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

loyalty and some may mean it but most do not. By saying what you have today, I know that I can trust you.’
    I nodded in confusion. The day was turning out to be rather different than I had anticipated.
    â€˜I have a job for you,’ continued Gloucester. ‘I want you to go to the West March and restore order in that region. Recruit men, drive the Scots out and make it peaceful. I will keep Sir William, as deputy, in nominal control, but he’ll stay here with me. You will be in charge there by my express wish.’
    â€˜You’re putting me in charge!’
    He nodded.
    â€˜Ratcliffe told me that Montague anticipated you would be an excellent soldier one day and, frankly, the place needs a lot of attention and someone with skill. We can talk tomorrow about what resources I can help you with, although these are few.’
    â€˜I do not know how to thank you, Your Grace.’
    â€˜Perhaps,’ he suggested gently, ‘you could call me Richard, and do not thank me yet for it will be a hard job, but you will always have my support and friendship.’
    I walked on happily; the future looked suddenly very exciting.
    â€˜Tell me about Montague’s plan at Barnet,’ Richard said. ‘What was he aiming to do?’ He grinned. ‘Edward thought that we would have great difficulty in winning the day.’
    I hesitated. I still felt immense loyalty to my old masters Warwick and Montague, and it seemed to be wrong to betray them by revealing their battle plans. On the other hand, Richard of Gloucester plainly trusted me and had requested my friendship.
    Richard gave me an amused glance. I guessed he could read my thoughts. With reluctance, I told him of the plan and he whistled softly when he learned of how Oxford should have turned Edward’s flank.
    â€˜That would have crushed us,’ he said soberly.
    â€˜How did you overcome Exeter on our left flank?’ I asked with growing confidence. ‘He had a good defensive position and the support of Warwick’s reserve.’
    â€˜By luck mainly,’ said Richard. ‘In the fog, we overshot his line and came up on his flank.’ He narrowed his eyes. ‘To be truthful, Francis, I am not sure how committed to Warwick he or his men were. They did not put up the resistance they should have done.’ He smiled. ‘I expect one day Exeter will pay the price for that.’ 4
    I made no reply. The talk of Barnet had brought back memories which saddened me and, for a fleeting moment, I felt a sudden surge of resentment towards the small man who walked alongside me.
    He stumbled suddenly; instinctively I grabbed him to prevent him from falling. He straightened himself and glanced down curiously at the uneven ground before smiling up at me.
    â€˜I trust you will support me this well in the West March,’ said Richard of Gloucester.

C HAPTER 4
    I t was with considerable misgivings that I led the small party of servants, guards and three wagons to Carlisle, the capital of the West March. Richard’s ducal council had, I learned, been less than enthusiastic about my appointment and I feared a similar reception in Westmorland and Cumberland. I was, after all, only nineteen and a squire with limited military experience who knew nothing of the region. I had talked of my fears to Richard Ratcliffe after my final briefing at Middleham.
    â€˜As I see and understand it Richard, the duke sees the situation there as being a mess. Carlisle was successfully defended against the Scots in 1461, but since then the city and the castle have been allowed to decay. Most of the people in the region have little time for the duke – he admitted as much, saying that they were all Warwick’s people and feel no desire to pledge an oath of allegiance to him. To top it all off, this is the one place on the border where the Scots are particularly belligerent.’
    He nodded soberly.
    â€˜It’s worse than that,