By Loyalty Bound: The Story of the Mistress of King Richard III (20 page)

Lord Stanley pointed wordlessly to the place where she should sit. The family priest led the prayers and then the servants brought the food; there was roast chicken and vegetables that Anne could not stomach. The pain of her bleeding intensified and she wanted to weep under the hostile glances of her companions.

Edward seemed equally unhappy. He ate little and made no attempt to join the talk as Lord Stanley and his wife discussed the Duchess of Gloucester and the delicate health of her son - a theme Anne thought they had deliberately chosen to add to her distress. They talked of the dangerous air that surrounded the isolated castle at Middleham and how unsuitable it was for young children. Anne said nothing, though she silently prayed that no affliction would visit John and Katherine there.

When the meal was over Lord Stanley looked to his son. “I think the time has come for you to take your wife to the marriage bed and do your duty,” he said. The boy looked up sulkily and his glance met Anne’s as he stood. He took the very tips of her fingers between his as the priest blessed their union. Then the priest and Lord and Lady Stanley accompanied them upstairs to a specially prepared bedchamber where they were helped to undress to their under linen and put into the bed under the watchful eyes of all present. Then more prayers were said for healthy heirs to the house of Stanley, rose petals were strewn and the bed was blessed with holy water.

Eventually they left, closing the door firmly behind them and no doubt posting a guard to ensure that there was no escape. Anne looked around the oppressive candlelit room with the shutters closed across the windows and fragrant apple logs burning in the hearth despite the stifling heat of the day. Her husband, looking very young and awkward, had leapt from the bed and begun to sweep the petals from the cover into his hands. He placed them in a neat pile on the coffer. He was visibly trembling and Anne saw that it was not with passion. Although he had grown taller than her, taller than Richard, he was still only a boy and she could see that he hadn’t practised his skills on any wenches. He swallowed as he watched her from beneath his fringe and Anne realised that he was terrified of what she, a grown woman eight years older and knowing about these matters, might do. Suddenly she felt sorry for him.

“We cannot consummate this marriage tonight,” she told him. “It is a time for me when it would be in contravention of the holy laws of the church.”

He nodded, though she could see that he had no notion of what she meant. But his look of relief was quickly replaced by one of fear.

“My father will...” he began.

“Your father will believe whatever we choose to tell him,” she said. “Why don’t you sleep in the ante-chamber?” She pointed to the small adjoining room where there was a narrow pallet for the use of a servant and, barely staying to wish her goodnight, her young husband fled and closed the door behind him. Anne lay down, exhausted, reminded of the night when Richard had offered her a similar escape – and she wept for his arms around her now.

She slept fitfully despite her tiredness and was vaguely aware of Edward tossing on his bed too. He rose early and apologised to her as he rushed through the chamber although she had drawn the embroidered curtains around the bed.

When he had gone the servant girl came in with water for her to wash and to help her dress, and Anne said prayers of thanks before going downstairs.

In the hall she was astounded to be confronted by Sir William Stanley warming himself at the hearth. He was dressed in a rich ruby red and his beard and hair looked recently washed and trimmed.

“My lady!” he exclaimed. “How delighted I am to see you! I feared that being locked up in that dungeon at Pontefract would spoil your beauty, but I see that my worries were unfounded and that you have escaped the clutches of Gloucester looking as lovely as ever!”

“I did not expect to find you here at Lathom, sir. I hear you have a wife now,” she replied pointedly, as her heart pounded in alarm at the sight of him.

“I hear your lover has a wife too,” he replied with a slight smile.

“I no longer have a lover,” Anne told him.

“If the position is vacant I would gladly suggest myself,” he told her. “That boy must have been a disappointment to you. And I have my doubts about the Duke of Gloucester. I don’t suppose his attributes are much to excite a woman. No, what you need, Anne, is an experienced man to teach you how pleasurable the bedchamber can be.”

“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean,” she replied, sitting down on the Countess of Richmond’s chair where she picked up some needlework in a frame, thinking that she might have defended herself with the needle if it had been larger.

