The Boleyn Inheritance Part 13

Dear G.o.d, he looks more like a poor clerk. I nod.

"You have broken your fast? " I ask.

He makes a little embarra.s.sed face. "I er I could not quite "

"You have not eaten? "

"I could not find the hall, Your Grace. I am sorry. The palace is very large and my rooms are some way from the main building, and there was no one . "

They have put him somewhere halfway to the stables. "You did not ask someone? There are thousands of servants. "

"I don't speak English. "

I am truly shocked. "You don't speak English? How will you conduct the business of our country? n.o.body here speaks German. "

"Your brother the duke thought that the councillors and the king would speak German. "

"He knows full well that they do not. "

"And he thought I would learn English. I already speak Latin, " he adds defensively.

I could cry, I am so disappointed. "You must certainly have some breakfast, " I say, trying to recover myself. I turn to Kitty Howard, who, as usual, is lingering at my side eavesdropping. She is welcome to our conversation so far. If she can speak German well enough to spy, then she can translate for this useless amba.s.sador. "Mistress Howard, would you send one of the maids for some bread and cheese for the amba.s.sador? He has not broken his fast. And some small ale. "

As she g"s I turn back to him. "Do you have any letters for me from my home? "

"Yes, " he says. "I have instructions from your brother, and your mother sends her maternal love and hopes you are a credit to your home and have not forgotten her loving discipline. "

I nod. I would prefer it if she had sent me a competent amba.s.sador who could also have been a credit to my home, rather than this chilly blessing, but I take the package of letters that he holds out to me, and he settles to his breakfast at one end of the table while I read my letters at the other end.

I read the letter from Amelia first. She starts with a list of the compliments that have been paid to her and how happy she is with her own court at Cleves. She likes to be in sole possession of our rooms. She tells me of her new gowns, and of dresses that were mine but have been adapted for her use. This is to form her trousseau, for she is to be married. I give a little gasp at this, and Lady Rochford says kindly: "Not bad news I hope, Your Grace? "

"My sister is to be married. "

"Oh, how lovely. A good match? "

It is nothing compared to my good fortune, of course. I should be laughing at the small scale of Amelia's triumph. But I have to blink back tears before I can answer. "She is to marry my brother-in-law. My older sister, Sybilla, is already married to the Duke of Saxony, and she is to go to their court and marry his younger brother. " And so become a happy little neighboring family, I think bitterly. So they are all together: mother, brother, two sisters, and their two husbands, and only I am sent far away to wait for letters that bring me no joy but just continue the sense of exclusion and unkindness that my brother has dealt me all my life.

"Not a match like yours then. "

"There is no other match like mine, " I say. "But she will like to live with my sister, and my brother likes to keep the others close. "

"No sables for her, " Kitty Howard points out, and she makes me smile at her unending shameless greed.

"No, that is the main thing of course. " I smile at her. "Nothing matters more than sables. "

I put Amelia's letter aside; I cannot bring myself to read her confident predictions of family Christmases and joining together for hunting in summer, of celebrating birthdays and bringing up their children, the Saxony cousins all together in the same happy nursery.

I open the letter from my mother instead. If I had hoped for some comfort here, I would be disappointed. She has spoken with Count Olisleger, and she is filled with anxiety. He tells her that I have been dancing with men not my husband, that I wore a gown without a muslin filet up to my ears. She hears that I have put aside Cleves dress and am wearing an English hood. She reminds me that the king married me because he wanted a Protestant bride of impeccable behavior and that he is a man of jealous and difficult temperament. She asks me if I want to dance my way to h.e.l.l, and reminds me that there is no sin worse than wantonness in a young woman.

