The Heretic Wind: The Life of Mary Tudor, Queen of England by Judith Arnopp (best ereader for students TXT) 📕

just turned twoand is a bonny bundle of mischief; as fat and healthy a boy as the king couldwish for. I take him on my knee and kiss his damp cheeks while he tugs at my veiland refuses to sit still.

“He is like aneel!” I laugh.

“You’ll make agood mother one day, my lady,” Lady Bryan says as she watches us together. Ilook up and meet her eyes and, finding sincerity there, I relax and smile inreturn. She cannot know she has pierced my armour, she cannot imagine mydespair of ever knowing the joy of motherhood.

“The queencame by to see him yesterday,” she continues, picking up Edward’s toy that hehas thrown to the floor. “She was much taken with the prince. Hopefully, shewill add to the nursery soon. Edward will enjoy having some brothers. My handswill be full then, my lady.”

She rattlesthe child’s toy.

“Yes,” I say,kissing my brother behind the ear, making him giggle. “That would make the kinghappy again.”

“A king can’thave too many princes.”

“Indeed.”

I dare notspeak it aloud but rumour says my father is already seeking an annulment to themarriage. Anne does not please him at all. He says she is nothing like as fairas she was painted, and her stomach and bosom are so slack he fears she is nomaid. Poor Anne, I hope she hasn’t heard of this. I sigh as I straightenEdward’s skirts. I know only too well the fate of others who have displeased myfather, but even he must see that Anne is blameless. The king leaves the wholething at the door of his secretary, the soon to be Earl of Essex, ThomasCromwell.

As Thomas goesabout the court, he wears a very anxious frown, and who can blame him. TheCleves marriage was by his arrangement, his praise of Anne before the weddingencouraged the king to enter into the treaty. My father, now finding himselfbound to a woman he abhors, is looking for someone to blame; a scapegoat.

As Cromwell’senemies prick up their ears, he desperately concocts a solution. Seizing on apre-contract of Anne’s with the son of the Duke of Lorraine, he declares thereis an impediment to the marriage. This, together with Father’s failure toconsummate the union, serves as a way out, for the king, if not for Cromwell.

Everyone triesnot to notice the relief with which Anne agrees to the annulment. From now on,she is to be known as the king’s sister. She tucks a very handsome settlement anda long list of properties into her coffers, and takes up residence at Richmond;my favourite palace.

 I have littleto thank Thomas Cromwell for. He is not only a heretic but was instrumental inprogressing my parents’ estrangement. He pushed for the split with Rome and duringmy estrangement from the king his treatment of me was unnecessarily harsh. Inrecent years, he has wrought great destruction on the monasteries, inflictingsuffering on monks and nuns alike. As far as I am concerned, his downfall ishis just deserts. He may have orchestrated the reunion between me and my fatherbut it falls far short of redemption … his end is of his own making. It is noconcern of mine.

Rumours aboundat court. His enemies take great pleasure in describing Cromwell’s ignoble end.He does not face death valiantly. What can one expect from the son of ablacksmith? He writes from the Tower, begging Father to spare his life and swearingunswerving allegiance, his unwavering loyalty. The king does not listen. He cannotsee beyond the plain, uncultured wife Cromwell has saddled him with, and isdeaf to all pleas … whether they bear the ring of truth or not.

But afterCromwell’s death, life at court does not settle down peacefully. It seems tounleash a great rage in the king and a spate of further deaths follows. Like alion driven into a corner the king lashes out, and his claws are strong andfatal.

I weep sorrytears when I learn of the death of my mother’s chaplain, my old tutor, DrFeatherston, and Father’s own confessor, Dr Wilson. I cannot imagine whatcrimes he uses against them. These are good Catholic people who do not deservedeath, and the three Protestants who follow them to the scaffold shortlyafterwards do not compensate for it.

My discomfortis not eased by news of another looming royal wedding, another stepmother. WhenI am told her name, I wonder if the king has run a little mad for this time, hechooses a bride for himself. He cannot face a diplomatic match this time andinstead he marries a child; or so she seems to me.

I amembarrassed to learn that Katherine Howard is my junior by some five years orso. She is bright, pretty and quite enchanting, but she is not the sort ofwoman who can successfully rule as consort beside any king, let alone a kingsuch as my father.

She first cameto his attention during her short service in the household of Anne of Cleves. Ivaguely recall her exclaiming over the queen’s vast array of gowns, her costlycollection of jewels. She was overwhelmed by those around her, by the vastchambers, the rich fare we feasted on. No doubt most of Anne’s possessions nowbelong to Katherine.

 Anne, however,shows no malice toward the new queen, and the two have become great friends. Iwince from the gossip that somehow reaches my ears but Father seems obliviousto the fact that the English court has become a laughing stock in Europe.

Foreign headsof state even go as far as to place wagers as to how long this marriage willlast. The king is besotted. I blush to witness how he fawns upon her like adoting and extremely foolish old man. As for me? Well, I am eaten up withjealousy.

I can excuseher stupidity. I can overlook her impulsive childishness and her greed, but thething I cannot forgive is that she is a Howard, and first cousin to AnneBoleyn.

At first, I amnot invited to attend court. It is not until I implore Father to bring hisqueen to visit Edward at Waltham that I begin to accept her. She is harmlessenough and while Father joggles my brother up and down on his knee, Katherinetakes me to one side. She