Take care of yourself, my only love, that you might return to my side when times are better for us all. Until then I remain, your Bess.
***
My dear friend
What we dreaded has come to pass, Francis. England has married Spain and the fires of Smithfield burn even brighter. News from court tells me that our middle-aged Queen is very much in love with her young husband, and is already convinced she is with child. His Spanish nobles are disliked, however. They make no attempt to learn English, and make disparaging remarks that they think will not be understood.
Norfolk was sent to quell the rebellion that young Wyatt tried to instigate, and did so with his customary harshness. All those who conspired have been sent to the Tower and face execution. Please break the news to Lady Cat gently that this also includes her Princess, although I feel she has been tainted by association, rather than being part of the plot, and we fervently hope she will be released soon.
Both Meg and I are well, and the children are growing and are happy. I look forward to seeing you when better times come, my friend. Until then, best regards
Ralph
***
Robbie, I am here. Dear God, Robbie, I never thought to be here. On my life, I didn’t encourage Tom Wyatt. He is an idiot to think he could succeed, and now what for us? I cannot reward your steward for bringing you this until someone brings me coin, and clothes and linen. I feigned illness to delay my capture, but I was brought here straight from questioning by the Council. Cat was right, Gardiner is a snake. What are we to do, Robbie? What are we to do? I am yours, so tell me what I must do. Your Bess
***
My love, you must stay calm. We cannot prevail if we let emotion overcome us. You must stay by your window and breathe gently. I am there, in the breeze on your skin, holding your hand and kissing your knuckles. Try not to bite your lip. I am with you, holding you, kissing you in your dreams. I will do all I can. Stay strong. R
Chapter 15
obert paced his chamber, waiting for Thomas to come to him. As soon as he heard the rap on the door, he snatched it open and then closed it again once Thomas had entered the room.
‘Who can we bribe, Thomas?’
‘My Lord?’ Puzzlement on the face of Robert’s manservant at the abrupt enquiry.
‘We need to find which guards we can bribe, Thomas. I need to see the Princess. She is distraught at being in here, and I will need your help to get to her.’
Thomas nodded and regarded his master impassively while his mind worked out a route from Robert’s apartment to the one occupied by the Princess. While Thomas was lost in thought, Robert moved to the writing desk and scribbled two swift notes.
‘There are four guards, my Lord. Between you and the Princess there are four men. One on your door, one on hers, one at the end of this passageway, and one at the doorway to her gallery.’
‘Very well Thomas. Here is what you must do; take this note to my sister-in-law Lady Elizabeth, my brother Ambrose’s wife. Tell her to send money for the bribes with you. This note confirms you operate with my permission and under my command. It tells her to sell something of mine, or of my father’s.’
Robert swallowed the lump in his throat at the mention of his father, beheaded for his ambition and attainting his sons with the same drive for success.
‘Tell her the future of our family relies on her at this time. I must see the Princess, and I will need more coin if I am to remain here. Make her understand Thomas.’
‘My Lord.’ Thomas bowed his head in assent, and waited for the next instruction.
‘Take this letter to the Princess before you leave. You may tell her where you go, and why. Assure her of your swift success, then return to me as soon as you are able.’ Robert handed Thomas another note, this time unsealed as it was written in cipher; it didn’t matter if the guards tried to read it, although Robert doubted they would.
My Bess. I will come to you. It will be soon, when Thomas has bribed the guards. Listen for me, as I must not be seen. We will speak properly then. I am yours. R
***
Robert, clad only in his shirt and breeches, dagger at his belt, crept down the stairs and along the corridor to the first door. The guards had been bribed, and his sister-in-law had provided a few bottles of excellent wine for them to add to the reward. Robert was surprised at how little it had actually cost him, but he still moved silently through the draughty gallery until he came to Elizabeth’s door. It was unlocked, and he scratched softly on the frame before opening it silently and slipping inside.
