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 calledthe 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 beendestroyed 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
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 calledthe 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 beendestroyed 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
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