“Oh do not play the maid with me, sweet Anne,” he said coming to squat beside her and resting his large paw-like hand on her knee. “I can guarantee you pleasure you’ve never known the like of,” he whispered in her ear. “All memory of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, will soon be vanquished.”

“I am a married woman, Sir William! The wife of your nephew. I beg you not to speak to me in such a manner!”

“The pleasures of the body are nothing to be ashamed of, Anne,” he persisted, trying to take her hand in his. “It is a pity I could not teach you from your maiden state, but now that you have known the fumblings of mere untutored boys you will appreciate me even more. I beg you Anne! Say that you will come to me and you will not regret it.”

Anne had never thought that she would be so pleased to see the pinched and disapproving face of her step-mother-in-law, but Margaret Beaufort’s appearance was a blessed reprieve from the unwelcome words of Sir William. The countess frowned as she saw her work in Anne’s hands and Anne put the tapestry down and got up from the chair.

As she did, Sir William caught her wrist in his hand. “Do not forget who smuggled out all those letters from your sister,” he whispered, his breath hot against her ear. “You are in my debt, and I mean to collect what I am owed.”

Anne pulled her arm from his grasp. Edward Stanley she could deal with for the time being, but she had not expected such a vigorous renewal of Sir William’s attentions.

She followed the family to the chapel for mass and afterwards, when they were seated at the table, she saw Lord Stanley look from his son to her and back again.

“I trust you both did your duty?” he asked, cutting a slice of cheese to add to the bread on his platter.

“We did, father,” she lied with a warning glance at her husband’s shame-filled face.

“Then we shall have a Stanley heir before long. I hope you ensure it is a son,” he told her.

“Oh I’m sure a Stanley heir can be assured,” remarked Sir William, “one way or another.”

Anne found herself choking on the breadcrumbs and quickly drank some ale to relieve her coughing. The Countess of Richmond frowned and when he saw no one else was looking Sir William winked at her, then slapped his nephew on the back with his open palm.

“Perhaps a little tuition is in order!” he laughed, whilst Anne wondered if Edward could become any redder.

“When do we leave for Hornby Castle, my lord?” Anne asked him when she could speak again.

“I think we should leave soon,” replied Edward and Anne was grateful for the unexpected authority in his voice. “I am eager to inspect my new home.”

“I thought you might stay here awhile,” remarked Lord Stanley. “Hornby is a remote place, you know.”

“I think we should go soon,” repeated Edward. “It would not be wise to leave the castle unguarded.”

“As you wish,” said his father. “It will do no harm for you and your wife to be alone and get to know one another better. I trust you have no objections?” he asked Anne sourly.

“None at all, Father. I am eager to see my lands at Hornby again,” she told him.

“But I will be sorry to be parted from you so soon,” said Sir William. “Perhaps you will allow me to come and visit you?” He stared at Anne and she understood him very well.

“I think I must defer to my husband on that matter,” she replied.

Sir William laughed out loud. “We will see,” he said as Anne saw Edward look from her to his uncle in bewilderment. “You will not, of course, remain at Hornby all the time,” he went on. “I’m sure you will be invited to London, to court.” He smiled slyly, and Anne realised that he was determined to have her and that she was going to find it impossible to avoid him completely.

Within the week they were heading north. Lord Stanley had made it quite clear that he could spare no carriage for the journey, but Anne was happy to ride the dun mare that she had brought from Pontefract. The animal had been Richard’s last gift to her and was docile and biddable and Anne found that journeying on horseback was easier than in a litter. It did not make her feel so sick and although her muscles ached with the unaccustomed exercise she enjoyed being in the fresh air.

She felt a flutter of excitement when she saw the top of the octagonal tower again and, as the road climbed, the whole of the grey stone castle came into view. They turned from the main road and she saw the river sparkling under the bridge as they rode across it and up through the market place where the stalls were busy with people buying and selling the produce from the surrounding farms. She felt a smile flit across her face as they turned in past the church. The heavy wooden gates stood wide open and the portcullis was raised. Only a few guards watched as they passed under the archway and up the steep slope to the inner bailey. Anne had never seen Hornby so undefended.

