“He did not want the kingdom to slip into Woodville hands. He had serious reservations about his sons being able to rule justly while Bess and her family still lived.” He glanced at the crown across the chamber. His eyes lingered on it longer than she thought they should.
“When Prince Edward is crowned, your protectorship ends,” she told him what she was sure he already knew.
“We shall see,” he said in a curious manner. “And though Woodville allies be few and far between, they are formidable. Do you know what Margaret Beaufort did?”
She shook her head.
“She paid someone to pinch the Great Seal and take it to Bess, with just about everything else they could pilfer from the palace, including half the royal treasure.” He stared her down with a countenance of wild-eyed lust for power. “Mar
