‘When can I be with you again?’
‘We must go carefully. There is so much at stake.’
‘But I must see you soon. How can I stay away from you after this?
Knowing that we are both in this Tower together and these thick walls divide us―’
‘I shall arrange something. Dear Mortimer, you must dress now. You must go back to your dungeon. Alspaye cannot wait much longer. The guards will be awakening from their sleep. Dear Mortimer, your life is the most precious thing on earth to me. It must be preserved― for the future. One day, my love― one day―’
He saw that she was right. They dressed hastily. One last embrace and Alspaye came in to conduct him to his dungeon.
* * *
She was being driven mad. She had seen him in the garden but what could they do there but touch hands? She could stand close to him, feel the strength of his body. It maddened her, and he shared her feelings. They had wakened such massive floods of passion in each other that it was almost impossible to restrain them.
‘What can we do?’ cried Mortimer in despair.
It was not easy to arrange another night even with Alspaye’s connivance. He had of course guessed the state of affairs and understood the Queen’s emotion.
Poor woman, had she not been married to Edward all these years?
There was one night when it was arranged that a few doors should be unlocked and the guards drunk again and this time when the lovers had slaked their passion to a certain degree, Isabella insisted that the first thing that must be done was to arrange Mortimer’s escape from the Tower.
‘I will go to the Marcher country and you will join me there,’ he said. ‘We will raise an army against the King.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘not the Marcher country. That could be unsafe. You must go to France.’
‘And you?’
‘I would find some means of joining you there. My brother would help us.
And we would come against Edward and the Despensers. I will get my son with me and I shall be fighting to put him on the throne. You and I, gentle Mortimer, will rule for him until he is of age.’
‘If this could but be achieved―’
‘Why should it not? The people love me―’ She paused. They had loved her because they said she was not only beautiful but virtuous; she had allowed herself to be humiliated by Edward and had still borne him children. When they knew that Mortimer was her paramour would they love her just the same? But of course they would. She would charm them with her beauty and she would only be giving them her son— so like his grandfather— in place of their dissolute King.
‘Yes,’ she went on, ‘the people would be on my side. They hate the Despensers. They want them banished. We should have the people with us.’
‘It shall be,’ cried Mortimer. ‘Oh, my Queen, you have brought love such as I never dreamed of into my life and with it hope.’
She had never been so excited. Everything she had always wanted was coming to her. She had always known that hers was a sensuous and passionate nature and she marvelled that she had been able to suppress her natural desires so long. But then she had needed a Mortimer to arouse them. And here he was and with him came the possibility that the dreams she had long cherished were about to come true.
What she had wanted was a strong man to stand beside her. Here he was without the slightest doubt. And this man, who was to have her complete trust and who was to stand beside her no matter what happened to them, must inevitably be her lover.
Life had never seemed so promising.
Now she must give herself to the task with her unbounded energy. It would help to take her mind from the yearnings of her body.
And that task was to free Mortimer from the Tower.
* * *
She rode out of the Tower. She was leaving the palace for a few days. It was better so in case there should have been talk. Moreover she had work to do. She was going to see Adam of Orlton, the Bishop of Hereford.
It was never easy for the Queen to go anywhere without taking with her a large company so it was fortunate that Adam was at this time in London and she could ride out as though merely taking the air.
The Bishop received her warmly. He was in disgrace with the King but the Queen had never been unfriendly towards him. He was against the Despensers and none could be more so than she was. She believed that she could rely on Adam’s help.
He himself would have been in the Tower if it had not been that he was a churchman and under the protection of Canterbury and York so she could be sure of his sympathy.
‘My lord Bishop,’ she said, ‘I have matters of great moment to discuss with you. I need your help.’
‘My lady,’ replied the Bishop, ‘if it is in my power to give it, that help is yours.’
‘I can no longer endure the rule of the Despensers.’
‘My lady, you are not alone in your feelings. If it could be put to the country I’ll warrant there would be few who did not agree with you.’
‘It is time they went. The King should never have recalled them.’
‘Alas, he has done so.’
‘My lord Bishop, it is clear to me that if we rid ourselves of the Despensers before long they would be replaced― even as this young Hugh has replaced Gaveston.’
The Bishop nodded in agreement.
‘It must not be allowed to happen, my lord Bishop,’ insisted the Queen.
‘My lady, can it be prevented?’
‘In one way. The King’s son and mine is growing fast.’
‘But a boy yet, my lady.’
‘Old enough to be crowned King. There have been others of his age.’
‘A Regency?’ asked the Bishop eagerly.
‘Chosen with care. My lord Bishop, what we talk of is of the utmost secrecy.
It is only because of the dire need that I would speak thus.’
‘I know it well, my lady. But these matters are in men’s minds and it is well that they be spoken of― among those who could have it in their hands to avoid disasters.’
‘Even so. I need your help, Bishop. There is a man in the Tower who has sworn to stand with me.’
The Bishop raised his eyebrows and waited.
‘Roger de Mortimer.’
Adam nodded. ‘A strong man, indeed. He ruled the Marcher lands with his uncle and he was as a king there they say.’
‘His uncle has perished in his prison. His nephew still lives.. He is young and vigorous. He would stand with us.’
‘You have tested him?’
The Queen smiled slowly: ‘Aye, my lord Bishop, I have tested him.’
‘Yes,’ said the Bishop, ‘a strong man. He could rouse the Marcher country.’
