‘It would be wise to,’ replied Charles. ‘I believe the Naples adventure has proved disastrous. You should stay here until we receive definite news from them.’

‘Yes, I shall do that,’ replied Margaret.

The Duke was satisfied. Margaret had been brought up in the right way by her grandmother and would therefore be able to deal with a situation such as this one.

Charles of Maine was right about René’s return. He and Isabelle were already at Marseilles having abandoned the Naples adventure. They would come to Saumur with all speed.

The anticipation of the reunion did a good deal to assuage Margaret’s grief at her grandmother’s death. Indeed it took a long time for her to realize that the old lady had gone. She had been such a dominating character and her household had been run under such disciplined order that it continued working in the same way after she had gone.

Each day Margaret watched for her parents’ arrival and it was not long before their approach was sighted by the watcher in the tower.

Margaret was at the gates of the castle waiting to greet them.

A STOLEN PORTRAIT

The meeting was ecstatic. It was long since Margaret had seen her mother. Eight years, Isabelle reminded her. It was four since her father had been in Anjou.

Although it was such a joyous reunion, René had a sorry story to tell. When he had arrived in Naples he had been warmly welcomed by the people but as soon as his rival, Alfonso of Aragon, had started to invade it became clear that René was no match for him. He had quickly realized that if he wanted to go on living he must get out of Naples. He had no money with which to continue the fight; he hated the war; he had no great desire for the crown. Even his wife Isabelle realized that they were fighting a losing battle.

‘When a Genoese galley was available we took it and were brought back to France, said René. ‘And, my dearest daughter, how glad I am to be with you.’

There was so much to talk about, and family matters were so much more absorbing to René than the quest for a crown. He was titular King of Naples still, even if he could not stay there and win the crown, and Margaret was a Princess, a fact which she knew would be important when the time came to find a bridegroom for her.

Margaret wanted to know so much. How was John now that he was married to Marie de Bourbon? Had they heard how Yolande was faring at the home of her betrothed, Ferri de Vaudémont? When was Louis joining them? It was wonderful to be once more with her parents.

It occurred to Margaret that they could have been together all the time, for what good had any of René’s attempted conquests done them? He was wise perhaps after all. It was only the opinion of the others and the need to submit to the laws of chivalry which had sent him out to fight. If he had obeyed his own inclinations he would have stayed at home, painting, writing music, singing to delighted audiences and building roads and bridges which he had always wanted to do. His great idea was to turn his towns into seats of culture, to which people came from all over the world to see fine paintings and hear good poetry and music.

He had plans for Angers which would need a great deal of reconstruction as would the whole of Anjou when it was finally taken out of the hands of the English.

They went to the castle of Angers and from there to Tarascon for René was also the Count of Provence and he had responsibilities in that part of the country as well as in Anjou.

For a few months Margaret felt she could forget everything but the joy of being united with her parents. But there were sorrows in the world which could not be ignored.

Her brother Louis had died suddenly of dysentery. The news was a shattering blow for they had been planning that he should come and join them.

It was a household of mourning. René became more and more absorbed in his painting. Isabelle decided that it was no use trying to persuade him to set out on any more ventures which would inevitably end in disaster.

Life went on quietly until emissaries from the Duke of Burgundy arrived at the castle.

###

After a long consultation with the messenger from the Duke of Burgundy, René and Isabelle sent for Margaret. This concerned her and she was old enough now to be prepared for what must be inevitable.

That René was uneasy was obvious. Isabelle was less so but then she was always more politically minded than her husband.

‘Margaret my child,’ said René, ‘as you know our visitors have come from the very noble Duke of Burgundy and he has put a certain proposition before us.’

Margaret’s heart began to beat rapidly. She guessed what the proposition must be.

‘The Duke has suggested an alliance which would certainly be good for us.’

She waited for him to go on and he hesitated. He had no desire for such a union. Isabelle might say it would be advantageous and in any case they dared not offend the Duke of Burgundy, but René did not want to see his daughter married to an old man. Margaret should have someone young and beautiful like herself.

He sighed. He must not be foolish. He had been foolish so many times.

‘He suggests that you should give your hand in marriage to his nephew Charles, Count of Nevers.’

‘I see,’ said Margaret.

‘He will be a good husband. He has already proved that to his first wife. It will be good for us to form such a close alliance with the House of Burgundy and the great Duke himself wishes the match to take place. In fact it is he who has proposed it. I think we should rejoice in this. Your marriage has long been a subject which has absorbed your mother and myself. Now here is the solution.’

He was looking at her anxiously, wanting her not to be upset by the proposal. She knew this and she smiled at him reassuringly although she was feeling very uneasy.

She had often thought of marrying, but a middle-aged husband did not fit in with her dreams. She had visualized someone young and handsome, someone who needed her to lean on, someone like her father—clever, charming, pleasant to be with and yet at the same time needing her care. A middle-aged Count, a nephew of great Burgundy, did not fit in with her dreams.

‘It is really a very good match,’ said René.

‘Yes, my lord, I suppose it is.’

‘What an important lady you will be. Countess of Nevers.’

‘I am a Princess already.’

‘A Princess... Yes, your father is a King. It is rather a hollow title but a King nevertheless. They are asking a dowry of fifty thousand livres.’

‘You will never be able to pay that!’ cried Margaret with a hint of relief.

‘Oh, we will think about that when the time comes,’ said René with customary abandon.

So it seemed that Margaret was destined to marry the Count of Nevers.

###

It was a few days later when there was a visitor at the castle of Tarascon. He came with two manservants only. He had ridden far, he said, and craved a bed for the night.

Such travellers were never turned away and this one proved to be an entertaining gentleman.

He was Guy de Champchevrier, a gentleman from Angers. He entertained them as they sat at the table with his stories of the war in which he had served for some years until he had been captured and taken prisoner. He had been held to ransom by an English soldier, Sir John Fastolf. Did they know of him? They would have heard of the Battle of the Herrings outside Orléans. He had been the hero of that little adventure.

‘His one claim to fame,’ said the visitor. ‘Unless the other was capturing Guy de Champchevrier...’

He had been in England for some time and had been at the Court there. He had conversed with the King of England, who had seemed to take a fancy to him. ‘He liked to hear me talk of France,’ he said.

‘And what manner of man is this Henry of England?’ asked René.