I put down the letter and go to the window to look out over the beautiful garden of Hampton Court, the ornate walkways near to the palace and the paths, running down to the river with the pier and the royal barges rocking at their moorings. There are courtiers walking with the king in the garden, dressed as richly as if they were going to a joust. The king, a head taller than any man in his train and broad as a bull, is wearing a cloak of cloth of gold, and a bonnet of velvet that sparkles, even at this distance, with diamonds. He is leaning on the shoulder of Thomas Culpepper, who is dressed in the most glorious dark green cloak, pinned with a diamond brooch. Cleves, with its uniform of fustian and broadcloth, seems a long way away. I will never be able to explain to my mother that I do not peac.o.c.k in English fas.h.i.+ons for the sake of vanity, but only so that I do not seem more despicable and more repellent than I already am. If the king puts me aside, G.o.d knows that it will not be for dressing too fine. It will be because I disgust him, and I seem to do that whether I wear my hood like my grandmother, or like pretty little Kitty Howard. Nothing I can do can please the king, but my mother could spare herself the trouble of cautioning me that my life depends upon pleasing him. I already know that. And it cannot be done. At any rate, I cannot do it.

The amba.s.sador has finished eating. I return to the table and motion to him that he may stay seated while I read my last letter, from my brother.

Sister, he starts.

I have been much troubled by the report of Counts Overstein and Olisleger as to your reception and behavior at the court of your new husband, King Henry of England. Your mother will deal with matters of clothing and decorum. I can only beg that you listen to her and do not allow yourself to be led into behavior that can only embarra.s.s us and shame yourself. Your tendency to vanity and ill-conditioned behavior is known to us all, but we hoped that it would remain a family secret. We beg you to reform, especially now that the eyes of the world are upon you.

I skip the next two pages, which are nothing but a list of the times that I have disappointed him in the past and warnings that a false step at the English court could have the gravest consequences. Who would know this better than I?

Then I read on.

This letter is to introduce the amba.s.sador who will represent our country to King Henry and his council. You will extend to him every a.s.sistance. I expect you to work closely with him to further our hopes for this alliance that has so far disappointed us. Indeed, the King of England seems to think that he has made a very va.s.sal of Cleves, and now he is hoping for our alliance against the emperor, with whom we have no quarrel and are not likely to make one to oblige your husband or you. You should make this clear to him.

I understand that a senior Englishman, the Duke of Norfolk, has enjoyed a visit to the French court, and there is no doubt in my mind but that England is drawing closer to France. This is the very thing that you were sent to England to prevent. Already, you are failing your country of Cleves, failing your mother and me. The amba.s.sador should advise you as to how you can do your duty and not forget it in the pleasures of the flesh.

I have provided him with transport to England and a servant to attend him, but you will have to pay him directly. I a.s.sume, from what I hear of your jewels and your new clothes and other unG.o.dly extravagances, including, I am told, expensive sables, that you can well afford to do this. Certainly, you would do better to spend your newfound wealth on the future of your country than on items of personal vanity and adornment that can only attract contempt. Just because you have been raised to a high position d"s not mean that you can neglect your conscience as you have done in the past. I urge you most earnestly to mend your ways, Sister. As the head of your house I advise you to abjure vanity and wantonness.

Trusting that this letter finds you in good health as it leaves me, certainly I hope that it finds you in good spiritual health, Sister. Luxury is no subst.i.tute for a good conscience, as you will find if you are spared to grow old.

As prays your loving brother William.

I put down the letter and I look at the amba.s.sador. "Tell me, at least, that you have done this work before, that you have been an amba.s.sador in another court. "

It is my fear that he is some Lutheran preacher that my brother has decided to employ.

