Within a few days I didn’t need to ask for work, I knew all my duties and just got on with it unattended. I also helped Vincent in the forge, whenever he needed an extra hand, he always asked for me.
With my attic room now officially available, I tried to be disciplined by putting in at least two hours’ study every day… usually in the evening.
I gave my key to Vincent and within the hour he returned it along with the new one which he had tied to a pink silk ribbon… he didn’t speak when he returned the keys, just smiled and winked as he dropped them into my hand.
My first full week passed very quickly… everyone knowing exactly what was expected of them and all working well as a team under Louis’s supervision. But it wasn’t all work, there was plenty of time to relax, study or play.
On Saturday I woke early thinking only about the afternoon when I would be meeting Anne again. Just thinking about her and the joy of our next meeting excited me to the point where I could not prevent an uncomfortable swelling in my breeches. A wash in cold water tended to ease the problem.
Three stallions and three Palominos had to be groomed and tacked up ready for their riders by 10am so I made a start on one of the smaller Palominos.
‘Where are you meeting Anne?’ Asked Louis. ‘At the Binnenhof Palace?’
‘Would you believe me if I said here in the boathouse?’
He looked at me wide-eyed and open mouthed.
‘That is the last place I would have thought of, and it can mean only one thing. She has grown up.’
‘She certainly has, and believe me Louis, so have I.’
‘I know I keep repeating myself Toby, but do be careful my friend.’
‘I will, but it is not easy.’
I was determined to get to the boathouse before Anne, but stopped briefly on the way to pick some flowers from the garden. I just had time to put them in water when she arrived.
‘I have a present for you,’ I said holding up the key to my attic room in the house.
‘We now have our own home… I must get us some drapes for the window,’ she announced excitedly.
‘It’s not exactly my home, I’m not allowed to sleep there, it’s supposed to be just for studying.’
‘And that’s just exactly what we will be doing… if anybody asks,’ she said.
My coming back into her life had changed Anne, she was back to her old bubbly fun-loving self. Devoted to her work with baby William, she loved to dance and was content to act out the part of my imaginary loving wife every Saturday afternoon.
Since the death of her husband, Anne had become Princess Mary’s most important lady-in-waiting. It was important for Mary to have someone to talk to her baby son William in English, and my Anne and one other called Anne Hyde were the only two apart from herself at Binnenhof who were English-born.
The following weekend Anne was waiting for me in my attic room. Somehow she had managed to get cushions up there, some flowers in a bowl, and still found time to fit new drapes on the tiny window. It was a hot stuffy day and after our weekly session of making love, I suggested we take a walk.
‘Let us go to our secret place by the stream,’ she said as she quickly put on her dress.
With nothing else to do but enjoy each other’s company, we ambled through the gardens hand in hand and barefoot, a parasol in her free hand protecting her head from the sun.
The flowers somehow seemed to be more colourful than I remembered and the water in the stream clearer. When we reached our secret place we lay on the grass and opened the picnic basket she had prepared earlier.
‘I have selected a white wine today Toby… put it in the stream to cool for a while.’
I must have been daydreaming because she hesitated before asking, ‘What are you thinking?’
‘I’m thinking there can be no place I would rather be a hot day like today than with you at our secret place by the stream.’
‘Good answer,’ she said as she unwrapped a fruit pie.
The following Saturday her monthly bleed started, and though I was a little disappointed, it didn’t really matter too much as our love for each other now transcended sex.
I seemed to be living my life in a haze of tranquillity and calmness, doing a job I loved with people I regarded as friends, and floating through each day on a cloud of contentment, knowing that at the weekend I would get my reward.
It was the first week in December… I had collected a little money and was wondering just what present I could afford to buy Anne for Christmas. I kept no secrets from Louis so he knew we were unofficially betrothed and in a serious relationship.
‘A ring,’ he said, ‘a diamond engagement ring.’
‘I am afraid my finances won’t stretch to a diamond ring.’
‘Leave it with me,’ he said, ‘I can make no promises but I have an idea.’
The following Saturday morning as I was packing up for the day Louis stopped me.
‘As you know Toby, you are not the only one to be courting a member of the Royal Household. My girlfriend Helga is the hairdresser at Binnenhof and I put your problem to her knowing she would tell Princess Mary. We all know just how much Mary loves and values Anne, and I was pretty sure she would help if she could. She gave Helga this ring to pass on to you to keep.’
It was a ring in white gold with a large diamond surrounded by smaller ones.
‘How am I ever going to thank her?’
‘She says you should give her a coin, and then if Anne asks where you got the ring, you can tell her truthfully that you bought it. She doesn’t want Anne to know it came from her.’
I handed Louis a single guilder. ‘Do you think that will do?’
‘Perfectly,’ he said.
I can remember many happy Christmases when I was younger and living with Veronica and her girls in Fleet Alley, but none as joyful as this one.
We were unable to meet over the Christmas weekend because of her commitments at Binnenhof, so I gave her the ring a week early.
