Legacy: The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- and the Three Men Who Loved Her by Susan Kay Page A

her stepfather,
    after all, her guardian—oh, Christ’s soul, Kate—if you could see your
    face! You silly goose—would I ever lay a hand upon her, save in fun?
    She’s only a child!”
    She’s only a child. It was his sole line of defence, to himself and to others,
    but it grew a little thinner every day; and one chill windy morning, in the
    formal gardens at Hanworth, he finally acknowledged that he was playing
    with fire. It began as just another romp and ended with ugly emotions
    showing through the frayed edges of his control—and all because she was
    wearing a black dress which reminded him unpleasantly of her mother.
    “Strange,” he said softly. “I don’t recall putting the household into
    mourning, do you, Kate? And no one wears black under my roof without
    my leave, certainly not a jumped-up chit of twelve.”
    “I’m fourteen,” snapped Elizabeth furiously. “You know I’m fourteen.”
    “Is that so, grandmother?”
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    Katherine laughed. “Tom, stop teasing her. You make her life a misery
    these days.”
    “And what does she make mine I’d like to know? Listen—” He gave
    Elizabeth a push. “We’ve done with play-acting now, madam. Go in
    and put on something that doesn’t make you loot like a whore from
    the stews.”
    “ Tom ! That wasn’t called for, dear.”
    “I’ve had enough of her defiance,” he said brusquely. “I’ll have obedi-
    ence in my own house or know the reason why. Go into the house,
    Elizabeth, and get changed at once.”
    “I won’t ! I won’t be ordered about. I’m the King’s daughter.”
    “You certainly are, madam. And it’s time you began to behave like one.”
    She backed against a tree, looking desperately at Katherine, who
    shrugged her shoulders in an amused and helpless gesture.
    “You can’t make me do anything,” she muttered sullenly.
    “Oh, can’t I? We’ll see about that!” He grabbed her roughly and
    pushed her into Katherine’s arms. “Hold her for me while I teach her a
    lesson she won’t forget.”
    He whipped out his little jewelled dagger and knifed the full skirts to
    ribbons. Finally he took hold of the bodice and ripped it down the front,
    exposing her bare breasts. When he had finished he was panting. There
    was a glazed look in his eyes and his hand was shaking.
    Elizabeth and Katherine stared at him in silence and in the cold wind
    Elizabeth began to shiver. He sheathed his dagger and tried to laugh
    nonchalantly.
    “You wouldn’t change it, so I changed it for you,” he said inad-
    equately. Still they stared at him and suddenly, filled with shame, he lost
    his temper completely. “God’s death, girl, don’t stand there like a bloody
    Bedlamite. Get inside the house and cover yourself decently.”
    “Yes, go along, dear,” said Katherine shakily. “I’ll be up later.”
    As he watched Elizabeth run up the gravel path to the house, he put a
    guilty arm around his wife and thought: It’s got to stop!
    t t t
    Mrs. Ashley was leaning over a clothes press when Elizabeth came into
    the room. She straightened up, turned round and stiffened with horror.
    “What in God’s name—”
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    “Before you ask,” said Elizabeth haughtily, “it was the Admiral who
    did it.”
    “The Admiral!”
    “Yes—and don’t take that tone with me, Ashley! It wasn’t my fault.
    The Queen held me while he cut it up. I tell you the Queen held me.”
    But she would not look at Kat as she said it.
    t t t
    Kat Ashley had never aspired to discipline. She had lost the whip hand
    with Elizabeth more than ten years ago and she had been endeavouring
    to lead her wilful charge ever since, with about as much success as a
    bumbling general attempting to command his army from the rear. Now
    she was forced to admit to herself that the Princess was galloping away
    from her ineffectual rein like a wild, unbroken mare. She had been unable
    to stop the girl slipping out on a barge after midnight on some wild
    jaunt of the