Her Highness, the Traitor - By Susan Higginbotham Page 0,41
dropped a miniature curtsey. “My lady, I promise, I did not. In truth,” she confessed in a low voice, “I am sad I spilled the wine on it. I thought I looked pretty in it.”
“You did look pretty in it.” I put my hand on Jane’s shoulder and was gratified to see she did not flinch. “There is no shame in being a pretty girl, Jane. Nor is there any shame in being pleased about it or in wearing colors that suit you, as long as you don’t let your head get turned. After all, you wore bright colors when you lived with Queen Catherine and Thomas Seymour.”
“But he was a traitor. Wasn’t he?”
I’d never spoken to Jane about Tom Seymour’s death, I realized suddenly. “Yes, but he had some good qualities. Were you sorry when he died?”
Jane looked at me with troubled eyes. “A little.”
“That is natural. He was kind to you, after all.”
A knock sounded at the door, and one of my men entered, rather to my dismay, for I could have gone on speaking to Jane in this confidential manner all afternoon. “My lady, the lady Mary has asked that you and the lady Jane accompany her to Mass.”
Jane looked so horrified, I had to smile. “Tell her I will gladly do so, but that my daughter will not be able to. She is er—being punished.” I glared at Jane, who dropped her eyes hastily. Was she suppressing a conspiratorial smile?
I would be glad to get to Dorset House, I decided as I readied myself for Mass. The Grey women had not had much luck with wine on this journey.
***
At Dorset House, our servants dutifully came out to greet us, but there was no sign of my husband, although I had sent word we would be arriving. “Where is the marquis?”
Harry’s steward said, “He is at a meeting of the king’s council, my lady.”
“The council? He is not a member of it.”
“He is as of today, my lady.”
I looked over at Jane. There was no need to ask whether she had heard this news; for once, she looked as bewildered as I did.
“It has something to do with this business of the Protector being removed from office, my lady. Out with the old, in with the new.”
I nodded, grateful that thanks to George Medley, I knew what he was talking about.
Harry came home a few hours later. “The king’s esteemed and trusted councilor, at your service,” he said, sweeping a bow after he had embraced all of us. “A sudden change, eh? Well, I must tell you how it came about. The Protector—”
“Your brother told me about that,” I said crisply. “It is a good thing someone deigned to, or I would be in utter confusion at the moment.”
Harry smiled sheepishly. “My dear, I meant—”
“Never mind that now. What happened?”
“It’s simple, really. The Earl of Warwick and a couple of his friends approached me. Told me that it was a disgrace that a man of my rank and religious sympathies wasn’t on the council—and there you go, on the council! I don’t flatter myself that the earl suddenly was overcome with respect for my wisdom, mind you. Truth is, with Somerset in the Tower and some of his allies booted off the council, it’s too lopsided in favor of those who want to go back to the old religion. The king doesn’t have much use for the Protector, especially after being hauled to Windsor like a hostage, but he does have strong feelings against the old religion, and Warwick prefers the new himself. So here I am, and about time, I must say.”
“Harry, I am glad you are a councilor; do not mistake me. I think it is about time, too. But do you think the Protector will be executed?”
“Hard to say. Warwick at least doesn’t want him executed, and he seems to be the man in charge at the moment. He’s been ill, so the council’s been meeting at his home over at Ely Place.”
“You trust Warwick? After all, wasn’t he Somerset’s friend?”
My husband shrugged. “He was. Still is, perhaps. But Warwick’s first allegiance is to the king.” Harry looked at me more closely. “Mary hasn’t been poisoning you against him, has she?”
The most unstable man in England, I heard Mary’s voice telling me. “She doesn’t like him,” I acknowledged.
“No wonder, with her insisting that she be privileged above everyone else in England to hear the Mass! You didn’t stoop to that, did you?”