The groom assisted Tamsin down from the carriage and laid her trunks on the lawn.
"Excuse me, but what should I do? Where do I go?" Tamsin asked.
"I am just the hired driver. I know nothing about how the royals live," the groom said. He climbed back into his seat and gave the horses a lash with the reigns. It a moment the carriage's back was to her and she was alone on the lawn of Hampton Court Palace. Her father and mother had failed to give her instructions on where she should go or who she should ask for. She was, after all, the first Wolstenholme to come to Hampton Court. God willing, she would be the last.
She took a deep breath and made her first tentative steps inside Hampton Court.
A servant stood just over the threshold and when Tamsin stated her name and business the servant directed her into the Great Hall.
Tamsin felt dizzy as she looked up at the high vaulted ceilings. She had known the building was tall and vast but until she had entered the Great Hall she hadn't fully realized Hampton Court's full scope. The room was colored in red, blue, and gold. Exquisite art hung on the walls. When Tamsin entered there were three or four dozen people occupying the room. All looked much finer than she did. Each woman's dress was immaculate, in good repair, and perfectly fitted. Every woman's hair was coiffed in ways her personal maid back home had no skill to do.
The days in the carriage along with the dusty roads had left Tamsin's clothes dirty and rumpled. Her hair was disheveled and needed a good combing at the least.
Hastily, a matronly woman rushed forward.
"It seems you are not in the right place," the woman whispered.
"I was sent from Wolstenholme to serve as a lady in waiting to the Queen," Tamsin whispered feeling her cheeks blush.
"Was the Queen informed of such an arrangement?" she asked. She was inches shorter than Tamsin and wearing a blue gown. She would have been much prettier if she was ten years younger and lacking her sagging jowls.
"My father sent me. I was not told of the details," Tamsin said. Her parents had never sent a child to court so she supposed they could not know what was expected. They must have assumed that a servant would be awaiting her at the appointed time just as they did if someone was expected at Wolstenholme.
"What is your name?" the woman asked.
"Thomasina, though I am called Tamsin."
"That hardly seems the proper name for a lady at court," the woman said.
"I do not think my father intended to send me to court when I was born and named," Tamsin said. She wished she could tell the woman that her destiny should have been to marry and raise werewolf children for the pack .Her sons would guard the English borders while her daughters raised another generation of pups.
"I will escort you to the dormitory where you will sleep. I can guess from your look that you are not well born enough to serve in the bed chamber," she said.
"My mother believed I would be of most use singing and telling tales to entertain the queen and the court," Tamsin said.
"I hope you have some talent in that for I doubt you will be of much use for anything else," she said. Tamsin nodded looking at her dusty shoes. She certainly did not look like the daughter of a Marquess nor a werewolf alpha. Instead, she looked like a peasant girl dressed up in clothes stolen from her mistress.
Tamsin was led to a room where six beds lined the walls.
"I will send someone for your trunks and I will send another lady to help you dress in more suitable clothes," the matron said before leaving Tamsin alone.
Tamsin surveyed the room. The beds had red hangings and coverlets. Three beds were against the northernmost wall and three against the southernmost. The frames were made of wood and the mattresses sat atop tightly tied ropes. Tamsin placed a hand on one mattress and pressed down firmly. She couldn't be sure but she thought it was made of goose down.
The room was far less grand than the Great Hall and closer to what Tamsin was accustomed to at Wolstenholme.
Tapestries hung on the wall depicting biblical and historical stories. Tamsin's father had thought most education wasted on a daughter but her mother had insisted she learn to read, write, sew, and paint. If she had failed to learn those basics she might have had no idea what the images on the tapestry were and she wondered how many of the women she would share a room with knew. Were they all much better educated than she?
Four men arrived with her trunks but none spoke to her. Tamsin tried not to let herself feel lonely. Days alone in a carriage had been difficult but there had always been hope that once she got to Hampton Court she would be around people again. Now, she wasn't so sure. The place was too vast and the people all too concerned with themselves. She wasn't sure if any would take notice of her.
"Hello Tamsin."
She looked up upon hearing her name. The girl speaking was a small boned woman with light brown hair worn loose under a French hood. She was younger than Tamsin by several years.
"Who am I addressing?" Tamsin asked. The girl was a pretty little thing. Tamsin wondered if her parents had sent her to court with the same mission of seducing the king that she had been given.
"My name is Joan Shelton. My cousin, Lady Anne, serves Queen Anne. I was brought here to serve her and to try to earn my place as a lady of the chamber after a time," she said.
"Do you serve the queen often?"
"Not as often as my cousin."
"What sort of a woman is the queen?"
"She is terribly kind to those she likes but not a woman one would wish to anger. The times I have met her I found her pleasant enough. She enjoys lavish entertainment much as the king does," Joan said.
"Is she beautiful?" Tamsin asked wondering if the task she and perhaps Joan had been sent to do was futile. Could Henry really be swayed from Anne?
"She is not a great beauty except to the king I suppose," Joan said. She came behind Tamsin to undo the buttons of her gown. Soon, Tamsin was stripped down to her chemise.
