At the Mercy of the Queen: A Novel of Anne Boleyn (5 page)

“Yes, very good. Methinks you will be sharp at cards, lady. You seem to have your cousin’s gift—the queen loves to play and often wins great sums of money from His Majesty,” said Wyatt.

“You mean I can win coins for good cards?” said Madge.

“Why else would one play? Now, take your turn and I shall endeavor to teach you all I know about Primero,” said Sir Thomas.

“If you are right, Thomas, perhaps I shall be lucky at cards and lucky at love, too,” said Madge.

“Lady, with your beauty, I do not doubt you shall have great luck with love—half the men at court are already in love with you,” said Thomas.

“I do not know half the men at court—methinks you stretch the truth,” said Madge.

“No, lady. I know how a man thinks when he sees a lovely wench full of innocence—I know too well how a man thinks,” said Thomas.

“Then thinking should be outlawed, for it sounds like such thoughts are unworthy of fine gentlemen,” said Madge, drawing a card from the stack. She reached for her goblet of wine and noticed many of the ladies had withdrawn from the room while the gentlemen played more and more roughly at cards, their talk growing loud and boisterous.

“Dear Thomas, I see I am the only woman left—I shall also retire but I thank you for teaching me this evening. Perhaps on the morrow we can begin again?” said Madge.

“’Twould be my delight, Lady Margaret,” said Sir Thomas, standing as Madge rose and bowing to her.

Six

… If it be yea I shall be fain,

If it be nay, friends as before.

Ye shall another man obtain

And I mine own and yours no more.

“What say you, Madge? Like it?” Sir Thomas Wyatt sat on the garden wall holding a thick pack of papers.

“It lacks the flowery words of most love poems. But that is what I like most about it. It speaks the truth,” said Madge, smoothing her skirts as she sat down beside him. Shadow gnawed one end of a large bone while the queen’s little dog, Purkoy, whose uplifted ears and pert face made him look as if he were asking a question, nibbled at the other. The queen’s French “
pourquoi?
” had been mangled by the English court into the common-sounding “Purkoy.” The queen tried to correct her ladies and Madge had heard the lecture more than once, usually given to the dull Lady Jane Seymour, who had no ear for languages. Though Madge wasn’t conversant in French, she could easily mimic the queen’s pronunciation.

“I was trying something a little different. I tire of the overblown speech sung out at court. Surely, the ladies must also grow sick from such excess,” said Sir Thomas.

“Well, I have not had any such songs sung to me, so I am not exhausted from pretty words. I should like to hear a few,” said Madge with a laugh.

“It is only because you keep yourself away from the gentlemen that you don’t hear them. Your beauty is the cause for much talk,” said Sir Thomas.

Madge felt the blood rise to her cheeks. She certainly didn’t feel beautiful, as she had at home where her mother told her often enough she was a beauty. Here, though Cate swore she was the fairest of the queen’s ladies, Madge felt out of place and clumsy.

“Then I would not be beautiful. I do not wish talk of any sort about me. I’d much rather disappear,” said Madge as she leaned down to scratch Shadow behind the ears. Though still a pup, Shadow was twice the size of Purkoy.

“But you cannot disappear, Maddie. You are cousin to the queen. If you serve her well, you shall be rewarded. I’m sure she’ll marry you off to someone rich and you’ll be taken care of quite nicely. Pretty as you are, getting you betrothed shan’t be a problem. But you must speak to people. Let them know your wit, your merry ways.” Sir Thomas smiled.

“It seems I only find my tongue with you, Tom. The others frighten me, especially Sir Norris. The way he looks at me—as if he wished to devour me all in one bite,” said Madge.

“Yes, he’s a man of appetite, to be sure. But so is our king. And the king surrounds himself with young men who love to sport as much as he does. It makes for a lively court, don’t you think?” said Sir Thomas.

“Lively, yes. And dangerous. My own cousin George is guilty of so much sin I can scarce look at him. I know he goes a-whoring, though the queen has forbidden it. I’ve heard him brag to Norris and Brereton. And his poor wife. Oh, I’ll warrant she’s homely and shrewish but I feel sorry for her, the way he ignores her and makes light of the love she bears him. He sees more of the queen than he does his wedded spouse,” said Madge.

“How do you know so much, Maddie? Are you a spy?” said Sir Thomas.