‘Now I have a token of your love,’ she said as she slipped the ring on the third finger of her left hand. ‘But I can only wear it on that hand while I’m here with you.’
She then surprised me by presenting me with a gold pendent and chain. We neither asked where the presents came from but I did wonder if they had both come from the same source.
Christmas came and went, and I was able to celebrate the coming of the New Year with Anne, quietly in our attic hideaway. I was doing a job I loved, respected by my friends and employer, and living in one of the most beautiful environments in the word. I was comfortable and content with my life.
But as always happens when you think things are going too well, something comes along to spoil it.
One evening in January just as we were about to close the stables up for the day, a coach carrying the livery of the French Royal family noisily rumbled into the courtyard, escorted by a dozen guards.
My Lord King Charles and Thomas Hudson stepped down.
On seeing me, Thomas called, ‘Don’t go anywhere Toby, we need to see you.’
They then hurried into Noordeinde Palace… coming out a few moments later with Mr Anderson.
Henry, Duke of Gloucester
‘What’s going on?’
‘We are going to England. Collect a change of clothes… enough to last a couple of weeks, I will tell you more on the way.’
Mr Anderson walked with me to the accommodation block, and watched as I stuffed some of my better clothing into a holdall.
‘What’s happening?’ I asked him.
‘I think it better Mr Hudson tells you. But you can rest assured Toby that your job will still be here when you return.’
He then walked with me to where Thomas was waiting by the coach, Louis was also there with some of my new friends.
‘Where
are you going?’ called Max.
‘England I think, but I should be back in a few weeks.’ Then addressing Louis I asked, ‘Will you tell Anne?’
‘Every time you leave Noordeinde you seem to suffer some sort of misfortune, this time try to keep out of trouble and come home safely. Don’t worry about Anne, I will see she’s alright.’
The coach rattled out of the courtyard at a gallop, Queen Henrietta’s escort at the front and rear.
‘There’s a French ship waiting at Breda to take you and Thomas to London,’ said Charles. ‘Oliver Cromwell has finally agreed to release my young brother Henry from captivity, and my mother wants you to accompany him to Paris.’
‘Why me? I have never even met him.’
‘You because you are a similar age, and because my mother particularly asked for you. And Thomas because he knows him, having previously been his tutor.’
‘How old is he?’
‘He was 12 years old in September… a little over two years younger than you.’
I could not help but wonder why Queen Henrietta would have specifically asked for me. On the few occasions I had met her in the past she was always very pleasant, but had only ever spoken to me once. However, since I had no choice, I began to think that perhaps going back to London could be another exciting adventure.
‘Will I have time to visit Fleet Alley?’ I asked Thomas.
‘I think it unlikely we will be allowed to leave Greenwich Palace. But I will see if I can arrange something when we get there. I would like to see Miss Veronica again. I need to talk to her on the subject of your education.’
I saw the French flag flying at the top of the mast before I could see the ship. I had hoped that it would have been one of their huge new galleons, but it turned out to be an aging two deck frigate with a battery of twelve pounder guns on the lower deck and six pounders on the upper. Just thirty guns in total. But what amused me the most was its name Sainte Anne, a good omen I thought.
Charles said a few words of encouragement… wished us luck, and then watched as Thomas and I boarded the ship, accompanied by a pair of French soldiers.
The ship’s master welcomed us on board, and while we followed him to his stateroom, the French crew were already casting off the lines.
Passing Rotterdam on our port side, we entered the English Channel just before the sun dropped into the sea, daytime submitting to night. But despite an autumn chill, Thomas and I stayed on deck until the coast of Holland had completely disappeared into the blackness of night.
We were escorted to our cabin which was rather smaller than we had hoped for, but clean and comfortable enough for the short voyage across the channel. Thankfully on this occasion, the sea was relatively calm.
I woke early as I always do, and when I stepped out onto the deck I could see that we were already in the mouth of the Thames Estuary, land clearly visible on each side of the ship. With minimum sail we began to glide slowly into the mouth of the river towards the place that I once called home… my place of birth.
We were given a breakfast of boiled ham, cheese, bread and coffee and then left to do as we pleased.
I chose to spend the rest of the day on deck, trying to recognise the towns and villages as we passed them by, the first being Southend on the north bank, an hour later it was Tilbury where most of the English fleet lay at anchor, and it was there at Tilbury that we picked up our escort.
Any ship sailing up the Thames flying a French flag was sure to attract attention, and before long, the banks on each sides were packed with all manner of curious individuals.
The two English frigates that had joined us at Tilbury… escorted us all the way to our berth at Greenwich Palace, one leading the way, the other following astern.
There was no great reception to greet us, which was just as we expected. But we were treated with the greatest of respect, and offered food and drink in the most luxurious of chambers at the palace.
We were told that the Duke of Gloucester was at Windsor Castle, and that he would be starting his voyage down river in the Royal Barge tomorrow morning, a journey that was expected take two days. That gave us a whole day to do as we pleased.
