CHAPTER 5

INthe early spring of 1540 the abbeys of Canterbury, Christchurch, Rochester, and Waltham were finally surrendered to the king”s majesty. Thomas Cromwell had completed his dissolution of the monasteries. His great usefulness to Henry Tudor was almost at an end. Much of the wealth that had belonged to these abbeys was funneled directly into the king”s treasury, but some of it was distributed to those nobles loyal to the crown. It was a ploy to draw these men even closer to their sovereign. They would certainly not oppose the religious reforms being put in place while profiting from them.

The French ambassador, Charles de Marillac, wrote to his king that Thomas Cromwell was tottering. Yet Henry Tudor suddenly created his chancellor Earl of Essex. The king was possessed of a mean streak that was even now exhibiting itself.

When the Duke of Norfolk discreetly sounded the king out as to the honor bestowed on Cromwell, the king smiled wolfishly and said, ”I but soothe poor Crum”s fears, Thomas. A frightened man does not think clearly, and right now we need old Crum”s cleverness if I am to be completely and unequivocally free of this unfortunate misalliance in which he has entangled me. I think it only fair that having arranged this royal marriage, he dissolve it.”

”Then there is no hope?” the duke said.

”For my marriage?” the king demanded. ”It has been but a marriage in name only. Not that the lady Anne isn”t a good woman. She is. But she is no wife to me. And never has been. Nor will she ever be.”

”What of the Duke of Cleves, my lord?” Thomas Howard said. ”Will he not be offended that you cast his sister off and sent her packing home to Cleves? She is, after all, a princess.”

”The lady Anne will be treated generously, Norfolk. You need not concern yourself. As for Cleves, can it stand against the might of England? I think not. It has served its purpose for us. France and the Holy Roman Empire are both seeking our friendship once again.” The king grinned at the Duke of Norfolk. ”I”ll have me another bonnie English rose like my sweet Jane, eh Thomas?”

”Would not a princess be a better choice, Your Grace?” the duke murmured softly. ”A simple English woman lacks prestige, think you not?”

”Lacks prestige? You”re a snob, Thomas, and you always have been. There isn”t an English lass who would not outshine the most perfect of foreign princesses. No more royalty! I want a flesh and blood woman to love. A good bedmate. A mother for my children. And as God is my witness,” the king said, his voice rising, ”I shall have her!”

”And has any particular lady taken your majesty”s fancy?” the duke inquired.

The king bellowed with laughter, and poked the duke in his ribs with a fat finger. ”You”d like to be the first to know, you old slyboots, wouldn”t you?” he chortled, tears of mirth running down his face. ”Well, I”ve not quite made up my mind yet. So, you”ll not know before I know, my lord, and that”s an end to it!”

But the Duke of Norfolk, like everyone else at court, had seen the king”s eyes upon his niece, Catherine, and upon the Wyndham girl, Nyssa. Thomas Howard had spoken to young Catherine the same day he had had his conversation in the maze with Bishop Gardiner. As he had a spy in the queen”s household, he knew his niece had free time that afternoon, and he had sent for the girl. She came, looking particularly lovely in a velvet gown of light yellow-green. It suited her coloring, and he complimented her.

”It is a gift from my friend, Nyssa Wyndham. She says it does not become her, and she has too many dresses. I think she is just being kind to me because I am poor, Uncle. Still, it is good to have such a friend, is it not?”

”How would you like to never have to worry about having enough gowns again, my child?” he asked her. ”How would you like to have all the pretty gowns and beautiful jewelry that your little heart desires?”

Her blue eyes grew wide. ”I do not understand, Uncle,” she said.

”I have a marriage in mind for you, Catherine. But first you must promise me that you will not discuss with anyone, even your friend, Nyssa, what I am about to reveal to you. Do you promise me?” His cold eyes bored into her.

She nodded solemnly, her rising excitement evident. Thomas Howard was almost as powerful as the king himself.

”I mean it, Catherine,” he warned her. ”This is a deep secret between us. Should you reveal it, it might mean your very life. You do understand me, do you not?” He looked hard at her.

Her pretty mouth made a little O, and then she said, ”I will do whatever you want me to do, Uncle, and no one shall know of our conversation. What is the marriage you propose for me?”

”How would you like to be the Queen of England, Catherine?” he questioned her. ”Think on it, my child. Queen!”

”Then I should have to marry the king,” Catherine Howard said slowly, ”and he already has a wife. How could such a thing be, Uncle?”

”The lady Anne will soon no longer be the queen,” Thomas Howard told his niece. When her pretty face registered deep distress, he reassured her. ”No harm will come to the lady Anne, my child, I swear it, but the king is seeking an annulment. You know, as does everyone at court, that he has not had the stomach to consummate his marriage to this lady. England needs more legitimate heirs. The king must have a young wife who can give him those children. He looks upon you with great favor, Catherine. I think you can be the one to make him a happy bridegroom, and a devoted husband. What think you of this?”

She pondered for a long, long moment, thoughts racing through her head. Henry Tudor was old enough to be her father. He was fat, and the thought of him touching her turned her stomach, for she was a fastidious girl and loved beautiful things. His abscessed leg, when it flared up, stank and ran pus, but he was the King of England What were her chances for another good marriage? She was one of six children, the eldest of three daughters. Both of her parents were deceased. She depended upon the charity of this powerful uncle of hers for her very bread. He was a tight-fisted man, and would not dower her to any suitor save a rich one. Rich men did not marry poor girls no matter their powerful connections. A convent was no longer an option. She could become a rich man”s mistress, or . . . What choice did she really have?

”I am afraid, Uncle,” she told him honestly.

”Why?” he demanded fiercely. ”You are a Howard, Catherine!”

”My cousin Anne Boleyn was a Howard. She lost her head on Tower Green. The king is easily displeased, and only the lady Jane ever really satisfied him. I wonder had she lived if she would have continued to satisfy him, or if he would have grown bored with her too? His grace has wed four women. One has died, one he divorced, one he executed, and now he wishes to annul this latest marriage. You ask me would I like having beautiful clothing, and jewelry. I tell you, aye, I would! But how long will I keep them before the king finds an excuse to rid himself of me, Uncle? This is why I am afraid.”

Thomas Howard then did something he rarely did. He softened his attitude toward his niece, and actually put an arm around her. ”If you will do exactly as I tell you, Catherine, you will never bore the king so much that he wishes to be rid of you. More is involved here, my girl, than just finding the king a good wife. The king, though Catholic in his own worship, allows the Lutheran element more and more freedom within the Church. Archbishop Cranmer, of course, is behind it. We must stop it. The key to stopping it is selecting a wife for the king who follows the old traditions, and who will be guided by those wiser than she. It has been decided, Catherine, that you are that girl; and our cause is helped by the king himself, who shows you obvious favor.” He dropped his arm from about her slender shoulders and demanded, ”I ask you once again, niece, would you like to be queen?”

”Aye, Uncle,” she said low, telling him what she knew he wanted to hear. What other options did she really have? These were powerful men dealing in matters far too complicated for her to understand. She was just a helpless girl. At least the king was clever, and he loved music as she did, and when his leg was not paining him, he was an excellent dancer. She must concentrate upon the positive elements of this matter. Perhaps if she could learn to soothe and dress his leg when it pained him, she would endear herself to Henry Tudor. She could not be squeamish about it, no matter her own delicate sensibilities.

