“There is nothing I should like more.”
“We shall go there one day, Katherine. We will have done with the Court. I should be happy to be away from it—not to be at the beck and call of an irritable old man. What am I saying?” He looked around him. “No one heard,” he said with a grin. “Only my sweet Katherine, and she would never betray me. We shall go away together, my love. Hollingbourne is beautiful. There we could find perfect happiness … ourselves … and the children we shall have. We shall be happy for the rest of our lives.”
“Is it possible, Thomas?”
“We will make it so.”
“When?”
“First we must have the approval of my Lord of Norfolk. But why should that be denied us? My family is noble enough. But perhaps not noble enough for my lord. Do you know if he has any other plans for you?”
“He has not. The Duchess told me I was to be betrothed to you.”
“Then she must have His Grace’s approval.”
“So it will come to pass.”
“It must,” he said. “If it did not, I should die of a broken heart.”
It was wonderful to hear him talk thus, and to know that there would be other such meetings. This one was cut short by the sudden appearance of Lady Rochford, for while Thomas and I had stood there close together, the door had quietly opened and she had come in.
She said: “So it was here you came.”
“I was playing the virginals,” I stammered.
“And Master Culpepper found you here?”
“I was passing and heard the music,” Thomas explained.
“Mistress Howard plays very well, does she not?”
“She does indeed.”
“I am not surprised that you were attracted by it. I thought you might be here, Katherine, but I heard no music.” She smiled mischievously. “So I looked in.”
Thomas bowed and said he must be gone. I felt irritated with Jane Rochford for intruding. I had been so deeply engrossed in talking to Thomas.
“What a handsome young man Master Culpepper is!” said Jane.
“Yes, I suppose most would reckon him so.”
“Do you not?”
“Oh yes, of course I do.”
“I thought so.” She smiled. “Well, you make a pretty pair—the two of you standing there, close, by the virginals. Does Master Culpepper play?”
“I do not know.”
“Oh, I thought you were discussing music.”
I was silent.
“You seemed so absorbed,” she added.
I often spoke without thinking, and something prompted me to do so then.
I said: “We are to be betrothed.”
She was really surprised. “What? You and Culpepper?”
“My grandmother told me before I left Lambeth that it was to be.”
“I did not know.”
“There is no reason why you should.”
She laughed. “Well, I know now. That accounts … I mean, you seemed to be talking … intimately.” She raised her eyebrows slightly, as though to imply that she meant more than she had said.
“We are cousins,” I explained. “I knew him a long time ago.”
“That is good. It is always well for people to know each other before they are betrothed.”
I felt irritated that she should speak as an expert on the subject when she herself, as was well known, had suffered a most unsatisfactory marriage.
Then she leaned forward, still smiling, and kissed my cheek.
“I wish you all the happiness you deserve, dear Katherine,” she said.
“Thank you.”
She slipped her arm through mine and together we left the music-room.
Those were happy days. There was so much to interest me at Court. The main topic continued to be the relationship between the King and the Queen.
“If it were not for his leg, the King would have taken action by now,” said Jane Rochford.
There was an occasion when I saw the King. I was looking out of the window at the time so I could stare to my heart’s content. He was a majestic figure in his splendid padded garments, scintillating with jewels. He was with my uncle. I had never seen the Duke looking humble before. The King was talking; his face was red and I gathered that he was not very pleased about something. My uncle bowed slightly as he spoke. I was laughing inwardly, pleased to see him, for once, so deferential.
The King seemed very old to me. I knew he had been born in 1491, so he must be nearly fifty. There was a purplish tinge to his face and, although I was too far away to see him clearly, when he suddenly turned in my direction, I noticed that his mouth was thin and tight and his eyes seemed to disappear into his fat face. He was clearly angry; he lifted the stick on which he had been leaning and waved it at the Duke. I thought he was going to strike my uncle. He did not, however, but lowered the stick and they went on walking—the King leaning on the stick, my uncle hovering reverently a pace behind him.
I realized that I was staring directly down at them and I shivered, contemplating what would have happened if either of them had looked up and seen me at the window.
It was all very interesting, and it was a great relief to me that I could not come face to face with Francis Derham here at Court. I wished I could forget the past, but I could not entirely. Poor Francis, when he had said that his love would endure forever, had meant it. His face haunted me.
A few days after my meeting with Thomas in the music-room, the Duchess of Richmond and the Countess of Rutland sent for me. I was still rather nervous and I wondered if I had been discovered by others as well as Lady Rochford in “intimate conversation” with Thomas. I suppose I was still remembering that occasion when the Duchess had caught me “romping” with Derham.
I was relieved to discover that the summons had nothing to do with that incident.
“Mistress Howard,” said the Countess, “you have been with us for some little time, and I believe you have not yet attended a banquet of any importance.”
I smiled and blushed, as I had a habit of doing.
“We have been thinking you might attend this one which the Bishop of Winchester is giving at his house in honor of the King.”
“The King …” I stammered, seeing in my mind’s eye that huge, magnificent figure whom I had observed walking in the gardens with my uncle.
“Do not look startled. You will not be presented to him.”
My relief was noticeable, and they smiled.
“I should like to see the gown you plan to wear,” said the Duchess.
“Mistress Howard has some really fine clothes,” commented the Countess.
“I know,” replied the Duchess, “but I should like to see it all the same.”
The Countess nodded.
“Will Her Majesty the Queen be there?” I asked.
“The King will be, so it is unlikely that the Queen will.”
“I am sure Mistress Howard will conduct herself in seemly fashion,” said the Countess kindly.
I was excited. A banquet! And the King would be present!
“So you are going to a banquet,” said Lady Rochford. “What shall you wear? You must show me. I will tell you whether it is meet for such an occasion.”
“The Duchess of Richmond is looking after that.”
“And it is to the Bishop of Winchester that you go. A very important gentleman. At least, he believes himself to be so.”
“I’ll dare swear that, as he is the Bishop of Winchester, he must be.”
“I have heard that he is the son of a clothworker in Bury St. Edmunds.”
“Whether it was in Bury St. Edmunds or London would matter little, I’ll trow,” I said coolly. I was beginning to challenge her statements in this way, for it was her custom to attempt to lower all those in high places, especially people who were of lowly birth.