They surrounded me as we went into the hall, which was like ours at Lambeth, built in the same style, extending, I imagined, the whole length of the house; but the timbers in the roof here were more elaborately carved. At one end of the hall was a dais on which was a long table; and there were big windows looking out over lawns. The weapons on the walls were highly polished and, as I looked round and compared this hall with the one I had just left, I realized afresh how dingy and neglected ours had become.
There was little time to dwell on comparisons, for I was hustled through a door and, with a girl on either side of me, taken up a staircase, through a gallery and up more stairs until I arrived at what I guessed to be the Duchess’s apartments.
She was seated and seemed as regal as she had in the hall at Lambeth. She looked as though she had just awakened from a doze.
One of the girls who had escorted me remained beside me, the other left us.
The girl who was with me curtsied to the Duchess and said: “Your Grace. Mistress Katherine Howard is come.”
The Duchess yawned and looked about her as though not quite sure where she was. Then she said: “Ah, Katherine Howard.” She seemed as though she were trying to recall who I was. “So, here you are. Pretty child. Tell me, how old are you?”
“I am ten years old, Your Grace.”
“Very young. But it was no place for you in your father’s house. You’ll be better here.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Yes, you do have a look of your cousin. It is hard to say what, but it’s there. The Howard look. We can hope you do as well as she has.” She laughed. “You could not do that, of course, but I see a bright future for you. Too young to go to Court yet.”
She laughed again suddenly. “You lack the grace of your cousin. You may see her one day. Then you will understand what I mean by that. But you do have a look of her. The Howard look. I saw that at once. You could have stayed there in your father’s house and been passed by. You’re too pretty for that.”
She yawned again and half closed her eyes. I did not know what I was expected to do, and suddenly I wanted to be back with my brothers and sisters—even with my elder brother, who despised us younger ones, and my domineering sister Margaret, who did everything better than I did. Yes, I was already thinking lovingly of the squalor and dingy hangings, the unpolished furniture, the meals that were never on time and scanty when they did come.
My grandmother seemed to remember why she had sent for me, for she suddenly said to the girl who had brought me to her: “Isabel shall look after her. Go and bring Isabel to me.”
The girl disappeared and my grandmother half-closed her eyes again, and there was nothing else for me to do but study the room while I awaited the arrival of Isabel.
Through an open door, I saw the bedroom containing a large four-poster bed with bed curtains in elaborately embroidered material. I could glimpse an ornate carved chest. The walls of the room in which I waited were covered in tapestries which depicted battles, in which I presumed members of the family had taken part and scored successes. There was a painting of a very splendid gentleman, whom I guessed to be my grandfather, the second Duke of Norfolk.
I studied him intently, remembering that he was my father’s father, who had been a prisoner in the Tower of London until Henry VII, the present King’s father, realized he should be working for him instead of being his prisoner, and then he had won the Battle of Flodden Field and worked with the King ever since.
The girl who had brought me to the Duchess then came in with another young woman of about seventeen years of age, buxom and lively looking; she had light green eyes, closely set together, and rather thin lips that were not in accord with the rather frivolous nature with which I was to become familiar.
Isabel made a deep curtsy to my grandmother and said: “Your Grace sent for me.”
“Ah,” said my grandmother, rousing herself from what seemed to have been a delightful dream which she was reluctant to leave. “Isabel, this is my granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard. She is come to live with us. You will see that she is looked after as becomes her rank.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“You will show her where she will sleep.”
“Your Grace will have given orders.”
The Duchess yawned again and nodded. “You will look after her and show her the customs of the household. Now, you may take her away.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Isabel looked at me and smiled, and we both made a deep curtsy to my grandmother. We went out together, followed by the girl who had first taken me to my grandmother’s apartment.
As soon as the door shut, Isabel and the other girl laughed silently, and Isabel said: “Mistress Katherine Howard, of the great Howard family, I shall be your guide and I shall make it my pleasure to attend you.”
We had moved away from the door as the girls’ laughter was no longer silent. I thought this was all rather odd, but it seemed jolly, and I said: “Thank you, Isabel.”
“I am going to show you how we live here, Mistress Howard. We have good fun, do we not?” she asked of the other.
There was a nodding of heads and secret smiling.
“We shall have to remember that you are Mistress Katherine Howard, of course.”
That made them laugh again, and then they put on rather prim looks, which I understood were not to be taken seriously.
I expected to be taken to my apartment, but Isabel quickly discovered that none had been prepared for me and that I was to sleep in the Long Room.
That seemed to amuse Isabel. In fact, I was discovering that a great deal amused her.
My memories of that day are a little hazy. I ate dinner at a long table in the hall near the kitchens. Isabel sat beside me and there was a great deal of chatter among the young people. Isabel told them that I was the Duchess’s granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard—one of the family and “please do not forget it,” she added, at which they all laughed.
They were friendly enough and some of the men—and one of the girls—told me I was very pretty; and one of the men added that I should find much that was interesting here; and that seemed to amuse most of them. All I had to do, they said, was grow up … just a little … but not too much.
A good deal of what they said seemed to have a hidden meaning which I could not understand but which to them seemed very funny: and I was so fascinated by all these people that I forgot to be homesick.
By evening time I was very sleepy. Isabel had been my companion all through the day. She showed me the house and the grounds, and introduced me to people always with the words: “Mistress Katherine Howard, the Duchess’s granddaughter.” And she always added: “Pray, do not forget she is a Howard.” Then they would laugh. I could not understand why.
Isabel noticed how tired I was.
“Marry,” she said, “’Twas a long journey. You need to sleep.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “Will you be so kind as to show me my bedchamber.”
“I have learned,” replied Isabel, “that you are to sleep in the Long Room with the rest of us, as no separate apartment has been prepared for you. The Duchess must think you are so young that you need me to be near you in case you should need anything. Did you sleep alone in your home?”
“No. With my sisters.”
“So you have sisters. And brothers?”
“Yes.”
“Did they sleep in the same bedchamber?”
I saw that look in Isabel’s eyes which I already knew meant she was enjoying some secret joke.
“Oh no,” I said. “Just my sisters.”
“Well, you will not be lonely in the Long Room, I promise you. I will take you now. Then you can fall asleep before the others come to bed.”