”I am pleased with you, Catherine,” the Duke of Norfolk told her. ”I am going to teach you how to ingratiate yourself with the king. You must be a bit more helpless with him, yet always gay and amusing. Defer to his judgment both publicly and privately, for it will please him. Most important of all, my child, is that you keep his lust at bay until he has put his wedding ring upon your finger. If he can have what he wants of you without that ring, you are as ruined as any maid who lets the stable boy fumble her in a dark barn. Do you understand me? A chaste kiss, a tiny cuddle, but nothing more, Catherine, even if he begs it of you, or grows angry with your refusal. Fall back upon tears then. You are a virtuous maid. Remind the king of that when he importunes you for more than you are willing to give him. Your virginity is the only real dowry you have to bring him.”

”Yes, Uncle,” she obediently answered him. ”I will do all you say. You have but to guide me, and I will obey, I swear it!”

”Now, I will tell you another secret,” the duke said to her. ”Lady Rochford is my spy in the queen”s household. You may trust her, but never completely, Catherine. She is an unhappy woman. Her guilt over her husband George Boleyn”s death weighs heavy on her. She gives me her loyalty because I have secretly seen to her support since his death. The Boleyns, of course, disowned her, as did her own family. As for Nyssa Wyndham, my girl, you must immediately sever your friendship with her.”

”Nay, Uncle, I will not! She is the first true friend I have ever really had. Besides, if I cut her, will not people wonder why, when we have become so close in the queen”s service? I would certainly think it strange of another.”

”Perhaps you are correct, Catherine,” he said, surprised at her astute insight. He had not thought her capable of such reasoning, but then she was a Howard. ”Aye, very well, my girl, you may keep your friendship with Lady Wyndham. Yes, it is better that you do, I think upon reflection. That way no one will really be certain which of you the king will choose until we want them to know. But remember, girl, you cannot tell your friend what we have planned. Do you understand? No giggling girlish confidences in the Maid”s Chamber at night.”

”I understand completely, Uncle. I am not dim-witted,” she answered him calmly. ”If you are to succeed in placing me above all others in the king”s affections, you need a clear path.”

Again he was pleased, and he told her so. She was not quite as silly as he had previously believed. She had a sharp little mind, but her kind heart worried him. It could be her undoing. Time, he hoped, would take care of that weakness in her character. He dismissed her from his presence, and sent her on her way feeling quite satisfied with the afternoon”s work.

He had placed one Howard on England”s throne. If she had but heeded him, she might still be there with her head intact; but Mistress Anne had been overly willful and headstrong. Now he had, to his great amazement, been given a second opportunity to be the power behind a queen. This wench would not fail him. His family was about to climb higher than it had ever climbed, and would soon be the most powerful in all of England. The Seymours would fall back into the obscurity from which they came. If Catherine would give the king another son, who knew what would transpire?

THOUGHdeferential to the queen, the king now appeared to be openly paying court to two young women. Catherine Howard giggled and smiled up at the king with melting glances; but Nyssa Wyndham was more circumspect in her behavior. She was not quite certain exactly what the king”s attentions meant. His open kindness of her had to be because of his long-lived affection for her mother. It could surely be nothing else. Yet the sly glances of the court made her very nervous. Even her aunt was disturbed.

”My God, Owen,” Bliss declared to her husband in a soft voice one afternoon as they watched the king showing Nyssa how to notch her bow with just the right arrow. ”He cannot possibly be romantically inclined toward her. It”s horrifying! She is but a child!”

”So even your ambition has limits,” her husband replied.

”Oh, Owen, do not scold me! It was different with Blaze,” Bliss said. ”It was entirely different!”

”Aye, the king only wanted Blaze for a mistress, as he had a wife. Now he still has a wife, a different wife to be certain, but he considers our niece for the next queen. Well, Tony did not want her to come to court. If you had not volunteered so gaily to chaperone Nyssa, she should not now be in this dangerous predicament,” the Earl of Marwood severely reminded his wife. He had heard talk among the gentlemen of his acquaintance that Nyssa”s coolness was far more challenging to the king than the little Howard girl”s charms. He knew not how much truth there was to the talk, but he dared not tell his wife.

”Ohh, Owen, what shall we do?” Bliss said desperately.

”There is nothing we can do, my dear. Not now. It is all in the king”s hands, I fear, and those hands are reaching out eagerly for a new sweetmeat. Perhaps he will favor the Howard girl over Nyssa.”

”Nyssa is far lovelier!” Bliss said in defense of her niece, and her husband laughed till his sides ached.

”Madame,” he told her, ”you are mad, I think!”

They turned at the sound of the king”s voice. He was smiling down at Nyssa, and to their surprise, he gave her a kiss on the cheek. ”Very good, my sweet wild rose! What an archer she is, gentlemen. She is a veritable Diana, Goddess of the Hunt, is she not?”

His companions murmured their assent, smiling toothily.

”I do not think I could ever learn to shoot as well as Nyssa can,” Catherine Howard said, smiling up at the king, and then she sighed. ”I am not very clever, I fear, Your Grace.”

”I do not believe that for a minute,” Henry Tudor said. ”Let me teach you to shoot, Cat. I believe there is little you cannot do if you but put your mind to it. You are a rose without a thorn, my dear.” The king turned to his page. ”A bow and quiver for Mistress Howard.”

Once again the court was perplexed as to which one of the young women the king favored. Henry Tudor was obviously enjoying keeping them in suspense. As the terms of the dissolution of the king”s marriage to Anne of Cleves were slowly being worked out, he was obviously preparing for a long sweet summer of sport.

The Bishop of Winchester sought out the Duke of Norfolk. ”We cannot take a chance that he will choose the Wyndham girl,” Stephen Gardiner said nervously. ”Once he is free of Cleves, anyone can catch his fancy. We must act quickly to solidify your niece”s position.”

”Aye,” the Duke of Norfolk agreed. ”He is becoming like a young stallion let loose in a meadow full of pretty mares. We must fix his attentions upon Catherine, and Catherine alone.”

”And how will you do that?” demanded the bishop.

”By discrediting Mistress Wyndham in his eyes,” the duke said.

”By all accounts Mistress Wyndham is a virtuous young woman,” the bishop replied. ”Even I can find no fault with her, or her behavior. There is no gossip attached to her name, nor has she permitted any gentleman to single her out. Her manners cannot be faulted, and her loyalty to the queen is to be commended. She would appear to be the perfect gentlewoman.”

”Yet, if she were found naked in the bed of an equally naked gentleman, my dear bishop, what do you think the king would say?” the duke answered with a small smile. ”Appearances are often deceiving.”

”God”s blood, my lord, you cannot mean to destroy the maid”s reputation? She has come to court to find a good husband. If you do what you propose, her reputation will be in shreds, and no man of decency will have her. I certainly cannot be a party to such a scheme!”

”Calm yourself, Stephen,” the duke said. ”I can discredit her, and at the same time supply her with an excellent husband that even her family will approve of, I assure you. I will tell you no more lest I discommode your conscience, but I swear to you that no real harm will come to the Wyndham girl. I simply need to remove her from the king”s attentions. This is the only way in which I may successfully do it. Henry Tudor will want no other man”s leavings. He will order Mistress Wyndham”s marriage himself, I guarantee you. You must trust me.”

The Bishop of Winchester said nothing more, but he thought placing trust in Thomas Howard was like placing one”s trust in a fox with the key to the henhouse door. There was nothing he could do, he decided, and besides, the fate of one young girl could not be allowed to interfere with their plans to see that the Church remained conservative and orthodox in its beliefs and in its centuries-old traditions.

