The Seventh Son by Reay Tannahill

Author:Reay Tannahill [Tannahill, Reay]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2013-02-08T21:00:00+00:00

5

TOWCESTER, St Albans, Barnet …

‘Only T-t-tewkesbury missing,’ Francis volunteered as they descended Highgate Hill and saw the whole of London spread out before them, its skyline dominated by St Paul’s and a forest of church towers and spires. Londoners were nothing if not supportive of their religion.

Richard looked blank for a moment, and then said, ‘Well, we’re not going all the way round by the west just for the pleasure of revisiting yet another battlefield.’ It was one of his more endearing traits that, unlike many people, he never laughed at Francis’s occasional stammer, or showed contempt or impatience, or tried to help him out. He had said once, ‘You’ll probably grow out of it when you accept that there’s nothing wrong with being more of a scholar than a warrior.’ Francis had blushed – something else he hoped he would grow out of, although at present all he seemed to be growing out of was his clothes.

‘As it happens,’ Richard said now, ‘I wasn’t thinking of battles. I was remembering ten years ago when my brother made his formal entry into London for his coronation. I was eight and George was eleven, and Edward had just inducted us as Knights of the Bath, so we rode in the procession to Westminster in our beautiful new blue gowns with their white silk trimmings and felt very mature and important.’

‘Were there minstrels, and cloth-of-gold, and c-c-conduits flowing with wine?’

‘Of course! No expense spared. Fortunately, the city merchants paid for most of it. Unfortunately, they didn’t repeat the effect when Edward made his ceremonial re-entry last April. It wasn’t parsimony, as it happens, just that they always prefer to be on the winning side, and this time they’d taken too long arguing over which the winning side was likely to be to have time to arrange for the pageantry. Wine and cloth-of-gold would have been wasted on Henry if things had gone the other way.’

‘Does your b-b-brother hold it against them?’

‘No, he can’t afford to. Too much depends on his being able to borrow money from them.’

There was no hint of criticism in his voice, but Francis couldn’t resist saying, ‘Whereas you detest being beholden to anyone.’

Richard gave a shadowy smile and evaded the issue. ‘The immediate question is, whom shall we go and visit first. Brother Edward? Or brother George?’

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