The Red Rose of Anjou by Jean Plaidy Page B

the only solution was to put the case to you.’
    ‘And what was your mission?’ asked the King.
    ‘To secure a picture of the Princess Margaret, my lord. Her father is a fine painter. It seemed likely that he would have made a portrait of his beautiful daughter.’
    ‘You procured it?’
    ‘Stole it, Sire. I am on my way to show it to the King of England.’
    ‘You have it with you? It would prove your story.’
    Champchevrier brought the picture from a pocket in his cloak.
    The King took it and studied it intently. ‘A beautiful child,’ he said. ‘I think her father has painted her well. I am fond of her father. I was very fond of her grandmother. I liked the girl, too. She made quite an impression at my Court.’
    ‘Sire, it is bold of me to ask but your sympathy and understanding tempts me to. Would you approve of a match between Margaret of Anjou and Henry of England?’
    The King was silent for a moment. Then he said, ‘I think it would have pleased her grandmother.’
    Ho was very sad thinking of Yolande. He had suffered a terrible blow in the loss of her. Of course Yolande had been old and he should not have been surprised at her death but that was no consolation.
    But what was this matter? Champchevrier stealing a portrait of Margaret and getting caught with it, and Sir John Fastolf getting angry because his prisoner was at large, and demanding that he be handed back to him.
    Sir John would be disappointed. It would pay him back for the Battle of the Herrings which had been such a disgrace to the French. Besides, a marriage between Margaret and the King of England might be very advantageous to France.
    And how pleased Yolande would have been. She had often fretted about the lack of Margaret’s chances. And here was an opportunity which was too dazzling for Yolande ever to have dreamed of.
    Charles said: ‘I give you permission to travel freely through France. You shall be released at once to return to the King of England. Guard the picture of my niece well. It is a very fine one and exactly like her. I think Henry might like that well.’
    ###
    René was uneasy. Ho could not concentrate on his painting and that was a sure sign that something weighed heavily on his mind.
    It was Margaret’s marriage. He really did not want her to go to the Count of Nevers. She was far too young; and far too dominating a character for a match like that. He knew that Nevers would expect a docile young girl whom he could mould to his ways and whose only important task would be to bear him children.
    Margaret was an unusual girl. It was not merely because she was his daughter that he thought so. She was like her mother and his mother. They were strong, dominant women— and there were signs that Margaret was the same.
    Why had Champchevrier stolen the portrait? It was quite clear that his arrival at the château had not been an accident. He had had some purpose. To steal Margaret’ s picture. For whom? That was the question.
    There was gossip that Champchevrier had been arrested, that he had been taken to the King himself and that Charles had given him permission to go on his way even though he was in fact a prisoner for whom a ransom was being asked.
    It was all very mysterious and René had a shrewd idea that the mission had been to procure a picture of Margaret surreptitiously so that no one would guess for what reason.
    And she was to go to Nevers.
    He could not stop the match. Nor did he wish to until he was sure there would be a better; but he could delay matters.
    Nevers—and Burgundy with him—was eager for a contract to be signed and the Count had sent word that his emissaries would be arriving very shortly.
    I must do something, thought René.
    Then he had an idea. His daughter Yolande was to marry Ferri de Vaudémont and there would be a dowry to provide for her.
    He must consider this very carefully. All he had to offer was promises. They must know how impoverished he had become. His only asset of any worth