One Knight Only

by Julia Latham

  An underground tunnel, Anne thought with excitement. But when she saw the earthen darkness gaping up at them, and a circular stairway disappearing straight down, she began to have second thoughts. But Sir Humphrey lit a torch from one of the lanterns and began the descent. The taller soldier took up another torch, falling back to the end of the line.

  The stairway smelled of earth and must, and it grew cooler and damper the deeper they descended. Many minutes later, they reached the bottom. She could see a narrow, arched stone tunnel disappearing into the distance. Silently they walked along it for several hundred yards. They were walking beneath the palace yard, or beside the deep foundations of Westminster Hall or the abbey itself.

  At last they reached another staircase, and this time the climb up seemed worse. Anne’s thighs hurt by the time they reached the room above, with its curved vaulted ceiling of an undercroft used for storage. There were even more soldiers here, and Sir Humphrey took his leave of them. A silent soldier escorted them through long corridors that twisted and turned so much that Anne lost all sense of where they were.

  At last they reached a grand door, and a man dressed in a plain, but finely made doublet was waiting for them. The soldier leading them bowed and departed.

  “Lady Rosamond?” the man said to Anne.

  As Anne shook her head, Lady Rosamond stepped forward. “I am she. And who are you?”

  “I am Sir Edward Colet, the Lord Steward of Westminster Palace. His Majesty has been waiting for you.”

  “Somewhat impatiently, I imagine,” she answered.

  Sir Edward arched a brow. “You are the reason for the festivities tonight. Allow me to show you into the Painted Chamber, the king’s private quarters.”

  Anne exchanged a surprised glance with Philip. They would all see the king? Would he remember them? He had attended Elizabeth and John’s wedding at Castle Alderley, where he had met Philip.

  Sir Edward opened both doors, and Anne walked into an opulence she had never seen before. Every wall was covered with murals painted in crimsons and greens and blues. She recognized scenes from the Bible, and what must be ancient kings of England in battle. All the crowns and armor were gilded with gold that shone in the hundreds of candles hanging from the ceiling and mounted on stands. The far end of the chamber was curtained off, but nearer at hand were groupings of cushioned chairs and small tables. But standing about one massive table, looking at papers scattered across it, was a group of men surrounding King Henry, surely his Privy Council and courtiers and clergymen.

  King Henry, tall, and blond, with handsome looks, but blackened teeth, focused his gaze on Lady Rosamond, who stood at Sir Edward’s side. Anne and Philip waited just behind.

  “Your Majesty,” said Sir Edward, “the Countess of Wolsingham, Lady Rosamond.”

  Lady Rosamond sank into a deep curtsy, then rose, head held high, regardless of her plain and rumpled clothing.

  “Lady Rosamond, you were expected yesterday,” King Henry said coldly.

  With a wave of his hand, he dismissed many of the men, until only a few were left about him.

  And then Anne realized that his cousin, Viscount Bannaster was there. He nodded his head to her, and she reluctantly returned the gesture. Why was he here?

  “Forgive the delay in my arrival, Your Majesty,” said Lady Rosamond, “but our masquerade was discovered, and there was a threat against my companion, Mistress Anne, that I could not ignore.”

  “Masquerade?” said the king impatiently.

  Perhaps he had not cared to know the details of what they’d had to do to come before him this day.

  “Who are these people,” the king continued, “and how did they assist you?”

  Lady Rosamond presented both of them, and Anne thought the king recognized Philip. Next, the lady explained the purpose of Anne’s ruse, her capture by Lord Bramfield, and the threatening note delivered to Lady Rosamond in the home where the League had hidden her.

  King Henry watched her without expression as she spoke, and when she was finished, he said only, “Bramfield?”

  She nodded solemnly. “Aye, Your Majesty. I do not yet know the identities of the other two men who spoke of treason against you. I know you are hosting a gathering of noblemen this night.”

  “And now instead of a celebration, it will expose traitors,” he added heavily. “But not to the public. Their identities will remain a secret this night. Do you understand?”