"Dancing will start soon. Have you had instruction in dancing?" Joan asked.
"Very little. I know the Almain, Galliard, and Pavane. It was unexpected that I was sent to court and I fear I am not prepared," Tamsin said.
"No one is every truly prepared to serve at court," Joan said with a laugh though Tamsin expected Joan had been much better trained for the task. It was likely Joan's parents had dreamed of sending their bouncing baby girl to court once she blossomed into a woman. Tamsin was sure such an idea never crossed her parents' minds. If Thomas had lived he would never have allowed her to be sent away. It was nothing but cruel fate that had brought her to Hampton Court so unprepared. Every girl Tamsin had grown up with and considered her equal was now married and raising pups. Every girl except her.
"Perhaps it would be best to sit out the dance tonight. You have had a long journey and I am sure you are tired. Tomorrow I can teach you some dances. There is always dancing here and one day missed will be inconsequential," Joan said.
"Thank you most kindly," Tamsin said.
"I am just glad there is someone here newer than I," Joan said.
"Will I be expected to help you dress?" Tamsin asked. It had only just occurred to her that Joan was no servant.
"Many of the women who are from wealthier families have servants but I am the youngest daughter and little money could be spared on my non essentials. I have been begging assistance from the other girls up until now. I hope you and I can help each other," Joan said.
"Of course," Tamsin agreed. She had heard that the king and queen were served by aristocrats. She had known she might serve the queen but she hadn't thought to serve another lady. Still, it might give her the chance to befriend Joan and Tamsin was sure that any friend she could make at Hampton Court would be invaluable. Joan could, at least, teach her what she needed to survive at Hampton Court and not grossly show her lack of training for the task.
Chapter 4
Walter followed Owen through the doors of Hampton Court and was immediately impressed. He had never
seen anything like it before.
Owen requested a meeting with the Lord Chamberlain who would assign their quarters.
"I don't suppose they would have thought to put us in the king's rooms. He would be quite safe with six werewolves slumbering next to him," Isaiah said. He was the youngest of the werewolves that had accompanied Walter to Hampton Court.
"I can speak only for myself but I would not want to be constantly under the eye of the king," Owen said. Walter agreed. It would be too hard to speak of pack matters or to keep pack letters private if they were forced to lodge with the king.
"Will it not be conspicuous having all of us following at his heels?" Reuben asked. He was the second youngest of their party.
"We will take turns guarding King Henry. Two of us will remain with him at all times," Owen said.
"Perhaps you two should take the first watch," the Lord Chamberlain said indicating Walter and Owen. Walter hadn't even noticed his appearance. The man was close to Edwards’s age and dressed finely.
"Whatever you wish," Owen said quickly. Walter wasn't sure exactly how Hampton Court's hierarchy worked but Owen would have been trained in the matter before becoming the Crake liaison to the monarchy.
"There is to be a ball in an hour. Be dressed in the finest clothes you have brought with you. I will not forbid you from dancing but I will ask that you keep your attentions on your duties," the Lord Chamberlain said. Owen and Walter nodded.
***
An hour later Owen and Walter walked into the Great Hall together. The room was filled with people dressed in finery that likely cost enough to feed a starving country.
Everywhere Walter looked people were clad in silks and decorated with jewels and feathers.
"This will be a good place to stand," Owen said indicating a place by the wall that was near enough that King Henry and Queen Anne could be viewed but not so near as to call attention to themselves.
Walter sniffed the air and he noticed Owen doing the same.
"I don't smell anything out of place," Owen said.
"Nor do I," Walter agreed. The only smells in the room were those of sweat, merriment, and lust. The only oddity in the air was the lack of werewolf scent. There might have been three or four other werecreatures in the room but most of the dancers smelled completely human.
"Have you no dancing partners?" a woman asked. Walter had not seen her approach. She was a small woman who had a companion with her who looked almost as uneasy as he felt.
"I do not feel like dancing tonight," Walter said.
"And your friend?" she asked eyeing Owen. Walter noticed a slight change in his companion's scent. Clearly, Owen was not accustomed to female attention.
"He loves to dance," Walter said with a wicked smile. Owen threw him a look of daggers but followed the girl to the floor. The girl's companion moved closer to Walter though he wished she had not. He did not remember how to talk to women. He had been married for so long that he had forgotten how to make senseless chat to strange women. He had never really excelled at it in the first place.
"Joan only just showed me the steps to this dance. I fear I will make a fool of myself if I attempt it," the woman said. He was surprised by the smoothness of her voice. It reminded him of cream.
"It is not a hard one," Walter said. He had been taught to dance by Mary. She and Margaret had been given formal training by tutors though Walter had no idea why their parents had insisted on such a thing. Werewolves needed to know how to dance far less than other nobles.
"Perhaps not for you. I am new to Hampton Court and feel quite out of place," she said.
"Where are you from?" Walter asked. The girl beside him seemed to be absolutely shaking with nerves.
"Near Carlisle. It is located very near the border with Scotland. You may have heard of my family home Wolstenholme," she said. That peaked Walter's attention. He knew the Wolstenholme name. They were the most powerful werewolf pack in England.
