger paled and stepped back.
"In God's name, my lords, I am the bearer of good tidings," he cried. "It is only that news of my coming must not get to King Richard's ears. The Lady Margaret is safe in her husband's keeping. I am come from Lord Stanley himself to assure you of his love for her and that, though she be not free to send you news or aid, neither will she suffer distress."
There was a long pause while Henry stared into the messenger's eyes. The man thanked God that he had been telling the truth, because the concentration in those glinting eyes seemed to harrow his soul. In fact, few men could lie to Henry, because he expected all men to lie to him and was constantly aware of hesitations and inflections others would not have noticed.
His concentrated glare in this case, however intimidating, was merely a cover for his struggle with his unruly brain and stomach. So great was his relief that he had a nearly unendurable urge to vomit and faint. To show his relief, he knew, would only give Stanley a hold over him; so he swallowed his gorge and smiled. The grimace, thinning his lips and exposing his teeth, made a neat addition to the messenger's terror.
"I am glad to hear that," Henry murmured. "I will remember it in your lord's favor. It would be most unfortunate for him and his should any harm come to the Lady Margaret." A few more words of slightly less threatening aspect were added as a dismissal and, at last, Henry slid a large, handsome ring from his finger and held it out to the messenger. "The bearer of glad tidings is gladly received and joyfully dismissed. Go in peace."
"Why did you give him that ring, Harry?" Jasper asked. "God knows we are short of money. If you wished to be rid of it, I could have brought it to the Lombards."
"That is good news," Henry muttered to himself, ignoring his uncle’s complaint, "very good, the best."
"Of course it is good news. I tell you, I feared for your mother in my very bowels, but is that a reason to part with such a ring?"
"My mother? Oh, yes, thank God she is safe, but I did not speak of that news. Stanley is hedging against the future. If we come in force, he will not defend Richard."
Now Jasper followed the line of Henry's thoughts, and he was made uneasy by their coldness. "Some men do love women," he said drily.
"Yes," Henry replied impatiently, "and my mother is such a woman as can easily be loved. I do not say he kept her safe to find favor with me, but he sent that messenger for no other reason. Therefore, he fears, expects or even desires my success. And if Lord Stanley feels thus, Richard's grip on England must be frail."
"The news is good, but I still do not see the
"I must speak alone with Henry, earl of Richmond."
"You are speaking alone with him. This is Jasper, earl of Pembroke, flesh of my flesh and blood of my blood. His ears are as mine; his silence is as mine. Speak or be still as you desire, for we are one," Henry rejoined.
The messenger was not pleased, but after a moment he shrugged. "I come to tell you of the welfare of Lady Margaret Stanley. It is her safety, not mine, which is at stake."
The blood drained from Henry's face and he closed his eyes for a moment. Richard had Margaret; he held her life in hostage for Henry's. The choice was to return to England with the messenger or to doom Margaret. Henry decided as quickly as the idea clarified. To go could not save his mother. Richard would kill them both or imprison Margaret with the knowledge that her son had bought her life with his. What life could she have with that knowledge? She might even be dead already and this a mere trap.
"Speak." Henry's voice was soft, but it boded ill. He could see Jasper's free hand clinging to his chair, and he did not need to see Jasper's face to judge its expression, because the messenger paled and stepped back.
"In God's name, my lords, I am the bearer of good tidings," he cried. "It is only that news of my coming must not get to King Richard's ears. The Lady Margaret is safe in her husband's keeping. I am come from Lord Stanley himself to assure you of his love for her and that, though she be not free to send you news or aid, neither will she suffer distress."
There was a long pause while Henry stared into the messenger's eyes. The man thanked God that he had been telling the truth, because the concentration in those glinting eyes seemed to harrow his soul. In fact, few men could lie to Henry, because he expected all men to lie to him and was constantly aware of hesitations and inflections others would not have noticed.
His concentrated glare in this case, however intimidating, was merely a cover for his struggle with his unruly brain and stomach. So great was his relief that he had a nearly unendurable urge to vomit and faint. To show his relief, he knew, would only give Stanley a hold over him; so he swallowed his gorge and smiled. The grimace, thinning his lips and exposing his teeth, made a neat addition to the messenger's terror.
"I am glad to hear that," Henry murmured. "I will remember it in your lord's favor. It would be most unfortunate for him and his should any harm come to the Lady Margaret." A few more words of slightly less threatening aspect were added as a dismissal and, at last, Henry slid a large, handsome ring from his finger and held it out to the messenger. "The bearer of glad tidings is gladly received and joyfully dismissed. Go in peace."
"Why did you give him that ring, Harry?" Jasper asked. "God knows we are short of money. If you wished to be rid of it, I could have brought it to the Lombards."
"That is good news," Henry muttered to himself, ignoring his uncle’s complaint, "very good, the best."
"Of course it is good news. I tell you, I feared for your mother in my very bowels, but is that a reason to part with such a ring?"
"My mother? Oh, yes, thank God she is safe, but I did not speak of that news. Stanley is hedging against the future. If we come in force, he will not defend Richard."
Now Jasper followed the line of Henry's thoughts, and he was made uneasy by their coldness. "Some men do love women," he said drily.
"Yes," Henry replied impatiently, "and my mother is such a woman as can easily be loved. I do not say he kept her safe to find favor with me, but he sent that messenger for no other reason. Therefore, he fears, expects or even desires my success. And if Lord Stanley feels thus, Richard's grip on England must be frail."
"The news is good, but I still do not see the
Similar Books
