The Red Rose of Anjou by Jean Plaidy Page A

depressingly dim. England should slip out of France and try to keep as many of her old possessions as possible. Only hotheads like Gloucester would disagree with this.
    Since his marriage he had formed a connection with the Beaufort family for his wife was the widow of the Earl of Salisbury and she had been Alice Chaucer before her marriage. Catherine Swynford—the mother of the Beauforts—had had a sister Philippa who had married the poet Geoffrey Chaucer and so there was a family connection.
    His long military career made him feel very strongly that peace was necessary and he and the Cardinal had often discussed the best way of achieving this.
    Now the Cardinal thought he had found a way.
    ‘A marriage with Margaret of Anjou could be a stepping stone to peace,’ he told Suffolk when they had exchanged the customary pleasantries.
    ‘And the King, will he agree to marriage?’
    ‘He wants it. He knows he has to marry sooner or later. It is his duty to provide an heir and though he has little interest in women he will do his duty. We can count on him for that. In fact he has sent a secret messenger to France to find a picture of her and he is delighted with what he sees.’
    ‘The pictures of Princesses have been known to flatter.’
    ‘Well, what would that matter? He would be half way in love with her before she arrived and that can do no harm. Moreover, I have seen her. I found her good-looking, intelligent and vivacious. In fact, everything that Henry needs in a wife.’
    ‘And of course there are the marriage terms to be arranged.’
    ‘What we need is a peace treaty. I want this marriage to mean that we abandon our claim to the crown of France.’
    ‘And do you think the people will accept that?’
    ‘They have to be convinced it is best.’
    ‘They are intoxicated by victories like Agincourt and Verneuil. They do not understand why we don’t go on providing them with glorious occasions like those.’
    ‘The people will accept what has to be done. Give them a royal wedding and they will be happy.’
    ‘They do not like the French.’
    ‘They loved Katherine of Valois.’
    ‘She came in rather different circumstances. When she married Henry it was in victory. He had won France they thought, and was taking the French Princess to make a happy solution for both countries.’
    ‘What is wrong with you, William? It almost seems that you would put obstacles in the way of this match.’
    Suffolk was silent. Then he said: ‘I have a notion that you have decided that I shall go as the King’s proxy to Margaret of Anjou.’
    ‘Who would be better?’
    ‘I knew it. It is why you wished to speak to me.’
    ‘You are a man of maturity and wisdom, William. It is clear to me that you are the one to go to Anjou to treat with the King of France, for that is what it will mean.’
    ‘You know. Cardinal, that the King of France is a shrewd man. It is not the old Dauphin we have to deal with. Whenever I think of Charles of France I say to myself "There is Joan of Arc’s miracle."‘
    ‘Yes, Charles has changed. There are such changes. I remember my own nephew, Henry the Fifth—a profligate youth who filled us all with misgivings and then once the crown was on his head he became the hero of Agincourt.’
    ‘I shall have to barter with the King of France.’
    ‘It will certainly come to that.’
    ‘And we shall have to sacrifice something for Margaret. And it will be land, castles...you can be sure of that.’
    ‘But of course.’
    ‘And the people are not going to like the sort of sacrifice for which Charles will ask.’
    ‘Nevertheless the sacrifice will have to be made.’
    ‘And they will blame the one who made it. Not the King, not the Cardinal, but their ambassador Suffolk. I can imagine what Gloucester will make of that.’
    ‘So that is what holds you back.’
    Suffolk was silent for a few moments.
    ‘I feel that the people will not like a French marriage and when they hear we have had to sacrifice