‘It would not be wise to openly antagonise the Lady Anne and her family, Sir Edward,’ Cromwell claimed. ‘I am told the king loves her dearly. We must be patient. Maybe her downfall could be accomplished by making her Queen of England. That way, the kingdom could be benefited by her religious influence over the king. Then, after she has served her purpose, we find a way to discredit her.’
‘What if she produces male heirs, though?’ I asked in a troubled voice.
‘I’m sorry, Sir Edward, perhaps I misunderstood you; I was under the notion that you wished to find your family’s killer, not become the King of England,’ Cromwell said to me half-smiling.
‘Not wishing to see the offspring of my family’s murderers sitting upon the throne of England, does not mean I want to be king myself,’ I countered strongly.
‘Yes, I suppose you are right,’ Cromwell accepted with a faint smile. ‘But we cannot have everything in this life, can we?’
‘You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Cromwell!’ Belfrigh said suspiciously, still clutching his sword. ‘How can we trust you, though?’
‘As I said before, Sir John, we must help one another,’ Cromwell responded categorically.
‘Agreed!’ I pronounced having no other possible escape route from this place. I extended a dirty hand towards Cromwell. He shook it satisfied. ‘Just make sure you get me out of here as soon as possible, so we can work out a way to help Eleanor too.’
‘You’ll be out of here in no time, Sir Edward. Rest assured!’
*
I was released from prison the following midday. The Duke of Suffolk had been sent to inform me that I was to go straight to the king for a hearing. I knew what I had to do. The king would surely shout at me then I would apologise on my knees and beg for His Majesty’s forgiveness for my insolence.
It happened exactly as such, but I did not mind because Cromwell had kept his word and thus I was convinced that he might prove a valuable ally in the near future. However, now my mind was fixated on a single thing: to find a way to rescue Eleanor from a terrible fate. For that, I had to implement all my influences at court. Who could I trust, though? Cromwell had offered no guarantees for the release of Eleanor.
‘Why don’t you dine with me and my wife tonight, Sir Edward?’ the Duke of Suffolk suggested after I had left the hearing room like a bitten dog.
Reluctant as I was I did not answer immediately.
‘It would just be you, my wife and me, I promise,’ he added as if he knew the cause of my hesitation.
The truth was that after I had started suspecting the Boleyns to have an involvement on my parents’ murder, I did not know whether I should trust the Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk, who together with Thomas Boleyn had conspired to bring about the fall of Cardinal Wolsey. Alliances could swiftly change, though, according to one’s needs…
‘With pleasure!’ I accepted eventually.
‘Excellent! Seven of the clock sharp in my apartments, then. I trust you know where they are,’ Suffolk said, and I nodded.
The king’s palaces had always been massive, and one could easily lose their way trying to navigate through them. Hampton Court Palace was not an exception, as it consisted of over forty apartments, all equipped with the luxury that befitted the King’s Court. There were also quite a few courtyards, gardens and even a tennis court. King Henry had seemed to grow increasingly fond of the palace, especially after the fall of Wolsey. The court was spending more and more time there, and the king had ordered many renovations and new constructions to make it even grander than it already was.
Despite having lost my way on the maze of corridors of Hampton Court, I arrived at the Duke of Suffolk’s apartments at seven of the clock precisely that evening and was admitted by one of his servants. The apartments could have belonged to the king himself, as they offered every luxury and had their own stone fireplace which was lit, conjuring light and cosiness. A grant table had been set in the middle of the room, and no less than four servants were standing around it ready to serve at their master’s call.
What am I doing here? Dining like a lord whilst Eleanor rots in a cell?
‘Sir Edward, I welcome you!’ said the Duke of Suffolk, then shook my hand and embraced me like a brother, which startled me; we never had this kind of familiarity.
‘My Lord Suffolk!’ I bowed courteously. ‘Thank you for your generous invitation.’
‘Please, call me Charles, Sir Edward,’ the duke said.
I paused. What was he playing at? ‘As you wish, Charles. You can call me simply Edward,’ I said smiling politely.