"I served your father at the court of Toledo and Madrid, " Dr. Harst replies with some dignity. "But never before at my own expense. "

"My brother's finances are a little difficult, " I say. "At least you can live for free at court here. "

He nods. "He indicated to me that you would pay my salary. "

I shake my head. "Not I. The king gives me my court and my ladies and my clothes, but no money as yet. That can be one of the questions that you raise with him. "

"But as the crowned Queen of England * "

"I am married to the king, but not crowned queen, " I say. "Instead of my coronation in February I had a formal welcome into London, and now I expect to be crowned after Easter. I have not yet been paid my allowance as queen. I have no money. "

He looks a little anxious. "I take it there is no difficulty? The coronation will go ahead? "

"Well, you will have brought the papers that the king requires? "

"What papers? "

I can feel my temper rising. "The papers that prove that my earlier betrothal was annulled. The king demanded them; Counts Overstein and Olisleger swore that they would send them. They swore on their honor. You must have them. "

His face is quite aghast. "I have nothing! n.o.body said anything about these papers to me. "

I am stammering in my own language, I am so distraught. "But there could be nothing more important! My wedding was delayed because there was fear of a precontract. The emissaries from Cleves swore that they would send the evidence as soon as they got home. They had to offer themselves as hostages. They must have told you. You must have them! They offered themselves as security! "

"They said nothing to me, " he repeats. "And the duke your brother insisted that I delay my journey to meet with them. Can they have forgotten such a thing? "

At the mention of my brother the fight g"s out of me. "No, " I say wearily. "My brother agreed to this marriage but d"s not a.s.sist me. He d"s not seem to care for my embarra.s.sment. Sometimes I fear that he has sent me to this country just to humiliate me. "

He is shocked. "But why? How can such a thing be? "

I pull myself back from indiscretion. "Oh, who knows? Things occur between children in the nursery and are never forgotten or forgiven. You must write to him at once and tell him that I have to have the evidence that shows my earlier betrothal was annulled. You have to persuade him to send it. Tell him that without it, I can do nothing, I can have no influence on the king. Tell him that without it, we appear guilty of double dealing. The king could suspect us, and he would be right to suspect us. Ask my brother if he wants my very marriage to be questioned? If he wants me sent home in disgrace? If he wants this marriage annulled? If he wants me crowned queen? Because every day that we delay we give the king grounds for suspicion. "

"The king would never " he begins. "Everybody must know "

"The king will please himself, " I say fiercely. "That is the first thing that you learn in this court. The king is king, and head of the church; he is a tyrant who answers to n.o.body. He rules men's bodies and their souls. He speaks for G.o.d in this country. He himself believes that he knows G.o.d's will, that G.o.d speaks directly through him, that he is G.o.d on earth. He will do exactly what he wishes and he will decide if it is right or wrong, and then he will say that G.o.d wills it. Tell my brother that he puts me in very real danger and discomfort if he fails me in this one small thing. He has to send the doc.u.ments or I fear for myself. "

Katherine, Hampton Court, March 1540 Easter morning and a happy Easter for me. I so hate Lent *for whatever have I to do penance for, or regret? Next to nothing. But I hated Lent even worse this year when it meant no dancing at court and no music except the dreariest of hymns and psalms; and worst of all no masquing and no plays. But for Easter we shall at last be merry. The Princess Mary is to come to court, and we are all desperate to know how she likes her new stepmother. We are already laughing in antic.i.p.ation of that greeting as the queen tries to be a mother to a child only one year her junior, tries to speak to her in German, tries to guide her to the reformed religion. It will be as good as a play. Princess Mary is said to be very grave and sad and pious; while the queen is lighthearted and merry in her rooms and born and bred a Lutheran or an Erasmian or one of those sorts of things, reformed, anyway. So we are all on the tips of our t"s to get a good view from the window as the Princess Mary rides up to the front of the palace, and then we all scuttle like a flock of frantic hens to get into the queen's rooms before the Princess Mary is shown up the stairs. We fling ourselves into the seats around the room and try to look as if we are quietly sewing and listening to a sermon, and the queen says, "Naughty girls, " with a smile, and then there is the knock on the door, and in comes the princess, and *such a surprise *she has the Lady Elizabeth with her, by the hand.