  “Aye, Your Majesty,” Lady Rosamond said in a solemn voice. “I do not know their names, but I will never forget what they look like. How do you wish me to identify them for you?”

  “Since this is a celebration, I have hired women to entertain.”

  He looked uneasy about that, as if his morals disapproved.

  Anne’s nervousness darkened into dread. Entertain? What did he expect Lady Rosamond to do?

  But the lady herself did not even flinch. “Might you explain my duties, Your Majesty?”

  “The women are to be costumed and masked. Although you will not be present at the end of the evening when their services might be requested, you will pass as one well enough while you move through the crowd and search out the traitors. My cousin, Lord Bannaster, will walk with you, as if you are reserved for someone specific, and you may identify the traitors to him.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty.” Lady Rosamond bowed her acceptance.

  Anne was aghast. A countess of England had to impersonate a…harlot? There might be a hundred men there, all of whom would be looking at her with base thoughts. And she was to be alone with them?

  And of all the king’s closest councillors, he had chosen Lord Bannaster. Why?

  Anne stepped up beside Lady Rosamond. “Your Majesty, may I speak?”

  She knew Philip stiffened, but he did not try to stop her. The king simply looked irritated. And she did not blame him, with the threats coalescing all around him.

  King Henry said, “Aye, girl, what would you say?”

  “I wish to accompany Lady Rosamond, to lessen the risk to her person.”

  Lady Rosamond’s eyes widened, Anne thought she heard Philip curse softly, but the king only exchanged an amused look with several of his councillors.

  “And how will you protect your lady beyond what Lord Bannaster’s presence will do?” the king asked.

  Anne realized she might have offended the viscount, and she sent him an apologetic look. Instead of being angry, he looked amused, which puzzled her. She once thought him a man who did not allow others to alter his own plans, but now he seemed…different.

  “Surely if there were two of us,” she said quickly, “would not the gentlemen be less inclined to…proposition Lady Rosamond?”

  King Henry looked as if he was trying not to laugh. “If you knew these men, you would know that was not the truth. But you are a brave girl to volunteer.”

  “Then allow me to be at her side, Your Majesty. I have risked my life for this culmination. Let me see it through.”

  Philip thought for certain that everyone in the chamber could hear his pounding heart. He could not believe Anne would continue to risk herself this way. He had never known anyone as brave—yet vulnerable—as she was.

  The king studied her for a moment, and then nodded. “I believe the Lord Chamberlain can find another costume for you.”

  Anne curtsied. “My thanks, Your Majesty.”

  Philip stepped forward. “And might I offer my protection for the ladies, Your Majesty?”

  The king’s gaze sharpened. “Sir Philip, is it? Were you not Lord Alderley’s man?”

  “I was, but I left to seek my own fortunes.”

  “I have my own guard to protect the women this night.”

  “And I wish to be among them. I have guarded Mistress Anne, and now Lady Rosamond, and it is a duty that it grieves me to abandon.”

  The king shrugged. “As you wish. Sir Edward,” he said to his steward, “find him livery.” He looked again at Lady Rosamond. “The Lord Stewa
rd will further instruct you. We will meet again this evening at the end of the festivities. Know that you have England’s gratitude.”

  Philip followed the women and Sir Edward out of the Painted Chamber, through several tall corridors lit with hundreds of candles. There were paintings and sculptures everywhere, but he did not care for the wealth of Westminster Palace. His sole focus was on one woman.

  At last, Sir Edward opened a door to a bedchamber. “Lady Rosamond and Mistress Anne, attendants will wait on you to help you bathe and change. Be quick, for when the feast is over, I will send for you. Sir Philip, you may have the chamber next door, where a page will see to your bath and livery.”

  As Lady Rosamond stepped into the bedchamber, Philip said, “Sir Edward, I need to speak with you. It concerns Lord Bannaster.” He took Anne’s hand, when she would have left.

  Sir Edward frowned as he waited.

  “I will be honest in my question to you,” Philip said. “Can Lord Bannaster be trusted?”