The Duke of Norfolk watched as the bishop moved away from him. How sickeningly pious he is, the duke considered. He cared not what happened to the Wyndham girl as long as his own power was preserved. Oh, he did not want to be involved in what he considered an un-Christian and immoral act; but he would not protest the benefits of such an act. Then Thomas Howard searched among the courtiers for one particular person. Finding him, he called to his personal page, ”Go to the Earl of March, boy, and tell him I would see him in my privy chamber.”

The duke turned away from the archery field and walked slowly back to the palace. Inside, he made his way to his own private apartments. A servant came forward with a cup of wine for him as he entered. Taking it, he told the man, ”The Earl of March is expected. Show him to my privy chamber when he arrives, and make certain that we are not disturbed while he is with me.” The duke then entered the private room he maintained for special meetings, and settled himself into a chair by the fire. There was a good blaze going, for though it was April, the day had a chill to it. Thomas Howard was always cold, and though he was parsimonious in many ways, there were always fires burning wherever he was in residence. He sighed deeply and sipped at his wine. He was sixty-seven years old this year, and he was beginning to grow tired of always having to watch out for his family, but his son could certainly not be expected to handle matters as well as he. Henry was a poet, not a tactician. Well, at least he had a son to carry on the Howard name.

I have sired four children, the duke thought, and two are dead. The meanderings of an old man, he decided, shaking himself. He drank deeply of his cup. He had become a father for the first time when he was fifteen, and what an uproar his illegitimate daughter, Mary Elizabeth, had caused. Her mother had been his distant, orphaned cousin, Bess, and she had died giving birth to their child. Bess had been only fourteen, but she had been one of his best friends. Her death had somehow changed him. He never again gave away his heart. Their daughter was raised by the family, for he would have it no other way. He arranged a good match for her. Mary Elizabeth had been married at twenty, the same year in which his first legitimate son, Thomas, had been born to Anne of York, and had died.

It had not been easy finding a suitable husband for Mary Elizabeth Howard. But as his family was rich and powerful, and because his daughter was formally recognized, a bridegroom had finally been obtained. Henry de Winter, Earl of March, was an ambitious man. Marriage to a Howard, even one on the distaff side who had been born on the wrong side of the blanket, offered advantages he otherwise would have been unable to obtain.

His family had never been an important one. Although they were comfortable, they were not rich by any means. Henry de Winter had not expected to fall in love with his wife, but he had done so. Hence his grief at Mary Elizabeth”s death in childbirth, two years after their marriage, had been great. He had not remarried, and been somewhat confused as to how to raise the infant son he had been left. Fortunately, his father-in-law had involved himself in the matter.

Thomas Howard”s first wife, Anne of York, had died in 1513. He had married Lady Elizabeth Stafford three years later. Their son, Henry, had been born the following year. A daughter had been born in 1520. His wife had insisted upon naming her Mary, and he dared not protest. Mary Elizabeth had been dead these ten years past, and what difference did it really make? But he never forgot his wife”s insensitivity, for she had known of that first daughter, as she knew his grandson, who lived in his house.

There was a knock upon the door, and Varian de Winter, Earl of March, entered the duke”s privy chamber. ”Good day, Grandfather,” he said. ”What mischief are you up to now?”

”Help yourself to the wine,” the older man said gruffly, ”and then come sit opposite me. Varian, I need your help in a small matter.”

Varian de Winter lifted an eyebrow questioningly as he poured himself a generous goblet of wine. His grandfather kept a good cellar, and had taught him to appreciate a fine vintage. He was obviously not so far off the mark. The old man was up to something. He sniffed at his wine, smiled, satisfied, and took a swallow even as he settled himself across from Thomas Howard. ”Very well, my lord, I am listening.”

He”s got my long face and eyes, the duke thought, but the rest of him looks de Winter. How deceiving, for he is pure Howard in his thinking. ”The land that was part of your mother”s dowry,” he began.

”The land you somehow never remembered to turn over to my father?” the earl said, his tone amused. ”Aye, I know it.”

”Would you like it if I signed it over to you, Varian?”

”At what price, my lord?” the earl said softly.

”Must there necessarily be a price between us, Varian?” the duke asked his grandson, his tone just faintly pained.

”Do you remember the first lesson you ever taught me, Grandfather?” the earl said. ”You taught me, that which you can have for nothing, is worth nothing. That everything desirable has some price attached to it.”

Thomas Howard laughed. ”You learned well, Varian; certainly better than your uncle Henry. Very well, there is a price, but first I would know if you have pledged yourself to any woman.”

”Nay,” the earl said, growing more and more curious. ”Why?”

”I have a match in mind for you, but it will involve a slight bit of danger. That is why I am willing to give you your mother”s dowry lands in payment for this small deed. The girl I have in mind is an heiress with lands close to yours, in fact just across the river from you.”

”What is it you want me to do, Grandfather?”

”I want your cousin, Catherine, to be England”s next queen,” the duke said quietly. His grandson”s eyes widened just barely, but he remained silent, and Thomas Howard continued. ”The king has recently begun to show her great favor. His marriage to the Flanders mare will soon be annulled. When it is, Catherine Howard must be the king”s choice for a bride. One small thing stands in her way, however.”

”Lady Nyssa Wyndham,” the earl said. ”I am privy to all the same gossip, Grandfather. The king dances between these two maids like a lad of sixteen. Nyssa Wyndham could as easily be England”s next queen as my cousin Catherine, could she not? What is it he calls her? His wild rose? Well, let me tell you, Grandfather, that rose has thorns. She is as proper a young woman as I have ever met, and devoted to the queen.”

”Your cousin, Cat, the king calls his rose without a thorn,” the duke said. ”We must see that Henry Tudor chooses the gentler of these two English roses, who is, of course, our Catherine. Nyssa Wyndham must lose the king”s favor. I have a plan.”

”I had not a doubt about that,” the earl said with some humor.

”If the king were to discover Nyssa Wyndham in a gentleman”s bed, his disappointment would certainly be great. Such a discovery would make it impossible for him to marry her, and leave the field wide open to our own little Catherine. It is a foolproof scheme, Varian.”

”Except for one thing, Grandfather. The king would be quite apt in his anger and disillusionment to lop off his rival”s head. Surely you are not suggesting that I be that rival?” the earl said.

”It is precisely what I am suggesting, but you need not worry about losing your head, my lad. In the eyes of the world, the king is a married man. He may take a mistress, of course, but that mistress cannot be a young girl of good family. Such a thing, as you know, would be unacceptable. Therefore, though we know he is half courting these two maidens despite his married state, we look the other way, and say nothing. If you were to even hint that he was courting these maidens beneath his lawful wife”s nose, then, my dear Varian, you would be in danger of losing your head. The king is a prude. He believes himself a righteous and virtuous man. Though he will try to seduce a married woman, he would never seduce a maid. For Henry Tudor, Catherine Howard and Nyssa Wyndham are his romantic ideal of innocence. Either one is the perfect bride for him. He has but to choose. I wish to make his decision a simple one.

”If he finds that the Wyndham girl is not what he believed, his choice will naturally fall upon our Catherine. As for Nyssa Wyndham, her family sent her to court to see if she might find a husband. Naturally the king will insist that because you have dishonored her, you must marry her. I will concur with his decision, and apologize profusely for your behavior. The king will have Catherine for his next wife, and you will have a pretty heiress for your wife. Her family cannot object, as you will make things right, and their daughter will be the Countess of March.”