"Are you a relative of the Marquess?" Walter asked as he took in a deep breath through his nose. The girl did not have the scent of a werewolf.
"I am his daughter," she said
Walter tried to think. He had heard stories of a Wolstenholme child who had never turned into a werewolf but he had thought the stories myth. He supposed that she could have been a child of adultery who was only given her father's name but it was terribly unusual for a werewolf alpha's wife to stray from her husband. The fate of the pack depended on her womb. His mind filled with things he wanted to ask the girl but he wasn't sure what he could say that would not seem terribly rude. If this girl was the daughter of Marquess Wolstenholme it would not be wise to offend her.
"Have you been at Hampton Court long?" she asked.
"No. I arrived a few short hours ago. And you?"
"I only arrived yesterday. I have found this place to be so much grander than I anticipated. I feel immeasurably out of place."
"I have also been overwhelmed by the grandeur," Walter said.
"Did King Henry have this place built or has it always been here?" she asked.
"It was built by a Cardinal I believe," Walter said.
If Walter remembered correctly it had been built by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey the Archbishop of York.
"And he gave it to King Henry?" the girl asked looking awed.
"So I have heard," Walter said though he didn't add that Henry was just as likely to have taken the gift as to have had it freely given. The politics of the court now that Henry had disengaged himself from the Catholic Church were something Walter would need to better understand. It was part of the reason his father had sent him there in the first place.
"Thomasina Wolstenholme," a voice called. Tamsin and Walter both looked towards a matronly woman who was coming towards them. Walter took a step away from her. He did not want the matron to think he had any interest in the girl other than being a companion for holding up the wall. He had no intention of making the Marquess of Wolstenholme worry over his intentions on his daughter. Marquess Wolstenholme was not likely to believe that Walter was still so deeply in mourning for his lost wife that women held little appeal to him.
Thomasina Wolstenholme might be pretty to men like Ruben and Isaiah but she was far too young for Walter and his heart was still at Crake Estate mourning over Mary's grave.
***
Tamsin trembled as she approached the dais where Queen Anne was sitting next to her husband. The matronly lady who had approached her had relayed a summons from her Majesty and Tamsin was obliged to approach. She curtsied deeply and took the opportunity to look at King Henry and Queen Anne. Hampton Court had far exceeded her imaginings however the king and queen fell short of them.
King Henry might have been a handsome man once but he now was almost as old as her father. He was tall and muscled but he was also much softer around the middle than she had expected. Henry had red hair and a red beard though they had hints of gold to them as well.
Queen Anne was pale with dark hair but her features were sharp much like those of a bird.
If Henry had put aside his first wife for Anne, Tamsin couldn't help but wonder what Queen Catherine looked like.
Many women in the room were prettier than Anne in Tamsin's opinion but she supposed what appealed to a particular man was something she could never understand. Certainly, the king must love his queen.
Henry looked over at Anne adoringly and took her hand.
"I am told you have a talent," Queen Anne said.
"Those who said that were most kind," Tamsin said. She had been told all her life that her voice was God's gift and she supposed she sang as well as most others did.
"I would ask that you perform for my husband and I. I would like to see that the letters I received about you were not exaggerated and that you do indeed belong in my court. So far, my other ladies have found you unimpressive but I will reserve judgment," Anne said. Tamsin swallowed the knot in her throat.
"That is most kind, your highness," she said. Tamsin sa
t at the nearby harp and began to play. As her fingers moved she began to sing. It was a song that had come alive in her head years before and which she had originally created for Thomas. It was a song she had sung time and time again as he lay dying. She knew it had given him comfort in his last days and after his death she sang it to remember him and to call his ghost to her for comfort. Tamsin wished Thomas was there with her. She had never felt as lonesome in her life as she did in that moment with a room full of people looking at her expectantly. Not least of all, the King and Queen of England.
There once was a lad so brave and bold
Whose sword was swift and heart was true.
His lips spoke the language of beast and fowl
Therefore no falcon ever scorned him.
He was tall and fair with golden hair
And arms muscled like a stallion.
He never lost whether joust or fence and
He left women's hearts in his footprints.
The song of the lad told of a boy who was called to the court of King Arthur of Camelot and offered a knighthood if only he could pass a series of tests administered by Lancelot. The lad bested Lancelot in all the tests save one. The lad fell for a fair maiden and lost his knighthood for her love.
"I would have rather had the knighthood when I have all the female love I could need from you, dear sister," Thomas had said. He had been laying in his bed red with fever and cold with chills. His cough had been a bark and it brought blood into his mouth that he spit into the chamber pot. Tamsin had remained by his side and cared for him. The physician who had been called had assured that only were-creatures could get the disease that killed Thomas and so Tamsin would remain unafflicted. She and Thomas had been put together in the farthest corner of the house and two human servants had been left at their disposal. It was the first time in her life Tamsin was glad she was not a werewolf. If she had been one, her parents might have forced her from her brother's side, and Thomas might have died all alone.
The Alpha's Daughter Page 2