again at Parker. He wanted them to say nothing, but could she let this opportunity go to waste? He stood, immobile, a strong barrier against the forces aligned against her, but he could not win alone. He would be smashed down.
“What is it?” Katherine’s voice was no longer pleading. Her harsh whisper was demanding, regal.
Susanna caught her lower lip with her teeth. It was now or never. She took a breath. “The Emperor is going to marry Isabel, not your daughter.”
Her whisper accomplished what she’d wanted. The Queen’s hand went slack with shock and Katherine fell back in her chair, dazed.
Susanna moved. Walking towards Parker and the guards.
“We mean no harm to the Queen.” The man who spoke just out of her view was subdued, as if realizing the impression he and his fellow guards had made.
“You will forgive our feeling a little uncertain of that, given your weapons and the way you approach.” Parker spoke with a dry, amused tone. Allowing some room for face-saving.
“Aye. You are right to chastise us. We took our orders a little too enthusiastically.”
“And what are your orders?”
“We are to take for questioning a Mistress Horenbout, who was seen entering the Queen’s Chambers.”
“You know who Mistress Horenbout is, Kilburne?”
There was silence. “No. I do not.”
“She is my betrothed. The painter to the King, and no higher than your shoulder.” Parker looked back at her, finally, his face unreadable. “I did not know you feared women so much, that you needed to storm the Queen’s Chambers with swords drawn to get one.”
“Show yourself, those who approach.” Katherine’s voice came out strong, dripping authority. She had risen from her chair.
Susanna suddenly remembered Parker telling her the Queen had roused the English armies while Henry was in France, once. Inspiring them with a speech at Buckingham before they marched against an invading Scotland.
They had won.
Gone was the tearful, sad woman in her middle years. In her place stood a regent.
“Your Majesty.” A man stepped forward and sank down on one knee. “My most humble apologies. I am under orders—”
“From who?” Katherine’s voice cut him sharper than his own sword.
“From the Cardinal.”
“And the Cardinal Wolsey thinks it politic to send a guard to drag one of my ladies from my chambers?”
Kilburne, finally realizing the situation he’d leapt into, without a second thought, kept his eyes on the intricate rug at his feet. “We should not have come so loud and so many, Your Majesty. I have erred.”
“Tell me, why does the Cardinal seek the King’s painter?” Katherine spoke more calmly, Kilburne’s apology tempering her anger.
“I am to say, on grounds of treason, Your Majesty.” Kilburn spoke hesitantly, as if he realized all he thought he knew was false.
“I know of no treason she has committed. But I do know she has rendered great service to the Crown.”
Kilburne finally lifted his head, and Susanna saw the agony of indecision on his face. He was truly caught here, and had no way out.
“Where are you to take me?” She spoke directly to him, and he started.
“Mistress Horenbout?” His face fell a little more.
“Aye. I am Susanna Horenbout. Where are you to take me?”
“The Tower.”
There was dead silence at his words, and Kilburne dropped his head again.
“If you are to take her to the Tower, you will take her to the rooms I gave to the Duc de Longueville some years ago when he was housed as a hostage of war. They are comfortable and well-furnished.”
Kilburne rose to his feet, fast as a cat. “Your Majesty, it shall be done.” There was a tremor of relief in his voice.
Katherine gazed at him, steadily, and he shrunk into himself. When she spoke her voice trembled a little. “This is wrong. It should not be, and it will be made right. But until then, not a hair on Mistress Horenbout’s head, not a single part of her, will be touched or hurt. Convey my
“What is it?” Katherine’s voice was no longer pleading. Her harsh whisper was demanding, regal.
Susanna caught her lower lip with her teeth. It was now or never. She took a breath. “The Emperor is going to marry Isabel, not your daughter.”
Her whisper accomplished what she’d wanted. The Queen’s hand went slack with shock and Katherine fell back in her chair, dazed.
Susanna moved. Walking towards Parker and the guards.
“We mean no harm to the Queen.” The man who spoke just out of her view was subdued, as if realizing the impression he and his fellow guards had made.
“You will forgive our feeling a little uncertain of that, given your weapons and the way you approach.” Parker spoke with a dry, amused tone. Allowing some room for face-saving.
“Aye. You are right to chastise us. We took our orders a little too enthusiastically.”
“And what are your orders?”
“We are to take for questioning a Mistress Horenbout, who was seen entering the Queen’s Chambers.”
“You know who Mistress Horenbout is, Kilburne?”
There was silence. “No. I do not.”
“She is my betrothed. The painter to the King, and no higher than your shoulder.” Parker looked back at her, finally, his face unreadable. “I did not know you feared women so much, that you needed to storm the Queen’s Chambers with swords drawn to get one.”
“Show yourself, those who approach.” Katherine’s voice came out strong, dripping authority. She had risen from her chair.
Susanna suddenly remembered Parker telling her the Queen had roused the English armies while Henry was in France, once. Inspiring them with a speech at Buckingham before they marched against an invading Scotland.
They had won.
Gone was the tearful, sad woman in her middle years. In her place stood a regent.
“Your Majesty.” A man stepped forward and sank down on one knee. “My most humble apologies. I am under orders—”
“From who?” Katherine’s voice cut him sharper than his own sword.
“From the Cardinal.”
“And the Cardinal Wolsey thinks it politic to send a guard to drag one of my ladies from my chambers?”
Kilburne, finally realizing the situation he’d leapt into, without a second thought, kept his eyes on the intricate rug at his feet. “We should not have come so loud and so many, Your Majesty. I have erred.”
“Tell me, why does the Cardinal seek the King’s painter?” Katherine spoke more calmly, Kilburne’s apology tempering her anger.
“I am to say, on grounds of treason, Your Majesty.” Kilburn spoke hesitantly, as if he realized all he thought he knew was false.
“I know of no treason she has committed. But I do know she has rendered great service to the Crown.”
Kilburne finally lifted his head, and Susanna saw the agony of indecision on his face. He was truly caught here, and had no way out.
“Where are you to take me?” She spoke directly to him, and he started.
“Mistress Horenbout?” His face fell a little more.
“Aye. I am Susanna Horenbout. Where are you to take me?”
“The Tower.”
There was dead silence at his words, and Kilburne dropped his head again.
“If you are to take her to the Tower, you will take her to the rooms I gave to the Duc de Longueville some years ago when he was housed as a hostage of war. They are comfortable and well-furnished.”
Kilburne rose to his feet, fast as a cat. “Your Majesty, it shall be done.” There was a tremor of relief in his voice.
Katherine gazed at him, steadily, and he shrunk into himself. When she spoke her voice trembled a little. “This is wrong. It should not be, and it will be made right. But until then, not a hair on Mistress Horenbout’s head, not a single part of her, will be touched or hurt. Convey my
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