Read Online In Defense of the Queen by Michelle Diener - Free Book Online
Authors: Michelle Diener
Ads: Link
order to the Constable of the Tower. He is to contact me before any change to her situation is made.”
Kilburne sent her a look from the corner of his eye, and Susanna wondered if Wolsey had told him to be rough. The Cardinal would enjoy thinking of her being man-handled and disgraced. “My word of honour, Your Majesty. She will be treated well.”
“I will hold you to account for it.” Katherine spoke softly and to hear her, all had gone quiet.
Parker appeared beside Kilburne. When Susanna saw his face, her heart twisted in her chest. His eyes had gone blank, the chill look of a predator before the kill, calculating every eventuality before it leapt. “I will hold you to account, too, Kilburne.”
She made a sound, a choked cry, and suddenly she was drawn deep into his arms, held fast.
He kissed the top of her head, and then turned to Kilburne. Whispered words only she and Kilburne could hear. “And unlike the Queen, I know where you live.”
Chapter Twelve
If a king should fall under such contempt or envy that he could not keep his subjects in their duty but by oppression and ill usage, and by rendering them poor and miserable, it were certainly better for him to quit his kingdom than to retain it by such methods as make him, while he keeps the name of authority, lose the majesty due to it.
Utopia by Thomas More (translated by H. Morley)
T hey would not let him through the entrance. As Susanna stepped into the Lieutenant’s Lodgings, Kilburne held out a hand to stop him, and Parker reined in an urge to smash his fist into Kilburne’s face.
There was a scuffle within, Parker could hear it—Susanna trying to turn back to say goodbye, and being denied.
He bunched his hands into fists, and heard a roaring in his ears.
Kilburne braced himself, widening his stance. And it was his quiet acceptance of the blow that stilled Parker’s hand.
“You think you deserve it, don’t you?” His voice was rough, even to his own ears.
Kilburne gave a single, curt nod. “I was a fool, gathering a full company, clattering down the halls to the Queen’s Chamber. S’blood. What did I think I was about?”
“What did you think you were about?” Wolsey must have made some promises to light such a fire under Kilburne’s backside.
“Wolsey claimed the King would be grateful—”
Parker gave a snorting half-laugh at that, and Kilburne winced. “The King told Wolsey to do nothing until he’d thought on the matter, and as far as I’m aware, he’s still thinking.”
Kilburne lifted a shaking hand to his face, rubbed it. “What is this about, Parker?”
“Too deep a game, Kilburne. Better you don’t know.”
“Aye. I think I would prefer to be dumb in this tangle.” He stepped over the threshold. “I will go up. Make sure your lady is comfortably settled.”
“Where were you to take her? How were you to treat her?”
Kilburne hesitated, and his hand tightened on the door ring.
“That bad?” Parker kept his voice calm. Wondered what would have happened had they not been in the Queen’s Chamber. Had Katherine not intervened.
He thought suddenly of Will Somers, urging them to go to the Queen. He would talk to the Fool before this was over, find out how he knew Wolsey’s plans. And thank him for his help.
“I’m sorry, Parker. I did not know who she was.”
Parker lifted his head, up to the windows above him. “You know now.”
Kilburne paused, door half-closed. “I know now. And I have direct orders from the Queen. It will help me keep her safe if the Cardinal commands me otherwise, either directly or through the Constable of the Tower.”
Parker dragged his gaze back. “If Wolsey makes any move against my lady, makes any change at all to the Queen’s arrangements, send for me.”
Kilburne shook his head. “I cannot promise that. It may be impossible to get a message to you in time.”
“Then I would have one of my pages in the Tower with Mistress Horenbout. And have him
Kilburne sent her a look from the corner of his eye, and Susanna wondered if Wolsey had told him to be rough. The Cardinal would enjoy thinking of her being man-handled and disgraced. “My word of honour, Your Majesty. She will be treated well.”
“I will hold you to account for it.” Katherine spoke softly and to hear her, all had gone quiet.
Parker appeared beside Kilburne. When Susanna saw his face, her heart twisted in her chest. His eyes had gone blank, the chill look of a predator before the kill, calculating every eventuality before it leapt. “I will hold you to account, too, Kilburne.”
She made a sound, a choked cry, and suddenly she was drawn deep into his arms, held fast.
He kissed the top of her head, and then turned to Kilburne. Whispered words only she and Kilburne could hear. “And unlike the Queen, I know where you live.”
Chapter Twelve
If a king should fall under such contempt or envy that he could not keep his subjects in their duty but by oppression and ill usage, and by rendering them poor and miserable, it were certainly better for him to quit his kingdom than to retain it by such methods as make him, while he keeps the name of authority, lose the majesty due to it.
Utopia by Thomas More (translated by H. Morley)
T hey would not let him through the entrance. As Susanna stepped into the Lieutenant’s Lodgings, Kilburne held out a hand to stop him, and Parker reined in an urge to smash his fist into Kilburne’s face.
There was a scuffle within, Parker could hear it—Susanna trying to turn back to say goodbye, and being denied.
He bunched his hands into fists, and heard a roaring in his ears.
Kilburne braced himself, widening his stance. And it was his quiet acceptance of the blow that stilled Parker’s hand.
“You think you deserve it, don’t you?” His voice was rough, even to his own ears.
Kilburne gave a single, curt nod. “I was a fool, gathering a full company, clattering down the halls to the Queen’s Chamber. S’blood. What did I think I was about?”
“What did you think you were about?” Wolsey must have made some promises to light such a fire under Kilburne’s backside.
“Wolsey claimed the King would be grateful—”
Parker gave a snorting half-laugh at that, and Kilburne winced. “The King told Wolsey to do nothing until he’d thought on the matter, and as far as I’m aware, he’s still thinking.”
Kilburne lifted a shaking hand to his face, rubbed it. “What is this about, Parker?”
“Too deep a game, Kilburne. Better you don’t know.”
“Aye. I think I would prefer to be dumb in this tangle.” He stepped over the threshold. “I will go up. Make sure your lady is comfortably settled.”
“Where were you to take her? How were you to treat her?”
Kilburne hesitated, and his hand tightened on the door ring.
“That bad?” Parker kept his voice calm. Wondered what would have happened had they not been in the Queen’s Chamber. Had Katherine not intervened.
He thought suddenly of Will Somers, urging them to go to the Queen. He would talk to the Fool before this was over, find out how he knew Wolsey’s plans. And thank him for his help.
“I’m sorry, Parker. I did not know who she was.”
Parker lifted his head, up to the windows above him. “You know now.”
Kilburne paused, door half-closed. “I know now. And I have direct orders from the Queen. It will help me keep her safe if the Cardinal commands me otherwise, either directly or through the Constable of the Tower.”
Parker dragged his gaze back. “If Wolsey makes any move against my lady, makes any change at all to the Queen’s arrangements, send for me.”
Kilburne shook his head. “I cannot promise that. It may be impossible to get a message to you in time.”
“Then I would have one of my pages in the Tower with Mistress Horenbout. And have him
Similar Books
