The King's Secret Matter (29 page)

‘No . . . no. I have a matter of some importance to discuss with your mother, and I am going to send you away. Go and practise on the virginals so that you will not disappoint me when you next show me your progress.'

As Mary curtseyed again and went away, Katharine was thinking: What can I say to him now, knowing what I do? How can anything ever be the same between us again?

As soon as Mary had left them, Henry turned to her, his hands clasped behind his back, on his face an expression of melancholy, his mouth tight and prim, the general effect being that before Katharine stood a man who had forced himself to a painful duty.

He began: ‘Katharine, I have a grievous matter to discuss with you.'

‘I am eager to discuss that matter with you,' she answered.

‘Ah,' he went on, ‘I would give half my kingdom if by so doing I could have prevented this from happening.'

‘I pray you tell me what is in your mind.'

‘Katharine, you were poor and desolate when I married you; you were a stranger in a strange land; you were the widow of my brother, and it seemed that there was no home for you in the country of your birth nor here in the country of your adoption.'

‘I shall never forget those days,' she answered.

‘And I determined to change all that. I was young and idealistic, and you were young too, then, and beautiful.'

‘Both qualities which I no longer possess.'

The King turned his eyes to the ceiling. ‘That could be of no importance in this matter. But it seems that learned men . . . men of the Church . . . have examined our marriage . . . or what we believed to be our marriage . . . and they have found that it is no true marriage.'

‘Then they deceive you,' she said fiercely.

‘As I told them. But they are learned men and they quote the law to me. They read the Bible to me and tell me that I have sinned against God's laws. We have both sinned, Katharine.'

‘This makes no sense,' retorted Katharine. ‘How could we have sinned by marrying?'

‘It is so clear to me now. It is in the Bible. Read it, Katharine. Read the twenty-first verse of the twentieth chapter of Leviticus. Then you will see that ours was no true marriage and that for all these years we have been living in sin.'

Katharine stared at him blankly. This was no surprise to her, but to hear it from his own lips, to see that stubborn determination which she knew so well, light up his eyes, shocked her more deeply than she had ever been shocked before.

‘I know,' went on the King, ‘that this is a matter which distresses you, even as it distresses me. I will admit to a temptation to turn my back on this, to scoff at my critics, to say, let us forget that I married my brother's wife. But I can hear the voice of God speaking to me through my conscience . . .'

‘When did your conscience first begin to trouble you?' she asked.

‘It was when I heard the suggestion made by the Bishop of Tarbes; when he questioned Mary's legitimacy.'

At the mention of her daughter, Katharine's bravado crumpled; she looked older suddenly and a very frightened woman.

‘You see,' went on the King, ‘much as this distresses me, and indeed it breaks my heart to consider that we can no longer live together . . .'

‘Which we have not done for some time,' she reminded him. ‘We had ceased to be bedfellows before your conscience was troubled.'

‘Your poor state of health . . . my consideration for you . . . my fears that another pregnancy would be beyond your strength . . .'

‘And your interest in others . . .' murmured Katharine.

But Henry went on as though he had not heard her: ‘What a tragedy when a King and Queen, so long married, so devoted to each other, should suddenly understand that their marriage is no marriage, and that they must separate. I have given this matter much thought. I have said to myself, What will become of her? For myself, I have not cared. But for you, Katharine . . . you whom I always, until this time, thought of as my wife . . .' He paused, pretending to be overcome by his emotions.

She wanted to shout at him that she despised him, that she knew it was not his conscience that was behind this dastardly plot but his desire for a new wife. She wanted to say: How dare you cast insults at a Princess of Spain? And what of our daughter? Will you, merely that you may satisfy your lust in the sanctity of a marriage bed, cast me off and proclaim our daughter a bastard!

It was the thought of Mary which was unnerving her. Her
usual calm had deserted her; she could feel her mouth trembling so that it would not form the words she wanted to utter; her limbs were threatening to collapse.

Henry went on: ‘Knowing your serious nature, your love of the Church and all it stands for, it seemed to me that you would wish to enter a convent and there pass the rest of your days in peace. It should be a convent of your choosing and you should be its abbess. You need have no fear that you would lose any of the dignity of your rank . . .'

A voice within her cried: Do you think you could strip me of that? You have insulted me by telling me that I lived with you for all these years when I was not your legal wife; and now you dare tell me – the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand – that you will not rob me of my rank!

But the words would not come and the hot tears were spilling over and running down her cheeks.

Henry stared at her. He had never seen her thus. That she, who had always been so conscious of her dignity and rank, should weep, was something he had not considered.

It horrified him.

