The Star of Lancaster by Jean Plaidy Page B

long. Their attendants played games with them. There was great hilarity over Ragman’s Roll which was the preliminary to a mime. One of them would bring out a parchment roll on which were written couplets describing certain characters; and attached to these verses were strings with seals at the end. Each player must take a seal and pull the string and then play the character whose description he had picked. There were shrieks of laughter when this game was played for it always seemed that people chose the characters least like themselves. When they tired of mimes they would play Hot Cockles in which one player was blindfolded and knelt with hands behind the back. The other players would strike those hands and the kneeling blindfolded player must guess who was the striker before being released. Mary much preferred the games of chess when sheand Henry would retire to a quiet corner and pit their wits one against the other, or when Henry suggested she should bring out her guitar and they sang and played together.
    They were happy days indeed as the spring passed into summer but they could not go on for ever and one day a messenger from the Duke of Lancaster came riding to the castle with the command that Henry was to join his father.
    It would only be for a short time, he told Mary. As soon as he could he would return or if that were not possible he would send for her to come to him.
    She knew that she must accept this. She watched him ride away and desolation overcame her. She must try to be brave she knew. It was what happened to all wives. Their husbands could not stay with them for ever.
    It was shortly after Henry’s departure that she knew she was to have a child.

    She was delighted, although she overheard her women discussing the matter in private and she knew that they shook their heads and melancholy looks came into their eyes.
    One of them said: ‘She’s too young I tell you. It’s not right for one so young.’
    ‘They say,’ said another, ‘that if a woman can conceive she’s ripe for child bearing.’
    ‘She’s little more than a baby herself. They should have waited.’
    She did not want to hear more. Such talk frightened her.
    There came a day when the Earl and Countess of Buckingham were passing Kenilworth. They stayed for a night, and that was very unpleasant.
    Eleanor was cold; Thomas was hotly indignant.
    ‘By God’s ears,’ he said. ‘I’ll never like brother John again. He planned this, he did. He waited until I went away.’
    ‘It was not so,’ she cried.
    ‘Married!’ cried Eleanor. ‘At your age. It shocks me deeply.’
    ‘You were going to send me into a convent,’ retorted Mary. ‘I was old enough you considered to make up my mind about that.’
    ‘How could you have been so deceitful. The nuns are heartbroken.’
    ‘The Abbess was most concerned that I should be sure I was doing what was best.’
    ‘I wonder you are not ashamed,’ cried Eleanor. ‘To go off like that and the next thing we knew was that you were betrothed!’
    ‘It so happened that Henry was at Arundel . . .’
    ‘So happened!’ snapped Eleanor. ‘It was arranged. And why do you think it was arranged? Because you happened to be an heiress, that’s why. Do you think the high and mighty Duke of Lancaster and his romantic son would have been so eager to take you without your fortune?’
    ‘Is that why Thomas took you?’ retorted Mary.
    ‘You wicked girl! You give yourself airs. How dare you talk to me thus. Oh I am so disappointed. After all we did. We went to Pleshy because you were so interested in the convent there.’
    Thomas shouted, ‘Stop bickering. The evil is done. Would to God I had not been out of the country at the time. I would have taken up arms against Lancaster. I would . . .’
    He spluttered on in his rage. It was all so ridiculous, thought Mary. He would not have dared to take up arms against his brother over such a matter. But perhaps he would. He wasknown throughout the country as