”And if I refuse you, Grandfather?” the earl demanded. ”This is not as simple as you try to make it sound. The king is unpredictable in his temper, as you know. He could send both the girl and me to the Tower.”

”If you refuse me, I shall have to find another man to do this deed for me. Are you refusing me, Varian? You have never refused me before. I have always been able to rely upon you,” the duke said.

”Aye, you always have, Grandfather, haven”t you? I have always done your bidding, even when I felt you asked too much of me. Like the time my uncle Henry seduced the daughter of one of your farmers, and she hung herself when she discovered she was with child, and my uncle would not accept his responsibility. The girl had never named her lover, but to say he was of the duke”s get. You asked me to accept the blame for that crime, and I did so. I understood, even if Henry did not, that Norfolk”s heir must be a man with a spotless reputation for honorable behavior.

”Your gratitude was heartfelt, Grandfather, but the gossip surrounding that incident has caused decent families to practically hide their daughters from me. I am thirty years old, and cannot find a bride of equal birth to give me sons. Now you ask me to put my neck upon the executioner”s block so that that silly little girl, Catherine Howard, can have her chance to be queen. Was not one Howard queen enough?”

”If you do this for me, Varian, you will have a bride of more than equal birth, and one whose family is famed for healthy children. Do not refuse me! I would rather give this prize to you than another, if you would but take it. The girl is pretty enough, and rich to boot!”

Varian de Winter shook his head wearily. He had not a single doubt that his grandfather would do exactly as he said. If Varian refused to help him, the duke would find another man who would. He thought about Nyssa Wyndham, and remembered the dances they had shared several months ago. The girl was not simply pretty. She was spirited and intelligent. He had wanted to pursue her, but he had seen the writing on the wall when her uncle had been sent to fetch her, and she had later put him off firmly. Yet had he not vowed to himself that he would eventually have her?

He had seen little of her since that brief winter meeting, for she was devoted to the queen. Across the Great Hall; in the chapel; walking in the Knot Garden. He had not again approached her, though he had wanted to, for the first time he had seen her, she had, unknowingly, captured his heart. Now his grandfather was proposing a monstrous scheme to discredit the girl in the king”s eyes so his cousin, Catherine, could be the next royal bride.

If he did not aid his grandfather, who would be chosen in his place? Would he treat the girl gently? It was cruel that a stranger should be chosen for the unsuspecting maid”s husband, and wrong that her family should have no say in the matter. The thought of any man but himself possessing her sent his blood to boiling, but these thoughts he had kept to himself. Nyssa Wyndham was to be sacrificed for the Howard ambition. He could do but one thing.

”Must I forcibly dishonor the lass?” he queried of his grandfather.

”Nay,” the duke said. ”The girl will be drugged and carried to your bed, Varian. You will be discovered by her side. Whatever she may say in her defense will not be believed. She will be assumed guilty. The king will be outraged. Her family will be outraged. I will be the most outraged of all, and will insist to the king that you marry her at once before a scandal ensues. He cannot refuse, as the girl”s reputation will be at stake. He can hardly publicly admit to his own interest in his wife”s maid of honor, can he?”

”You had best not be wrong about this, Grandfather,” the Earl of March said, resigned. ”I think your ambition for little Catherine madness, and this is a bad business with Nyssa Wyndham. I am ashamed that I would aid you, but I would not see the girl sacrificed to some lout.”

”Do you know her?” the duke asked him, curious.

”I danced with her once, and then her uncle hurried to take her away. Remember, the world believes me guilty of driving an innocent girl, who was carrying my child, to her death. I am not considered a particularly desirable match. She had charm, Grandfather. I hope I shall be able to win her over. The rest of my life shall be hell if I do not. A man and his wife should at least be friends.”

”You have odd ideas, Varian, and I cannot imagine where you ever got them,” Thomas Howard said. ”You did not learn such things from me. A wife for a gentleman should have a dowry consisting of both lands and monies. Her bloodline should be good. Nothing else is required of a good match but that. Nothing else.”

The Earl of March did not respond. In many ways he was like his powerful grandfather. He could be ruthless and cold like Thomas Howard. But beneath the veneer of arrogance, he hid a soft heart. That much his father had given him, even if he had given him precious little else. Henry de Winter had died when Varian was sixteen. Until his death he had never ceased talking about his Mary Elizabeth. Though he had never known her, Varian de Winter felt he had known her because of his father”s deep love for her. Her portrait, painted as a wedding gift, hung in the earl”s bedchamber. As a little boy he had thought she was the prettiest mother any lad could have. Now he was struck by how young and vulnerable she had been; much like Nyssa Wyndham—and because of that, he had to help Nyssa, even in this roundabout way.

”When is this deed to be done?” he asked his grandfather.

”Tonight,” the Duke of Norfolk said.

”So soon?” the earl replied. ”Grandfather, could you not give me a few days to attempt to make friends with Nyssa Wyndham?”

”You have already told me that her family has kept her from you, Varian. They are not likely to change their minds about you now. Why would they? I shall tell you another secret. Cromwell”s fall is very near now. He will soon be in the Tower waiting for his miserable life to come to a traitor”s end. We have not a great deal of time in which to act.”

”But the king has only just created him Earl of Essex!” Varian de Winter exclaimed. Then his brow lightened. ”Ahh, of course! The king lulls him into a false sense of security, does he not, Grandfather? A frightened Cromwell will not be able to do his best to extricate the king from this most undesirable marriage into which he got him.”

”Precisely!” the duke answered, pleased at his grandson”s astuteness. It”s a shame he is not a Howard by birth, the duke thought. Varian has a courtier”s mind, but unfortunately he has a countryman”s heart. He only stays at court to please me, but once he is married he will have to leave, for the king will be very displeased with him for the moment. I will miss him.

The Earl of March noticed his grandfather was drawing his furred, velvet robe about him. He arose and put another log upon the fire. ”Tell me how you will go about executing your plan, my lord?” he said.

The duke wasted few words. ”Lady Rochford will administer a mild sleeping draught to all the maids of honor tonight. Then she will admit two of my men to the Maidens” Chamber. They will bring Nyssa Wyndham to your bedchamber. Once I am told she is safely there, I will see the king knows of it. We will discover the two of you together. Be sure to take the girl into your embrace when you hear us outside the door, Varian. The drug administered to her is very mild. She will most likely awaken when you embrace her. Her movement in your arms will not be seen as the struggles of a frightened girl; to other eyes she will look as if she is party to the deed. Under the circumstances, the king will have no choice but to reject her, leaving the field clear for your cousin. You may be assured that I will show my gratitude to you shortly after your marriage, Varian. You are truly the only one I can trust with this most delicate matter. I have always been able to rely upon you.”

He is brilliant, Varian de Winter thought. At an age when most men sat back to enjoy what remained of life, Thomas Howard continued in the thick of things, plotting and scheming, each plan well thought out and perfect to the last detail. ”If you wish my cooperation in this matter,” the earl told his grandfather, ”you will deed that land over to me this very afternoon, my lord. Unlike my father, God assoil his good soul, I know better than to trust you.”

The Duke of Norfolk laughed aloud, which was something he rarely did. ”That is because you are clever like a Howard, and not trusting like a de Winter, my lad!” he said, chuckling. ”Very well, the deed will be in your hands by sunset.”

”If it is not, Grandfather, I will not be party to your plan,” Varian de Winter said. ”And I trust your wedding gift will be a most generous one, despite my wicked behavior.”

