It was natural that the king should want to know what business was taking place between Rome and the archbishop and he must have discovered that he was seeking not only to become a cardinal but also a dispensation for the marriage of George and Isabel.
This would have made Edward highly suspicious, for neither of these projects had his approval.
Poor Isabel! I was glad she did not know at that time of all the difficulties which were being put in her way. She was too blissfully happy to accept the fact that she was just a pawn in the game to be moved whichever way was most advantageous to the players.
My father managed to persuade the king that it was necessary for him to accept an invitation to the court of France.
I remember his departure at the head of a cavalcade, and heard the shouts of "A Warwick!" and "Long live the earl." It was very heartening. When we saw him thus we could believe he really was mightier than the king and that Edward must soon realise this and it would all be as it had been before.
It was unfortunate that no sooner had my father left for France than emissaries from the Duke of Burgundy arrived. We heard about the magnificent reception they had received at court and The Rift how feasting and jousting had been arranged to make the visitors understand how welcome they were. It was a situation which needed my father's attention and he should not have been out of England at such a time.
But how were we, at Middleham, to know that momentous events were building up to a climax which would change our' lives?
We heard vague rumours and we did know that the; Burgundians were in England and being well received by the king while my father was being feted by the enemy of Burgundy in France which was a strange situation.
Visitors to Middleham told us how the Woodvilles were very much to the fore, making sure that the visitors from Burgundy noticed them; and they made it clear that they had the friendship of this powerful family which had so recently come into evidence. Meanwhile the king showed his regard for the Burgundians by inviting them to the opening of Parliament. My mother was worried, I knew, though she said nothing.
"Who cares about the Burgundians!" said Isabel.
"As soon as we get the dispensation, George and I will be married. And once we are, nobody can stop us."
"Do you think it will be easy to get the dispensation?" I asked.
"Of course."
"I think what our mother is worried about is that the king has all these people at court while our father is a guest of the King of France and he is not friendly with Burgundy."
"What do you know about it?"
"Very little. But then, what do you know?"
"I know I am going to marry George and that is all that matters to me."
I knew Isabel well, so I was fully aware that she did not want to think of all these conflicts because in her heart she knew that her fate was not in her own hands or even those of George; but in those of my father and the King of England.
Then something rather alarming did happen. If my father had been in England, it might not have come to pass, but he was away and, although Uncle George was determined to fight for the family of Neville, he was not sure how to do it. We learned of this through a visitor to the castle. It was some distant cousin who had called to tell my mother the was and I suppose to assure us that our most humble connections "ever forgot that they belonged to the House of Neville. My mother sent for refreshments for him, but before they were brought, he blurted out: "The Archbishop of York is no longer Chancellor, my lady."
"What?" cried my mother. She had turned so pale I thought she was going to faint.
"My lady, when the archbishop knew that the Burgundians were going to attend the opening of Parliament, he sent a message to say he was too ill to deliver the Chancellor's address."
"But it is the custom." stammered my mother.
"Yet... if he were ill..."
"My lady, they say that the king did not believe he was ill and looked upon it as an insult to Burgundy."
My mother put her hand to her head.
"And ... so the king has taken the Great Seal?"
"Yes, my lady. My Lord Herbert rode with the king to the archbishop's palace and asked him to give it up."
The earl will be ... angry."
"Yes, my lady."
"And what of the Great Seal?"
"It has been given to the Bishop of Bath and Wells, my lady."
"Is that all?"
"My lady, it is enough."
"What does this mean!" I asked my mother later.
"It is a slight on the family."
"If my father were here ..."
"I don't know of anything that he could have done. It is another instance of the king's declaring that he will go his own way."
"But to take the Chancellorship from Uncle George ..." I said.
"Your father will regret leaving England."
Isabel had not spoken. I knew she was wondering what effect this would have on the dispensation.
I think that incident, more than any other, brought home to us the fact that our father was no longer the most powerful man in England.
The entertaining of the Burgundians came to an abrupt end when news reached England of the death of Duke Philip of Burgundy and the emissaries prepared to leave. Duke Philip was succeeded by his son, Charles, which made the proposed match with Margaret of York, the king's sister, even more desirable, for now she would be marrying the duke himself instead of his heir. My father returned from France.
At Middleham we waited in some trepidation to see what would happen next. I know my mother wished we were at Warwick Court in London rather than Middleham, so that she would have been closer to events. As it was, we had to wait until news was brought to us, which was very frustrating.
It seemed a long time before my father arrived at Middleham and when he did, none could help but be aware of his smouldering rage: and in the heart of his family he let it burst forth.
"The King has chosen Burgundy!" he said.
"He will now be the enemy of France. Everything I have worked for has been thrown away at the instigation of these traitors."
We all knew that the traitors were the Woodvilles, for all the troubles dated back to the king's marriage. If only it had ended there. But the woman whom the king had married was surrounded by scheming relations and they had determined to set themselves up and rule England in place of the Nevilles. The great disaster was that they were succeeding. I learned what had happened later. It seemed certain that the king's sister was destined to become the Duchess of Burgundy. Moreover, when an embassy from the King of France arrived in England its members were coldly received.
"There was no one to meet them," said my father, "except myself and Clarence! Clarence has been my friend in this." That pleased Isabel.
"Of course, he would be father's friend," she said.
"He is going to be his son-in-law."
I looked at her sadly and prayed she would not be disappointed. She would be miserable if anything stopped the marriage she had set her heart on.
"I asked the king to see them and he agreed," I heard my father tell my mother.
"He was reluctant, but it was less trouble to see them than make an issue of it by refusing. But all the time he was listening to them he appeared bored and inattentive. Clarence was a great help with them. They thought him charming but, of course, it could not make up for the king's manner. I apologised to them. I told them I was ashamed. Do you know what they said to me?
"Do not distress yourself, my lord earl. You will be avenged." My mother tried to soothe him, but there was little she could do.
"Our enemies have taken the Great Seal from my brother," went on my father.
"Do you realise what this means? The king has declared for Burgundy and most blatantly has he done this while I was on a mission to France."
"It is very upsetting." replied my mother.