  Sir Edward wore a ghost of a smile. “You know little of him, I understand, except his foolish mistakes when he tried to win the hand of Lady Elizabeth. His brother was the viscount until his death, and this Lord Bannaster was raised to be a priest.”

  Philip and Anne exchanged a surprised look.

  “He only came in to the viscountcy recently, and still has much to learn. He will aid you well this night.”

  After Sir Edward had gone, Philip glanced at Anne. “A priest?”

  She shrugged. “Then I guess we will have to trust him.”

  When she tried to release Philip’s hand, he pulled her closer.

  “I need to speak with you,” he said in a low voice. “Come with me.”

  Anne nodded.

  Several maidservants were already approaching from down the corridor, trailed by pages carrying a bathing tub and buckets of water. The servants went into Lady Rosamond’s chamber, and Philip pulled Anne into his.

  “What is it?” she asked as he shut the door.

  He held her by the upper arms. “What were you thinking, to volunteer yourself once again? ’Tis not your fight—you’ve done your part.”

  “You heard my reasoning,” she said calmly. “Would you do any less?”

  “But I can defend myself with a sword!”

  “And I will have you and the king’s men to defend me.”

  She put her hands on his face, her skin overly warm because he felt so cold.

  “Philip, I am no longer the simple maid who followed every order without question.”

  “You were never that.”

  Gently, she said, “I think, at first, to you I was. I was a servant, as you had once been, as the family you came from. Maybe I even reminded you of that.”

  “Anne—” But he stopped himself. Had he not worried about this? “I care nothing of that anymore.”

  “I am truly glad, Philip,” she whispered.

  When she put her hands on his chest and rose onto her toes, he kissed her with all the feeling he had not been able to express yet.

  “We have much to talk about,” he said in a husky voice.

  “And after tonight, we will do so.” She stepped away from him, her expression one of regret. “I must go.”

  He stared at the door after she’d gone, realizing what a fool he’d been. Anne had been the only woman to make him happy, and he’d been too slow to realize that he loved her. Now she was risking herself yet again.

  But would she ever be safe if her part in this tragedy was known? Lady Rosamond had her nobility and title to protect her—Anne had nothing.

  And Philip wanted her protected. He paced his chambers, thinking about how this could all turn out. Could he convince her to marry him? Would his name keep her safe?

  And how to convince proud Anne that her safety was not the only reason he wanted to marry her? He would be the only man in her life, in her bed.

  Chapter 24

  A nne knew that she looked different by the way Philip’s eyes widened when he came into the women’s assigned chamber. She and Lady Rosamond, though not yet masked, were dressed in red and gold gowns, respectively, that bared their arms and the upper slopes of their bosoms. Though it was summer, she felt chilled wearing so little.

  Lady Rosamond smiled with a touch of sarcasm. “Sir Philip, do you approve our attire?”

  “The noblemen certainly will,” he said, his eyes narrowed in obvious anger.

  Anne tilted her head, intrigued. “But not you?”

  “There is only one place I wish to see you looking like that.”

  She gasped, feeling embarrassed and overly hot all at the same time, but Lady Rosamond only laughed.

  “Sir Philip, I will look forward to hearing about your next adventure with Mistress Anne. But for now we must affix our masks and finish our duty to the king.”

  “Do you believe there can ever be an end to this?” Philip asked her.

  The smiled faded from her face, and Anne looked stricken.

  But Lady Rosamond was still strong, for she only said, “We do what we must.”

  They tied on masks that covered the upper half of their faces, leaving their painted red lips bare.

  “The king chose this last masquerade well,” Lady Rosamond said dryly. “Have we not worn masks throughout our adventure?”

  “But never so pretty,” Anne said, thinking of the sparkling beads sewn on the masks.

  “So when you were portraying me, you weren’t pretty?” Lady Rosamond asked, one eyebrow lifted. When Anne stuttered a response, she only laughed before glancing at the door. “Oh, where is that man? I wish this to be over.”

  Another hour passed before Lord Bannaster arrived. He looked handsome in his green doublet and hose, and Anne found herself trying to picture him as a priest. With Philip bringing up the rear, the women followed the viscount through the palace. Anne could hear the slow swell of music growing louder and louder. Her stomach seemed to twist on itself, and she was breathing far too quickly.