She dismounted stiffly in the courtyard and looked around for familiar faces, but all she saw were sullen-looking strangers. There was no sign of Cedric or Martha or any of the other people she had known since childhood.

“Where are my servants?” she asked, turning to Edward as he handed the reins of his horse to a groom and came to stand beside her. He shrugged.

“My father sent people from the estate at Lathom to get the castle ready.”

Anne stared at the strangers who at least had the manners to avert their eyes when she looked at them and to give her some half-hearted curtseys.

“I hope that everything is clean and well prepared,” she said, quietly determined that these people would obey her, even if they did wear the badge of the eagle’s claw on their tunics.

She climbed the familiar steps, unwelcome memories of Izzie and Richard haunting her mind. Everywhere she turned she saw the ghosts of them lurking, teasing her with their absence.

The hall looked clean. The rushes were freshly strewn, the tapestries hung straight and a fire burned in the hearth. Anne continued down the steps to the kitchen where the cooks and kitchen maids looked up from their work at the sight of her. An unknown boy was turning a boar on a spit for their supper and from the adjacent buildings came the aromas of baking bread and brewing ale. She nodded at the strangers as they acknowledged her politely then returned up the steps, pausing to glance into the solar and seeing that it was as Uncle James had left it, as if he had only just stepped out and might return at any moment.

She went upstairs. In the main chamber the bed was made up and rugs had been laid on the floor. This was where her uncle and aunt had slept and she had never been there before. The bed was hung with dark blue curtains and the tapestries and rugs looked expensive. She wasn’t sure if it had been like this before or if these things had come from Lathom. She crossed to the window, which was glazed with thick glass, and peered through into the inner courtyard.

“This is a pleasant chamber,” said Edward who had followed her in. He walked across to an inner door and opened it to reveal an adjoining chamber, smaller, but with a bed and a narrow shuttered window that was set into the outer wall of the keep. “I can sleep in here,” he suggested, “if you will bid the servants bring some fresh bedding. What’s up there?” he asked as he peered up the narrow winding stairs.

“It leads up to the top of the tower. There are two small chambers where my uncle used to keep valuables and a larger one that was used as a lookout post.”

She followed him up and found him examining the upper chamber in delight.

“This is perfect!” he exclaimed.

“For what?” she asked.

“For my work! I will have the servants bring my coffers up here and then I can unpack them.” He paused and smiled at her. It was the first time she had seen him smile and his full mouth revealed his prominent white and even teeth. She was surprised to see that he seemed a pleasant and even attractive boy once the sulkiness was gone from his face.

“What is your work, my lord?” she asked, intrigued by the unexpected passion he showed and a curiosity that had been gnawing at her ever since they had left Lathom to know what was in the numerous coffers he guarded so carefully. At first she had thought them to be filled with coins or other valuables, but it was the fragility of their contents that had seemed to be her husband’s concern as they were lifted on and off the wain.

“My experiments, and enquiries, into the nature of the universe...” He stopped as if he was embarrassed to speak of it. “My father did not approve of some of my ideas,” he told her.

“Which is why you were keen to come here,” she said, now understanding that it was his work not her or the castle which had driven him to be so bold in insisting that they did not stay any longer at Lathom.

“You will not object, or write of it to my father?” he asked, worry replacing his smile.

“No, of course not,” she said as she reached out and touched his arm, “Edward, let us try to be friends. It will make our lives more tolerable.” He didn’t move away from her but met her eyes and looked thankful. “Neither of us asked for this marriage,” she said, “but let us try to make the best of it, shall we?”

He nodded. “Thank you,” he said and with a rush of the maternal affection that she had thought was reserved only for her children, Anne ran a hand over his hair and kissed his cheek.

“Don’t worry,” she said as he looked perturbed, “I will keep to the blue chamber and I will not interfere with you or your work.”

The servants brought her belongings in and as she unpacked, helped by a young girl from the village, she heard men cursing as they manoeuvred Edward’s coffers around the tight turns of the tower staircase.