At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn (48 page)

One possible reason for the confusion between Mary and Margaret Shelton is that there was another Mary Shelton who served at Queen Elizabeth’s court. This Mary Shelton was quite well known as one of three very influential women who might sway the queen to grant positions and favors. This Mary Shelton was also the unfortunate lady-in-waiting who suffered the queen’s disfavor after her secret marriage and the queen, in a rage, broke the lady’s finger.

In any event, after the fall of Anne Boleyn and her family, Lady Margaret returned to Great Snoring and married Sir Thomas Wodehouse, giving him seven children, three of whom lived to adulthood. She lived to a ripe old age and did not return to court. She died on September 11, 1583.

“What Should I Wear?”
An Original Essay by the Author

I did not write
At the Mercy of the Queen
so I could justify having a Tudor dress made, I promise. But once the book was sold and I realized it would become a reality, I thought, Why not? Wouldn’t it be fun to give readings dressed in period costume? Since I have always loved to play dress up, the idea seemed inspired.

But where to find such a dress? There are many places online where one could order a dress but I knew my body was, well, not exactly a perfect size. I would need someone who could measure me and then shape the dress accordingly. My dear friend from high school, Becky Nestor Thacker, could sew and we lived near each other. She was game to give it a try.

The first thing we did was find a pattern. Actually, two patterns: one for the undergarments, the other for the outerwear. We selected a dress in the style of Anne Boleyn’s time rather than those battleship dresses Elizabeth wore. My hips are already quite wide enough without adding three feet of whalebone to extend them even more.

We chose material for the undergarments and Becky began to work her magic. Soon, I had a shift, the first article of clothing worn next to the skin. The shifts were made of finely spun linen called lawn, or silk if you were a queen. These garments were washable, as opposed to the outer clothes. This helped a little in the area of hygiene.

As I tried on the first draft, we both agreed the bodice was cut too low. I realize showing one’s “dukkies” (nipples) is how the ladies of the day wore their dresses, but I could not imagine myself in the public eye showing, well, almost everything. Becky solved the problem by adding about an inch of fabric and lace. Then came the sleeves. Okay, I have abnormally short arms—my sons call me T. rex. I warned Becky about this and she laughed it off, thinking I was exaggerating. Then, when the sleeves hung about five inches below my fingertips, she realized I was telling the truth. She shortened them accordingly and added more lace.

Next came the stomacher, something similar to a lace-up corset but prettier because it would have been likely to show. Often, these were embroidered in Tudor times, but mine is made of a silky red and black fabric with no extra decoration. Stays made of wood were used back then, but somehow, I could not imagine myself standing that straight and stiff, so Becky found something more flexible: plastic.

The contraption is hard to get on—I can’t do it alone, and the first time I wore it, I thought I would never get it off. With my husband’s help, we finally lifted it over my head.

The petticoat or slip will be next, red to match the stomacher. Red was also the color of martyrs and Mary, Queen of Scots, wore a red petticoat at her execution. Then, around the waist is tied a “bum roll,” to help the skirt stick out.

So far, only the undergarments are completed, so I suppose I will be addressing audiences in my skivvies, basically. Rest assured, even the underwear is more modest than anything we wear today.

By the time the next book comes out, I hope to have the complete outfit ready, including velvet flats sewn with jewels and pearls. I already have my Anne Boleyn “A” necklace, thanks to theanneboleynfiles.com, and can’t wait to struggle into the entire getup. I’ll need several ladies-in-waiting to help me remove the garment or I just may be wearing it for a very long time indeed.