‘He must first escape.’
‘From the Tower! I’ll swear he is most rigorously guarded.’
‘He has friends.’
‘Who, my lady?’
‘The Sub-lieutenant, Gerard Alspaye.’
‘That is good. He could do much.’
‘My lord Bishop what could you do?’
‘Nothing from inside the Tower. Outside. I could have horses waiting at an agreed spot. I could have a boat waiting to take him across the river to that spot and another at the coast.’
‘And would you do this, my lord?’
‘I would do my best for you, my lady.’
‘I thank you with all my heart.’
‘If we can rid this country of its evil influences the whole of England will thank you with all their hearts.’
‘I can and will with the help of God and my very good friends.’
‘Then the first thing is to get Mortimer from the Tower. What will he do in France?’
‘Go to my brother. Let him know how I am held here. Get help from him. I shall try to join him― if that is possible. But I must have my son Edward with me.’
‘I see. It would mean civil war.’
‘If the King can find any to stand with him.’
‘There will be some I doubt not. The Despensers will be there and mistake not behind the pretty face is a wily mind.’
‘I know it well. But first we must free Mortimer. I pin my hopes on him. My lord Bishop I rely on you to provide what we shall need once Mortimer is free of the Tower.’
‘Let the rest be arranged from within and then we must be sure that we work together.’
‘God’s blessings on you, Bishop. You are a good friend to me and to your country.’
With God’s help, my lady, I will serve you both until He sees fit to take me.’
She was satisfied. Her excitement was intense. All was going as she could wish.
* * *
There were whispered conversations in the darkness of the night. They were getting reckless. The need to be together obsessed them; as did the knowledge that soon they must be parted. Alspaye was getting anxious. It was possible to arrange these meetings but they must necessarily become increasingly dangerous as suspicions must inevitably arise. It might be feasible one night, or even two, to leave a door unlocked, a corridor unguarded, to make guards sleepy with wine. But these occasions were becoming too frequent.
‘We must not jeopardize the plan,’ said Mortimer.
‘Indeed we must not,’ agreed Isabella, ‘but when you are in France we shall no longer be together.’
‘But you must follow me. You must use all your skill to do so.’
‘I shall. I shall. You may rely on me.’
They embraced passionately; they talked earnestly; and they continued to meet.
Gerard de Alspaye was uneasy. What would happen to him, he wondered, when such an important prisoner as Roger de Mortimer escaped from the Tower? He would be blamed. His head would not be worth much he was sure.
There was only one course of action for him to pursue, said Isabella. When Mortimer went, he must go with him.
Alspaye’s spirits were considerably lightened at the prospect.
There were meetings with Adam outside. He had engaged the help of two rich Londoners, John de Gisors, and Richard de Bettoyne, who would provide the boat which would take Mortimer and Alspaye across the river and the horses which could carry them to the coast. They would see that these were waiting ready at the appointed places. Speed was essential and the fugitives must get to France immediately, for it would be dangerous for them to linger in England for even one day longer than they need. As soon as the disappearance was discovered the hue and cry would follow and even Edward would realize the danger of letting a man like Mortimer escape from his clutches.
‘Well, let it be soon,’ agreed the Queen, and she added that it was fortunate that summer had come.
Alspaye said: ‘On the night of the first of August the Tower guards always celebrate the feast of St Peter ad Vincula.’
‘On this occasion,’ Mortimer interrupted, ‘it should be a specially merry feast. We must make sure that the wine flows freely.’
‘I shall put two notorious imbibers in charge of my lord,’ went on Alspaye, ‘and shall see that they are well supplied with liquor. I’ll warrant it will not be long before we have them in a drunken stupor. That will give us an opportunity to make our preparations.’
Many plans had been discussed and discarded and they had come to the conclusion that the safest way was for Mortimer to escape by means of a rope ladder. He had, of course, to get out of his cell and although most of the guards would be drinking heavily there could be one or two abstainers and it was logical to suppose that on such an occasion they would be especially alert.
Mortimer’s dungeon was next to the kitchens and from these it was possible to get out onto a roof of an inner ward. This was where the rope ladder would come in. For several weeks Mortimer with the help of Alspaye had managed to loosen a portion of the stones in the wall. It was not difficult for Alspaye to say he wished to speak with the prisoner and dismiss the guards while he did so.
During the time they spent together the two men worked on the wall so that by the first of August it was a simple matter to lift out the stones which they had loosened and make a big enough hole for them to pass through.
They would then be in the kitchens where Alspaye must make sure that the servants were either carousing with their guards or too drunk to notice what was happening. From the kitchens they could reach one of the inner wards and there it was that they would need the rope ladder to take them into the outer ward and they could from there make their way to that spot on the river where the London merchants, John de Gisors and Richard de Bettoyne, would have a boat waiting.
They had gone over the plan in their minds, looking for possible defects. To be discovered would mean certain death for Mortimer and Alspaye. But they were determined they would succeed.
The Queen was perhaps the most anxious of the three. She had seen in Mortimer her great hope. Moreover she was passionately in love with him and to have found a man who was not only her lover but her saviour seemed miraculous to her.
She was terrified that something would happen to him.
The first of August dawned. She went along to the little church of St Peter ad Avincula on Tower Green and asked the saint’s help in this project.
During the morning Mortimer was allowed to walk in the garden and Alspaye dismissed the guards with instructions to wait by the palings and while he and Mortimer walked they ran through the details once more.