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Authors: Jean Plaidy
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to do so.’
Buckingham bowed.
‘You may go,’ went on the King. ‘There is nothing more I have to say to you. I should advise you to be gone in an hour, for if I find you lingering after that I might not be so lenient.’
Buckingham retired, and the King paced up and down like a lion in a cage.
He summoned one of his pages to him and said: ‘Send for Lady Fitzwalter. I would have immediate speech with her.’
The page rushed to do his bidding and soon returned with Elizabeth Fitzwalter.
She looked disturbed, Henry was pleased to notice. A prim woman, he thought, with none of her sister’s voluptuousness. The sight of her reminded him of Anne, and he was furious once more to contemplate what he had lost.
‘Lady Fitzwalter,’ he said, ‘you are, I believe, one of the Queen’s women.’
She was bewildered. Surely he knew. He had seen her so often when he was in the Queen’s company.
‘Did I say you are one of Her Grace’s women? It was a mistake, Lady Fitzwalter. I should have said you were.’
‘Your Grace, have I offended . . .?’
‘We do not discuss why we banish from our Court those who do not please us, Lady Fitzwalter. We merely banish.’
‘Your Grace, I beg to . . .’
‘You waste your time. You would beg in vain. Go back to your apartment and make all haste to leave Court. It is our wish that you are gone within the hour.’
The startled Lady Fitzwalter curtseyed and retired.
Henry stared at the door for a few minutes. He thought of voluptuous Anne and realised suddenly how urgently he desired a change, a new woman who was as different from his wife as could be.
Then he began to pace up and down again . . . a lion, not sure of his strength, but aware of the cage which enclosed him. The bars were strong, but his strength was growing. One day, he knew, he would break out of the cage. Then there would be nothing – no person on Earth to restrain him.
Elizabeth Fitzwalter came unceremoniously into the apartment where the Queen sat sewing with Maria de Salinas.
Katharine looked with surprise at her lady-in-waiting, and when she saw how distraught Elizabeth was she rose quickly and went to her side.
‘What has happened to disturb you so?’ she asked.
‘Your Grace, I am dismissed from the Court.’
‘You, dismissed! But this is impossible. None has the authority to dismiss you but myself. Why . . .’ Katharine paused and a look of horror spread across her face. There was one other who had the power of course.
Elizabeth met Katharine’s gaze, and Katharine read the truth there.
‘But why?’ demanded the Queen. ‘On what grounds? Why should the King dismiss you?’
‘I find it hard to say, Your Grace. I am to leave at once. I have been told to make ready and go within the hour. I pray you give me leave to make ready.’
‘But surely the King gave you a reason. What of your brother?’
‘He has already gone, Your Grace; and my sister also.’
‘So the King is displeased with all your family. I will go to see him. I will ask him what this means. He will keep nothing from me.’
Maria de Salinas, who loved Katharine sincerely and with a disinterested devotion, laid her hand on the Queen’s arm.
‘Well, Maria?’
Maria looked helplessly at Elizabeth as though asking for permission to speak.
‘What is it?’ asked Katharine. ‘If it is something I should know, it is your duty to tell me.’
Neither of the women spoke, and it was as though each was waiting for the other to do so.
‘I will go to the King,’ said Katharine. ‘I will ask him what this means, for I see that you both know something which you believe you should keep from me.’
Maria said: ‘I must tell Her Grace. I think she should know.’
Katharine interrupted sternly: ‘Come Maria, enough of this. Tell me at once.’
‘The Countess of Huntingdon has been taken away from Court by her husband and brother because they . . . they feared the King’s friendship.’
Katharine had grown pale. She
Buckingham bowed.
‘You may go,’ went on the King. ‘There is nothing more I have to say to you. I should advise you to be gone in an hour, for if I find you lingering after that I might not be so lenient.’
Buckingham retired, and the King paced up and down like a lion in a cage.
He summoned one of his pages to him and said: ‘Send for Lady Fitzwalter. I would have immediate speech with her.’
The page rushed to do his bidding and soon returned with Elizabeth Fitzwalter.
She looked disturbed, Henry was pleased to notice. A prim woman, he thought, with none of her sister’s voluptuousness. The sight of her reminded him of Anne, and he was furious once more to contemplate what he had lost.
‘Lady Fitzwalter,’ he said, ‘you are, I believe, one of the Queen’s women.’
She was bewildered. Surely he knew. He had seen her so often when he was in the Queen’s company.
‘Did I say you are one of Her Grace’s women? It was a mistake, Lady Fitzwalter. I should have said you were.’
‘Your Grace, have I offended . . .?’
‘We do not discuss why we banish from our Court those who do not please us, Lady Fitzwalter. We merely banish.’
‘Your Grace, I beg to . . .’
‘You waste your time. You would beg in vain. Go back to your apartment and make all haste to leave Court. It is our wish that you are gone within the hour.’
The startled Lady Fitzwalter curtseyed and retired.
Henry stared at the door for a few minutes. He thought of voluptuous Anne and realised suddenly how urgently he desired a change, a new woman who was as different from his wife as could be.
Then he began to pace up and down again . . . a lion, not sure of his strength, but aware of the cage which enclosed him. The bars were strong, but his strength was growing. One day, he knew, he would break out of the cage. Then there would be nothing – no person on Earth to restrain him.
Elizabeth Fitzwalter came unceremoniously into the apartment where the Queen sat sewing with Maria de Salinas.
Katharine looked with surprise at her lady-in-waiting, and when she saw how distraught Elizabeth was she rose quickly and went to her side.
‘What has happened to disturb you so?’ she asked.
‘Your Grace, I am dismissed from the Court.’
‘You, dismissed! But this is impossible. None has the authority to dismiss you but myself. Why . . .’ Katharine paused and a look of horror spread across her face. There was one other who had the power of course.
Elizabeth met Katharine’s gaze, and Katharine read the truth there.
‘But why?’ demanded the Queen. ‘On what grounds? Why should the King dismiss you?’
‘I find it hard to say, Your Grace. I am to leave at once. I have been told to make ready and go within the hour. I pray you give me leave to make ready.’
‘But surely the King gave you a reason. What of your brother?’
‘He has already gone, Your Grace; and my sister also.’
‘So the King is displeased with all your family. I will go to see him. I will ask him what this means. He will keep nothing from me.’
Maria de Salinas, who loved Katharine sincerely and with a disinterested devotion, laid her hand on the Queen’s arm.
‘Well, Maria?’
Maria looked helplessly at Elizabeth as though asking for permission to speak.
‘What is it?’ asked Katharine. ‘If it is something I should know, it is your duty to tell me.’
Neither of the women spoke, and it was as though each was waiting for the other to do so.
‘I will go to the King,’ said Katharine. ‘I will ask him what this means, for I see that you both know something which you believe you should keep from me.’
Maria said: ‘I must tell Her Grace. I think she should know.’
Katharine interrupted sternly: ‘Come Maria, enough of this. Tell me at once.’
‘The Countess of Huntingdon has been taken away from Court by her husband and brother because they . . . they feared the King’s friendship.’
Katharine had grown pale. She
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