The Last Boleyn(71)
“What ails you, Mary?”
“Do not touch me, please. I wish to sit with the Duchess of Suffolk.”
“You will sit with His Grace, unfortunately for me—that is, unless your little wren of a sister tempts him to take her away from the string of admirers she always flaunts.”
“At least Anne is happy now. When the king and the Cardinal took Harry Percy away from her, I doubted she ever would be again.”
“I am not so certain she is truly happy now. She seethes inside, Mary. But she is adept at putting on a happy face while you never seem able to manage it lately. Did your father berate you that your son was not given a title yesterday with Fitzroy?”
She turned to look fully into his face for the first time today. His eyes were in shadow, but he looked perfectly serious. “Are you a spy, William Stafford? Why does it seem you always know the business of the Bullens?”
“When will you learn that it takes no spying, sweet Mary? It is all so easy to read.”
“Not to me. But then, who would expect such a foolish woman to understand the goings-on of the great world outside her empty little head?”
“I have told you not to let your father get to you like this.”
“Take your hand off me. The king is here. Go back to your fair-haired, cow-eyed Maud!”
“I hope we can talk later, Mary, without Will or the king.” He half-turned away from her and bowed low with the rest of the courtiers on the royal barge as the king, Duke and Duchess of Suffolk mounted the barge. But he said out of the side of his mouth before he left her. “I do not love Maud Jennings, Mary.”
Carefully, Mary composed her face and, when she caught sight of the Duchess’s warm smile, her own joy was genuine. “Mary, it has been two days since I last saw you. Is little Catherine’s fever abated?”
“Yes, Your Grace. It passed in but a few hours. I prayed that your Margaret would not catch it.”
“I keep her out of the night air, and she is healthy as a pup. My dear Charles dotes on her, though I know he wanted a son. Now, if we can just get through the summer without anyone catching the foul sweating sickness, I shall be able to face anything.”
“What do I hear?” the king boomed so close in Mary’s ear that she jumped. “We are about to go on a fine outing to see my new palace at Hampton, and I hear mention of the damned sweating sickness. Pray God, it does not strike the court this year. Besides, ladies, we shall all sit it out safe hunting at Eltham. Charles, sit with your lady there behind me and do keep her off such vile topics, or I shall personally toss her into the Thames.” Everyone laughed and Mary went through the motions. “Mary, here with me. I cannot wait to show you how magnificent my Hampton is. We shall move the court there soon, though I may let Wolsey use it from time to time when we are elsewhere.”
Mary sat obediently at his left and carefully arranged her stylish dress fold by satin fold.
“You look lovely, lovely as always, Mary. I have just the pair of topaz earrings which would set off your eyes in a color such as that. The color of golden sunlight, eh?” His narrow eyes caressed her openly.
“Thank you, Sire. You look spectacular today.”
He beamed like a schoolboy and Mary returned his smile willingly. As usual, he did indeed look impressive in Tudor green and blinding white to match his barge and, probably, the pennants which would mark this new palace they would visit.
“Where is that little minx of a sister of yours, Mary?” he asked, suddenly craning his huge neck. “There she is! Next to an unmarried courtier, of course, flirting. Staff! Here, to me!”
Neither Anne nor Staff missed a chance to be with someone young and flirtatious, Mary thought as she smoothed her skirts and gazed out over the water. She would not give Staff the pleasure of thinking she had time to listen to him. She lowered her eyes as he approached and stared fixedly at the glint of reflected sunlight from the river surface as it danced along her gold skirts.
“Yes, Sire?”
“Staff, are you certain that everything was fully in order? Sir Francis told me the cardinal had a huge gilded bed in his privy chamber with golden cardinal’s hats on each bedpost.”
“It is true, Your Grace. But he did remove that bed and one vast desk. Everything else stayed. You will be pleased, I know.”
“I would never want the common folk to know of it, Staff, but I know he kept a string of women to share that gilded bed, and that he hides a wife besides!” He lowered his voice and Staff leaned closer over Mary to hear. “In other words, under that mountain of fat draped with scarlet robes, and all that piety lurk a normal, lusty man, eh?” The king and Staff laughed loudly enough for most heads to turn their way. Mary folded her hands demurely in her lap and sat stock-still, as though she had not heard.
“I warrant the sweet Lady Mary has been about me enough that she does not even blush at jests such as that.” The king covered her silken knee with his hand and squeezed it playfully. Mary turned to him and forced a smile.
“And while we are on that delightful subject, Staff, how do you find little Jennings?” Henry guffawed and Staff shifted from one foot to the other, a set smile on his face.
“I find her a bit of an innocent, Sire,” he said quietly.
“Still, Staff? But she has been at court three weeks already. I would never have imagined I should have to give you lessons.” He snickered again and Staff bowed and backed away although Mary could not see that he had been dismissed.