‘Now, Kate,' he said, ‘you must not weep. You must be brave . . . as I would fain be. Think not that I cease to love you. Love you I always shall. The Bishops may say what they will; you may not be my wife in the eyes of God but always I shall love you as I did in those days when you were so poor and lonely and I lifted you up to share my throne. Do not grieve. Who knows . . . they may find that there is naught wrong with our marriage after all. Kate, Kate, dry your eyes. And remember this: For the time being this is our secret matter. We do not want it bruited abroad. If I could but come to terms with my conscience I would snap my fingers at these
Bishops, Kate. I'd have them clapped into the Tower for daring to hint . . .'

But she was not listening. She did not believe him. She did not see the virtuous, religious man he was trying to show her; she saw only the lustful King who was tired of one wife and wanted another.

Her tears fell faster, and convulsive sobs shook her body.

Henry stood awhile, staring at her in dismay; then he turned abruptly and left her.

Chapter VI

W
hen the Queen had recovered from her grief she sent for Mendoza.

‘All that we feared has come to pass,' she told him. ‘The King is determined to rid himself of me. He has told me that his conscience troubles him because learned men have assured him that we are not truly married.'

‘So it has gone as far as that!' muttered Mendoza. ‘We shall need a strong advocate to defend Your Grace . . .'

‘Where should I find one here in England?' she asked.

‘Your Grace can trust none of the King's subjects. We must immediately appeal to the Emperor.'

‘I will write to him with all speed.'

Mendoza shook his head. ‘It is very doubtful that any appeal from you would be allowed to reach him.'

Katharine stared helplessly at the ambassador.

‘Or,' he continued, ‘any appeal from me either. The Cardinal's spies will be doubly vigilant. We must smuggle a messenger out of the country, and it must be done in such a way that no suspicion is attached to him.'

‘What a sad state of affairs when I am denied a lawyer to defend me.'

‘Let us be hopeful,' answered Mendoza, ‘and say that the King knows that he has such a poor case that he dare not allow a good lawyer to defend you. Is there any member of Your Grace's household whom you trust completely?'

Katharine thought awhile and then said: ‘He must be a Spaniard for he will have to travel into Spain to reach the Emperor. I can only think of Francisco Felipez who has been in my service for twenty-seven years. I am sure he is to be trusted.'

‘An excellent choice. He should leave for Spain as soon as possible. But he should carry nothing in writing and it should seem that you do not send him but that he wishes to go of his own accord.'

‘I will summon him and together we will form some plan.'

‘It would be unwise for Your Grace to send for him now while I am here. I am certain that we are being closely watched. Indeed, it may be unwise to send for him at all, because it will doubtless be suspected that you will try to get a message through to the Emperor. If Your Grace could seize an opportunity of speaking to him when he is performing some duty – just whispering a word to him when no one will notice – that would be the best plan. Then if he expresses a desire to see his family, it will not appear that he is on Your Grace's business.'

‘How I hate this intrigue! I feel like a prisoner in the Tower rather than a Queen in her Palace.'

The ambassador looked at her sadly. He wondered what might have befallen her, standing in the King's way as she did, had she not been the aunt of the Emperor.

Francisco Felipez presented himself to the King and asked if he might speak to him in private.

Henry granted this request, thinking that the man came with some message from the Queen, but as soon as they were alone Felipez said: ‘Your Grace, I am in great distress. My mother is dying and wishes to give me her blessing. I have come to ask your permission to go to her.'

‘You are a servant of the Queen,' said Henry. ‘Have you not asked her for this licence?'

Felipez looked uneasy. ‘I have, Your Grace.'

‘Well?'

‘And she has refused it.'

The King's blue eyes were wide with astonishment.

‘Why so?' he demanded.

‘She believes that I do not speak the truth.'

‘And has she reason to believe this?'

‘None, Your Grace.'

‘This is unlike the Queen. I have always thought her to be most considerate of her servants.'

‘The Queen has changed. She accused me of seeking to leave her, as all her servants would do in time.'

‘But why should she say such a thing?'

The man hesitated, but Henry insisted that he should continue. ‘Your Grace, the Queen says that, since you are displeased with her, all her servants will find excuses to leave her.'

‘I fear the Queen is suffering from delusions,' said Henry. ‘It grieves me that she should have so little thought for her servants. You did well to come to me. I will grant your licence;

I will do more. I will give you a safe-conduct through France which will make your journey so much easier.'

Felipez fell to his knees, tears of gratitude in his eyes.

‘We see you are pleased,' said Henry gruffly. ‘I will give you your licence now.'

‘How can I thank Your Grace?' stammered the man.