"Why, Gloucester, they come—"
"What! speakest thou to me as Gloucester?" cried Richard, as he turned fiercely upon the Earl, who sat staring in surprise, as did Harleston and I, at this strange and unprovoked outburst.
When Gloucester spoke this last sentence a body of men, with drawn swords, quickly surrounded Rivers, Grey and Vaughan, and took them prisoners.
"Best keep your tongues betwixt your teeth," whispered Buckingham, first to me and then to Harleston. There was an amused smile upon his face as he said this.
Then the whole plot flashed through my mind. This then was Gloucester's reason for entertaining us so well. We had been used but as blinds to throw Lord Rivers off his guard, and make him to trust the Prince. This then was the reason we had been made to be so familiar; it was in order that Gloucester when he chose to consider it a personal slight might do so. Harleston was right; Gloucester had an object in view when he acted so. But for that matter, when did this man ever so much as speak one kindly word, but for his profit.
Now, though it takes me some moments to put these things down, it did not take so many heartbeats for them to be enacted; and remember, my heart was working fast just then.
When the swords had been taken from these three gentlemen they were separated, and soldiers, with naked swords, stationed themselves one on either side of each prisoner.
"Now off with the traitorous knaves to Pomfret," commanded Richard. "There let them close prisoners rest, until thou hearest from me." This he said to Sir Richard Ratcliffe, who seemed to be in command of the soldiers which had so suddenly appeared.
Ratcliffe put himself in advance of the guard and set out on his way to Pomfret Castle.
Grey's and Vaughan's escorts now joined meekly in with the train of Gloucester, and we proceeded leisurely into Stony Stratford.