In the Shadow of the Crown - By Jean Plaidy Page 0,165
good king. He cared deeply about the poor and those in distress. He had decided that his palace at Bridewell should be given as a resort for those poor people who had no means of making a living for themselves. He had thought of poor children who, though they might be clever enough, received no education because their parents were too poor to give it to them. The monasteries had been suppressed, and that of Grey Friars was empty. Why should it not be used as a school for poor scholars? It was called Christ's Hospital. I heard it gave my brother great pleasure that he had done these things. Then there were the sick. He would set up a hospital at St. Thomas's where the poor could be treated free. He was sure the people of London would willingly help him to keep these charitable institutions in existence.
He cared for the people. He was good at heart—but oh so sick and weary of life, I knew. And he was in the hands of ambitious men.
I was frustrated. I was sure the rumors of his failing health were true; and that was of vital importance to me.
If only Chapuys had been here to advise me, or even the worthy François van der Delft; Scheyfve tried hard but his English was poor, and consequently he did not always understand what was going on.
Antoine de Noailles, the French ambassador, was a shrewd man, more of a spy, I fancied, than an ambassador; and as I was never sure on whose side the French would be, I felt alone and afraid.
Northumberland was expressing friendship toward me now. He sent me details of the King's illness—not that I always believed them; but his motive was to let me know that he was my friend. Did he mean he thought I should soon be his sovereign? When and if I were, he must have known I should never trust him. When he wrote to me, he addressed me with the full title which had not been accorded to me since my father put my mother from him: Princess of England. But how sincere was he?
Susan had heard a disquietening rumor that the Attorney General, Lord Chief Justice Montague, was at odds with Northumberland concerning a delicate issue.
“It is monstrous,” said Susan, “and I cannot believe it is true.”
She was hesitating, trying to put off telling me because she feared it would be a great shock to me. But at length it came.
“The King has decided to leave the crown not to his sisters, because they are children of marriages whose validity is in question… but to the heirs of the Lady Mary Tudor, sister to his father.”
I stared at Susan in disbelief. “That's impossible!” I cried.
She looked at me steadily. “The crown is to go to Lady Jane Dudley.”
“I… see. This is Northumberland's doing. He will make Jane Queen and Guilford Dudley King. And that means Northumberland will rule over us.”
“Montague says he will alter the succession… and that is treason. But then Northumberland replied that the late King did it.”
“That is not true,” I cried. “The crown passed to Edward after him, and Edward is his son and rightful heir. I am next and after me Elizabeth. That is what my father ordered.”
“So says Montague.”
“Then…”
She looked at me solemnly. “Montague has been browbeaten. He is a poor sick old man, and such do not wish to be embroiled in these matters.
They do not want to spend their last days in the Tower. They want peace, which can come only with acquiescence.”
“It can never be.”
“So think I. The people will not have it.”
“What then?”
“My lady, it will not be for you to choose… but for the people to do that when the time comes.”
“They will seek to destroy me before that.”
“I think we should make plans to get as far from London as possible “But they will proclaim Jane!”
“The people will not have her.”
“She stands for the Protestants.”
“There are many who want to return to the old way of worshipping. Everything will depend on that.”
“Northumberland is determined. He has gone so far he cannot now turn back. It may be that his ambitions will destroy him.”
“We must see that they do before he destroys you.”
I was very sad that my brother could be led so far from his duty as to proclaim Jane heiress to the throne. She was little more than a child but he knew she would uphold the faith which he so