Recommended Reading

Nonfiction

Alison Weir

Henry VIII: The King and His Court

The Lady in the Tower: The Fall of Anne Boleyn

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Eric Ives

The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn

David Starkey

Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne

Antonia Fraser

The Wives of Henry VIII

Derek Wilson

In the Lion’s Court: Power, Ambition, and Sudden Death in the Reign of Henry VIII

The Uncrowned Kings of England: The Black History of the Dudleys and the Tudor Throne

Retha Warnicke

The Rise and Fall of Anne Boleyn

Joanna Denny

Anne Boleyn: A New Life of England’s Tragic Queen

Fiction

Jean Plaidy

The Lady in the Tower
(and all others)

Jeane Westin

His Last Letter

Norah Lofts

The Concubine

C. W. Gortner

The Tudor Secret

Diane Haeger

The Queen’s Mistake

The Queen’s Rival

Reading Group Questions

  1.
At the Mercy of the Queen
takes place during Anne Boleyn’s reign as queen. What did you discover about England at this time? Who were the major players and what were their motivations?

  2. Anne Boleyn is one of history’s most popular figures. Why do you think she continues to exert such fascination, so many years after her life?

  3. How would you describe the character of Henry VIII? Was he a monster or a hero for religious reform?

  4. Did Henry really love Anne? Do you think Anne truly loved Henry? What do you think went wrong in their relationship?

  5. How was Madge, or Anne for that matter, different from other women of her era? Do you think she was “ahead of her time”? What do you see as her most and least admirable qualities? Take a moment to talk about women and their place in Tudor society.

  6. How does Arthur’s illegitimacy affect him?

  7. Who was your favorite character in the book, and why?

  8. Why do you think Anne Boleyn’s plan did not work?

  9. To what extent do you think Anne Clinard Barnhill took artistic liberties with this work? What does it take for a novelist to bring a “real” period to life?

10. We are taught, as young readers, that every story has a “moral.” Is there a moral to
At the Mercy of the Queen
? What can we learn about our world—and ourselves—from Madge’s story?

In her upcoming book, Anne Barnhill takes us to the court of Elizabeth I. The queen finds herself betrayed by her ward, Mary Shelton, a young woman she has raised almost as her own daughter.

I shall have their heads! Traitors! To marry without the permission of one’s prince is treason! Treason indeed! Heads will roll—the priest who dared marry them—the witnesses who arranged the wedding! God’s death! The Tower will be crowded with their stinking carcasses!

Parry, did she think her treachery would go unpunished? After our most kind treatment of the baggage! Oh, Parry, when I think of how she came to us, not much more than a babe in arms, how her chubby arms clung to my neck for comfort—God’s blood, she shall pay! All I have given her—hearth and home! Food and drink! Satins and silks to show off her beauty! Rubies and pearls to sparkle in her hair and on her person!

Dear Parry, I gave her my heart—you know it is true! Does she put so little value on my love that she would turn traitor? I have cared more for her than I have for any man! A purer love. For she has been the daughter of my heart, if not my body! But she tossed my love back to me! Without a care!

No! I will not forgive her, Parry! She has gone too far! Ungrateful wench! I shall see her and that new husband of hers in the Tower! They shall suffer a traitor’s death. I shall send for the guards this instant.

ALSO BY ANNE CLINARD BARNHILL

At Home in the Land of Oz: Autism, My Sister, and Me

What You Long For

About the Author

Anne Clinard Barnhill has published short stories, poetry, a memoir, and hundreds of articles and book reviews over the last twenty years. This is her first novel. Barnhill has taught writing in a variety of venues and been the keynote speaker for numerous events. She lives in North Carolina.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

AT THE MERCY OF THE QUEEN.
Copyright © 2011 by Anne Clinard Barnhill. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Barnhill, Anne Clinard.

   At the mercy of the queen : a novel of Anne Boleyn / Anne Clinard Barnhill.—1st ed.

          p. cm.

   ISBN 978-1-250-00519-9 (hardcover)

   ISBN 978-0-312-66213-4 (paperback)

   ISBN 978-1-4299-2554-9 (e-book)

 1.  Anne Boleyn, Queen, consort of Henry VIII, King of England, 1507–1536—Fiction.   2.  Great Britain—Court and courtiers—Fiction.   3.  Great Britain—History—Henry VIII, 1509–1547—Fiction.   I.  Title.

   PS3602.A77713A94 2012

   813'.6—dc23

2011036004

eISBN 9781429925549

First Edition: January 2012