Thomas asked could we leave the palace to visit friends but his request was denied. As a concession, we were told we could invite friends to the palace, but that a government official would have to be in attendance at all times.
Thomas called for the owner of a wherry, offering him a shilling to cross the river and collect Madam Veronica from the whorehouse on Fleet Alley. He handed him the shilling, telling him he would double it when he returned with his passenger.
The look on the man’s face, and that of our chaperone, was priceless and caused much mirth. Them obviously believing we had come to England for the sole purpose of tasting the delights of a London brothel.
It took the wherry-man longer than we anticipated, and we were beginning to think he was not coming back at all… but when he did finally arrive, it was not with just Veronica but also three young members of her household who were determined not to miss out on a visit to Greenwich Palace. One of the girls being my young friend Elizabeth who was now twelve years old but looking so much older.
Elizabeth threw her arms around my neck and kissed me on the lips, she then took me by the hand intending to drag me somewhere we could be on our own, but Veronica was having none of it, and enforced her authority by snatching me back… then half dragging and half guiding she took me to a large window overlooking the gardens away from her girls, and with tears running down her cheeks, took me in her arms. It was a very emotional moment for us both, and I also found it hard not to cry myself.
Eventually releasing me, she sat me down taking the seat facing me. Thomas was sitting on her right, and our personal chaperone was hovering a couple of yards away ready to latch on to our every word.
‘Tell me everything,’ she said. ‘I want to know what you have been up to. Have you been keeping up with your studies, where are you living these days, why are you here in England and are they feeding you enough?’
‘I will answer the last question first,’ I said. ‘Up until a few months ago I was living with Thomas and King Charles and eating the same as they were. So you could say I was eating like a king. Now where have I been to you ask? Well I have been to Scotland, to Paris in France, to Jersey in the Channel Isles but now I live at The Hague in Holland.’
‘What was it like in Jersey, did you meet any nice people there, and is this your first visit back to England since you left, five years ago?’ Asked Veronica. I was considering telling her about my swim from the burning boat, and our dash through the English countryside escaping from Cromwell’s army, but when I glanced at Thomas it was clear by the look on his face, and the way he put a finger to his lips, that he was telling me to keep quiet about our misadventures, and I quite understood why. Veronica had enough to worry about without me adding more.
‘I met some nice people in Jersey… a lovely old lady who lived in a large house with her nephew and his fiancée, she was called Lady Bramwell. I would like to go back and see them some day.’
‘And what about your studies?’
‘I think I should let Thomas tell you about those… he’s my tutor.’
‘Tell her about your job Toby?’ said Thomas.
‘I no longer live with King Charles and Thomas, I live in Holland at The Hague in a palace called Noordeinde. That was where I was trained to look after horses by an expert, and now I have a permanent job there as a stable boy. And there is one other thing you should know… I have a girlfriend.’
‘Is she Dutch or French?’
‘No she’s English, she is the daughter of William Huxley the 5th Baronet of Lewes.’
‘He sounds important, do you love her? If you do, you should marry her.’
‘We are both only fourteen and far too young to marry. But we are
sort of engaged, though I don’t think we will ever marry, her father doesn’t like me.’
‘Doesn’t like you… is he mad?’
‘He wants his only daughter to marry someone with a title.’
Interrupting our conversation, Thomas said, ‘Look Toby, I think Elizabeth and her two friends are waiting for you… tell them about some of your adventures.’ He put a strong emphasis on the word some and added, ‘but perhaps not about your girlfriend. I would like some time alone with Veronica.’
‘OK I am going.’
As soon as I stood up, Elizabeth took my hand and guided me towards the door… her two friends following behind. ‘Let’s take a look upstairs?’ she said.
‘Sorry my dears,’ said the chaperone, ‘just this room or outside in the gardens.’
‘It’s too cold to sit in the gardens. Can we use the summerhouse?’
‘Yes the summerhouse is alright… but I will have to sit with you.’
‘I’m Christina,’ said one of the girls. ‘And I’m Helen,’ said the other.
I had not seen them before, and thought they were probably about eighteen or twenty years old, but both were very pretty, especially Christina.
‘Tell us about your girlfriend Toby… have you made love to her yet?’
‘You were listening?’
‘Of course we were… to every word. Now tell us, have you?’
‘I couldn’t possibly tell you that.’
‘He has,’ she said to the others who both nodded.
We must have been talking for at least two hours, Helen and Christina sitting each side of me… a little too close for my liking and each with a hand on my knee. Elizabeth was sitting opposite and asking all the questions, most of which I had to dodge.
‘Where is your mother?’ I asked Elizabeth. ‘I am surprised she didn’t come with you.’
‘She is no longer living at the house, but I do see her every Sunday in St Olave’s Church.’
‘I was not convinced… it sounded too much like a parody of my own situation.’
‘So Elizabeth, what are you going to do when you are older? There’s plenty of opportunities open for a pretty girl like you.’
Courtier in the Royal House of Stuart Page 23