Legacy: The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- and the Three Men Who Loved Her by Susan Kay Page B
Authors: Susan Kay
Tags: nonfiction, History
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Admiral’s, and an uncomfortable premonition of impending
disaster had begun to weigh heavily on the governess’s mind.
That premonition eventually saw her standing alone in the Admiral’s
private study, patting nervously at her coif while her small anxious eyes
roved over the maps strewn across his desk, over anything in fact which
would postpone the necessity of looking into his handsome face.
“My lord—” There was an absurd wobble to her voice, but suddenly
the panelled room seemed remarkably small and the Lord Admiral uncom-
fortably near. Kat was a little afraid of provoking that magnificent rage of
his at such close quarters. “My lord—forgive me if I speak out of turn—”
He looked up and gave her a wry smile.
“Get on with it, woman—I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“My lord—I don’t mean to question your intentions and, of course,
it’s not my place to give you advice—”
“Perfectly true,” he remarked sardonically, “but I sense you intend to
give it anyway. Speak out, woman, for God’s sake—I’m not going to slit
your throat.”
“I have to warn you that there’s a great deal of talk—damaging and
slanderous talk—concerning the Lady Elizabeth and—and you, my lord.”
She took a gulping breath. “My lord—to come alone, bare-legged, to a
maid’s chamber—tickling, slapping—and kissing —I beseech you to have
a thought for her good name and leave off these morning visits.”
65
Susan Kay
He exploded out of his chair with his favourite oath and Kat took a
hasty step backwards.
“By God’s precious soul, madam, I’ll not be told how to conduct
myself in my own house by a gossiping busybody of a servant. I’ll lay
the whole matter before the Protector first. God knows, we’ve had our
differences over matters of state but he wouldn’t stand by and see me
slandered like this.”
“But, my lord—” wailed Kat.
“Out!” he roared. “Get out before I forget you’re a lady!”
Kat went to the Queen and voiced her fears, but Katherine laughed
uneasily and merely promised to chaperone her husband’s early-morning
visits to Elizabeth’s bedroom. Had she not been pregnant, she might have
reacted more strongly, but the growing child had made her lethargic and
complacent. She would handle this in her own way; she would not be
stampeded into acting harshly by malicious gossip. And it would be all
right in the end. Many a middle-aged man had a passing fancy for a
teenage girl— But it’s me he loves, I know it’s me. I mustn’t let this get out
of proportion.
And there were other worries to distract her; increasingly strained
relations with the Protector for one. Goaded by his wife, Somerset was
refusing to hand over the jewels that the old King had left to her—why,
he had even confiscated her wedding ring. Tom had been furious; there
had been another bitter quarrel. And now Tom was talking of redressing
his wrongs, with the little King’s help, in Parliament, making the present
session “the blackest that ever was in England.”
He had remarked, in public, on the ease with which a man might steal
the King from beneath his brother’s nose.
“You must not say these things,” begged Katherine, wild with anxiety.
“Don’t you see how it could be misunderstood?”
“Don’t fret, my sweet. Ned can’t see beyond the end of his nose—he
never could!”
No, thought Katherine fearfully. But his wife can!
t t t
“A chance remark,” said the Duke of Somerset uneasily, “is hardly
evidence, my dear.”
The Duchess glared at him. “It’s a chance remark, is it, when someone
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Legacy
speaks of abducting a king? In my day we called it treason! How much
longer are you going to sit on your reforming backside waiting for that
rogue to bring you down?”
“I have absolutely no evidence—”
“Then find some, you pompous fool. God knows there’s rumour
enough to hang him ten times over.”
The
disaster had begun to weigh heavily on the governess’s mind.
That premonition eventually saw her standing alone in the Admiral’s
private study, patting nervously at her coif while her small anxious eyes
roved over the maps strewn across his desk, over anything in fact which
would postpone the necessity of looking into his handsome face.
“My lord—” There was an absurd wobble to her voice, but suddenly
the panelled room seemed remarkably small and the Lord Admiral uncom-
fortably near. Kat was a little afraid of provoking that magnificent rage of
his at such close quarters. “My lord—forgive me if I speak out of turn—”
He looked up and gave her a wry smile.
“Get on with it, woman—I haven’t got all day, you know.”
“My lord—I don’t mean to question your intentions and, of course,
it’s not my place to give you advice—”
“Perfectly true,” he remarked sardonically, “but I sense you intend to
give it anyway. Speak out, woman, for God’s sake—I’m not going to slit
your throat.”
“I have to warn you that there’s a great deal of talk—damaging and
slanderous talk—concerning the Lady Elizabeth and—and you, my lord.”
She took a gulping breath. “My lord—to come alone, bare-legged, to a
maid’s chamber—tickling, slapping—and kissing —I beseech you to have
a thought for her good name and leave off these morning visits.”
65
Susan Kay
He exploded out of his chair with his favourite oath and Kat took a
hasty step backwards.
“By God’s precious soul, madam, I’ll not be told how to conduct
myself in my own house by a gossiping busybody of a servant. I’ll lay
the whole matter before the Protector first. God knows, we’ve had our
differences over matters of state but he wouldn’t stand by and see me
slandered like this.”
“But, my lord—” wailed Kat.
“Out!” he roared. “Get out before I forget you’re a lady!”
Kat went to the Queen and voiced her fears, but Katherine laughed
uneasily and merely promised to chaperone her husband’s early-morning
visits to Elizabeth’s bedroom. Had she not been pregnant, she might have
reacted more strongly, but the growing child had made her lethargic and
complacent. She would handle this in her own way; she would not be
stampeded into acting harshly by malicious gossip. And it would be all
right in the end. Many a middle-aged man had a passing fancy for a
teenage girl— But it’s me he loves, I know it’s me. I mustn’t let this get out
of proportion.
And there were other worries to distract her; increasingly strained
relations with the Protector for one. Goaded by his wife, Somerset was
refusing to hand over the jewels that the old King had left to her—why,
he had even confiscated her wedding ring. Tom had been furious; there
had been another bitter quarrel. And now Tom was talking of redressing
his wrongs, with the little King’s help, in Parliament, making the present
session “the blackest that ever was in England.”
He had remarked, in public, on the ease with which a man might steal
the King from beneath his brother’s nose.
“You must not say these things,” begged Katherine, wild with anxiety.
“Don’t you see how it could be misunderstood?”
“Don’t fret, my sweet. Ned can’t see beyond the end of his nose—he
never could!”
No, thought Katherine fearfully. But his wife can!
t t t
“A chance remark,” said the Duke of Somerset uneasily, “is hardly
evidence, my dear.”
The Duchess glared at him. “It’s a chance remark, is it, when someone
66
Legacy
speaks of abducting a king? In my day we called it treason! How much
longer are you going to sit on your reforming backside waiting for that
rogue to bring you down?”
“I have absolutely no evidence—”
“Then find some, you pompous fool. God knows there’s rumour
enough to hang him ten times over.”
The
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