The Spitfire by Bertrice Small Page B

king may not be able to retain his throne, sweet Row. Too much controversy swirls about him, and has since the death of his brother, King Edward, several years ago. Now his wife is dead, and he has no direct heir of his own body. The rumor about his lust for his niece is not pleasing to the commons, and his refusal to show the people his little nephews gives proof to the tale that they are dead.”
    “They are not dead!” she cried. “They are at Middleham. Dickon took them there himself in the summer of his coronation. We spent a good part of our childhood there, and it is Dickon’s favorite home. He wanted the boys to be raised there secretly in safety, where they could have good country air and not be a magnet for every malcontent.”
    Here was an interesting piece of information, Sir Jasper thought. “How do you know this, sweet Row?” he queried her gently.
    “Dickon told me so himself when we visited him after Neddie’s investiture as Prince of Wales,” she answered.
    “Perhaps he lied to you,” Sir Jasper suggested.
    “Dickon never lies!” she told him indignantly. “I cannot tell you how many beatings he got when we were children because he would not lie, even to protect himself from the littlest offense. No, if he told me Edward and Richard are at Middleham, then they are there.”
    It was possible, Sir Jasper thought as he kissed her absently. It was worthy of Richard, who had a too kind heart. Having sat in the seat of power, however, even the king, who was an ethical man, would not be able to give it all up. He would not reveal his nephews’ existence in order to protect his position, for Richard loved England above all else. Two contestants for the throne was bad enough, but Henry, like himself, was a grown man. Richard would believe he had a far better chance of retaining his throne against Henry Tudor than he would have against Elizabeth Woodville’s sons. Besides, it was entirely possible that Henry Tudor, squeamish as his reputation claimed he was, might harm the boys. Richard would keep their whereabouts a secret no matter what, in order to protect his nephews.
    “I must still go south,” he told Rowena, “and learn the truth of this situation.”
    He rode forth from Greyfaire Keep in the first week of April. He visited York and went as far south as London. The situation was volatile at best. People changed sides daily, and no one could really be sure of what would happen. Only one thing was certain, Sir Jasper decided. There would be an invasion this summer. He began his return north, stopping at Nottingham, where the king was in residence, but for some reason he did not go to court. Nothing he had learned had aided him in deciding what to do. His fealty was to Richard, but he did not want to be placed in the position of having to reaffirm that fealty.
    When war came, he would have to make his decision. He laughed ruefully to himself. Rowena and Arabella feared for Greyfaire, but whichever man won, Richard or Henry, they and Greyfaire would be safe, for the keep belonged to Arabella, and a woman could not fight. If he declared for Richard and Richard lost, SirJasper decided, he would lose Greyfaire. If he declared for Henry and Henry lost, he would lose Greyfaire. There was, Jasper Keane finally decided, only one way to protect himself without losing everything. He must return to Greyfaire, marry Arabella immediately in order to safeguard his claim to Greyfaire, and then avoid declaring for either combatant.
    If Richard won and demanded an explanation, he would say that he but sought to protect England’s back door in the event the Scots took the opportunity to invade while the king was busy defending his realm from the pretender. He could not be faulted for that. If Henry Tudor won, the same explanation would suffice, particularly if he stressed his loyalty to England first. Sir Jasper Keane knew he was not important enough for either combatant to spend a great deal of time bothering