”Aye,” the duke replied. ”Now get you gone, lad! I have other work to be about this day. Yours is but a small part in my efforts to make your cousin Catherine Queen of England. There is much more to it.”

”I have no doubt that there is,” the earl answered, and bowing to his grandfather, he departed his privy chamber.

Varian de Winter”s own bedchamber was within the apartments of the Duke of Norfolk, the small prerogative of being Thomas Howard”s grandson and in Thomas Howard”s favor at the moment. He had lived with his father at their ancestral home of Winterhaven until his sixth birthday. He had seen his grandfather Howard several times in his young life, and he remembered standing next to his father”s chair, in his father”s library, as his fate was being discussed on the day the great duke came to take him away.

”It is time he took his rightful place,” the duke had said. ”He has spent six years among the rustics, and has the manners of a cowherd. He is, after all, my only grandson.”

”But he is my only son,” Henry de Winter replied quietly, with a rare show of spirit. ”I agree with you, however, my lord. I am content here among the rustics on my land, having seen what I wanted of the world. Varian should know what life has to offer before he decides how he wishes to live. I can think of no better place for him to learn the ways of the world than with you, my lord. Take him, but return him home each summer that he does not forget he is a de Winter by birth, and that he has responsibilities here on his lands as well. He is all I have, and I shall miss him.”

So Varian had gone to live with his grandfather, and was raised with the two children that resulted from his grandfather”s second marriage, neither of whom was even born at that point. Henry Howard was born the following year, and his aunt Mary the year he was ten. When his uncle Henry was fifteen, he impregnated the daughter of one of the duke”s farmers. When the girl”s condition became apparent, her father beat her in an effort to learn who had seduced his daughter. There would, of course, have to be a marriage. All the girl would admit to was,” ”twere one of his lordship”s.”

Then she secretly appealed to her lover. Henry Howard, arrogant, inexperienced, and frightened of what his powerful father would say and do, ashamed to admit his lust to his mother, had turned the girl away. The farmer”s daughter hung herself in her father”s barn to escape her sorrow and her shame, thereby causing a terrible scandal among the duke”s people. They could talk of nothing else.

The Duke of Norfolk was furious. For all his faults, he was a fair man. When he had impregnated his cousin Bess, he had stood by her, although he could not marry her, being betrothed to another. His son had not shown the same strength of character. But then his grandson had agreed to take the blame to protect his younger uncle. No one considered that Varian de Winter had been home on his estates the summer the farmer”s daughter had been seduced. Instead they remembered that the Earl of March”s mother had been the duke”s bastard daughter. They spoke of his saturnine handsomeness, and the ladies secretly imagined what it would be like to be his lover. Several found out, and not only relished the experience, but whispered about it among themselves. Marriageable maidens were kept away from him. He was believed to be an unsuitable and a dangerous man.

He had wanted a wife for some time now. Being the last of his line was a responsibility he did not enjoy bearing. He wanted sons and daughters, but the damned scandal would not die. No family of good lineage would discuss giving a daughter in marriage to a man who so callously had dismissed his obligations to a lover and their child.

It was only in retrospect that the Earl of March realized that he should not have taken the blame for what his fifteen-year-old uncle had done. Henry Howard”s youth would have earned him forgiveness within their social strata, but Varian de Winter had been past twenty-one. It was believed a man of his years should have known better, particularly given his mother”s history. Even his grandfather agreed now that they had made an error. But it was too late. Well, by the morrow he would have a wife, but he could not help feeling his method in obtaining that wife a shabby one.

Entering his bedchamber, he called to his body servant, who came from the dressing room where his clothing was kept. ”When did we last change the sheets on this bed, Toby?” he demanded of the man.

”Entertaining tonight, are we, my lord?” Toby said with a chuckle. ”Well, them sheets ain”t been changed in two weeks or more. ”Tis past time, and if the lady is special, we should. I”ll go to the duke”s housekeeper and fetch some nice clean linens for ye.”

”And I”ll want a tub, Toby,” the earl told his man.

”Aye, this one must be special.” Toby chortled.

Toby, the earl thought, was fortunate to be a simple man. He had no idea how complicated life could be when one was not only a courtier, but the Duke of Norfolk”s grandson. Special. Aye, Nyssa Wyndham was special. Even she, poor lass, could not even begin to imagine how special she was considered to be. God”s blood! Varian grimaced. I hope Henry Tudor does not lop off both our poor heads.

No matter what his grandfather had said, the earl knew the king to be a volatile man. If Nyssa Wyndham was the woman the king really wanted for his next queen, there was going to be merry hell to pay. Even his pretty cousin Catherine would not be able to soothe the king”s ire.

Why had he agreed to help Thomas Howard? Why had he not attempted to talk him out of this scheme? Had the debacle of his cousin Anne Boleyn not taught the duke anything? Nay, it had not. He had managed to keep his position as Lord Treasurer while the other men involved had lost everything, even their lives. The Duke of Norfolk loved power. It was both his weakness and his strength.

Varian de Winter knew why he had promised to help his grandfather. It was Nyssa Wyndham. The thought of her in another man”s bed had shaken him greatly. Why? He didn”t even know the wench, yet she had haunted his dreams since the first time he had seen her. He was in love with her. He shook his head in wonderment. How could he love a girl he barely knew? Yet he did, and somehow, some way, he was going to make her love him!

NYSSA,unaware of the consternation she was causing in the heart and mind of the Earl of March, dined with her aunt and uncle that day. Although she was due back at court by nightfall, she had spent her entire day with them. The lease on their Greenwich house would be up at the end of the month, and they discussed renewing it.

”I do not think you should,” Nyssa said. ”It is no secret any longer. Even the queen knows, though she pretends not to, that her marriage to the king will soon be a thing of the past. There will be an annulment, or divorce, whichever is decided. I will no longer be needed here at court. Go home, Aunt Bliss. I shall soon follow.”

”Not if the king decides he wants you for his wife,” Bliss said seriously. ”His favor toward you is most marked. I believe that we should stay on so that you may have the counsel of your family.”

”For once I am in agreement,” Owen FitzHugh said.

”He favors Catherine Howard too,” Nyssa said, ”and her family is far, far more important than mine is. Besides, remember my mother”s place in the king”s life. He would never seek me out for such an exalted position because of the consanguinity involved, Aunt.”

”Mary Boleyn was his mistress, and yet he married her sister,” Bliss reminded her niece. ”The Princess of Aragon was his brother”s widow, and yet he had to have her for his wife. He is a man who seems to make the same mistake over and over again. Henry Tudor”s relationship with your mother will not stop him if he desires you, Nyssa.”

”Ohh, Aunt, I pray that you are wrong,” Nyssa said. ”I should rather die than be married to that old man! And how would my mother feel about such a thing? It would kill her, and my father too! Ah, did good Queen Anne not need me, I should ask her permission to go home this very day, but I cannot desert her, poor lady.”

”I shall tell the landlord tomorrow that we wish to have the house through the end of June,” Owen FitzHugh said. ”You will not desert your mistress, Nyssa, and we will not desert you, my child.”

Nyssa returned to court just as the sun was setting. There were no entertainments scheduled for that evening, and so she joined her friends in the Maidens” Chamber. The queen had retired early, the strain of her situation weighing upon her. The girls gossiped while playing cards.

”She is very sad that old Cromwell”s fate should be so bleak because of her,” Bessie FitzGerald said. ”Her heart is very good.”