Up we all pop and drop into very careful curtsies; we have to curtsy to the Princess Mary low enough to indicate our respect to a Princess of the Blood Royal, and rise up before the Lady Elizabeth can take the credit since she is only a b.a.s.t.a.r.d of the king, and perhaps not his at all. But I give her a smile and poke out my tongue at her as she g"s past me for she is only a little girl, poor little poppet, only six years old, and besides, she is my cousin, but with the most distressing hair you can imagine, red as a carrot. I should die if I had hair like that, but it is her father's hair, and that must be worth having for a child whose parentage is in doubt.

The queen rises to greet her two stepdaughters, and she gives them each a kiss on both cheeks and then draws them into her privy chamber and closes the door on all of us, as if she would be alone with them. So we have to wait about outside with no music and no wine and no merriment at all and, worst of all, no idea what is going on behind the closed door. I take a little stroll toward the privy chamber; but Lady Rochford frowns me away and I raise my eyebrows and say, "What? " as if I have no idea that she is preventing me from eavesdropping.

Within minutes anyway we can all hear the laughter and the chatter of little Elizabeth, and within half an hour they throw open the door and out they come, and Elizabeth has hold of the queen's hand, and Princess Mary, who was so dour and sad when she came in, is smiling and looking quite flushed and pretty. The queen presents us by name one after another, and Princess Mary smiles graciously at each of us, knowing half of us to be her sworn enemy, and then at last they call for refreshments and the queen sends a message to the king to tell him that his daughters are come to court and are in her rooms.

Now things improve even more, for the next thing is that the king himself is announced, and all the men come in with him. I sink into a curtsy, but he g"s past me with hardly a second glance to greet his daughters.

He is very fond of them; he has some sugared plums in his pocket for the little Lady Elizabeth, and he speaks kindly and gently to Princess Mary. He sits by the queen, and she puts her hand over his and says something quietly in his ear. Clearly they are a merry little family, which would be very sweet if he were a wise old grandfather with his three pretty granddaughters around him, as one might almost think.

I feel a little sour and irritated by all this, since no one is paying the least attention to me, and then Thomas Culpepper *whom I have not forgiven for one moment *comes up to me and kisses my hand and says, "Cousin. "

"Oh, Master Culpepper, " I exclaim, as if I am surprised to see him. "Are you here? "

"Where else could I be? Is there a prettier girl in the room? "

"I don't know, I'm sure, " I say. "The Princess Mary is a beautiful young lady. "

He makes a face. "I am talking about a girl who can turn a man's heart upside down. "

"I don't know of a girl like that for you, since I don't know of any girl who could make you keep an appointment on time, " I say sharply.

"You cannot still be cross with me, " he says, as if this is a great wonder. "Not a girl like you, who could have any man she wanted with a snap of her fingers. You cannot be cross with someone as unimportant as me when I am commanded away from you, though my heart was breaking at the thought of leaving you. "

I give a little crow of laughter, and put my hand over my mouth as the queen glances over to me. "Your heart was never breaking, " I say. "You have none. "

"It was, " he insists. "Broken in two. But what could I do? The king commanded my attendance, but my heart lies with you. I had to break my heart and do my duty, and now you still will not forgive me. "

"I don't forgive you because I don't believe a word of it, " I say cheerfully. I look toward the queen, and I see that the king is now watching us. Carefully, I turn my head a little away from Thomas Culpepper and withdraw slightly. It will not do to seem too engaged with him. I glance under my eyelashes, and indeed the king is looking at me. He beckons me to him with a crook of his finger, and I ignore Thomas Culpepper and step up to the royal chair.

"Your Grace? "

"I am saying that we should have some dancing. Will you partner the Princess Mary? The queen tells me you are the best of her dancers. "

So now who capers like an Italian? I flush hot with pleasure, and I wish with all my heart that my grandmother could see me now, being ordered to dance by the king himself on the recommendation of the queen.

"Of course, Your Grace. " I curtsy beautifully; I cast down my eyes modestly as well, since everyone is watching me, and I put out my hand to the Princess Mary. Well, toll-loll, she d"sn't exactly leap up to take it, and she walks to the center of the room to form the first line of the dance with me as if she were not much honored by her partner. I toss my head a little at her grave face and summon the other girls, who form a line behind us. The musicians strike a chord and we start to dance.