“One of the advantages of being a little mouse—I see and hear much,” said Madge.

“And say little. Not a bad plan for surviving in these days. But here comes the queen, looking for Purkoy, no doubt. I’ll take my leave of you, my lady,” said Sir Thomas as he rose, bowed, and walked quickly into the nearby side door.

“Ah, voilà!
Pourquoi est ici, mon cher!
Come, boy!” Queen Anne hurried to scoop Purkoy into her arms.

Madge stood and curtsied low, offering the queen her seat.

“No, no, Margaret, I should like to stand a bit. Henry and I have been cooped up inside all morning planning for my coronation. And the coronation is to be splendid! Would you like to hear?” said the queen.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” said Madge, keeping her gaze to the ground. She noticed Shadow had chewed most of the meat from her end of the bone and her mouth was greasy.

“Oh child, do look at me when I speak. I had hoped you would begin to feel more at ease here, Margaret. I know you haven’t been here long and life at court can seem a whirlwind if one isn’t used to it. But do not be so shy,” said the queen.

“Yes, Your Grace. I … I shall try,” Madge said as she raised her eyes to look at the queen.

“You are a pretty one. I see why all the king’s men are agog over you. You could have your pick, Lady Margaret. Have you found any to your liking yet?” The queen was smiling, a light in her dark eyes.

“No, Majesty. I barely know them. I have but one friend and that’s Sir Wyatt. He reads his poems to me and he tells me all about the new learning. He is very kind,” said Madge.

“Yes, yes, Tom is kind. But he’s already married as I’m sure you know. He serves the king and that service keeps him from his little wife. Has he read you any of the poems he wrote for me?” said the queen.

“I don’t know. He’s read many but he doesn’t tell me for whom each is written,” said Madge.

“He wrote of his love for me before the king’s eye fell upon me. He was my good friend, too.” The queen seemed far away as she spoke. Purkoy began to wiggle in her arms, suddenly desperate to return to his bone. Before she could stop him, he leapt down to join Shadow.

“Our hounds are great siblings, though one is huge, the other small. So shall we be, cousin. I shall be your friend and I shall consider it my duty to lure you out of your shell and see you well-matched. Do not let your face fall so, Margaret. You won’t be matched for a long while yet. We shall have some fun, first. Now, come walk with me. This babe has begun to flutter and the little prince seems to like it better if I walk each day. From now on, you shall be my walking friend and we’ll traverse these paths come rain or shine,” said the queen as she grabbed Madge’s hand.

Seven

“The queen has told me so herself, Cate—I am to ride with her in the coronation! Oh, it will be such a splendid occasion—the king spares no cost to make Anne his queen before all the world,” said Madge as she combed Shadow’s coat. The April air was still cool and the fire felt good against her back as she tried to tease the mats out of her dog’s long, silky fur.

“You are too young for such a spectacle, Maddie. I cannot think why the queen would want you to accompany her on the most important day of her life. Why not her sister, Mary? Or Mary, the king’s own sister?” said Cate.

“How could her sister appear on such a day! You know Mary was the king’s mistress long before Anne became queen. It would not be proper,” said Madge.

“And I know the duchess of Suffolk cannot abide your cousin and has refused to appear for the event. Mary Tudor loves the true queen, our Catherine. She will not pay homage to Nan Bullen,” said Cate.

“Quiet, Cate! Do you want to get us both thrown into the Tower? You must
not
speak out so against Queen Anne! Who knows who may be listening at the door? Besides, my lord Brandon’s wife is ill to death, so I hear,” said Madge.

“Sick of what has happened to good Queen Catherine. Oh, don’t pout so—I’ll mind, I’ll mind. Now, tell me more about the coronation,” said Cate.

Madge began while Shadow curled up beside her and fell asleep.

Suddenly, loud voices could be heard from the queen’s privy chamber along with the shuffling of feet. Cate jumped up and opened the heavy door just in time to see the queen herself, clad in her white linen nightgown, her black hair flying behind her as she stormed down the hall. The king followed after her, his face full of worry. Cate motioned to Madge to join her and watch the scene.

“I cannot believe the willfulness of Princess Mary, your daughter. For her to refuse to acknowledge me as her queen once again … It is maddening!” said Queen Anne as she wheeled about and confronted the king in front of Madge’s door. Several ladies-in-waiting stood around the couple as if they were watching a cockfight.

