Passage to Pontefract by Jean Plaidy

Author:Jean Plaidy [Plaidy, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical
ISBN: 9780099533078
Publisher: Fawcett
Published: 1981-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Queen Mother’s party had left the peasants’ army some miles behind as it came across London Bridge and into the Tower where the King was at this time.

She burst into the King’s apartment and found him in the company of several of his friends including the Earl of Oxford who had become his almost inseparable companion, and his cousin Henry of Bolingbroke who like the King was in his fifteenth year.

‘There is no time to lose,’ she cried. ‘The peasants are marching to London. They are looting and pillaging as they go. Something must be done at once.’

Neither the King nor his friends had any solution to offer and when Joan heard that the Archbishop of Canterbury was at the Tower she sent for him at once.

Simon of Sudbury was a very old man. He was resigned to his fate for he had no doubt what it would be if he fell into the rebels’ hands. He was, in their opinion, the arch-villain because he had imprisoned their hero John Ball. They had murdered others; there would be no respite for him.

He came to the King and laid the seal of England on the table. He was resigning the office of Chancellor which he had held in addition to that of Archbishop.

‘This is no solution,’ cried Joan. ‘What shall we do?’

She felt angry with these men who had nothing to offer.

‘We shall have to fight them,’ said Henry of Bolingbroke. ‘We cannot let them come into London.’

A boy not yet fifteen. He had the right spirit, but what use was such a child!

Richard was trying to look like a king.

He said: ‘I will speak to them.’

Children! thought Joan. They none of them understand.

A servant was at the door.

‘The Lord Mayor asks to see you, my lord.’

Richard said: ‘Send him in.’

Joan’s spirits rose. Here was a man of action. William Walworth, Lord Mayor of London, who was not going to see his City decimated by a pack of rebels.

‘My lord, the peasants are very close,’ he said. ‘We must take action against them. As soon as my lady’s carriage crossed the bridge I had it drawn up and men are now putting a chain across to restrict entry.’

‘Thank you, my Lord Mayor,’ said Richard and Joan smiled her approval.

‘These men are desperate,’ said the Mayor. ‘They have armed themselves with weapons of a sort. They are dangerous but we can outwit them.’

Joan was relieved. Here at last was a man of action.

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