”He would have fallen eventually,” Kate Carey remarked with wisdom beyond her years. ”Both he and Wolsey were of comparatively humble birth. Each climbed high, and gave their loyalty to no man save the king. Both incurred the jealous wrath of men like the Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk. Such men, men without friends, have their fates sealed. Who is there to speak for them?”

”You would think the king would be loyal to those who are loyal to him,” Nyssa said. ”How can one expect loyalty when one does not give loyalty in return? Cromwell is a reptilian little man, but he has spent most of his life trying to make the king”s life a happy one. This is his only failure. I feel sorry for him.”

”It is too big an error in judgment for the king to forgive,” Cat Howard said. ”The king does not like those he trusts to make mistakes.”

”I think I shall be glad to go home when this matter is finally settled,” Nyssa said softly. ”I miss my family, and my home. I want to see my parents. Like my mother, I am a country girl at heart.”

”Perhaps you will not be allowed to go,” Kate Carey said.

”Ohh, do not say it!” Nyssa cried, paling.

”Wouldn”t you like to be a queen?” Cat Howard said slyly. ”I know that I would! Imagine having everything you ever wanted, and the very least of your whims indulged at your demand, and the very people who have ignored you for months striving for your favor! The thought is very exciting. I should adore it!”

”Not I!” Nyssa said. ”I would have a man to love me, and a home among the green hills of England, and a houseful of children! That is a dream far more to my taste than yours, Cat.”

”But you haven”t found a husband yet,” Bessie FitzGerald said.

”No, I have not,” Nyssa said with a small smile. ”I have been so busy attending to my duties for the queen, I have had no time at all to seriously look the gentlemen over. But then few of them have even approached me. Perhaps they don”t find me eligible enough.”

”Oh, Nyssa, you are such a goose!” Cat Howard told her. ”Have you not seen how my cousin, Varian de Winter, looks at you?”

”He is sooo handsome,” Kate Carey sighed.

”My aunt, and her friend, Lady Marlowe, say he is a rogue, and that no respectable girl should associate with him,” Nyssa said.

”Villains are far more fun than saints,” Cat replied, and the others giggled at her witticism.

”Such happy maidens,” Lady Rochford said as she entered the chamber, carrying a decanter and some small cordial glasses upon a tray. ”What are you making merry about, or is it a secret?” She smiled, and Nyssa thought she looked like a ferret.

”We are speaking about the gentlemen,” Cat said boldly.

Jane Rochford raised a slender eyebrow. ”What naughty girls you all are,” she said with an indulgent little smile. She looked about the room. ”Where are the others?” she asked.

”The Bassetts are visiting their aunt overnight,” Kate Carey volunteered. ”Maria and Helga are sleeping in the queen”s chamber this night. It is their turn. Her grace was sad this evening.”

”Good,” Lady Rochford purred. ”Then there is no one to tell on me. Poor darlings! You strive so hard, and are all so good, and have so little amusement, I know. I have brought you all a little treat. Sweet cherry cordial, just made from French cherries, newly imported.” She poured them each a small glass and offered her tray around. ”Help yourselves, my maids.”

”Are you not having any, Lady Rochford?” Bessie asked.

”Oh, child, I”ve already had two small glasses,” Lady Rochford confided with a small hiccough. ”If I drink any more, I shall be quite tipsy. It is really most delicious, is it not?”

They all agreed with her, eagerly sipping the fruit-flavored liqueur.

”It is late,” Lady Rochford noted, ”and you have all gossiped long enough. Ready yourselves for bed while you finish your cordial. I must take all the evidence of our treat away lest old Mother Lowe or Lady Browne come upon it and scold me for indulging you so.” She smiled again. ”It is rare for you to have such a quiet evening. You will want to catch up on your sleep, unless, of course, some of you are planning to slip out and meet your lovers?” She peered closely at them, and they burst into good-natured laughter at her teasing.

”Ohh, Lady Rochford,” Kate said, ”who among us has a lover, do you think? None, I fear!”

”Do not be so certain.” Lady Rochford chuckled. ”It is always the one you least expect, sweet Kate. Perhaps it is you!”

”Nay! Nay! Though I wish it were so, madame,” the girl replied, laughing.

”Let me have a tad more of that cherry cordial,” Bessie said. ”Neither Lady Browne, who has gone to spend the night with her husband, nor Mother Lowe, who stays with the queen, is here to catch us.”

Lady Rochford frowned. ”Certainly not, Elizabeth FitzGerald,” she said sternly. ” ”Twas a treat, and you will be tipsy if you drink more. Now, be off with you, my maids.” Lady Rochford shooed them to their beds saying, ”There is no need to double up tonight, is there, with four gone? How nice to have a bed to one”s self, even for a night.”

Nyssa, who thought the cordial too sweet, had surreptitiously pushed her glass over to Bessie, who grinned conspiratorially. Nyssa had to agree with Lady Rochford about the sleeping arrangements. She could not get used to having to share a bed with another girl. She had always had her own bed her entire life. The others did not seem to mind, or if they did, they said nothing. Cat Howard had been raised in a dormitory for young girls at her grandmother Howard”s house. Bessie had spent most of her life at court as the king”s ward, and Kate Carey had a sister. Nyssa yawned. She was suddenly very sleepy, and so, it appeared, were the others. She drew the coverlet up over herself, her eyes closing even as she did so.

Lady Jane Rochford settled herself into a chair by the fire and waited, growing a bit sleepy herself with the warmth from the fire toasting her toes. An hour passed, and the girls were sleeping soundly. She arose and checked each of them individually. It was time. Taking a taper, she went to the chamber window that faced the courtyard and slowly waved the candlestick back and forth several times. Then she sat back down again in her chair to wait. Several minutes later she heard a soft scratching at the chamber door. Moving quickly, she opened the door and led the two men who entered to where Nyssa lay.

”That is the girl,” she said softly. ”Quickly now!”

One of the men picked up the slumbering girl, coverlet and all, and hurried from the Maidens” Chamber, the other going swiftly before him to be certain that no one saw them. Behind them Lady Rochford quickly closed the door. The two men moved swiftly through the dimly lit palace corridors, taking a roundabout route that was less likely to be patrolled by the king”s guards, who would most certainly ask questions that they could not answer.

Nyssa”s abductors were two of the most trusted of the Duke of Norfolk”s men. They had been ordered to bring this girl to the Earl of March”s bedchamber in secret. They had no idea what was afoot, nor would they have ever considered asking. They were servants, and servants, even those of long-standing, did not question their masters. Upon reaching their destination, they entered and deposited the girl upon the bed, as they had been ordered. There appeared to be no one else in the room, but the two men had completed their assignment, and so they left.

When the door closed behind them, Varian de Winter stepped from the shadows and walked over to the bed to look down at Nyssa. She was going to hate him, and he did not want her to hate him. He had wanted to court her, and win her honestly. He had wanted her family to consider him worthy of their daughter, but it was not to be. They would accept him because they would have no other choice. He would have to win them over. If only he could convince Nyssa not to hate him. Perhaps she would never love him, but he desperately did not want her to despise him.

She was wrapped in the coverlet that had obviously been on her bed. Carefully he untangled it from around her, and folding it up, hid it in the carved cabinet on the wall to the left of his bed. Opposite the bed a small fire burned in a tiled fireplace. The earl laid another log upon the fire, then drew off his velvet robe, throwing it over a chair. The flames played upon his long, lean body. Several of the women who had been his lovers claimed that he was like a piece of beautiful sculpture come to life. It both flattered and amused him.

