We had wondered how to explain the presence of a child. We decided that it should be thought that one of my ladies, married to one of the men of the household, had given birth. Then, if anyone glimpsed the baby, they would assume that he was their child.
Owen had said that we must think of all these details, for it was often some seemingly trivial matter which put one’s enemies on the road to discovery.
One day there was disquieting news.
Gloucester had assumed the role of Protector of England now that Bedford was back in France. Therefore he had the power to induce Parliament to pass laws.
Owen was very disturbed. He said to me: “It would seem that he knows something because he has now put forward a statute which actually mentions your name.”
“Tell me…quickly,” I begged.
“He is threatening dire penalties on any who would dare marry the Queen Dowager—or any ladies who hold land from the Crown—without the consent of the King and his Council.”
“What does it mean!”
“It means,” said Owen grimly, “that we must not be discovered.”
“But if he knows …”
“He cannot know that we are married, but he may know of our feelings for each other. There was that incident in the ballroom.”
“Do you think that could have been the reason?”
“Very possibly. I know that there was talk about it.”
“Owen…if they found out…what would they do to you?”
“They would have to capture me first.”
“Let us take Edmund and get away from here. We’ll go to Wales.”
“My dear! Do you think we should be allowed to do that? No. To run away would confirm their suspicions.”
“But what can we do?”
“We can stay here and be watchful. It is the only way, Katherine. But we must be forever on the watch.”
I knew that perfect peace was at an end.
For some weeks a cloud darkened our happiness. We waited for the blow to fall, for we were sure that Gloucester knew something of our relationship since he had caused such a law to be made.
But nothing happened. Each day went smoothly. I cared for my baby, sat at my needlework with my ladies, and Owen and I were together for most of the day. Sometimes we rode with a party into the neighboring countryside, but we were always very careful.
Owen said that Gloucester would have other matters to occupy him which would be more important to him than our affairs. As Protector he had control of the King, although Warwick would have disputed that, for he had been commanded to take charge of Henry by his father and that was well known.
Moreover, it seemed that Gloucester was losing his popularity. The handsome, swashbuckling adventurer was looking a good deal less handsome, by all accounts. The profligate life he had led was leaving its marks. The people did not like his treatment of Jacqueline; they were aware of his relationship with Eleanor Cobham, and the women of London did not care that he should set a bad example to their husbands by discarding Jacqueline for the sake of one who, it was said, was a harlot.
He had failed to win Hainault, and one thing heroes cannot be forgiven is failure. Burgundy was now virtually in control of all the territories Gloucester had tried so hard to gain for himself, and Jacqueline had named him, Burgundy, her heir and co-regent of those territories. She had sworn never to marry without his consent, and had declared that she had never lawfully been married to Gloucester.
“You see,” said Owen, “how very much the marriages of ladies in important positions mean to these ambitious men.”
I did see and I trembled.
“But at least,” I said, “this stops Gloucester from turning his attention to us. And people no longer think so tenderly of him. He is becoming a failure.”
“Let us continue to hope that his thoughts will be fully occupied elsewhere,” said Owen fervently.
“I don’t trust him,” I said. “I wish they would send him to France and Bedford would come back and govern this country.”
“Bedford will not leave France, and Gloucester has already done enough to undermine the English position there. They would never send him to France as Regent.”
“All I care is that he does not come worrying us.”
“We will outwit him. All we have to do is to be careful.”
“We are that…and especially so since we heard of this new statute. But I do not trust Gloucester.”
“Nor I,” said Owen.
The weeks passed and nothing happened. It occurred to us that, having promised dire punishment to any who dared marry me, Gloucester thought he had settled the matter, and turned his attention to other affairs which I imagined would be more important to him than I could be.
The months slipped by. Hadham was the perfect dwelling for us. The house was too small for entertaining. Its situation was in a backwater. People were forgetting the existence of the Queen Mother, and I refused to allow my happy life to be disturbed by fears of what dangers might be lurking around us. Even Owen thrust aside his misgivings. As he said to me: “Gloucester is pursuing his conflict with his archenemy, Beaufort. There is this matter of Beaufort’s accepting a cardinal’s hat from Rome, which gives him a real chance for a grievance.”
“Well,” I said, “everyone knows that a cardinal’s first allegiance is to the Pope, and that puts his country in second place.”
“Beaufort should think twice before accepting.”
“It is certainly sometimes a millstone around the neck.”
“Well, let us rejoice because it takes Gloucester’s mind from us. Then there is his new wife, Eleanor Cobham. They say he uses a great deal of time and energy in her company.”
“What amazes me is that he is still allowed to retain his power.”
“I should have thought that, after all the havoc he has wrought, some attempts would be made to curb him.”
“He is the late King’s brother.”
“But the Duke of Bedford is above him. After what he has done, I should have thought they would have seen that he could cause more trouble.”
“There is no doubt that things are not going well for the English in France, and it began with the uneasy relationship between England and her ally Burgundy.”
“Do you think Burgundy is necessary to the success of the English?”
“I think the quarrel between the houses of Orléans and Burgundy was England’s biggest asset in the war.”
“And Gloucester’s foolish attempt to get territory by marrying Jacqueline, which ended in failure for him, is destroying that asset.”
“Undoubtedly. It would never have happened if the King had lived.”
“Do you really think that Henry could have stopped Gloucester entering into an alliance with Jacqueline?”
“Indeed I do.”
“And you really think Gloucester would have obeyed him?”
“He would have obeyed Henry…if no one else.”
“Well, it is done and Burgundy is still an ally of Bedford, even though the bonds are weakening.”
“Well, of course, the two are friends and brothers-in-law. It was a wise move of Bedford’s to marry Burgundy’s sister…with Burgundy’s consent.”
“It is a true love match, they say.”
“So much the better for them both.”
“Yes,” I said. “When one has the benefit of a happy marriage and learns the joy it can bring, one wants the same for everyone else.”
“That is because you have a generous nature, my love.”
“Oh, how glad I am that we were bold and brave. Just think, Owen. We might have turned our backs on all this happiness…just because we were afraid to take it.”
“My dearest,” he said. “I hope you will never regret it.”
I shook my head fervently. “No matter what awaits me in the future, I would not have missed the happiness I have with you for the whole world,” I told him.