‘I swore to obey him.’
‘Yes, dearest son, but it will not be your father whom you are obeying, it will be the evil Despensers. He is in their power. They have woven a spell over him. Trust me, dear son. Trust me― just for a little while and then I will prove to you the truth of all I have told you.’
She leaned against him and wiped her eyes. Edward was overcome with emotion. That his clever, beautiful mother should be so treated was unendurable!
‘You will stand with me, dear Edward,’ she pleaded.
‘Dear Mother,’ answered the boy, ‘I will defend you against all who come against you.’
‘All?’ she asked.
‘All,’ he replied fervently.
‘You have made me so happy,’ she told him, and when she had taken her leave of him went straight to Mortimer.
‘Edward will be with us,’ she said. ‘He will never stand against me.’
‘That is good work,’ said Mortimer. ‘Now let us be patient while we look to the future. We must find some means of raising an army. My spies from England tell me that the country grows more and more angry against the Despensers. If we could land with a reasonable force we should be welcomed.’
‘It will come,’ said Isabella firmly. ‘Meanwhile, as you say, patience.’
FOUR SISTERS OF HAINAULT
It was an uneasy situation, thought the King of France. He was gratified in a way that his brother of England was in an uncomfortable position, but from the first days of the marriage it had been clear that Edward preferred handsome young men to his beautiful wife. Isabella’s French relations had been quite angry about it at the time. They had known of the existence of Gaveston of course but had believed that once the King was married to a beautiful woman like Isabella, that side of his nature would be suppressed.
On the other hand Charles had no wish for his court to be used as the centre of rebellion. He wanted peace and such a situation could so easily erupt into war. Edward was writing more and more letters; they were coming every day.
He was quite dearly growing restive.
In the last one he had referred to Mortimer and there was a hint that Isabella and Mortimer were lovers.
We would wish you to remember, that we have at different times signified to you by letters, how improperly your sister, our wife, has conducted herself in withdrawing from us and refusing to return at our command, while she so notoriously has attached her company and consorts with our traitor and mortal enemy, the Mortimer― That could mean one thing. Isabella and Mortimer were carrying on an adulterous intrigue in his court.
Edward was growing more and more determined and, doubtless on the advice of the Despensers, had informed the Pope of the most unsatisfactory state of affairs. The result of this was that the Pope had written to Charles— he would never have dared to write to Charles’s father so, but the monarchy had grown debilitated since Jacques de Molai had been burned to death and uttered the Curse— declaring that excommunication would be considered if he kept his sister at his court where it was rumoured she was living in adultery with Roger de Mortimer.
This frightened Charles. Excommunication allied to the curse would be the end of him.
He would write to Isabella. He knew her wiles too well to try to convey what he must do verbally.
Accordingly Isabella received a note from her brother in which he commanded her to leave his kingdom without delay or he would be forced to make her go.
She was filled with rage when she read her brother’s command. That he should behave so to her and not even see her, shocked her deeply.
‘I do not believe he will force me out,’ she said to Mortimer. ‘He would never have the courage. He is getting weaker every day. I have a feeling my brother will not last very long.’
‘The Pope is threatening him with excommunication.’
‘Let him threaten. We will delay a while yet.’
During the following evening Isabella received a visitor. It was her cousin Robert d’Artois. He came in great haste and wished to speak to her urgently and privately.
No sooner were they alone than he said: ‘I come to warn you, fair lady.
There is a plot to take you and the young Prince prisoner and to send you back to England without delay.’
‘You mean my brother―’
Robert nodded. ‘I could not resist my desire to come and tell you, though it would cost me my life doubtless if the King knew I had done this. He has said that the only way to avoid trouble is to force you to leave. You are therefore to be put in restraint and sent back to England.’
‘When?’ she asked.
‘Tomorrow. You have little time.’
‘Oh Robert, how can I thank you for this?’
‘You know I would serve you with my life.’
She put her arms about him and for a moment he held her in a passionate embrace.
‘Dearest cousin,’ he said, ‘you know full well what you mean to me, and have for some time.’
‘You have always shown yourself a friend―’
‘A friend― a mild way of describing my feelings! I know Mortimer has your heart and you his. But my feelings for you are so deep, and so tender that I will say to you, Fly― Fly with him now. Tomorrow may be too late. Make for one of the independent states. There you may well find refuge until you can gather together the army you need.’
‘Oh, my cousin, how can I thank you?’
‘It is I who thank you for allowing me to serve you.’
Such devotion was stimulating.
She went at once to Mortimer. They must not hesitate, she said.
They would go during the night, replied Mortimer. She, he and young Edward, with as many of their friends as they could muster. The rest could follow.
That night they crept quietly to the stables and fled from the Court of France, making their way towards the province of Hainault.
They had not ridden far from Paris when they were joined by the rest of their company who had been warned of her flight and had come to join her. All agreed that it would be safest for them to get as quickly out of France as possible and it was with great relief that they crossed the border into Hainault.
Weary with the day’s riding and feeling now that they could afford to rest awhile, they came to the town of Ostrevant and stopped at a house which proved to belong to a knight named Sir Eustace d’Ambreticourt. When he realized that the lady was the Queen of England he was overcome with the honour of meeting her and he and his family insisted that she rest in their house with the few of her followers whom they could accommodate and lodging should be bund for the rest within the town.
Isabella was delighted with such hospitality. How different, she said to Mortimer, from the way in which we were treated in France!
‘Ah, my love,’ laughed Mortimer, ‘we were well received by your brother until we stayed too long. But I agree the welcome of this simple knight warms my heart.’
Sir Eustace said that he must inform the Count of Hainault that he had such august visitors for he was sure that the Count would wish to greet the guests.
The Count’s response was to send his brother to meet the party and offer them the hospitality of his castle. It was thus that Isabella first met Sir John Hainault.
Sir John was young, romantic, idealistic and eager to prove himself a chivalrous knight, and here was a lady in distress. And what a beautiful one!
Isabella quickly summed up his nature and decided to appear feminine and pathetic. She played her part well and he was overcome with the desire to serve her.
‘It is so good of you to come to me thus and offer such kindness,’ she told him. ‘I have been treated harshly of late where I would expect to have received love and understanding.’