Elizabeth, clad in a pale cream gown, unadorned with jewellery and hair tumbling loosely down her back flew into his arms and clasped him to her.
‘Oh Robbie, you came,’ she whispered, tears coursing down her face and teeth pulling at her lower lip.
‘Of course, my love,’ he murmured softly, taking her hands in his own and bending to kiss her gently. He tasted her blood on his own lips and darted his tongue to lick it away. Elizabeth gasped and her eyes widened as she looked at his mouth. Robert smiled and took hold of her icy cold hands.
‘Come, my love. Let us move nearer the fire.’ He led her to the seat in front of the grate and he sat down, pulling her into his lap and kissing her again gently. He didn’t want to alarm her, and the memory of their last encounter was vivid in his mind.
‘Warmer now?’ he asked, and Elizabeth nodded, head resting on his shoulder and delicate fingers entwining with his long strong ones.
‘Robbie, what are we going to do?’ Elizabeth tried but failed to keep the tears out of her voice.
‘We are going to survive, my love. And when this is over, we shall be together and I shall not leave your side, ever again.’
‘Mmmm,’ Elizabeth squirmed in Robert’s lap, and he closed his eyes briefly at the feelings she was arousing, ‘oh Robbie, that would be wonderful.’
‘But you must be brave, my love. Mary won’t keep you in here for long. Gardiner and her council must have made her put you in here at all. You shall soon be free, and I hope that I might be free also, very soon.’
Elizabeth turned her head into Robert’s shoulder and he felt her soft breath on his neck above the collar of his shirt. He tightened his arm around her and kissed her hand, still entwined with his own.
‘Oh, Robbie. I am so sorry.’
‘For what, my love?’
‘Everything.’ Elizabeth choked back a sob, and took a deep, shuddering breath. ‘I’m sorry you are in here, because of your father. I’m sorry your father’s plan came to naught and we are not free. And most of all,’ her voice dropped to such a low whisper that he had to hold his breath in order to hear what she said, ‘most of all, I’m sorry I didn’t lie with you that last afternoon.’
Robert released his breath and kissed her knuckles again, then turned his head and claimed her lips, kissing and tasting her slowly, pressing his lips to hers gently then more firmly as she began to respond. He kissed along her jaw and down her throat as her head fell back in delight and she moaned softly. He kissed his way to her ear and whispered,
‘I love you, my Bess. Let me love you. Let me show you how love can be.’
Elizabeth sighed in satisfaction, ‘Oh, Robbie. Oh, yes, Robbie. Love me.’
He knew he would have to be gentle and slow and careful, and he didn’t think she would be ready to let him make love to her fully. He knew she had been so badly frightened as a girl, it would take a great deal more care and time than they had. He stood up, still with her in his arms, and carried her to the bed, laying her down on the coverlet gently and then stretching his long frame beside her on the narrow bed.
He kissed her again, and she ki
ssed him back, hands on his shoulders then ghosting over his shirt, feeling his muscles and gasping delightedly at the power she could feel as his arms flexed round her. His hands moved over her back and he found her buttocks and pressed her more closely to him. Elizabeth’s eyes flew open and she looked at him in bewilderment, breathing in quickly to speak.
‘Hush, Bess,’ he soothed her, ‘don’t worry about it. I shan’t do anything to hurt you. You can feel what you do to me, you know I want you. But I know you are afraid. I shall just kiss you, and love you, and if you want me to touch you, then that is what we shall do.’
He began to kiss down her throat again, moving to the tops of her breasts, and he stroked down her side with his hand, splaying it out on her body and rubbing the pad of his thumb over where he knew her nipple would be. She gasped again and kissed him harder, tangling her hands in his hair as she brought his head closer to her in order that she might kiss him more deeply.
He slid his hand over her hip and down her thigh, trying to find the hem of her gown so he could stroke her leg. Elizabeth took one hand from his hair, and still kissing him she twitched her gown up so he could slide his hand over the bare skin of her leg. She sighed again and began kissing his throat, pulling at the ties on the collar of his shirt and kissing the top of his chest.
