‘I should since one of them is my own sister.’
Baliol flinched a little. Was it folly to ask the King of England to act against his own sister?
‘They have selected the Earl of Mar to take the place of Moray. He is a weakling. The state of the country is too weak for him to handle.’
‘And what would you have me do about it?’ asked Edward.
‘I would ask your help, my lord. My father was the King of Scotland. I am his heir. If you will help me to regain what is mine I will pay homage to you as my overlord.’
Edward was silent. That would be a step in the right direction. It would take him back to the position in which his grandfather had stood. It would mean deposing his sister; it would mean dishonouring the treaty he had made; moreover he was bound to pay the Pope twenty thousand pounds if he broke the treaty.
‘My lord,’ said Baliol, ‘the marriage of your sister and David Bruce has never been consummated. If I were King of Scotland there could be a dispensation. I would marry your sister. I would give you Berwick.’
‘Enough,’ said Edward. ‘I cannot help you. Nor can I allow you to march through England.’
‘Is that your final word?’
Edward hesitated just a second or so too long and Baliol’s hopes soared.
Edward said: ‘I shall have to put the matter before my Parliament.’
Edward was watchful. Meanwhile Baliol had collected together a fleet in England, and Edward had made no objections. In due course he sailed to Fife, landed at a place called Dupplin Moor and rather unexpectedly beat the assembled Scottish forces. During the battle the new Regent Earl of Mar was killed and there was nothing to stop Baliol marching on to Scone where he was crowned King of Scotland.
David and Joanna heard of what was happening and wondered what would become of them. Joanna was of the opinion that her brother would save them.
‘He will come marching into Scotland,’ she said, ‘and Baliol will run for his life, you will see.’
What did happen was that Baliol sent a messenger to them. ‘My lord,’ said the messenger, ‘the King of Scotland offers you a proposition.’
‘How can that be?’ asked David haughtily. ‘Iam the King of Scotland.’
‘It would seem no longer so, my lord,’ was the answer. ‘King Edward de Baliol sends his greetings to you and wishes you to know that if you will renounce your right to the crown he will offer you a safe conduct out of Scotland or allow you to remain in any part you wish.’
‘This is generous of him,’ said David with sarcasm. ‘Tell Edward de Baliol that we deplore his insolence and the Queen and I will remain where we wish in our own dominion.’
The messenger departed and Joanna urged her young husband to write without delay to her brother. She was certain that he would come marching up to Scotland to help them.
Baliol’s letter to the King of England arrived first. He reminded him that he was willing to marry Joanna, to increase her dower and if she declined to marry him he would pay her ten thousand pounds for her portion should she marry elsewhere. All he asked was that she resign her right to the throne of Scotland which came through David the Bruce.
Edward was wavering. In the meantime he had received the urgent call for help from his young brother-in-law.
He would not help him. His excuse was that some of his nobles had been deprived of their inheritance by the Scottish Kings and he could not therefore take sides against them.
Baliol’s triumph was short lived. Many Scots loyal to the young King rose against him and attacked him with such fervour and success that the erstwhile King was obliged to abandon his recent conquest and fly to England.
Edward allowed him to do this and even received him with certain friendliness at his Court. When the news of this reached Scotland the anger of the Scots was intense, and to show their indignation many of them resumed old tactics and crossed the Border with the object of harassing the English, burning down villages and making off with the cattle.
Edward was not altogether displeased. This gave him the opportunity he really wanted, for the thought of setting Baliol on the Scottish throne as his puppet appealed to him. He would not fail as his father had done. There would be no Bannockburn for him. All the same there was the treaty; there was the Pope to think of; and there was the fact that his own sister was married to David the Bruce.
But this was the opportunity to win back what had been his grandfather’s and to carry on with those plans to subdue Scotland for ever which had been the main object of Edward the First’s life.
He had to go carefully though. He was in a delicate position. First he demanded the return of Berwick and that Scotland should render feudal homage to him.
Young David was bewildered; so was Joanna. She had believed that as soon as he heard she was in distress Edward would come to her. He had been so fond of her. He had kissed her so tenderly on parting and had told her that she must always remember that she was his sister and they were friends for ever. Did he mean that she must help him if he needed her but if she needed him that was another matter?
David, primed by his ministers, was given a speech to learn. Joanna listened to him as he practised it. It was depressing that her brother Edward was seen in the light of an enemy.
‘Neither my father nor any of his ancestors acknowledged submission to England, nor will I consent to it ...’ David’s voice droned on. ‘If any other prince should do us wrong, you should defend us, from the love you bear your sister and our Queen.’
Joanna could not bear to listen. Edward! she thought. Oh Edward, how can you do this to us! She wished that she could go to him, see him, explain to him. If only she could talk to Philippa.
The Scots had broken their treaty, declared Edward. They had raided Border towns and they had refused to give up Berwick which Baliol had promised him. If he did not act they would soon be marching further south into England. He was justified in what he was about to do.
He wanted to vindicate himself. He wanted to wipe out for ever the depressing memory of his first campaign against the Scots.
While he was preparing his armies for the march north Philippa declared that she could not let him go alone. Edward was delighted. His grandmother had accompanied his grandfather on his campaigns and he was growing more and more eager to be like him.
‘There are the children,’ said Philippa uneasily.
‘Ah,’ replied Edward. ‘You will have to choose between us.’
It was the saddest choice Philippa had had to make during her married life. There was one characteristic she had observed about Edward. He was a faithful husband, she was sure, but she had seen his eyes follow attractive women and she had noticed that he liked to lead them in the dance, to linger at their sides. There were great temptations of that nature in the life of a King.
Edward loved her deeply. He gave evidence of that. But at the same time she would be a very foolish wife indeed if she allowed temptation to come his way while she herself was far away from him.
Edward was so vital, so virile. He was so handsome. All women must admire him; and in addition to his extreme masculinity and his outstanding good looks he had about him that aura of royalty which so many women found irresistible.
Philippa came to the conclusion that she would place her children in good care and follow her husband into battle.
She chose guardians whom she thought could be trusted and sent the children to the palace of Clarendon; and she set out for Scotland with Edward.