Looking satisfied with himself, the duke turned his attention to the other prominent presence in the chamber. ‘Let me present to you the Duchess of Suffolk and my wife, Mary.’
‘Don’t be absurd, Charles,’ the duchess said, ‘Edward and I have met!’ She extended a hand which I kissed with the tip of my lips.
‘Although, we have barely exchanged a few words,’ I added having noticed Suffolk’s momentary look of curiosity, perhaps mixed with jealousy.
Of course, the duchess and I had met in various official ceremonies and feasts. Mary was the king’s own younger sister and had married Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk after her marriage with the King of France Luis the Twelfth had ended prematurely with his death. Their story was infamous at court. Charles and Mary had apparently fallen in love and had married in secrecy in France. When they returned to England and broke the news to King Henry, he was furious that they had acted without asking for his permission. He had thus banished them both from the court for months until at the end he resented and accepted their apology. Eventually, they were permitted to return to court, but they paid a huge fine.
‘How do you do, my lady?’
She was quite beautiful. Her eyes had the exact deep blue colour of her brother’s. She also had a pointy long nose and chin that resembled so much… my own. In a startling realisation, I gazed upon my half-sister. I had never seen her like that before. And why would I? I barely knew her.
‘Well, thank you,’ she responded. ‘’Tis good to have you here, tonight, Sir Edward. I hope you like the deer.’
‘I love it, my lady!’ I exclaimed. After the hideous food of the prison, my stomach felt emptier than it had for years.
‘Splendid! Boys, do serve us,’ she commanded the servants as she took a seat with the fireplace behind her. Her auburn hair, which was tucked in a neat bun on the base of her neck illuminated.
The duke and I joined her on the table, he seated next to her and me on their opposite. The servants brought what seemed to be a youngling deer, in a silver-glowing platter, whilst fruit accompanied it.
‘Would you care for ale, beer or wine, my lord?’ one of the servants asked me in an official manner.
‘Wine for me, boy,’ I responded and then caught myself wondering how much I had changed in the last couple of years. ‘Thank you!’ I added hastily. I was used to be treated and served as a gentleman now, that even a few days away from all this had upset me.
I had never wanted to become one of them, pretentious lords of the court that stepped over the bodies of their rivals and common folk to acquire more wealth and influence over the king. However, sitting next to these people that night made me feel good about myself. The exhilaration of power gave me strength and somehow, I knew that I should not be intimidated by dukes or lords; after all, I was the son of a king.
‘Charles and I have been made aware of your current situation, Sir Edward,’ the duchess said, after drinking a big gulp of wine.
I did not answer. I would not give them bait to prey on.
‘There is no reason to be wary, Edward,’ the duke said. ‘Mary and I wish only to assist you. Besides, you and I are allies, isn’t that right. We both deserve credit for the fall of Wolsey.’
‘Indeed, my lo- Charles,’ I concurred. What of it? Where are you going with this, Suffolk? I thought and casually started to pick on the deer. It tasted delicio
usly sweet.
‘We know, that your woman is locked up in a cell and waiting to be executed for heresy and witchcraft. Quite the accusations, right?’ said the duchess. ‘I’ve seen her, she’s very beautiful. But a commoner, isn’t she, Sir Edward?’
I was starting to understand that Mary was like her brother King Henry when it came to royalty. The ordinary folk did not deserve to be in direct association with the nobles.
‘I love her, my lady. I wish to save her,’ I replied simply, trying to control myself and not curse her. It was impossible for me to see that woman as my sister. The only sisters I ever knew was Margot and my sweet little Jane.
‘Is that so?’ she said arrogantly. ‘There are certainly better matches for you, Sir Edward,’ she said.
‘That is not the reason I invited you here tonight, Edward,’ the duke said looking at his wife with a stern expression. ‘I would like to discuss other matters.’
‘Such us?’ I asked pretending curiosity, sipping my wine and then resuming eating.
‘The Boleyns!’
‘You have my attention!’
‘That whore Anne Boleyn is poisoning my brother’s mind,’ the duchess said abruptly.
