garden."
"All right, then," she said, frowning, "Kat must be the one who draws them off."
But, despite her excitement to be so close to what she sought, Elizabeth saw it would be foolhardy to try to find the cot now. She'd never get near it without the Popes and these guards sticking to her skirts like burrs. Sir Thomas was already ordering the party to remount and head back. She fumed inside, longing for the day she could order people about with a mere glance or snap of her fingers, let alone a warrant or decree.
As they headed home midafternoon, Elizabeth sent a long glance back toward the thick forest surrounding Bushey Cot. If a garden grew there in the dank and dark, what could be in it?
"What's this I hear?" Sir Thomas raged. They all looked up as he rushed into the solar, where Elizabeth sat before the fire at needlework with Lady Blanche Parry and his wife. "First an herbalist and now some itinerant fool added hugger-mugger to your household here, my Lady Elizabeth?"
"That is correct, Sir Thomas," she replied, dropping her work in her lap and placing both hands on the arms of her chair. She hoped she appeared at ease, but she wanted something to grip instead of this man's fat, fleshy neck.
"Ned Topside, however," she went on in measured tones, "is a versatile player of some repute and deserves better than the sobriquet clown or fool. He'll do all sorts of parts for us, cooped up here this winter all cozy together."
"Do not try to get me off the track. Next you'll be putting on airs to appoint a privy council in exile," he raged, pacing before the rain-streaked windows.
Elizabeth had to fight a smile, for he knew not how close he came to her real plans for her newly assembled little staff. She wanted
not gathered herbs but clues, not clever amusements but proofs about the poisoners.
"Her Gracious Majesty will not like this when she is informed, I tell you that plain," he expounded, striding back and forth, his Spanish leather bootheels clicking on the oaken floor.
"Surely," Elizabeth tried to soothe him, as she rose and handed Blanche her sampler stretched on its willow hoop, "my dear sister will not begrudge me a few simple and private pleasures. Indeed, I am going to inform her myself and inquire if I might not visit Kent before winter sets in--to Ightham Mote to see the Cornish family; you remember them?"
"That little place," he said and snorted. "Granted, a family the queen favors for their loyalty, but one that was distantly related to your Howard kin, I recall, so--"
"Her Majesty did tell me I might move about the kingdom if I do so circumspectly, and this would be a brief, private visit. It will give the household staff time to clean out the jakes before winter sets in to keep us here. You, I know, would like a change, too, Sir Thomas. I can imagine how this backwater place wears on a man of action like yourself." He had stopped sputtering at least. He glanced warily at his wife for support, but she offered none.
"If Her Grace gives written permission," he said, "of course I would go, for you are my charge and care." He sighed and leaned on the window ledge to stare out at the vast gray sky. She supposed he fancied he felt the weight of it upon his slumped shoulders.
"Agreed then," she said, moving quickly in for the kill before he could realize how she'd baited and hooked him. "Then I shall send my man Jenks with the request to Her Majesty at once, and we shall eagerly await her response."
She turned to take her sewing back from Blanche but glanced again at Bea's in her lap. The tight chain stitching, the twist of framing leaves--it was so like the style of the other piece. "I hope, Lady Bea," Elizabeth said, "you will be able to join our little entourage if we go to Kent, or will you be seeing your sister at Maidstone again? At least that is in the shire too."
"Her children have been ill--I'm not certain," she
replied, glancing from Elizabeth to her husband and looking rather agitated. "I
"All right, then," she said, frowning, "Kat must be the one who draws them off."
But, despite her excitement to be so close to what she sought, Elizabeth saw it would be foolhardy to try to find the cot now. She'd never get near it without the Popes and these guards sticking to her skirts like burrs. Sir Thomas was already ordering the party to remount and head back. She fumed inside, longing for the day she could order people about with a mere glance or snap of her fingers, let alone a warrant or decree.
As they headed home midafternoon, Elizabeth sent a long glance back toward the thick forest surrounding Bushey Cot. If a garden grew there in the dank and dark, what could be in it?
"What's this I hear?" Sir Thomas raged. They all looked up as he rushed into the solar, where Elizabeth sat before the fire at needlework with Lady Blanche Parry and his wife. "First an herbalist and now some itinerant fool added hugger-mugger to your household here, my Lady Elizabeth?"
"That is correct, Sir Thomas," she replied, dropping her work in her lap and placing both hands on the arms of her chair. She hoped she appeared at ease, but she wanted something to grip instead of this man's fat, fleshy neck.
"Ned Topside, however," she went on in measured tones, "is a versatile player of some repute and deserves better than the sobriquet clown or fool. He'll do all sorts of parts for us, cooped up here this winter all cozy together."
"Do not try to get me off the track. Next you'll be putting on airs to appoint a privy council in exile," he raged, pacing before the rain-streaked windows.
Elizabeth had to fight a smile, for he knew not how close he came to her real plans for her newly assembled little staff. She wanted
not gathered herbs but clues, not clever amusements but proofs about the poisoners.
"Her Gracious Majesty will not like this when she is informed, I tell you that plain," he expounded, striding back and forth, his Spanish leather bootheels clicking on the oaken floor.
"Surely," Elizabeth tried to soothe him, as she rose and handed Blanche her sampler stretched on its willow hoop, "my dear sister will not begrudge me a few simple and private pleasures. Indeed, I am going to inform her myself and inquire if I might not visit Kent before winter sets in--to Ightham Mote to see the Cornish family; you remember them?"
"That little place," he said and snorted. "Granted, a family the queen favors for their loyalty, but one that was distantly related to your Howard kin, I recall, so--"
"Her Majesty did tell me I might move about the kingdom if I do so circumspectly, and this would be a brief, private visit. It will give the household staff time to clean out the jakes before winter sets in to keep us here. You, I know, would like a change, too, Sir Thomas. I can imagine how this backwater place wears on a man of action like yourself." He had stopped sputtering at least. He glanced warily at his wife for support, but she offered none.
"If Her Grace gives written permission," he said, "of course I would go, for you are my charge and care." He sighed and leaned on the window ledge to stare out at the vast gray sky. She supposed he fancied he felt the weight of it upon his slumped shoulders.
"Agreed then," she said, moving quickly in for the kill before he could realize how she'd baited and hooked him. "Then I shall send my man Jenks with the request to Her Majesty at once, and we shall eagerly await her response."
She turned to take her sewing back from Blanche but glanced again at Bea's in her lap. The tight chain stitching, the twist of framing leaves--it was so like the style of the other piece. "I hope, Lady Bea," Elizabeth said, "you will be able to join our little entourage if we go to Kent, or will you be seeing your sister at Maidstone again? At least that is in the shire too."
"Her children have been ill--I'm not certain," she
replied, glancing from Elizabeth to her husband and looking rather agitated. "I
Similar Books
