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

don’t,’ he said. ‘You’ve spent your own money and are now probably heavily in debt because you believed it was the right thing to do. Am I right?’
    I nodded bashfully.
    â€˜Well it needed someone to do something,’ he said, ‘so that’s why I’ll help you in Cumberland and get Moresby to do the same in Westmorland. You are probably completely mad – but we will help.’
    Leaving Moresby in Carlisle, we journeyed south to Broughton Hall. I was surprised to see that this far south it had a piel tower, but Thomas advised that it was a necessary defence against the Scots. Having sent out messages, we began to tour the county to visit the homes of those men who had previously supported the Earl of Warwick. The message we put over to them was simple: Warwick was dead. I had been with him when he died – I received surprised looks at this point. Gloucester was not only the warden of the West March but also Sheriff of Cumberland and the Earl of Carlisle. More importantly, he had married Warwick’s daughter. Their son would be Warwick’s grandson. Furthermore, Gloucester – despite all his other duties – had shown an interest in the West March. As testament to his efforts, Carlisle Castle had been strengthened and partially rebuilt. I argued with them that to remain permanently on the defensive was not a sensible military option. We needed to create a mobile force better than that of the Scots to stop the raids and harry them over the border. Gloucester had promised to supply horses and men to train the troops but, in the meantime, he needed their support in men and loans to raise a force of 1,000, and perhaps even more than that.
    It was solely due to the influence of Thomas Broughton and, later, Christopher Moresby that we got the support of the landowners, and when eventually I realised that we had 1,000 men pledged for two years’ service, I judged it advisable to go to meet Richard of Gloucester.
    I found him at Sheriff Hutton. I reported the situation I had found as concisely as I could to him, beginning with the decayed situation in Carlisle and the antipathy of the gentry to anyone who was not the Earl of Warwick. I briefly described the improvements we had already made to Carlisle and the plan to establish a mobile force to wage war on both sides of the border.

    â€˜So Richard of Gloucester heard you out in silence and told you that he would give you his decision in the morning,’ Ratcliffe clarified.
    I shifted uncomfortably.
    â€˜Yes, I assume that he will want to take advice before he agrees or disagrees with what I have done.’
    â€˜What we have done,’ Ratcliffe quickly corrected me. ‘Don’t forget I authorised your plan to commit Gloucester to pay for your horsemen.’
    â€˜I had not realised that I would drag you down with me, if things go against me,’ I apologised.
    Ratcliffe fell silent and I guessed that he was assessing how great the threat to us was. In truth, I was not optimistic of the outcome since Gloucester would obviously turn to his ducal councillors for advice. The problem was that I had heard that many of them were already prejudiced against me. It seemed that a number of them felt that a more experienced man should have been appointed to the West March. Doubtless they would listen carefully when Richard presented them with an account of my actions, but then would happily recommend my dismissal on the grounds of impetuousness and irresponsibility. I passed on my opinion to Ratcliffe gloomily. He glanced round the little chamber that had been allocated to him and absent-mindedly rolled two of the scrolls on the table from side to side.
    â€˜Gloucester might not ask his councillors,’ he said slowly. ‘If I’m right – and it is a very big “if” indeed – I think he will ask Anne Neville about what you have done.’
    I stared at Ratcliffe in amazement.
    â€˜But