‘That’s enough, Mary,’ the duke scolded her. ‘We need to be cautious.’
‘She needs to burn in Hell,’ she countered. ‘The more power she and her family gains, the less influence you seem to have upon the king. Even her uncle, Norfolk has sensed the shift of power at the King’s Council. Ah, poor Catherine,’ she carried on and sipped again from her goblet. She motioned to one of the servants to refill it.
The duke sighed. ‘Well, I guess I couldn’t have summarised it better myself,’ the duke admitted. ‘Although, I have an addition to make. That cunning man, Cromwell is rising dangerously fast in the king’s favour. He’s smart, I’ll give him that and a skilled advocate, but give a commoner too much power, and they might destroy you.’
There it was again, the need to separate the nobility from normal people, mere mortals... I could not play this game, not with Eleanor’s life hanging upon a thread
‘What exactly do you expect from me, my lord?’ I said making my voice more formal. ‘’Twas, Master Cromwell that got me out of prison and not you.’
‘I was away from court, on the king’s business,’ the duke countered angrily. ‘I’ll have you know, Sir Edward, that managing the kingdom is a much harder job than you would think. ’Tis not just hunting and jousting and courting,’ he said glaring at his wife for a split second, guilt in his eyes. ‘I consider you a natural ally, and I believe you are smarter than to trust Cromwell! He’s a Lutheran and works tirelessly to end Catholicism in this country. You have the king’s ear, Sir Edward. Use your voice to-’
‘To what? Influence him? Manipulate him?’ I asked not believing my ears. ‘You above all people should know, my lord, that the king would not listen to anyone but himself. He’s the most stubborn man I’ve ever met. If he loves Anne Boleyn, he will marry her. And if he must split ties with Rome and the Catholic Church to do that, then make no mistake he will do it. And rightly so!’ I was fuming with anger. Furious of how everyone in this accursed city and court was ready to betray friends or foes alike to achieve their own cause.
‘I do not favour Lady Anne Boleyn and her family, either, my lord,’ I continued, ‘but they’ve got one thing right, at least. The Catholics and their practices are abominable. Thomas More is at the helm of this operation at the moment, and he’s about to burn the woman I love at the stake. So, forgive me when I say that you need to sort out your moralistic ideas in your head, my lord; for this is greater than you or me.’
With these words, I drained my goblet, stood up and said my farewell. ‘Thank you for the lovely deer. My lady, my lord!’ I bowed mockingly and departed.
*
There seemed to be a new rivalry formed at court. As Mary my half-sister had said, the Dukes of Suffolk and Norfolk were coming against Thomas Cromwell and the Boleyns, and often they exchanged heated encounters even in public. Their zeal kept both sides busy, fighting for power, but it was clear that Cromwell and Thomas Boleyn were winning this war.
I received no further approach by the Duke of Suffolk to try and recruit me. I also knew the smart move, not to mention the safe choice, was to adapt and go with the tide, as Belfrigh had suggested.
Over the next few days, I spent most of my time trying to find the right moment to speak with the king on behalf of Eleanor, who was still confined in the Tower of London but had yet to be tried, although if it came to a trial she would surely be condemned to die. The king had already made his opinion quite plain to me when it came on dealing with people who were not royals or highborn, but I felt it would be foolish not to try and persuade him to intervene and save Eleanor’s life. Therefore, I mustered the courage to ask him one morrow when I was attending on his royal person. The outcome was disastrous, though…
‘Don’t be a fool, Sir Edward,’ he said after I had dressed him with his hunting doublet, he was to go hunting with his mistress that day. ‘That woman is charged with heresy and witchcraft. What would my subjects say if I dismissed these accusations as if they were nothing?’ he enquired, but then answered his own question, ‘I’ll tell you what! It would indicate tolerance and even encouragement to others to be bold enough to do such foul deeds. I do not believe you dare ask me such a thing.’
‘Your Majesty, forgive me. I would not have asked you this favour if I knew these accusations to be true, but they are not,’ I explained myself. ‘Eleanor and I have been together for years, and I know her. I swear to Jesus Christ’s Holy blood, she is neither a heretic nor a witch.’
