Chapter 11
‘Would you do me the honour of granting me this dance, Lady Sharington?’
The afternoon and evening had been long and more than a little challenging once the King and his cohorts had descended on Richmond.
Queen Anna had almost had conniptions when she had realised what was happening; she had run to the closet and been violently sick, before showing her true mettle by declaring that she would wash her face, dress in her finest gown and entertain His Majesty to the best dinner that the palace could offer.
That, of course, entailed Marris in organising all her ladies to get the former Queen ready, when they, too, were in a state of high anxiety.
The cook, who should have been quite prepared for the King’s whims, threw a fit when told he was expected to devise a banquet at such short notice.
And now here they were, six hours later, the remnants of the meal scattered around, copious wine taken and the King deciding that there should be an impromptu dance.
It had started out in a relatively dignified way, with a pavane, but now the musicians were tuning up for a coranto.
Marris had not found it difficult to avoid Will for the past few hours.
There was always an errand to run, or a task to complete.
When the King was present, nobody could relax.
She had, however, been acutely aware of his presence the entire time; of his gaze following her, of the sound of his voice, his laughter.
On one occasion she had looked up from her meal to see that he was watching her; he raised his glass to her and smiled in a way that promised intimacy.
Marris’s anger towards him soared in equal proportion to her misery.
How dared he look at her with such warmth and proprietary interest, when he had not troubled even to send her a message that he was back in the country, let alone come to see her before?
She turned a shoulder to him and saw the flash of amusement in his eyes.
He knew she was angry with him, knew she was trying to ignore him, and his gaze sent the silent message that in good time they would settle matters between them.
‘Would you do me the honour of granting me this dance, Lady Sharington?’ the voice repeated, and Marris raised her eyes to meet those of her husband.
He was holding out a hand to her, bowing.
This, then, was the moment he had chosen finally to confront her.
Her first instinct was to grab him and pull him to her, either kiss him or slap him, she was not entirely sure which.
Neither, however, was appropriate in public, where they had to maintain a decorous front.
She stood up with every sign of reluctance and dropped a small curtsey.
‘Very well, Sir William.’
He took her hand in his and kissed it. The contact, after so many months alone, made Marris’s skin tingle. She could not repress a shiver; he saw it and smiled. She turned away from him, feigning indifference.
On the dais the King and his former Queen were chatting with great good humour, every sign of friendliness and no need for an interpreter.
The King had eaten and drunk his fill, which helped; Anna had picked at her food and taken no wine, but her former husband barely noticed because he was too busy talking about himself.
Early on, he had complimented her on looking in good health.
‘We were concerned to hear that you had been unwell, madam, but are relieved to see you so much recovered.’
As Sir William led Marris into the dance, Queen Anna was clapping her hands and calling for cards. Marris had taught her primero only the previous week and Anna had proved an apt pupil.
‘It is delightful to see the King and the Lady Anna conversing with such good grace,’ Sir William said. ‘It is a vast improvement on their relationship when last I saw them together. It seems that being the King’s sister suits her well.’
Marris gave him a glance as they lined up for the coranto. ‘A great deal of time has passed and a very great deal has happened since you were last here, Sir William. Much has changed.’
He raised his brows. ‘Indeed? It has been a long time, but I had hoped to find you constant, my love.’
‘You find me,’ Marris said tartly, ‘exactly as you left me.’ She did not want there to be any questions over her constancy, not when he was the one who had apparently been fawned over at court.
A smile touched the corner of Sir William’s mouth. ‘That is good to hear. Yet you seem reluctant to dance with me. Are you sure there is not another whom you would prefer to partner?’
‘Not at all.’ Marris gave him a cool smile. ‘It will be my pleasure.’
‘I shall devote myself to making sure of that,’ Sir William said. He slid his hand down her arm to take her hand in his as the first set commenced. Marris shivered a little. She had missed him. Missed his touch.
‘I confess,’ he added as they moved into the steps of the dance, ‘that I had hoped for a rather warmer welcome from you. You have done your best to ignore me all evening.’
‘And I had hoped,’ Marris countered, ‘to receive news of your return directly, rather than a week after you arrived at court.’
