How Henry loved the October 13th feast day of St. Edward! In 1255 he swallowed the yarn about the Jews of Lincoln murdering a little boy, sending 18 of them to the gallows, just so he could get back to London in time for this grand supper. Now in 1263 it was going to be a contentious affair as faces glared at one another in the tense atmosphere. Henry and Edward were demanding restitution for cronies like the archbishop of Canterbury (the former reformer) and the queen’s other relatives, while Simon insisted on the Council’s right, as per the Provisions that Henry and Edward swore who to uphold, to name the king’s ministers and household. Who gave the final toast that evening is unknown, but Edward no doubt cast a shifty look at his Marcher friends, freshly imbibed with his bribes, to let them know that the plan was on. They would use violence, which was not only work but play for them, to put an end to Montfort’s provisional government and maybe the man himself.