He turned away from the full-body looking glass, where he was admiring his reflection and gazed upon me, his lips pursed with one another making them a thin line, whilst his blue eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘Do you have proof?’ he asked at the end.
‘Majesty, I-’
‘Do you-have-proof?’ he asked again emphatically.
‘No, Your Majesty, but neither is there any proof that she has been involved in heretic deeds or magic,’ I countered hoping that my argument was good enough.
The king chuckled. ‘You think that because there is no subtle evidence of her guilt that makes her innocent?’
‘Majesty?’
‘THE SUSPICION ALONE IS ENOUGH, YOU FOOL!’ he yelled at me, waving his arms in anger. ‘Where there is smoke, there is also fire, and I trust Sir Thomas More to do his job properly and find the source of this infectious fire. Heretics must be BURNED, Sir Edward. You above all people must be aware of that, being a son of a Catholic Cardinal.’
‘Majesty, just because it is the practice of the Catholic Church to blindly punish people in the most horrific way for sins that there is no proof of does not mean it is right.’ There I said, I could not contain myself any longer.
‘What did you say to me?’ the king asked eyeing me from the tip of my head to the bottom as though considering where it would hurt more if he punched me or even worse stab me. ‘Do not presume to know what is right and what is not,’ he said eventually in a disgusted voice. ‘Remember your station.’ Then he paced towards the window and gazed outside.
Only moments before the sky had been bright blue, now a raging rain had started without us noticing and would inevitably mean that the hunting trip would be postponed.
He kicked a chest of clothes in anger and then said: ‘Go tell Lady Anne that we are not going hunting today.’
‘Yes, Your Majesty!’ I said and turned to leave. I knew my battle was lost.
‘And, Sir Edward,’ he called, and I turned, ‘I forbid you to see this heretic woman of yours ever again. Let Thomas More handle it. Your continuous association with her will bring damage to the reputation of our court and me personally, as you are a Gentleman of the Privy Chamber. You must understand how things are. There are others that would suit better to your rank.’
‘Majesty!’ I said, then I bowe
d and left his presence, for I was ready to strangle him with my own bare hands…
There was no use to deny it, Eleanor would most likely die. Oh, how I hated them all. How I wished to see this place burned to the ground along with its occupants. Poisonous, treacherous, abominable people they all were, with no humanity in them.
That same day I went to find Cromwell, a man whom I could barely trust, but I hoped he would sympathise. My purpose was one, to see Eleanor. Although the king had forbidden it, I could not bear the thought of not doing so before her imminent execution, for I wanted to provide her with some comfort.
‘Oh, this is a perilous situation you wish to put me in, Sir Edward,’ Cromwell said when I asked him my favour. ‘For if the king has disallowed it, then I would be in as much trouble as you if you get caught.’
‘I will not, Master Cromwell, I promise,’ I assured him. ‘It appears to me there is nothing you can do to save Eleanor, but at least let me see her one last time.’ I pleaded with him.
Cromwell took a deep breath and then exhaled noisily. ‘Very well, then!’ he said eventually. ‘I can only give you a few minutes with her. I’ll see that the guards get rewarded for their silence. I trust you have the appropriate coin?’ he asked rubbing two invisible coins between his right thumb and forefinger.
‘Yes! Thank you, Master Cromwell,’ I said relieved that he had agreed to assist me, and I gave him a small purse full of silver coins.
‘This will do, I think!’ he said picking at the contents of the purse and then pocketed it. ‘And Sir Edward, you owe me a favour, remember that. I trust you will come to my aid when needed.’
‘By God, I swear to you, Master Cromwell!’ I pledged.
He nodded satisfied then said: ‘Tonight, at midnight, you go and see her in the Tower. The guards will let you pass.’
*
At midnight, I sneaked out of the palace, undetected. Fortunately, the court had been moved to Whitehall Palace in the last couple of days, which was of course much closer to the Tower of London than Hampton Court. The current distance was merely a couple of miles to the north and over the other side of Thames.
The Illegitimate Tudor Page 23