Walking back over to the bed, he did what had to be done to make this charade convincing to Henry Tudor. He pulled the pink silk ribbons of Nyssa”s chemise open, raised the girl halfway up and began to draw it off of her. She stirred restlessly. The flimsy little garment was soft. It slid easily down her delicate frame. He set her back to lie against the pillows. He struggled not to look too closely at her, but he had not the strength to resist. She was lovelier than any woman he had ever possessed. She had a long torso, and pretty, shapely legs. Her breasts were small but pert, and her skin looked as soft as the garment he had just divested her of a moment before. Her dark hair against her fair, fair skin made her look so vulnerable. If his conscience had plagued him before, it certainly ate at him now, but it was much too late to turn back. God help us all, he thought; me, and Nyssa Wyndham, and my poor cousin Catherine. No man is safe from the ambition of another man, and Thomas Howard is more ambitious than most.

Lifting her again, he slid her beneath the down coverlet and climbed into the bed next to her. She stirred once more, this time murmuring restlessly. The Duke of Norfolk would certainly be here at any moment with the king to discover Nyssa Wyndham lost in a moment of unbridled passion with the Earl of March. He raised himself on one elbow and gazed down upon his innocent victim. To his great surprise, Nyssa opened her violet-blue eyes. Her look was one of total confusion as she looked up at the velvet bed hangings and then at him.

”Am I dreaming?” she whispered, her heart beginning to hammer with fright.

”I wish I could say you were, sweetheart,” he answered low.

Her eyes widened. Gasping, she clutched at the coverlet, peeping quickly beneath it. ”Ohhhh!” Her shock was obvious as her cheeks reddened.

At that moment he heard movement outside the bedchamber door. Reaching out, he tangled his hand roughly in her hair and said, ”Forgive me, Nyssa Wyndham!” Then his mouth came bruisingly down upon hers, even as the door to the room burst open and he heard his grandfather”s voice say, ”You see, Your Grace! I was not misinformed.”

Henry Tudor could not believe his eyes. They bugged from his head. There she lay, a startled look upon her beautiful face, one perfect little breast exposed to his view, her ripe little mouth absolutely bruised with kisses. Nyssa Wyndham! His little country girl”s daughter, as wanton a wench as her mother had been good and decent. It was patently obvious to him what was going on. It would have been obvious to anyone. ”Madame!” he roared. ”I would have an explanation for your disgraceful behavior, although I can think of no explanation that would excuse your lewdness!”

”Your Grace,” Nyssa began, half sobbing. Where in God”s name was she? How had she gotten here? The sensation of the Earl of March”s leg against hers was exciting, but it shouldn”t be.

”Silence, girl!” the Duke of Norfolk said. Then he turned his gaze to his grandson. ”Varian, I am outraged that you would debauch an innocent maid of good reputation and family. You have gone too far this time, I fear. There is but one solution open to us to prevent a scandal and save this lady”s heretofore good name.”

”They”re to go to the Tower! Both of them!” the king snarled.

”Wait, Your Grace,” Bishop Gardiner said in conciliatory tones. He had been standing behind the duke, but now he moved forward with the Archbishop of Canterbury at his side. ”There can be no scandal at this particular time in your court—particularly as it has been whispered that you favor this young woman.”

”Favor Nyssa?” the king said. ”Of course I favor her. She is the daughter of my friend, Blaze Wyndham. I promised Nyssa”s parents that I would look after her as if she were one of my own daughters. God”s blood, Gardiner! Certainly you did not think that I looked upon her with romantic intentions? If you did, you are a fool!” he shouted.

”No, no, Your Grace,” the bishop said, nonplussed. The king had once again surprised him. Why was it he was always able to do that?

”I do not know how I came to be here,” Nyssa cried out, but no one except the Archbishop of Canterbury heard her.

Thomas Cranmer saw the honest confusion on the girl”s face. He noted the barely masked worry on the earl”s handsome visage and knew instantly that there was some plot afoot. Since he could not imagine what it was, he kept his suspicions to himself. Lady Nyssa Wyndham”s reputation must be protected. The girl was obviously innocent of any wrongdoing, although he would be hard-pressed to convince the king of it. Henry Tudor would only believe what he considered the evidence of his own eyes.

”Your Grace, there is but one remedy to this situation,” the archbishop said in his soft, soothing voice.

The king looked questioningly at him.

”Lady Wyndham and Lord de Winter must be joined in matrimony this very night, before any word of this incident gets out. I am certain that Bishop Gardiner and the duke will agree with me, will you not, my lords?” The archbishop smiled gently, encouragingly, at them.

”Of course, of course, my lord,” the bishop said.

”He”s right, though ”tis not often I agree with the archbishop,” the duke said. ”We can silence the gossip by saying my grandson fell in love with the chit; that the king gave his permission for them to marry, and that because of your grace”s own marital difficulty, they chose to be married by the archbishop quickly and quietly so they might continue to serve you and the queen during this difficult time for you both.”

”If you were an animal, Tom, you would be a fox,” Henry Tudor said grimly. He turned to the couple abed and said to the earl, ”How long has this been going on beneath my very nose, my lord?”

”Lady Wyndham only came to my bed this night, Your Grace,” Varian de Winter answered truthfully.

”And have you breached her defenses yet, or did we arrive in time, sirrah?” The king was very angry, but he was not certain which of them angered him more. He had certainly thought better of Nyssa Wyndham, but then these young women today were not like their mothers.

”I am a virgin!” Nyssa said furiously, glaring at them all. ”I do not know how I came to be here, Your Grace, but I did not come to his bed! I do not know how I got here!”

”Madame,” the king said coldly, ”your mother never lied to me. I am sorry that you see fit to do so.”

”I am not lying!” Nyssa almost wept.

”Madame, am I a fool?” the king roared angrily. ”Is that what you think of your sovereign? I find you naked as the day your sweet mother bore you, in the bed of an equally naked man. Am I to believe that you came here by magic? If you indeed did not come here willingly, or under your own power, then how did you come here, Nyssa Wyndham? Answer me that? How came you to the Earl of March”s bed?”

”I do not know!” she sobbed.

”Your Grace,” the archbishop said quietly, ”I think perhaps it would be wise to send for Lady Wyndham”s aunt. Her guilt has obviously overcome her, and she is in need of female comfort. In the meantime, Bishop Gardiner and I will repair to the Chapel Royal to make our preparations for the wedding of these two young people. I know that they are both distressed to have caused your grace such acute suffering.”

”Aye, go along, both of you. I want them married within the hour,” the king said, glaring at the couple. ”I will witness their nuptials myself, as will the duke. In the morning, Lord de Winter, I shall expect to see proof of Lady Wyndham”s defloration. You will marry her, and you will remain married to her. There will be no excuse for an annulment. Do you understand me, my lord?”

”Aye, Your Grace, completely, but I assure you that I am eager to marry Lady Wyndham, and will endeavor to be a good husband to her in all ways. We will name our first son after you, will we not, sweetheart?”

”I will not marry this man!” Nyssa shouted. ”I do not love him! I do not even know him! I will only marry for love!”

