Her Highness, the Traitor - By Susan Higginbotham Page 0,59
end of my own child-bearing years, it appeared, I looked forward to spoiling a line of Dudley grandchildren.
But the news that night belonged to John. “The king is to make several knights next week,” he informed us. He nodded at Henry Sidney, who after his initial misstep in secretly marrying our daughter had become a favorite of John’s. “Henry is to be one of them.”
Mary squealed. “This calls for a kiss,” she announced and turned her attention, and her mouth, to Henry. Since Henry Sidney had joined our family, I had discovered there was very little in life Mary did not deem worthy of a kiss from her husband.
Robert, Jack, and Ambrose obligingly followed suit with their own wives, while Katheryn sighed romantically. Hal, my youngest son, rolled his eyes. “Why did you seat them together, Mother?”
“When do I get to be knighted?” Guildford asked.
“All in good time,” said John. “You are but young yet. But there are more honors to be given out that day, some of which you may find of interest. If I may have your attention—”
“Yes,” muttered Hal. “Save this for the bedchamber.”
My married children obediently turned flushed faces to their father. “William Paulet is to be made the Marquis of Winchester.” This was the William Paulet who had informed John of Thomas Wriothesley’s scheme. John had previously made him the Earl of Wiltshire. “William Herbert is to be made the Earl of Pembroke. The Marquis of Dorset is to be made the Duke of Suffolk.” John coughed. “And I am to get a new title myself—the Duke of Northumberland.”
I dropped my napkin. Even Mary was too stunned to kiss Henry Sidney.
“Well, it was likely to happen sooner or later, given my position,” John said.
“Will you have a coronet, Father?”
“Yes, Katheryn.”
“With jewels?”
“No doubt. And your mother shall have one, too.”
Katheryn sighed rapturously.
“Did the king give this to you of his own, my lord, or did you demand it of him?”
We turned as one to Anne, Jack’s wife, who as Somerset’s daughter had come to fill the role of a skeleton at our family meals. I tried to be kind to her—it could not be easy, I knew, being Somerset’s daughter at a Dudley table now that relations had turned so cool between John and her father—but there was a whole string of topics that could not be discussed around her, and even seemingly innocuous remarks could be taken the wrong way. It did not help to ease the tension around the table that Anne was not only her mother’s namesake, but also her virtual double, minus some years and her mother’s mature figure.
John said calmly, “I demanded nothing of the king, Anne. He is a young man with a mind entirely his own. He chose to honor me for my service to England, as well as others who have served him, and I am grateful.”
“With John a duke, Jack shall be the Earl of Warwick,” I added. “You shall be a countess, Anne.”
“I can only hope to fill the role as well as you have, my lady,” Anne said. She turned back to John. “Will my father be at the ceremony?”
“Certainly.”
“No doubt that will delight him.”
“Anne—”
“What? Today there is one duke in England—well, two if you count the Duke of Norfolk in the Tower—and soon there will be two more. Why wouldn’t my father be delighted of the extra company?”
Amy, who had a certain talent for rescuing conversations, said, “Will we ladies be allowed to attend?”
“Yes,” John said gratefully. “The king is allowing the ladies to witness the ceremony, though it will be crowded, I daresay. And there will be a banquet afterward.”
“Delightful,” said Anne. “I must plan what to wear.”
***
“The Duke of Northumberland,” John commented when he came to my bed that night. “What would my poor father have thought?”
“He would be proud beyond measure, as I am.” I looked through the opening in the bed curtains, where I could see the parrot in his covered cage. “I shall have to teach him how to say, ‘Duke.’”
“‘Northumberland’ might be a bit much for the poor creature,” John agreed. He kissed my cheek. “‘Duchess’ he will be able to manage, I’m sure.”
“The sooner the better, for there will be a new countess in the household.” I bristled. “I was furious, I must say, that Anne was so rude to you at supper. I know that it is hard, with her father—”
“Don’t speak of him,” John said. He took me into his arms and began fondling me