Read Online This Heart of Mine by Bertrice Small - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bertrice Small
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chance, however, one of the queen’s Maids of Honor had just given birth to a child in the Maiden’s Chamber. Enraged, Elizabeth Tudor had clapped both mother and child into the Tower along with the unfortunate father. The fact that the young people had been secretly wed for over a year did nothing to improve the queen’s temper, or ease her outrage. Both sets of parents were in equal disfavor with Her Majesty for having spawned and raised such disobedient offspring.
The valued post the girl had forfeited would have been swiftly filled, but the queen was so annoyed by this latest episode of what she considered rampant immorality amongst her ladies, that no one dared broach the subject. Now here was this sweet and unspoilt child begging her innocent birthday boon of the queen.
Elizabeth Tudor, of course, did not let her sentimentality override the humor she saw in the situation. This child was the daughter of Skye O’Malley. Skye O’Malley, that outrageous, prideful,rebellious, stubborn, haughty, and unsubmissive woman who had dared to do battle with England’s queen. That impossible creature who had had the effrontery to bargain with Elizabeth Tudor! That damned woman who two years ago had turned down Elizabeth’s offer to take her child under royal protection. The queen smiled, quite broadly this time. What a fine jest!
“Of course you may be one of my Maids, Velvet de Marisco!” she said. “When we leave here you will come with us. With your mama away I feel a moral duty to take you under my wing. Still, I would have you accept a small, tangible token of this our first meeting on your fifteenth birthday.” The queen drew from an elegant finger an emerald ring, square-cut and flanked with diamonds on either side. The stones were set in red gold, and the setting was engraved both in the front and the back in a design of graceful filigree. “Wear it always in remembrance of Elizabeth Tudor, my dear girl,” she said effusively. Then, taking Lord Blackthorn’s proffered arm, she moved forward into the priory.
Velvet slipped the ring onto her little finger and gazed down at it wonderingly.
“It matches your eyes, sweetheart,” came a deep, masculine voice, and she lifted her eyes to look directly at the speaker.
“We have not been introduced, sir,” Velvet said primly, though thinking at the same time that with his curly red hair and sparkling bright black eyes he was a divinely handsome young man. He was tall and well formed with a long face ending in a slightly weak chin. That, however, did not detract from his overall good looks. He was dressed in deep blue velvet trimmed in silver lace.
The man laughed and, turning to his equally well appareled companion, said, “Introduce us, Wat.”
The elegant gallant complied by making a leg to Velvet and saying, “Mistress de Marisco, may I present to you, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, Master of the Queen’s Horse. My lord earl, Mistress Velvet de Marisco.”
The Earl of Essex bowed gracefully to Velvet, his black eyes twinkling mischievously.
“But, sir,” Velvet protested to the other gentleman, “I do not know you either!”
“That’s easy,” Robert Devereux said. “Since we have now been properly introduced, may I introduce to you, Mistress de Marisco, Sir Walter Ralegh, the captain of the queen’s Gentlemen Pensioners. Wat, Mistress de Marisco. There! We’ve all been properly introduced and may now be friends.”
“My lord,” Velvet scolded Essex, “I am not such a country mouse that I don’t know the queen dotes upon you. If you make her jealous, I shall be forbidden to accompany her, and then Ishall have to …” She stopped herself just in time. “My lords, the queen will miss you shortly. You had best hurry into the hall.” Then she moved to brush past them and catch up with her sister.
“Ah, fresh sweet meat,” murmured the earl, blocking her path. “Perhaps the progress shall not be so dull this summer.”
“Robin,
The valued post the girl had forfeited would have been swiftly filled, but the queen was so annoyed by this latest episode of what she considered rampant immorality amongst her ladies, that no one dared broach the subject. Now here was this sweet and unspoilt child begging her innocent birthday boon of the queen.
Elizabeth Tudor, of course, did not let her sentimentality override the humor she saw in the situation. This child was the daughter of Skye O’Malley. Skye O’Malley, that outrageous, prideful,rebellious, stubborn, haughty, and unsubmissive woman who had dared to do battle with England’s queen. That impossible creature who had had the effrontery to bargain with Elizabeth Tudor! That damned woman who two years ago had turned down Elizabeth’s offer to take her child under royal protection. The queen smiled, quite broadly this time. What a fine jest!
“Of course you may be one of my Maids, Velvet de Marisco!” she said. “When we leave here you will come with us. With your mama away I feel a moral duty to take you under my wing. Still, I would have you accept a small, tangible token of this our first meeting on your fifteenth birthday.” The queen drew from an elegant finger an emerald ring, square-cut and flanked with diamonds on either side. The stones were set in red gold, and the setting was engraved both in the front and the back in a design of graceful filigree. “Wear it always in remembrance of Elizabeth Tudor, my dear girl,” she said effusively. Then, taking Lord Blackthorn’s proffered arm, she moved forward into the priory.
Velvet slipped the ring onto her little finger and gazed down at it wonderingly.
“It matches your eyes, sweetheart,” came a deep, masculine voice, and she lifted her eyes to look directly at the speaker.
“We have not been introduced, sir,” Velvet said primly, though thinking at the same time that with his curly red hair and sparkling bright black eyes he was a divinely handsome young man. He was tall and well formed with a long face ending in a slightly weak chin. That, however, did not detract from his overall good looks. He was dressed in deep blue velvet trimmed in silver lace.
The man laughed and, turning to his equally well appareled companion, said, “Introduce us, Wat.”
The elegant gallant complied by making a leg to Velvet and saying, “Mistress de Marisco, may I present to you, Robert Devereux, the Earl of Essex, Master of the Queen’s Horse. My lord earl, Mistress Velvet de Marisco.”
The Earl of Essex bowed gracefully to Velvet, his black eyes twinkling mischievously.
“But, sir,” Velvet protested to the other gentleman, “I do not know you either!”
“That’s easy,” Robert Devereux said. “Since we have now been properly introduced, may I introduce to you, Mistress de Marisco, Sir Walter Ralegh, the captain of the queen’s Gentlemen Pensioners. Wat, Mistress de Marisco. There! We’ve all been properly introduced and may now be friends.”
“My lord,” Velvet scolded Essex, “I am not such a country mouse that I don’t know the queen dotes upon you. If you make her jealous, I shall be forbidden to accompany her, and then Ishall have to …” She stopped herself just in time. “My lords, the queen will miss you shortly. You had best hurry into the hall.” Then she moved to brush past them and catch up with her sister.
“Ah, fresh sweet meat,” murmured the earl, blocking her path. “Perhaps the progress shall not be so dull this summer.”
“Robin,
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