His hand was working up her thigh, and all of a sudden he felt the start of her bare buttock under his fingers. He grasped her flesh very gently, and she squirmed into him, her breath catching in her throat. Suddenly she lifted her leg over his hip and his fingers slid into her core, warm and moist. Elizabeth groaned in her throat as his questing fingers began to slide gently into her.
‘Oh oh, Robbie,’ she breathed, offering her neck for him to kiss as his fingers carried on dipping and stroking.
‘Yes, my love?’ he whispered. ‘Shall I continue, or do you want to stop?’ Robert kissed her neck with open mouthed kisses, licking and nipping, as she pressed herself onto his fingers rhythmically.
‘Oh! Oh! No! Don’t, don’t stop!’ she gasped, and he felt her climax overwhelm her as his slowed his strokes and she shuddered in pleasure. He kissed her firmly and held her tightly as he waited for her heartbeat to return to normal, then he kissed her nose and pulled his head back slightly so he could look at her.
Elizabeth met his gaze, then began to blush furiously.
‘Don’t blush, my love. There should be no embarrassment between us.’
‘But Robbie, I had no idea that I could …. that you could…..,’ she took a long breath, ‘I had no idea.’ She smiled and shrugged.
‘Nor should you, my love. You have been sheltered and chaperoned all your life. How could you know?’
‘But you, Robbie. You didn’t …’ Again she stopped, not knowing quite how to say what she wanted to say, in her innocence. ‘There must be more, for you?’
‘There is, my love. But not tonight, and not here. When we are free, and we can be together properly, I will show you what more there can be. But tonight, this is enough.’ He kissed her again gently. ‘I want you to feel loved, my Bess. I want you to know that I love you, and when better times come, we can enjoy one another without guilt or sorrow or fear.’
‘I love you too, Robbie.’ She kissed him passionately again, and he returned her kiss fervently, then began to unfold himself from her grasp and sit up properly, adjusting her gown so she was modestly covered once more.
‘I will have to go, my Bess. The wine will wear off soon, and I don’t have enough spare coin to provide two lots of bribes.’ He looked at Elizabeth, kneeling up beside him on the bed, and smiled.
‘We must wait, Bess. I am certain that Mary will let you out. You must be pious, and circumspect in your behaviour, modest, softly spoken and dutiful. And we wait. If an opportunity presents itself to get out of here, you take it. You say anything to gain your freedom, any oath, any promise. You get free. And wait for me. I will do the same. Any opportunity. Promise me. Life and freedom is all. Whatever it takes.’
Robert had taken hold of Elizabeth’s hands and clasped them tightly between his own. Elizabeth nodded solemnly.
‘I promise, Robbie. Any oath, any vow, to get freedom. And I will wait too. For you, I will wait forever.’ She rocked forward on her knees and his arms went about her in a passionate embrace. He kissed her long and deeply, and then set her back on the bed as he stood and crept to the door quietly. Opening it, he looked round the jamb for the guard. No-one was there, so he kissed the tips of his fingers and sketched a farewell to Elizabeth. He tried not to notice the tears streaking down her face, or the lip caught between her teeth.
Chapter 17
alph told us in his last letter, my lovely, how well you are, and how beautifully the twins are growing alongside your other children. Better times will come soon, dearest Meg, I am sure, and we will be together again.
Our Princess has written and told me that Mary let her out of the Tower so she could accompany her into her confinement. I am pleased that the Queen feels she can withdraw from her duties for three months to uphold tradition. Duty transcends tradition for some of us, my lovely, doesn’t it? I can’t think the Princess will enjoy being shut up for twelve weeks either.
