in her life.
Wolsey’s discerning gaze moved critically from Gil to her and back again.
“Is that the truth, Mistress Blount?” he asked sternly.
“My lord, I cannot honestly—”
“You cannot honestly take the blame for me; that is what Mistress Blount was about to say,” Gil said, interrupting her. “But it was a noble gesture.”
The nobility belonged entirely to him, but she was too stunned to say more.
“Very well, Master Tailbois, I shall deal with you later. Mistress Blount, my apologies for any offense,” Wolsey said, nodding perfunctorily, the tension of the moment quickly defused.
“None taken, my lord, I assure you,” she replied in a much softer voice than she normally used, since her mind was still reeling. Bess had no idea what Gil was even doing here in the queen’s apartments, let alone at that critical moment to save her. Nevertheless, she was grateful.
After Wolsey and Gil had gone, and the girls sat down to take their meal, Bess turned to Elizabeth, leaning in as she did so no one else would hear. “Why on earth would he have done that?”
“Because it was our fault in the first place,” Elizabeth replied simply, and with seemingly uncharacteristic charity. “Gilly may not be much to look at, but he is a man of honor. Or he will be—once he is a fully grown man.” She chuckled, pleased with her own sense of humor. “And he has a way with Wolsey. Everyone says so.”
“Gilbert would seem a good friend to have.”
“How appropriate.” Elizabeth Bryan laughed a bit more loudly. “Because he says the very same thing about you.”
Chapter Four
May 1514
Eltham Palace, Kent
I n the spring of Katherine and Henry’s fifth year of marriage, the queen was pregnant for the fourth time, and once again, all of England waited cautiously for a living heir. Since it was not thought safe for the queen to participate in court activities at this stage of her pregnancy, the dynamic young king sought companionship and entertainment elsewhere.
Increasingly, that included pretty fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Bryan.
As Mistress Bryan’s presence beside the king, at tennis matches, hunting parties, garden strolls, and at the frequent banquets, was phased in, so Mistress Poppincourt’s presence was seamlessly phased out. Like smooth steps in a courtly dance, the movements and changes were subtle. Where one of the girls had once been seated at the table nearest the king, the other was now directed. Where one had ridden beside the sovereign, or joined him in his personal barge for journeys down the river, the other now kept his company.
Bess might not have noticed at all if not for being increasingly placed beside Elizabeth at these events.
In the year since coming to court, Bess had learned well the players to befriend and those to avoid. Of all the courtiers around her, she trusted only two: Elizabeth Bryan and Gil Tailbois. Owing to the king’s dependence upon him, and his subsequent appointment as Bishop of Lincoln, Wells, and Bath, Wolsey’s attention was in demand to attend and advise the sovereign. Gil came along to attend Bishop Wolsey, so Bess had around her daily those upon whom she most depended.
True to his word after the victory at Thérouanne and Tournai, Henry VIII made plans to conquer all of France. Until he learned that his allies—the queen’s own father, Ferdinand, and the Emperor Maximilian—had deserted him and signed a peace treaty with their enemy, the French King Louis XII. Only Wolsey’s words seemed to temper Henry’s anger, advising him to form some sort of alliance with the French monarch in order to rescue his world reputation. Henry’s desire for war did not help the royal marriage, and it set into motion a series of events that would change the lives of everyone at court.
“I trusted the queen’s father most of all!” Henry raged. “I should have been able to rely on his daughter’s loyalty as well!”
“The queen has been most loyal, Your
Wolsey’s discerning gaze moved critically from Gil to her and back again.
“Is that the truth, Mistress Blount?” he asked sternly.
“My lord, I cannot honestly—”
“You cannot honestly take the blame for me; that is what Mistress Blount was about to say,” Gil said, interrupting her. “But it was a noble gesture.”
The nobility belonged entirely to him, but she was too stunned to say more.
“Very well, Master Tailbois, I shall deal with you later. Mistress Blount, my apologies for any offense,” Wolsey said, nodding perfunctorily, the tension of the moment quickly defused.
“None taken, my lord, I assure you,” she replied in a much softer voice than she normally used, since her mind was still reeling. Bess had no idea what Gil was even doing here in the queen’s apartments, let alone at that critical moment to save her. Nevertheless, she was grateful.
After Wolsey and Gil had gone, and the girls sat down to take their meal, Bess turned to Elizabeth, leaning in as she did so no one else would hear. “Why on earth would he have done that?”
“Because it was our fault in the first place,” Elizabeth replied simply, and with seemingly uncharacteristic charity. “Gilly may not be much to look at, but he is a man of honor. Or he will be—once he is a fully grown man.” She chuckled, pleased with her own sense of humor. “And he has a way with Wolsey. Everyone says so.”
“Gilbert would seem a good friend to have.”
“How appropriate.” Elizabeth Bryan laughed a bit more loudly. “Because he says the very same thing about you.”
Chapter Four
May 1514
Eltham Palace, Kent
I n the spring of Katherine and Henry’s fifth year of marriage, the queen was pregnant for the fourth time, and once again, all of England waited cautiously for a living heir. Since it was not thought safe for the queen to participate in court activities at this stage of her pregnancy, the dynamic young king sought companionship and entertainment elsewhere.
Increasingly, that included pretty fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Bryan.
As Mistress Bryan’s presence beside the king, at tennis matches, hunting parties, garden strolls, and at the frequent banquets, was phased in, so Mistress Poppincourt’s presence was seamlessly phased out. Like smooth steps in a courtly dance, the movements and changes were subtle. Where one of the girls had once been seated at the table nearest the king, the other was now directed. Where one had ridden beside the sovereign, or joined him in his personal barge for journeys down the river, the other now kept his company.
Bess might not have noticed at all if not for being increasingly placed beside Elizabeth at these events.
In the year since coming to court, Bess had learned well the players to befriend and those to avoid. Of all the courtiers around her, she trusted only two: Elizabeth Bryan and Gil Tailbois. Owing to the king’s dependence upon him, and his subsequent appointment as Bishop of Lincoln, Wells, and Bath, Wolsey’s attention was in demand to attend and advise the sovereign. Gil came along to attend Bishop Wolsey, so Bess had around her daily those upon whom she most depended.
True to his word after the victory at Thérouanne and Tournai, Henry VIII made plans to conquer all of France. Until he learned that his allies—the queen’s own father, Ferdinand, and the Emperor Maximilian—had deserted him and signed a peace treaty with their enemy, the French King Louis XII. Only Wolsey’s words seemed to temper Henry’s anger, advising him to form some sort of alliance with the French monarch in order to rescue his world reputation. Henry’s desire for war did not help the royal marriage, and it set into motion a series of events that would change the lives of everyone at court.
“I trusted the queen’s father most of all!” Henry raged. “I should have been able to rely on his daughter’s loyalty as well!”
“The queen has been most loyal, Your
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