“Sweetheart, do not upset yourself so. Think of our little prince—he will not like being jounced around in the middle of the night,” said the king, his voice calm but his eyes lively with anger.

“I shall make her a maid in my own household or … or … marry her off to some varlet if she will not accept me! She must! She must!” said the queen as she threw herself against the king’s barrel chest and sobbed.

“All right, sweatheart. Come to bed—I will see to this in the morning, my love. I promise,” said the king, leading her back to her chambers, ignoring the small crowd of women gathered to witness the spectacle.

Cate pushed Madge back inside, closed the door, and bolted it carefully.

“Why does she grow hot about Princess Mary, Cate? The princess hasn’t done anything to her. And she’s so young, no older than I. It seems unlike the queen to hold such a hatred,” said Madge as she crawled back into her bed, Shadow beside her.

“She has to hate what came before her, don’t you see? She cannot allow human feeling into her bosom. She cannot think of how poor Queen Catherine is suffering for want of her husband. If Queen Anne thought of those things, all would be lost for her, Maddie. It is an ugly business. I’m glad I’ll have none of it,” said Cate.

“Aye, her road is fraught with snares, I can see that. But I feel the tug of sleep so I shall nod off, dear Cate. I am happy not to be a queen,” said Madge, hunkering beneath the warm quilt that covered her bed.

“Yes, my girl. I have no wish to wear a crown,” said Cate. “Now, to bed … Tomorrow is Eastertide and you must to church!”

“Aye, the morning will be here sooner than I can catch a wink. But it will be fine to be part of the queen’s procession—sixty maids in all I was told—to hear her first mass as queen. I shall be happy to have a new dress.”

The next morning, the queen, dressed in robes of estate and laden with diamonds and other bright gems, processed with her maids to her closet to hear mass. Though the king had not yet been granted a divorce officially, Anne acted every inch the queen. As the ladies left the mass, Madge found herself one of the last to exit the section behind the queen’s closet where Madge and the other ladies had stood.

“Happy Easter, lady! You are as lovely as one of the queen’s own lilies,” said Arthur Brandon, offering Madge a long-stemmed blossom whose scent filled the air.

“Are you the Easter hare brandishing gifts? You have the ears for such a job, Sir Churlish,” Madge said, pushing the flower away and continuing to walk toward the group of women heading back to the queen’s apartments.

“Ah, yes, these ears of mine hear a great deal, m’lady. And your name comes up frequently. It seems the king’s men are most taken with the lovely but mysterious Lady Margaret. Sir Norris is actually quite enthralled, so my longish ears tell me,” Arthur said, keeping pace easily with long, loping strides.

“I care nothing for such court rumblings, sir. Now, I must take my leave of you. I’m sure the queen will be asking for me anon,” said Madge.

“No, she will be joining the king in his chamber to sup. She must eat for two, you know. But you, m’lady, are only eating for one—would you like to join me for a picnic this warm Easter day?” he said, smiling.

“’Twould be unseemly, sir, to leave my queen’s service to go a-larking with such as you. I may know nothing about court but I do know a virtuous lady does not steal away with any fool who asks her. Be off!” Madge spun around to face him, her cheeks pink.

“Ah, my lady blushes—and so beautifully, too. Could that mean I have touched her heart?” Arthur looked down at her and she gazed into his dark eyes for one second too long. The eyes almost caught her.

“I blush because I must run to keep up with my queen. Unlike some who would loaf their days away, I am at court to serve. And serve I will!” Madge said as she lifted her skirts to run.

“Dignity, my lady. Remember your dignity!” Arthur said as he laughed at her sprinting across the stone hall.

Once inside the queen’s apartments, Madge hurried to her room.

“Dear me, Lady Margaret! Why so out of breath?” said Cate.

“Sir Churlish accosted me on my way from mass and I had to flee! He is the most arrogant strutting rooster I’ve ever seen. I cannot abide him and if I ever have the queen’s ear, I’ll have him banished,” said Madge in a huff.

“Hmmmmm. Such passion hath two springs, Maddie,” said Cate.

“What mean you?” said Madge.

“Think on it a while, dearie. But now, we must hurry to sup before all the food is eaten and we have only bones to chew,” said Cate.

“Bones, indeed! I could eat a whole figgy pudding by myself!” said Madge.

*   *   *