secret. Recently Madame Anne and her Hungarian husband both passed away somewhere in Hungary – smallpox took their lives.” Henry enlightened Anne on the case. “Nobody in France and in Venice has seen Madame Anne de Ponthieu for a long, long time. Besides, Sir Thomas said that she was dark-haired, and this simplifies our task.”
“Oh.” Anne’s lips parted.
“Don’t be alarmed, Anne. In Calais you will be met by a special person sent by Count Jean de Montreuil himself,” he told her. He extracted from the bag two envelopes and handed them to her. “There are two letters for you here. One of them is about the background of the Ponthieu-Montreuil family, and another one is from your father.”
Anne took the letters in her hands. “I will read them once I board the ship.”
“It is a wise decision.” Henry winked at her. “I also prepared for you a large bag with several gowns, undergarments, and other accessories, as well as a purse with money and several sets of jewelry. These should be enough for your journey.”
Anne smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Henry.” She sighed heavily as her thoughts drifted back to her children. “But how can I leave my children here in England?” Her voice was flat, but the tautness of her tone betrayed her emotional tumult.
“You must do it, Anne. We have no other alternative.”
“How is Elizabeth? Did Henry send her away from the court?”
Henry’s lips twitched in tension. “The king sent Elizabeth away from the court.”
“Where is she, Henry?”
“The king sent your daughter to the Woodstock Manor,” Percy replied reluctantly.
Anne felt blood draining from her face. She blanched. “It is an exile! An exile!” she cried out. “My poor girl! My dear, dear girl! She doesn’t deserve it! She did nothing wrong to Henry!” Anne felt her hatred for Henry rise in her chest.
“Calm down. There is nothing you can do about it right now.” Henry understood that Anne was very worried about her children, but he didn’t want to distress her more than she had already been after everything she had gone through.
“But my daughter–”
He interrupted her. “I promise you that I will do my best to take care of your children. I will do everything I can to help and protect them.”
Anne’s blue eyes twinkled. “Thank you, Henry.”
“You are welcome, Anne.” He smiled at her. “Now we must go. Please brace your energy and stand up. You will have more time to rest on the board of a ship.”
Anne climbed to her feet as Henry helped her. She still felt a little weak, which was the result of her general emotional distress and the somniferous poison she had taken. Anne rubbed her temples and exhaled deeply. Finally, she felt better and was able to leave the carriage.
“Anne, I recommend that you take into account that your new French grandfather, Count Jean de Montreuil, was a close friend of Charles d’Orléans, Count d’Angoulême, a member of the Orléans family. Unfortunately, I don’t know French lineages very well and cannot tell you all the details.”
“Oh!” Anne gave a gasp of surprise. “If I am not mistaken, Charles d’Orléans, Count d’Angoulême, died in the end of the 15 th century. He also was the father of His Majesty François I of France.” Her general emotional fatigue and anxiety were clearly embedded in her voice.
“Your father told me about that,” Percy confirmed.
Horror overcame her again, and a deep wrinkle marred her forehead. “In this case, it might be very dangerous for me because His Majesty King François knows me very well. I was raised at his court,” she said, her voice weak. “If I ever meet King François, he will undoubtedly recognize me.”
“Anne, you are going to Venice, not to France. Anyway, you must be extremely careful now.”
Anne’s lips stirred in a similitude of smile. “Very careful,” she echoed.
“If you have any other questions, you should discuss with Count Jean de Montreuil.
“Oh.” Anne’s lips parted.
“Don’t be alarmed, Anne. In Calais you will be met by a special person sent by Count Jean de Montreuil himself,” he told her. He extracted from the bag two envelopes and handed them to her. “There are two letters for you here. One of them is about the background of the Ponthieu-Montreuil family, and another one is from your father.”
Anne took the letters in her hands. “I will read them once I board the ship.”
“It is a wise decision.” Henry winked at her. “I also prepared for you a large bag with several gowns, undergarments, and other accessories, as well as a purse with money and several sets of jewelry. These should be enough for your journey.”
Anne smiled warmly at him. “Thank you, Henry.” She sighed heavily as her thoughts drifted back to her children. “But how can I leave my children here in England?” Her voice was flat, but the tautness of her tone betrayed her emotional tumult.
“You must do it, Anne. We have no other alternative.”
“How is Elizabeth? Did Henry send her away from the court?”
Henry’s lips twitched in tension. “The king sent Elizabeth away from the court.”
“Where is she, Henry?”
“The king sent your daughter to the Woodstock Manor,” Percy replied reluctantly.
Anne felt blood draining from her face. She blanched. “It is an exile! An exile!” she cried out. “My poor girl! My dear, dear girl! She doesn’t deserve it! She did nothing wrong to Henry!” Anne felt her hatred for Henry rise in her chest.
“Calm down. There is nothing you can do about it right now.” Henry understood that Anne was very worried about her children, but he didn’t want to distress her more than she had already been after everything she had gone through.
“But my daughter–”
He interrupted her. “I promise you that I will do my best to take care of your children. I will do everything I can to help and protect them.”
Anne’s blue eyes twinkled. “Thank you, Henry.”
“You are welcome, Anne.” He smiled at her. “Now we must go. Please brace your energy and stand up. You will have more time to rest on the board of a ship.”
Anne climbed to her feet as Henry helped her. She still felt a little weak, which was the result of her general emotional distress and the somniferous poison she had taken. Anne rubbed her temples and exhaled deeply. Finally, she felt better and was able to leave the carriage.
“Anne, I recommend that you take into account that your new French grandfather, Count Jean de Montreuil, was a close friend of Charles d’Orléans, Count d’Angoulême, a member of the Orléans family. Unfortunately, I don’t know French lineages very well and cannot tell you all the details.”
“Oh!” Anne gave a gasp of surprise. “If I am not mistaken, Charles d’Orléans, Count d’Angoulême, died in the end of the 15 th century. He also was the father of His Majesty François I of France.” Her general emotional fatigue and anxiety were clearly embedded in her voice.
“Your father told me about that,” Percy confirmed.
Horror overcame her again, and a deep wrinkle marred her forehead. “In this case, it might be very dangerous for me because His Majesty King François knows me very well. I was raised at his court,” she said, her voice weak. “If I ever meet King François, he will undoubtedly recognize me.”
“Anne, you are going to Venice, not to France. Anyway, you must be extremely careful now.”
Anne’s lips stirred in a similitude of smile. “Very careful,” she echoed.
“If you have any other questions, you should discuss with Count Jean de Montreuil.
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