The Sixth Wife_ The Story of Katherine P - By Jean Plaidy Page 0,123
with delight.
The bed curtains parted and there, as Elizabeth had known there would be, was Thomas Seymour, clad only in nightgown and slippers. He was smiling down challengingly at Elizabeth.
“How …how dare you, my lord!” she demanded. “How dare you come thus into my bedchamber!”
He drew the curtains farther apart and continued to smile at her.
“Come, Elizabeth, you know you expect me to pay this morning call. An I did not, you would be most offended.”
“It is customary, my lord, to put on conventional garb before calling on a lady.”
“What are conventions…between friends?” His eyes looked saucily into hers.
She said haughtily: “Pray go, my lord. My women will hear you. Yester-morning they were shocked because I had to run to them for protection against you.”
“And this morning,” he said, “I was determined to catch you before you could. And, my lady, am I right in believing that you were determined to be caught?”
“I will not endure your insolence.”
“What cannot be prevented must be endured.” He came closer to the bed. “May I not look in to bid my stepdaughter good morning?”
“Nay, you may not!” But she knew the sternness of her words did not tally with the merriment in her voice.
“Your eyes invite, Elizabeth,” he said; and his tone was no longer one he might use to tease a child.
“My lord…”
“My lady…”
He was kneeling by the bed, and Elizabeth laughed uneasily. He caught her suddenly and kissed her heartily on the check and sought her mouth. Elizabeth made a pretense of struggling, and this only served to encourage him.
The door opened suddenly and her stepmother came in.
“Thomas!” ejaculated Katharine.
Elizabeth dared not look at her; she knew that her face was hot with shame; she felt guilty and wicked.
Imperturbably Thomas said: “What a wildcat is this daughter of yours, my love! Refuses to be kissed good morning by her old father. I declare she was ready to leave the mark of her nails on my face.”
Katharine laughed—the easy, pleasant laugh which Elizabeth knew so well.
“Elizabeth, my dear, my lord but meant to give you good morning.”
Elizabeth raised her eyes to her stepmother’s face, and she decided to be wise.
“That I know well,” she answered, “but I would be accorded more respect. It is not the first time he has come in, clad thus… in nightgown and slippers and drawn the curtains of my bed to laugh at me.”
“It is wrong of you both,” said Katharine, smiling lovingly from one to the other. “Tom, you behave like a boy of sixteen.”
“But hark to the child, my love. She talks of her dignity. What dignity hath a chit of thirteen years?”
“I would have you know, my lord, that I am nigh on fifteen years old.”
He bowed over her, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “I beg your pardon, Madam. You are, of course, of a great age and…”
“Tom, pray do not tease her so,” pleaded Katharine.
“God’s precious soul, but I will tease her!” He seized the bedclothes and pulled at them, while Elizabeth screamed and clung to them.
“Help me, Kate! Help me!” cried Thomas. “We’ll show this chit that she is but our daughter. We will teach her to give herself airs.”
Thomas pulled and Katharine helped him. In a few minutes the bed was stripped bare, and Elizabeth lay uncovered except for her nightdress. All three were romping in childish fashion; Katharine artlessly, the other two with a secret purpose behind their looks and actions.
“She is very ticklish, I vow,” said Thomas, and they tried to tickle her. Elizabeth wriggled. Thomas held her firmly and bade Katharine tickle her until she should beg forgiveness for her haughtiness.
Kat Ashley came in to see what the noise was about, and so the game was broken up.
“It is time you were up, Elizabeth,” said Katharine with mock severity; and she and Thomas went out, laughing together.
As for Elizabeth, she lay back in bed, smiling at Kat Ashley, who was preparing to scold her for her unseemly behavior.
“MY LORD ADMIRAL,” said Kat Ashley, “may I speak to you?”
“What, again?” said the Admiral.
“My lord, I must tell you that there is gossip about the Lady Elizabeth and…”
“And whom?”
“And yourself.”
“This grows interesting. What tittle-tattle have you heard?”
“That you and the Princess are more fond of each other than is seemly.”
“Have you then, indeed! And how many bastards are we two said to have brought into the world? Tell me that.”
Kat Ashley flushed. “My lord, there is talk that the Princess has given birth to a child.”