Francis is enjoying his job supervising the finances of the church here, although he is becoming worryingly pious, and is embracing the more stringent aspects of German Protestantism. Luckily, he doesn’t impose his own beliefs on me or the children. I doubt I could be that strict with myself. German sweetmeats are quite remarkable, and when I come home, I shall bring the recipes and teach the cooks how to make them. You won’t stay as slender as you are when you try them, my lovely.
I shan’t be slender much longer either – not that I am, really – but I am with child again. I still have quite a while to wait, so the Queen should be out of confinement well before my time is due. Perhaps motherhood will change her, and the fires of Smithfield won’t burn so brightly. Then we might come home, and my babe be born in London. We shall all hope this is so, and I will see you soon. Much affection.
Your friend, Cat.
***
Elizabeth stitched her embroidery and blew out her cheeks. Waiting for her sister to have her baby was so tedious, she didn’t know if she could stand it much longer. Mary had brought her out of the Tower after fourteen long weeks of fear and anxiety and questioning so she might be with her at the birth. Elizabeth knew well that if Mary didn’t survive, and the child died also, she would be the only heir. Her lips might never recover from her anxiety, she thought, and her hair had started to become brittle and didn’t seem to shine as it once had.
She was worried that Robert and his brothers were still in the Tower, and his eldest brother John was seriously ill. And this baby refused to arrive. She was being the dutiful, modest sister. All her gowns were now black. Sumptuous velvet, silk and brocade, but still black, and all her linen, lace, ruffs and collars were the finest white lawn, embroidered with white thread. Her hoods were large and her hair was tightly bound underneath, her eyes were downcast and she prayed with Mary every time Mary told her to.
Elizabeth put her embroidery down and decided to go for a walk through the long gallery. Mary didn’t expect constant attendance from any of her ladies, so they took turns reading to her, sewing with her or playing music. Elizabeth would join her for the evening meal, and then spend the evening playing the lute before sharing Mary’s bed to make sure she was safe during the night.
She walked along the gallery, looking out of the windows towards the Tower, thinking about Robbie; what would he be doing, was he thinking of her, when would she see him again. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t see the slender dark shadow step out in front of her from one of the window embrasures. Elizabeth came to an abrupt stop and gasped.
; ‘Princess Elizabeth.’ His Spanish accent was so pronounced, if she hadn’t known what he was saying, she wouldn’t have understood him.
Elizabeth dropped her eyes and gave the lowest curtsey she could muster, black silk skirt whispering to the floor and pooling out around her. She folded her hands in front of her and waited for permission to rise.
‘Your Royal Highness,’ she murmured.
Philip of Spain scrutinised his sister-in-law as she stayed in her curtsey. He saw her hair covered by her hood, her black gown with a high collar, topped by a white ruff that was as fine as gossamer. He saw her pale cheeks, eyes downcast and lower lip caught between her teeth.
‘Rise, my dear. Walk with me.’ Elizabeth stood from her curtsey and stayed quite still until she had regained her balance. She realised that she hadn’t eaten anything and it was well past noon. She felt light-headed, but was careful to walk in step with the King Consort. It wouldn’t do to fall in a faint at his feet.
‘Tell me, my dear,’ Philip’s voice was quite loud, his accent heavy. ‘Is my wife ….well?’
‘Quite well, my Lord. We hope the babe will not be too long in coming now.’
‘She has been in seclusion for nearly eight weeks now, Princess. Is there no sign yet?’
‘She has the odd pain, my Lord. The midwives say that is usual, this far along. They are brewing her a birthing ale to try and make things move a little more swiftly.’
Elizabeth was at a loss why Philip should choose to discuss these matters with her. There were other ladies of the bedchamber that were far better versed in the intricacies of the childbed than she. Then he stopped abruptly and turned, walking forward so she had no choice but to walk backwards until the window sill pressed into her spine. She looked at him quizzically.
‘I hope she survives the birth, Princess.’ In his thick accent, Philip almost hissed the words.
The Last Howard Girl (Tudor Chronicles Book 3) Page 9