When brother John talked in that way it was wise to put up a semblance of agreement. John was the most powerful man in England as well as France.
Never mind, the field would be clear when he went back with his precious Burgundian wife.
‘I shall not allow my brother to dictate to me,’ he told Eleanor.
John left for France and as soon as he had gone Humphrey approached the Council again and asked for five thousand marks to send to Jacqueline.
It was refused. Humphrey shrugged his shoulders. He had done what he could, Jacqueline’s was a hopeless case. This was confirmed when one day a message came to him from the Pope. His marriage to Jacqueline had been annulled.
‘Burgundy’s work,’ he said to Eleanor.
She was pleased. There was a sly expression in her eyes. Why not? She would enjoy being the Duchess of Gloucester. For once she applauded Burgundy’s action. She would not suggest it just yet. She would wait and shrewdly implant the suggestion into his mind, so that he thought it was his own idea. However, nothing must be done hastily. Divorces were tricky. She did not want to go through a form of marriage with Humphrey and then to have someone prove that it had been no marriage at all. And what if by that time he would have outgrown his desire for her company? One could never be sure. Men who had indulged as freely and consistently as Humphrey could become suddenly satiated. Eleanor was cunning, and one of the lessons she had learned was never to come to too hasty a conclusion to important matters.
The delegation was being discussed everywhere. In some it aroused amusement, in others concern.
‘They say it was made up of very respectable women.’
‘All very well dressed, I heard.’
‘That was so, no rabble. They came in orderly fashion. Well, it is a scandal.’
‘He used to be so popular with the Londoners, remember.’
‘Yes, they showed clearly that they preferred his rule to that of the Bishop. But what they strongly object to is that woman, of course. She is so blatant and he takes her everywhere. He remains besotted by her. They say he has never been faithful to one woman long.’
So the gossip continued.
Humphrey was annoyed. Eleanor was more so, for really it concerned her most.
The fact was that a body of merchants’ wives had presented themselves to the Council and announced that they were deeply shocked by the conduct of the Duke of Gloucester. He had abandoned his wife and was now flaunting his harlot Eleanor Cobham who was beside him wherever he went. Her manners were bold and she proclaimed with every gesture the nature of her relationship with the Duke. The wives of the merchants demanded more propriety in their rulers.
The women were graciously received by members of the Council. Nobody wanted to offend the merchants and they guessed that to offend their wives might be even more disastrous. It was pointed out to them that the Duke’s morals were really no concern of the Council and that the Pope had actually annulled his marriage.
This the women had to accept; but it did show the growing unpopularity of the Duke and when he rode out into the streets of London boys who could quickly dodge out of sight before they could be caught called after him.
The Council told him that his authority must be curbed. He could not expect the same power as that extended to his brother. He protested but that was little use. The housewives of London had had their effect. Before he had relied largely on his popularity with the Londoners. That that had waned considerably was obvious.
While he was grinding his teeth over his encounter with the Council the Earl of Warwick came to see him.
He had never liked Warwick. One of those honourable upright gentlemen, friend of John, loyal to the crown, not a man to diverge one little step from what he considered to be his duty. He had been a close friend of Henry the Fifth and very highly thought of by the late King.
Warwick characteristically came straight to the point. ‘My lord, I come to tell you that I have been formally committed to the task of guardianship of the King.’
Gloucester narrowed his eyes.
It was his place to have the guardianship of the King. Was he not his uncle? Who should have charge of the child but his nearest relative – and it was understood that he could not indefinitely be left to the charge of his mother. John was the elder brother, it was true, but Humphrey was here on the spot.
But to appoint Warwick was an insult to him.
‘And who has bestowed these powers on you?’ demanded Gloucester. ‘I have not been consulted.’
‘The Council, my lord, but you will remember that the late King, your noble brother, named me as guardian of his son. He bequeathed the care of his education to me and now that the King is of an age for serious education I would fulfil the promise I made to his father.’
Gloucester ground his teeth in dismay. But what could he do? Those housewives of London had unnerved him more than anything else. He felt as though the ground was moving under his feet.
‘The King is now seven years old,’ went on Warwick. ‘He should have his own household and a body of knights and squires whom we shall choose for him.’
‘I see that the matter has been decided,’ said Humphrey shortly.
‘It is as you would expect, my lord Duke. I have sworn to teach him to love, worship and dread God. I shall develop his character along virtuous lines and let him know that God favours righteous Kings.’
‘Does He?’ asked Gloucester.
‘My lord, I believe virtue to be the true way to happiness and that no joy can come to a ruler or his nation through avarice and ill doing.’
‘I hope your wisdom matches your piety, my lord Warwick.’
‘I have been commissioned to teach him, nurture him, to give him a good grounding in literature, language and all other arts and to chastise him when he does aught amiss.’
‘Take care with the cane, Warwick. Kings have long memories.’
‘I shall not allow such a consideration to cloud my actions. Also, my lord, I am to have the power to remove from him any persons who I consider shall be harmful to him.’
‘Great powers are yours, my lord.’
‘I shall do my best to use them wisely. The castles of Wallingford and Hertford have been chosen for him during the summers and Windsor and Berkhamsted for his winter residences.’
‘I can see that it has all been well planned. And his mother?’
‘He will see her frequently.’
‘Perhaps then she will emerge from her widowhood. It has been a long one.’
‘I am sure the Queen will never cease to mourn her husband.’
‘Maybe. Maybe. I wish you well of your task. I think you are going to need all the good wishes you can get.’
‘I am well aware, my lord Duke, of the gravity and importance of my task.’
Warwick left the Duke. It had been easier than he had hoped. Gloucester was angry that the care of young Henry had been passed to him; but he was still smarting too strongly from the signs of his unpopularity in the city of London to raise objections as he might otherwise have done.
‘Warwick has the King,’ Gloucester told Eleanor. ‘I don’t grudge him the task. Henry is not the meek boy some think him.’
Eleanor said: ‘You should take care not to lose your influence with him.’
‘Nay, I’ll be favourite uncle. Moreover tutors who are stern – and Warwick may well be – don’t always keep their pupils’ affection. The cane is a good way of beating out future favours. I imagine Warwick is too upright to consider this axiom. He’ll not spare the rod and that may well spoil his future chances.’
They laughed together. The appointment of Warwick was nothing more than a minor irritation.