  When they reached double doors twice Philip’s height, two soldiers stood guard. Together they opened the doors, and a calm came over Anne. She was a woman of loose morals, at ease with men, confident in her power to overwhelm them with her beauty. They would not see her face, so she allowed herself to sway as she walked, emphasizing the curves she knew men admired.

  She and Lady Rosamond each took one of Lord Bannaster’s arms, and he began to slowly escort them in. Heat and noise billowed out at them. Anne found herself astonished at the height of Westminster Hall, without a pillar in sight to support the roof. Easily a hundred noblemen moved amongst each other, talking and gesturing and laughing. An orchestra played somewhere within.

  They weren’t the first women to arrive. Others, masked and certainly in more provocative clothing, walked between the men, displaying themselves and entertaining with their smiles and their laughter.

  Did the noble wives know what was going on tonight? Anne found herself wondering.

  But a woman such as she would not care. Tonight was about the payment received, and the pleasure given, so that she would be hired to return again. A smile came easier to her then. She walked slowly at Lord Bannaster’s side as at first he displayed them before King Henry, seated on his throne on a raised dais. The king nodded, but his gaze did not linger. He was a newly married man, and she had heard that his wife was with child.

  And then Lady Rosamond’s work began. Lord Bannaster moved through the crowd, smiling at each woman on his arm. Anne gave him a languid smile back, impressed with his acting skills. Lady Rosamond giggled, reaching out to touch the arm of the occasional nobleman.

  Did she recognize one of the traitors yet? Anne wondered. Who here would betray his king? She herself saw a few faces she knew: Baron Milforth, who’d kissed her; and his son who was worried that his father would marry the wrong woman.

  “My girl, did you hear what I said?”

  Startled, Anne smiled up at a man and realized she faced Lord Egmanton,
without the oversight of his mother. She felt a flash of fear, remembering how he had forced her legs apart.

  But he didn’t know her now, hidden behind her mask, and she would never have to submit to him.

  “My lord, I was admiring the way everyone simply glitters with jewels here,” Anne said, her voice low and husky.

  Lord Bannaster was bending his ear to Lady Rosamond, who was pointing and smiling and whispering to him, as if picking out her choice of protector for the evening.

  When really she was identifying a traitor. Though Anne caught a glimpse of the man she pointed to, she reluctantly made herself focus on Egmanton.

  “Are you available for the evening?” he asked, reaching for her.

  Finding it difficult to smile, she playfully batted at his hand. “I am with Lord Bannaster for now, you impertinent man.”

  She glanced again at the man Lady Rosamond had pointed to, and he seemed so…normal. Pleasant to look at, rather short in height.

  Egmanton had not given up. “What will it take to make you leave Lord Bannaster? After all, the man was almost a priest. What does he know of women?”

  Lord Bannaster suddenly gave the young baron his full attention. “Egmanton, is that you? You are difficult to recognize without your mother leading you about.”

  Several men nearby snickered, and Egmanton flushed red.

  “Perhaps you shouldn’t be seen here,” Lord Bannaster continued.

  Anne looked at Lord Bannaster with interest, while Egmanton’s chest puffed like a rooster.

  “I do not take direction from you,” the baron said.

  “Then perhaps you will from the king. It has come to his attention that you abused a noblewoman recently.”

  Anne held her breath in surprise, but she did not think Egmanton would back down.

  “You cannot believe a woman’s lies.”

  Bannaster smiled coolly. “She is not the one who complained to His Majesty. I do believe you will be hearing from my royal cousin soon.”

  Egmanton gaped at them, his mouth moving but no words emerging.

  Lady Rosamond and Lord Bannaster began to move away, and Anne allowed her hand to loosen in the viscount’s arm, as if considering remaining with Egmanton. At last, she shook her head, trilled a laugh, and waved good-bye. She glanced at Lord Bannaster with grateful satisfaction. Maybe there was more to him than the man she’d met at Castle Alderley.