Chapter 11 #2
The days seemed endless, as she had known they would.
She found herself repeatedly lauding the praises of Francis to Mary or confiding her anxiety that he would have cooled toward her when he returned.
Sometimes she found herself humming a song from The Masque of Hymen, which they had both liked and had sung to each other afterward.
It made her feel close to Francis when he was so far away.
She wondered what business he had to conduct.
The running of estates was a mystery to her.
But one day, she hoped, she would learn from him, and learn so well that she would be a good wife to him.
She imagined herself as mistress of Greys Court, running a great household with a brood of children around her—even though she had never seen the place and only knew what Francis had told her of it.
But then she recalled how he had said that he wished he could say more to her.
What was holding him back? She tortured herself with fears that he was betrothed to another, earning herself more than one reprimand from Mrs. Stonor for daydreaming.
“That’s the second time I’ve had to remind you to fetch the Queen’s rose water!” the Mistress of the Maids said sternly. “Why, girl, whatever’s the matter?”
Kate’s eyes had filled with tears. She wondered if she could trust Mrs. Stonor.
She really wanted to speak to her mother, but the Mother of the Maids might be someone she could confide in.
She gulped. “Mrs. Stonor, I love a young man, one of the Gentlemen Pensioners, but he has taken leave to go home and attend to estate business. I don’t know what he has to do, but I fear he is promised to someone else. ”
Mrs. Stonor shook her head. Her stern face relaxed. “Sit down and calm yourself! Who is this young man?”
“Francis Knollys.”
“I know him. He is of good family. Is he in love with you?”
“I’m sure he is, but he hasn’t said so. He said he likes me very much, and he wished he could say more. That’s why I fear he is bound to another.”
To her astonishment, Mrs. Stonor took her hand.
“Francis Knollys’s father amassed much wealth for his good service to the King and the late King, which his son has inherited.
He is a well-set-up young man. Too many of the young bloods at court are younger sons with no prospects and nothing to offer a young lady.
By my reckoning, he has gone home to set his affairs in such order that he will be in an excellent position to propose marriage. ”
Kate felt as if a load had been lifted off her shoulders. “You really think so?”
“I do. And I believe him to be an honorable young man, so I do not think he would have led you on if he was betrothed to someone else. The very idea! You young girls do let your fancies run away with you. Still, I was young once and I remember what being in love was like. But, Mistress Carey, you are forgetting something very important.” She drew back and regarded Kate severely.
“This matter is one for the Queen herself, because while you are in her service, she is responsible for you, and anything you do reflects on her. Now, I do not think for a minute that she can disapprove of your choice of suitor, but she must be kept informed. I will talk to her.”
—
That very afternoon, Kate was summoned to the Queen’s chamber. Mrs. Stonor was present, and Susanna Gilman was there as interpreter.
Anna smiled at Kate. “Mrs. Stonor says you have a suitor and that he is a good man. I will talk to the King about him, but you may receive him with my blessing.”
Kate thanked her profusely and withdrew, not a little perturbed.
Had she been too premature in mentioning Francis to Mrs. Stonor?
What if he was not thinking of marrying her?
And if the King said anything to him, or asked what his intentions were toward her, what would Francis think of her?
She cringed at the idea of his thinking her too forward or presuming too much.
Oh, she had been a fool, thinking to solve one worry, yet unwittingly creating another!
Why, she asked herself, as she hurried down to the gardens, did the King have to be involved?
She had been at court long enough to know that no noble marriage could take place without his approval—yet she was not noble!
Her father had been plain Mr. Carey. What interest could the King have in her?
It could be because she was Elizabeth’s cousin and close companion.
But when she thought back on what the Queen had said, she realized that Anna might just have been intending to seek his opinion of Francis. Yes, that must be it.
She sat for a while by the fishpond, wishing that Francis were there with her, and dreaming of his kisses and his strong arms around her. She was hugging these thoughts to herself when Anne Bassett appeared.
“There you are, Kate!” she said. “I’ve been looking for you. There’s to be dancing in the presence chamber tonight. We’re to attend the Queen.”