‘Ah.’ Understanding gleamed in his eyes. ‘Good friends have been acquainting you with my activities.’
‘Indeed,’ Marris said. She performed a neat turn and came back to face him again.
‘I hear you have found much favour with the ladies of the court. I am surprised you could bear to tear yourself away from them even now to come and find me. Ah, but I forgot. The King demanded your attendance today, otherwise I imagine you would not have bothered.’
His face lit with amusement. ‘Now we have it. I never thought to see you jealous, Marris.’
‘I am not jealous,’ Marris snapped.
He put his hand on her waist, drawing her body against his as the dance brought them closer. His lips brushed her hair and Marris tried to concentrate on something, anything, other than the feel of his breath against her skin.
‘Of course you are, sweeting,’ he whispered. His hand was on the small of her back, briefly holding her against his hard body. ‘I like it.’
Marris made a sound of exasperation. ‘You are conceited, sir.’
‘True. But you love me.’
‘I do not even like you.’
He laughed aloud at that. ‘I apologise. I realise I have made a significant error…’ The steps of the dance parted them, only to drive them back together again.
‘What if I told you that I was waiting to get a very special gift made for you before I came calling?’ he added, teasingly.
‘I would disdain that as a very poor excuse,’ Marris said. ‘For shame, sir, can you not think of something better? I am not a green girl to be taken in by your blandishments.’
He ran his thumb along the line of her chin, tilting her face up to his so that their lips almost touched. And all the time the steps of the dance swept them on.
‘Very well.’ His voice dropped low as the music soared.
‘How does this sound? Marris, I missed you. I missed you dreadfully. I was sick as a dog on the sea crossings. I was like a bear with a sore head to be apart from you all these months. Tom Wyatt grumbled that I resembled an entire menagerie of miserable beasts and that I was the worst companion he had ever had to endure. I could not wait to hurry back to England.’
Marris’s chilled heart had started to thaw a little at the sincerity in his words, but she was not going to give in so easily.
‘Yet when you arrived, you forgot your way to Richmond,’ she observed.
With one quick movement he drew her out of the dance and into the shadowed corner by the door. ‘We cannot talk about this here,’ he said. ‘Come with me, Marris. Let me explain.’ Then he added. ‘Please.’
‘We cannot simply leave—’ Marris started to say, but he had heard the note of longing in her voice and pulled her through the doorway without another word. In a moment they were hurrying hand in hand down the corridor.
‘Our royal masters have had impeccable service from us,’ he said in an undertone. ‘I am not going to lose my marriage over a misunderstanding, just to dance attendance on them.’ He stopped dead in his tracks. ‘Damnation, I do not know where we are going. Where are your rooms?’
Marris giggled. ‘I have chambers in the northern range, on the third floor overlooking the courtyard.’ At least in a palace the size of Richmond there was space for everyone.
He nodded. ‘I will find you. Watch for me in five minutes. There is something I must fetch for you.’ He pulled her into a brief, hard and dizzying kiss, before letting her go and hurrying away, his footsteps loud on the flagstones.
At the corner of the passageway, she saw him stop and turn around to look at her for a long moment, then he ran.
Extraordinary. She shook her head. Her body was still buzzing from the kiss.
A whole welter of emotions tumbled inside her.
Picking up her skirts, she hurried to the stairs, infected by Will’s sense of urgency.
The maid, tidying the chamber, looked startled to see her but scuttled away.
Marris sat down on her bed. In the sudden quiet, the anticipation within her started to drain away.
What if he did not come back and she was left waiting here for him like a lovesick maid? She would be a laughing stock.
There was a knock at the door and she jumped.
She flew across the room to answer. It was polite of him to wait for her to invite him in, but once she had, he wasted no time.
The parcel he was carrying – a small rectangular box – was tossed aside.
He took her in his arms and they kissed as though the word would end if they stopped.
‘Oh, Will,’ she said when, finally, they had to stop for breath. ‘Why—’
‘Later,’ he said. His voice was rough. ‘I’ll explain everything later.’
And as he kissed her again, she was happy to agree.
* * *
‘It is truly beautiful.’