And who would have thought it? She's rather a good dancer. She moves gracefully, and she holds her head high. Her feet twinkle through the steps; she has been wonderfully taught. I give a little sway of my hips just to make sure that the king, and every man in the room, keeps his eyes on me, but to be honest, I am sure that half of them are watching the princess, whose color rises as she dances and who is smiling by the time we have gone through the chain part of the dance and the walking your partner down the archway. I try to look modestly pleased with the success of my partner, but I am afraid I look as if I am sucking lemons. I can't be a foil to someone else's performance, I just can't. It's not my nature; I just don't aspire to second place.

So we finish with a curtsy, and the king rises to his feet and calls, "Brava! Brava! " which is Latin or German or something for hurrah, and I smile and try to look quietly pleased while he comes toward us and takes the princess by the hand and kisses her on both cheeks and tells her he is delighted with her.

I stand back, as modest as a little flower, but as green with envy as a spike of gra.s.s at all the praise being showered on the dull creature; but then he turns to me and bends down to whisper in my ear. "And you, sweetheart, dance like a little angel. Any partner of yours would look the better for being at your side. Will you ever dance for me, d'you think? Just on your own, for my pleasure? "

And I, looking up at him, fluttering my eyelashes down as if I am overwhelmed by him, say: "Oh, Your Grace! I should quite forget my steps if I were to dance for you. I would have to be guided, every step of the way. You would have to lead me wherever you wanted. "

So he says: "Pretty little thing, I know where I would lead you, if I could. "

Oh, do you? I think. Well, you naughty old man. Can't muster a salute for your own wife and yet whispering to me.

The king steps back and leads the Princess Mary back to the queen; the musicians strike a chord, and the young men of the court step forward for their partners. I feel a hand take mine, and I turn around with my eyes cast down as if I am shy at being asked. "No need to trouble yourself with that, " says my uncle Norfolk coldly. "I want a word with you. "

Rather shocked that it is not handsome young Thomas Culpepper, I let him escort me to the side of the chamber. There is Lady Rochford, as if waiting, of course she is waiting, and I am between the two of them and my heart sinks down into my little dancing sh"s; I am sure, I am certain-sure that he is going to send me home for flirting with the king.

"What d'you think? " he asks Lady Rochford over my head.

"Uncle, I am innocent, " I say, but no one pays any attention to me.

"Possible, " she says.

"I'd say certain, " he returns.

They both look at me as if I were a cygnet for the carving.

"Katherine, you have taken the king's eye, " my uncle says.

"I have done nothing, " I squeak. "Uncle, I swear I am innocent. " I give a little gasp when I hear myself. I am thinking of Anne Boleyn, who said those very words to him and found no mercy. "Please " I whisper. "Please, I beg you Truly I have done nothing . "

"Keep your voice down, " says Lady Rochford, glancing around, but n.o.body is paying us any attention, n.o.body is going to call me away.

"You have taken his fancy; now you have to take his heart, " he g"s on, as if I had said nothing. "You have done beautifully so far; but he is a man of a certain age and he d"sn't want a little s.l.u.t on his knee. He likes to fall in love; he likes the pursuit better than the capture. He wants to think he is courting a girl of unblemished reputation. "

"I am! Truly, I am! Unblemished! "

"You have to lead him on and bring him on and yet forever draw back. "

I wait, I have no idea what he wants of me.

"In short he is not just to l.u.s.t for you; he has to fall in love with you. "

"But why? " I ask. "So that he gets me a good husband? "

My uncle leans forward, his mouth to my ear. "Listen, fool. So that he makes you his wife, his own wife, the next Queen of England. "

My exclamation of surprise is silenced by Lady Rochford, who pinches the back of my hand sharply. "Ow! "