”You knew him well enough to creep into his bed!” snapped the king. ”God”s blood, wench! Who the hell do you think will marry you if not de Winter once this scandal is out, and it will get out, I assure you. The walls have ears, you may be certain. You are ruined, girl. I gave your mother my solemn word that I would care for you and keep you safe. You have made your bed, by God, and now you will lie in it. You will accept the consequences of your actions! There is no other choice, Lady Wyndham. You will marry Varian de Winter because I, your king, order you to marry him. To disobey my order is treason. Your mother has always been my most loyal servant, and I expect no less of you, Nyssa Wyndham.” He sighed. ”At least the man is of equal birth to you. I can but hope you are satisfied with your choice, girl, for you have no option in this matter now. You will be married to this man within the hour.” So saying, Henry Tudor departed the earl”s bedchamber in the company of the Duke of Norfolk.

For several long moments the silence within the room was thick. Then Nyssa said to the man by her side, ”How came I here, my lord?”

”Not now, Nyssa,” he said grimly.

”I have a right to know!” She did not look at him, and her voice was ragged with her emotion. ”I went to sleep in the Maidens” Chamber. I awoke here to find myself in the center of a maelstrom.”

”I promise that I will tell you, but not now,” he said. ”I know that under the circumstances I have not the right to ask it of you, but please, Nyssa, trust me. You will not come to any harm.”

Now she turned to look directly at him. ”Trust you, my lord? Why should I trust you? Your reputation is foul, and whatever has happened here tonight has done little to reassure me otherwise. No! I do not trust you. Indeed I think I could hate you for your part in this charade. My parents always promised me that I should choose my own husband. Now it seems that decision has been taken from me by strangers, and I would know why. I think you owe me that.”

”And more,” he agreed, ”but I cannot tell you now. You will have to accept that, and be patient.”

”Patience is not one of my long suits, my lord,” she warned him. ”You have much to learn about me.”

”How old are you?” he asked her.

”Seventeen, the last day of December past,” she answered. ”How old are you, my lord? Are you very old?”

”I will be thirty the last day of this month,” he replied, smiling at her. There was so much he needed to learn about Nyssa Wyndham.

He has a nice smile, she thought; neither too broad nor too thin. I could almost like him. Almost.

”Where do you live when you do not live at court?” she asked.

”My estates are across the river Wye from your house at Riverside,” he said. ”Until recently I did not possess the river frontage, but now I do. My house is on a hill a mile from the water. My estate is called Winterhaven. Your uncle, Lord Kingsley”s lands, partly border it.”

”Why have we never met before I came to court?” she asked him. She was surprised, nay amazed, at her calm.

”Because I have lived with the Duke of Norfolk”s household since I was six years old. My father, Henry de Winter, the previous earl, died when you were just a very little girl. I come to Winterhaven only for a few weeks each summer to escape the court, and to be private. I have never entertained, or socialized with my neighbors there. Had I, we might have met before you came here. I hope you will not be disappointed, but I should very much like to leave the court and live in the country, Nyssa. I know this must be exciting for a young girl, but I am weary of it all.”

”I had planned to go home once this business with the king”s marriage was settled. My mistress will not need me when she is no longer Queen of England,” Nyssa said. ”I will not be unhappy to leave court.” It was not calm she felt. It was cold. She suddenly realized she felt cold. Was she in shock? Or was she simply stunned with outrage?

There was a knock upon the chamber door, but before the earl might say ”Enter,” Bliss FitzHugh rushed in, her beautiful blue eyes wide at the sight of her naked niece in bed with the Earl of March.

”Ohh, Nyssa,” she said, nearly weeping. ”What have you done, my child? I have just received the most dreadful scolding from the king himself. He says you must marry immediately.” She turned her gaze on Varian de Winter. ”You are a scoundrel, my lord, to have seduced an innocent maid! At least this time you will not be able to leave her with child, to kill herself over the shame of your betrayal!”

”As we are to be related, madame,” Varian de Winter said with as much dignity as an unclothed man might muster, ”I will overlook your thoughtless remarks. You have been misinformed by that great gossip, Adela Marlowe, I am most certain. When we know each other better, I shall enlighten you with the truth. I assume you can recognize the truth, Lady FitzHugh.”

Bliss gasped, and Nyssa could not help the little giggle that escaped her. It was not often that someone could set her aunt back on her heels so firmly and neatly.

”You dare to laugh, mistress?” Bliss said, outraged. ”Your parents will be heartbroken when they learn of your behavior. Get out of that bed, Nyssa Wyndham! You are to be married at once, and I do not know what you can wear under such circumstances as these!” She snatched up Nyssa”s little silk shift and threw it at her. ”As for you, sirrah, get some clothing on this instant unless you intend to be wed to my niece in the altogether!” She glared fiercely at them both.

The Earl of March, sheepishly pulling the coverlet about his loins, climbed gingerly from his bed and slowly backed into the dressing room where his clothing was hanging. Nyssa pulled her shift over her head and climbed from the bed.

”Well,” Bliss said, ”he”s handsome, I”ll give him that. At least his blood is noble. A Howard! You”ve caught a big fish in your net, my child!”

”I did not catch him at all,” Nyssa said irritably.

Bliss paid absolutely no attention to her niece. ”What can you wear? Oh, lord! The king said you were to come immediately to the chapel. What are we to do? You cannot stand before the archbishop in your shift!” Her blue eyes suddenly lit up. ”Of course! You can wear my cloak over your chemise. It”s trimmed in fur, and the rose velvet is very flattering to you. Your hair needs brushing, Nyssa. My lord,” she called out. ”I shall need a brush to neaten Nyssa”s hair.” She fussed about her niece, settling her ermine-trimmed cape over Nyssa”s shoulders, fastening it shut with the small gold frog closures. Bliss snatched up the brush that Varian de Winter handed her and vigorously removed the tangles from the girl”s lovely dark hair. Then suddenly she began to weep. ”Ohhh, your mother will never forgive me for letting this happen to you! And to not be at your wedding! Tony will be simply furious, my child. You know how he dotes upon you. He did not want you to come to court.”

Nyssa said nothing for the moment. She let her aunt babble on, for it would have been impossible to get Bliss to cease. I have imagined my wedding my whole life, Nyssa thought, but I could have never imagined anything like the reality I now face. Am I dreaming? She pinched herself, but she was not dreaming. This was truly happening. Her aunt”s strident tones brought her back to the present.

”My lord de Winter!” Bliss”s beautiful face was the picture of perfect outrage. ”Surely you are not going to your wedding dressed in such a manner? This matter is scandalous enough as it is!”

”I do not choose to outshine my bride, madame,” he answered her calmly. ”To do so would be unforgivable. Unless Nyssa has some objection, I will remain as I am. What say you, Lady Wyndham?”

For the first time since this dreadful affair had burst upon her, Nyssa truly liked Varian de Winter. Whatever else he might be, he was a man with a sense of humor. He stood before her in a white silk nightshirt, over which he wore a deep green velvet robe trimmed with dark sable. His feet were as bare as hers.

Nyssa giggled, much to her aunt”s mortification. ”I am content with your garb, sir. It seems appropriate to this particular occasion.” She curtsied to him, and he bowed in return.

Bliss sighed dramatically. ”Then there is no help for it,” she said, ”and if we keep the king waiting much longer, all our heads will roll, I fear. Come along, both of you. We have a wedding to go to. Ohhh, Nyssa! I can but imagine what your parents will say! Hurry now! Your uncle is awaiting us outside the door. He did not want to come in for fear of embarrassing you, but you do not seem the least ashamed of your actions this night. I do not understand you at all!” She bustled from the room, her skirts flying about her.

”Is all of your family like that?” Varian asked Nyssa.

”You will shortly learn if they are,” she responded. ”I realize that we have both been trapped into this marriage, my lord. When it is finally fact, I will look forward to your explanation as to why.”