Kate sighed. If only Francis could be there.
It would not be the same without him. But she went upstairs with Anne all the same and spent quite a happy hour in the maidens’ dorter trying on some cream velvet gowns and gold damask French hoods provided by the Lord Chamberlain for the maids-of-honor.
Thus arrayed, she joined the others following the King and Queen to the presence chamber.
The musicians began playing and, at the King’s nod, gentlemen began leading ladies out to dance.
A well-dressed young man presented himself before Kate and bowed. “Richard Beard at your service, Mistress Carey. Will you dance with me?”
He was not as tall as Francis and his hair was dark, but he had a handsome face and kind eyes. Why should I not enjoy myself? Kate thought. My heart belongs to Francis, but he is not here, and I know I am not being disloyal to him. It is only a dance, after all.
As they partnered each other in a lively galliard, he told her that he served in the King’s Privy Chamber and that he had been a member of the embassy sent to Germany the previous year to arrange the King’s marriage. He wanted to know all about Kate, and she found herself warming to him.
When the dance ended, he asked for another, and they set off again. He was regarding her admiringly and she could not but respond to the flattery. Had she not been in love with Francis, she would have liked Richard Beard as a suitor. But the man she loved was Francis. She had eyes for no other.
“I should tell you,” she said, when the music stopped and he asked her to step out with him for the third time, “that a gentleman has been paying court to me and I am in hope that we shall be wed.”
Richard looked genuinely disappointed. “He is a lucky man,” he said at length. “I would not trespass on his territory. But would you be happy just to spend the evening with me, for good company? I would not expect anything more.”
“Of course.” She smiled. And it was a very pleasant evening.
—
She met him again, by chance, at the bowling alley a week later. She was expecting Francis to return to court any day now, but she was pleased when Richard came over and sought her out as she stood with Mary Norris watching the contest.
“Well met, Mistress Carey.” He smiled. “Is your suitor not returned yet?” He looked hopeful.
“He will be here very soon,” she told him, thinking that if Francis broke her heart, she at least had someone she could turn to. But Francis wouldn’t break her heart—he was a better man than that. Oh, how she wished he were here!
“We were just leaving,” she said, ignoring Mary’s bewildered expression. “We have to wait on the Queen.” She left Richard there, looking crestfallen. It was a thousand pities that she had had to rebuff such a nice man, but she would not be disloyal to Francis.
When she got back to the maidens’ dorter, she found a letter on her bed. Recognizing Francis’s handwriting, she ripped the seal away. He was coming back to her! He would see her this very evening when he arrived at Whitehall.
The hours did not pass quickly enough. After the Queen had finished supper, Kate hurriedly donned the cream gown that had looked so well on her at the dance, and ran down to the gatehouse, through which Francis must surely come riding.
She waited there an hour and more, until she was thoroughly chilled to the bone, for it was a cold evening.
Yet she had forborne to wear a cloak because she wanted him to see how pretty her figure looked in the velvet gown.
And there he was, leading his horse through the archway. When he saw her, he immediately handed the reins to his groom and ran to her, throwing his arms around her.
“My darling!” he exclaimed, with a fervor he had never before shown. “How I have missed you!”
“I have missed you, too!” she breathed, lost in the wonder of the moment.
He kissed her hard on the mouth and smiled. “I must see to my gear.” He unloaded his saddlebags and bade his groom take the horse to the stables to be fed and watered. Then he took Kate’s hand and led her into the palace. “Meet me by the fishpond in half an hour,” he said, squeezing her fingers.
—
She took her cloak with her this time. As if on wings, she made her way to the gardens, where she saw Francis waiting for her. He seized her hands, kissed her hungrily, then drew her down beside him on the bench.
“What have you been doing while I’ve been away?” he asked.
“Not very much.” She told him all there was to tell. “And a young gentleman from the privy chamber paid court to me, but I made it clear I wasn’t interested,” she added.
Francis nodded, looking relieved. “That was as well, because you know what I’m going to say to you now.” He slid down on one knee. “Kate, will you marry me?”