The King's Dogge by Nigel Green Read Free Book Online

them pledge loyalty and commitment to me and ask me to be a good lord to them.’ He smiled, almost boyishly. ‘This means that they want offices or annuities, yet apart from your friend Ratcliffe, I don’t know which of them to trust.’
    It seemed hardly tactful to point out that if the duke and his brother, the king, had not killed Warwick they would not be facing this situation, so I maintained my silence and we walked on slowly.
    â€˜Warwick was like a father to me,’ he said eventually, ‘as I hear that he and Montague were to you. He taught me much of men and their ways and how they should be governed. He took me into his family; he planned for me to marry his daughter.’
    Richard glanced up at me.
    â€˜He treated me even better than he and Montague treated you, Francis.’
    â€˜And, like you,’ Richard continued, ‘I never knew my own father; I was young when he was killed, and my brother Edward was always too busy with other matters to bother much about me. He made me a royal duke, and yet I had few lands and less influence. Warwick, on the other hand, promised me estates amounting to ultimately half his own lands were I to marry his daughter.
    â€˜I think that, to be honest, I was frightened of Edward,’ continued the duke. ‘He is truly awe-inspiring when he is angry. Clarence, my other brother, could stand up to him for a while, but in the end he always backed down. When the final split between Warwick and Edward became apparent, my initial impulse was to side with Warwick and defy the king. I, like Clarence, would have worked with him to overthrow the king.’
    â€˜What stopped you?’ I asked fascinated.
    He smiled at me.
    â€˜All of us have a duty to our lord, who in turn has obligations to support us and reward us for that loyalty. Without that loyalty, Christian society ceases to exist and men become mere brutes.’
    His chain of thought echoed mine, but I made no response.
    â€˜The question I faced,’ Richard continued in that quiet voice of his, ‘was whether I should give my loyalty to the man who treated me as a son and who had promised me a great inheritance, or a distant brother who had largely ignored me and offered me little but who was the king.’
    He shrugged.
    â€˜In the end, the choice was obvious. With Edward, the anointed king on the throne, there would be a far greater chance of peace and stability in England than with Warwick and his faction ruling the country.
    â€˜So I gave my loyalty to Edward and walked away from Warwick, whom I had loved as a father, with infinite sadness, but it was with the certainty that I had made the right choice. I tried to persuade Clarence to follow me, but he would have none of it. I think that Edward recognised my loyalty. He has given me much of the North to rule. I have offices and estates here and will create a greater power here than Warwick and Montague ever had.’ He looked at me calmly. ‘The difference, however, will be that I shall hold this land loyally for the king, not against him.’
    He smiled ruefully.
    â€˜But there is much to do. The Earl of Northumberland has to accept the subordinate position. Lawrence Booth in Durham had to learn his proper station. We need to strengthen ourselves against the Scots and trade needs to be developed. The fleet needs to be built up and Scarborough made a more secure harbour. Oh, the list is endless, but I believe we can achieve all of this and more given time and effort.’
    He paused for a minute.
    â€˜And, of course, loyal men to help, Francis. Would you be such a one?’
    I hesitated.
    He laughed.
    â€˜I saw you with Warwick at Barnet. In fact, it was I who pulled Clarence away from you. Warwick had to die, Francis, but it would have been better if he had died in battle, not as he did. But what was shameful was that at the end he had but one attendant – you.’
    I kept silent.
    â€˜You were loyal