And, strangely enough, he who had never been humble was so before this girl; he, who had looked upon the gratification of his desires as his Divine right, was content to wait and plead.
He had to rouse himself from his reverie to listen to the Frenchmen; and when he did so the words of Grammont startled him.
“There is one point which I feel compelled to raise at this time,” he was saying. “Rumors are circulating concerning the King’s marriage. My master would wish to know whether it is certain that the Princess Mary is the legitimate daughter of the King.”
Sudden anger flamed in Henry’s eyes to be replaced by immediate exultation.
If the legitimacy of the Princess Mary was in question, who could blame him for his determination to have the circumstances of his marriage examined?
He forced a look of intense sadness into his face and glanced towards Wolsey, who said quietly: “We heed the Bishop’s words. Little good can come of discussing that matter further at this stage.”
KATHARINE WATCHED her daughter riding into the Palace of Richmond and she thought: This is one of the happiest moments of my life.
How radiant the child looked! How she had grown! Was she as happy as her mother was by this reunion?
Mary came forward ceremoniously, her eyes lowered. It is because she fears her emotions, Katharine decided. What a Queen she will make when her time comes.
With Mary came her governess, Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, and Margaret’s son Reginald, both good friends of the Queen. So here was further cause for rejoicing.
Now her daughter knelt before her, and Katharine, who could stand on ceremony no longer, raised her up and embraced her.
“My dearest daughter…”
“Oh Mother, it has been so long.”
“Soon we shall be alone, my darling, and able to talk freely to each other.”
“That will be wonderful, Mother.”
She has not changed towards me, thought Katharine exultantly. How foolish of me to fear that she would.
She turned reluctantly from her daughter to greet Margaret. “I thank you for the good care you have taken of my daughter.”
“To serve Your Grace and Her Highness is my pleasure,” answered Margaret formally, but the gleam in her eyes was certainly not formal.
“And your son is here too.” She smiled at Reginald. “That gives me great pleasure.”
So they entered the Palace, and as soon as possible Katharine took her daughter to her private apartments that they might be alone.
“I have longed for this,” she told Mary.
“Oh, Mother, if you could only know how much I longed to see you. I used to kneel in the turret watching for a party of riders which would be you and your suite on the way to the Castle.”
“My dear child…and I never came!”
“No, but I always hoped. I never knew before how important hope is. One goes on being disappointed and loses it for a while, and then…there it is again.”
“You have learned an important lesson, my dearest.”
“And one day, Mother, Reginald came. That was a consolation.”
“Ah, I noticed that there was friendship between you.”
“Is he not wonderful, Mother? He is so clever and yet so kind. I think he is the gentlest man I ever knew.”
Katharine smiled. “And you liked his gentleness?”
“So much, Mother. With him I felt at peace. And after he had been with us a short time the message came that I was to return to you. We shall not be parted again.”
Katharine did not answer. It was her duty to prepare her daughter to receive the French ambassadors who would carry news of her beauty, accomplishments and deportment to the King of France.
And if this marriage were to take place within a year…or very little longer…Mary would be sent to France, for there could be no excuse for keeping her at home any longer. Katharine felt she could not endure another separation.
“You are sad, Mother,” said Mary. “Is it this marriage they are arranging for me which makes you so?”
The Queen nodded. “But we will not think of unpleasant things. It could not happen for a very long time. I will tell you this: I will do everything in my power to postpone, nay prevent it.”
Mary threw herself into her mother’s arms and cried passionately: “Yes, please do. Do not let them send me away from you again. Why could I not marry in my own country?”
Katharine stroked her daughter’s hair.
“Because, my darling, you would have to marry someone who is as royal as yourself.”
“There are people here who are as royal as I am.”
Katharine felt a twinge of alarm. Such words, when applied to one of the King’s subjects, could be dangerous. Buckingham had used them too often.
“Edward IV was Reginald’s ancestor and mine also. So Reginald is as royal as I am.”
The Queen was silent, thinking: Then has she thought of Reginald as a husband?
The idea excited Katharine. And why not? It was true Reginald Pole had Plantagenet blood in his veins. Surely it was a better policy to arrange marriages rather than executions for those whose royalty could be a threat to the crown.
If Mary married Reginald Pole, she could remain in England. Katharine visualized a happy future with her daughter never far from her side. She pictured herself with Mary’s children who would take the place in her heart of those she had never had. If only it could be. If only she could prevent this French alliance!
“Yes,” she said slowly, “Reginald Pole has royal blood in his veins. I am glad that you feel affection for him because I know him to be a good man, and his mother is one of my dearest friends.”
Mary was astute enough to read the promise in those words. She embraced her mother in sudden ecstasy as though, thought Katharine, she believes me to be all-powerful.
But let her think that, because it makes her happy; and we must be happy in these hours of reunion.
LATER KATHARINE sat with her dear friend Margaret Pole and they were alone together, which gave pleasure to them both.
Katharine was saying: “This is one of the happiest days of my life. I have dreamed of it ever since Mary went away.”
“As she has too,” added Margaret.
“It pleases me that she and Reginald should be drawn to each other.”
“They have indeed become good friends. The Princess is such a serious child that the difference in their ages is scarcely noticeable. My son considers her to be one of the most highly educated ladies it has been his pleasure to meet.”
“Your son has not taken Holy Orders?”
“No, he has not done so yet.”
“Does he intend to?”
“I think he is eager to study more before he does so. That is why he is going to the Carthusians at Sheen.”
The Queen smiled and a thought came to Margaret which she had had before; then it had seemed a wild dream, but it did not seem so now because she believed she read the Queen’s thoughts correctly.
Katharine went on: “The French marriage does not please me.”
“But the King and the Cardinal…”
“Oh yes, the Cardinal leads the King the way he wishes him to go.”
Margaret was surprised that the Queen should speak so frankly; then she realized that Katharine did so because the bond between them was a little closer even than it had been before.
“I shall not allow Mary to receive the French ambassadors tomorrow,” went on the Queen. “I shall make the excuse that she is too weary after her long journey from Ludlow. Depend upon it, I shall do all in my power to prevent this proposed marriage. Nor do I despair of so doing. Monarchs are fickle, and François more fickle than most. Mary was betrothed to this boy once before, you remember. There was great enthusiasm…even a ceremony…and then a few years later it was as though that ceremony had never taken place.”