The Sixth Wife_ The Story of Katherine P - By Jean Plaidy Page 0,126
cannot blame a child, Katharine was thinking. He is more than twenty years older than she is, and the fault lies with him.
She looked at the girl—this girl who stood near the throne— and she marveled at the folly of her husband. If he had seduced the Princess and there had been tangible consequences of that seduction, he would almost certainly have lost his head. He had known that, and yet he had not hesitated to run risks. Was the attraction so strong? Was the temptation irresistible?
Katharine said: “In view of what has happened, I have no alternative but to send you away.”
“Yes,” said Elizabeth.
“I would prefer you to leave as soon as possible.”
Elizabeth bowed her head.
“How soon can you be ready to go?”
“In a few days’ time.”
“Then let it be done. I shall not expect to see you or any of your household by the end of the week.”
“It shall be done,” said Elizabeth.
“That is all. You may leave me now.” Katharine turned her head to look out of the window.
Elizabeth bowed and went toward the door, but there she paused.
“Your Grace,” she murmured. “Mother…”
There was an appealing note in her voice that once would have affected Katharine deeply.
Now she deliberated: Is she wondering what effect all this has had, and will have, since the King loves me as his mother? Perhaps she is going to ask me to say nothing of this to His Majesty. She need not trouble, for I doubt not that the King has heard what the whole court has heard, and that even the people in the streets are laughing at the simplicity of Katharine Parr.
She continued to stare out of the window until she heard the door quietly shut, and knew that Elizabeth had gone.
Little Jane Grey came to her as she stood there, and Katharine was glad that she had this girl with her. She put her hand on the curly head, and suddenly the tears began to fall down her cheeks.
Jane looked at her with great pity.
“Your Majesty …” she began, and she too started to cry.
The child’s tears sobered Katharine. “Jane, Jane, what is this? Why do you weep?”
“I weep to see Your Majesty so sad.”
“Then I must stem my tears, for I cannot bear to see yours. It is folly to cry, Jane. What good did tears ever do? We should be brave and strong, ready to face anything that is coming to us. Come, dry your eyes. I command it.”
And she held the girl against her while Jane began to cry wildly.
“Jane dearest,” said Katharine, “we are going to Sudley Castle. We shall stay there until my child is born. I have a desire to be a long way from the court …to live very quietly for a while. You shall be my constant companion… always with me, my little comforter. How will you like that, Jane?”
Jane put her arms about Katharine’s neck, and kissing the tearstained cheeks Katharine found some small comfort.
ON A HOT AUGUST DAY the Duchess of Somerset gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.
She was delighted. It seemed to her significant that she and the woman whom she hated more than any other should be having a child in almost the same month, for Katharine Parr’s child was due very soon.
She embraced her boy while she visualized a great future for him; but she would feel more sure of the greatness of that future if her husband did not possess such an ambitious brother.
Joan had brought her interesting news: Katharine and her household had left for Sudley Castle, where she intended to stay until after the birth of her child. The move in itself was not so strange. To what more beautiful spot than that castle could a woman retire to await the birth of her child? The strangeness was not in the going, but in the manner of going.
“My lady,” Joan had said, “there has been great trouble in the Queen’s household. It concerns the Admiral and the Princess Elizabeth.”
“That surprises me not,” said the Duchess. “The wonder is that the stupid woman did not discover, long ere this, what the rest of her household seemed to know so well. Did you hear how she took the discovery?”
“Most bitterly, my lady. Her servants said that she became hysterical, as she did before… when the King was her husband and so many thought he would have her put away from him.”