A Dangerous Inheritance

There are, of course, other reasons for our caution. I am reluctant to abuse the hospitality and kindness of Ned’s mother, knowing it would reflect badly on her, my good guardian, if I was discovered to have fallen from virtue under her roof. And Ned respects me too much to tumble me like a lewd dairymaid, even though he is mad for me.

Jane encourages us. I have seen her watching me approvingly as I frolic with her brother. And one day, as we are out walking, and he is striding ahead with his bow, she sidles up to me and whispers, ‘Ned has asked me to break with you the subject of marriage.’

I stare at her. It would suit her ambition – and that of her mother – to have him marry one who is close in blood to the throne, for the Seymours have had a taste of royalty and are hungry for more. And yet I ca

‘Well,’ I say, ‘I would he would break it himself.’

‘I toldhim that it was not the office of a sister to play Cupid!’ She giggles. ‘But you would not be averse?’

‘I will think on it,’ I say, and race ahead to catch up with Ned.

There comes a day of glorious weather when Jane is picking blackberries some way off, and Ned and I are sitting at the edge of the lake, with our dogs lazing beside us. I marvel once again how far I am removed from the sad girl I was four years ago. That girl was miserable and defeated, thinking there was nothing left for her in life. But not now. Oh, not now! That girl is in love.

My bare feet are splashing in the water, my skirts pulled up over my knees, exposing my sun-browned legs. Ned has his fishing rod, but has not caught anything yet.

‘Katherine,’ he says, ‘I must return to court soon.’

I am shocked. This idyll ca

‘I must take my rightful place there,’ he replies, not looking at me. ‘This summer has been the best of my life, but I ca

‘I would you did not have to go,’ I whisper.

‘I must make my way in the world, Katherine,’ he tells me. ‘And maybe I have more need now to store up treasure for the future.’ He looks at me meaningfully, and I realise what he means. ‘When I go to court, sweetheart, I want to take with me your promise that you will become my wife.’

I can see the longing burning in his eyes. How could I ever resist him? He is my Adonis, and so fine and comely in every way. To be his wife will be a foretaste of Paradise; indeed, who would need Paradise, having the love of such a one on Earth?

I ca

All other considerations fly away on the summer breeze: the Queen’s wishes, my mother’s, my royal status, the succession …

‘How could I not?’ I whisper, and then I am in his arms, lying on my back on the lush grass, his mouth devouring mine with kisses. He is perfection, I think, melting with happiness, as I clasp him ever tighter and surrender to the pleasure of being close to him. And there the Duchess finds us, as she strides across the park with her dogs.

She does not berate us, or beat us with her cane, as I fear for a moment she will, as we scramble to our feet and stand there flushed, aware of our dishevelled state. Instead she bids us put on our shoes and follow her back to the house immediately, then goes striding ahead.

‘Fear not, sweetheart,’ Ned says. ‘We have done no wrong. We will be married, I swear it. My mother will agree, I have no doubt, and when I get to court, I will obtain the Queen’s permission. Be strong! All will be well, you’ll see.’

We stand before the Duchess in the great hall. She sits regal in her high-backed chair, like a queen sitting in judgement, with a keen-eyed Jane standing behind her – and she comes to the point straight away.

‘Tell me, Ned, what are your intentions towards Katherine?’

‘I love her, my lady,’ he tells her, taking my hand, and I thrill to hear the pride in his voice. ‘We have reached an understanding. We wish to marry, when it shall please you and the Queen.’

‘So, my son would have another Grey bride. It might please me, but it may not please her Majesty,’ the Duchess says. ‘You might be wise to forget all about it.’ I tremble at that, yet I sense she would be delighted if this marriage came to pass.

‘You know that you risk angering the Queen by this entanglement? And that she might be angry that it has gone so far without her sanction? She has no child of her body to succeed her, and many look to Katherine as her heir. But Katherine is a Catholic, and Mary is unlikely to countenance her marrying a Protestant, for a wife must be subject to her husband, and the Queen’s chief concern is to preserve the Catholic faith in England. So it is not a good time to be thinking of marriage. The answer would be no, however kindly her Majesty might look on both of you.’

‘I will wait for as long as I must to make Katherine my wife,’ Ned vows, and turns to me. ‘It will be worth it, my lady, will it not?’

‘I would wait for ever for you, my lord,’ I declare.

Soon, it seems that we might indeed wait for ever. Ned goes off to court, leaving me to mope at Hanworth without him, driving poor Jane crazy with my need to speak ceaselessly of my beloved – although mostly she encourages it. The days turn into weeks, and still I languish bereft, surviving from letter to letter. I have those letters under my pillow; they are creased from constant reading and the kisses I cover them with. Ned writes so lovingly, so ardently; I can hear his voice murmuring the tender words.

There is no point in remaining in the country any more. I ca

Kate

November 1483. Middleham Castle, Yorkshire.

It was a hard winter, and the wind whistled around Middleham like a vengeful boggart, but that was the least of their troubles. Daily, the Queen and Kate looked for news from the south. It was frustrating, and frightening, being immured here in Yorkshire, not knowing what was happening.

There had been messengers, riding lathered and weary up to the castle from time to time. They brought news that Henry Tudor’s fleet had sailed but had been driven back towards Brittany by a great storm. On that day, Kate had gone to the chapel with Queen A

Next they heard, the King had proclaimed Buckingham a traitor and a rebel, but that had not deterred the treacherous Duke from raising his standard and marching south towards the River Severn, clearly aiming to meet up with other traitors in the west and south. But the King had put a price of a thousand pounds on his head now, and had advanced from Leicester at the head of a great army.

Kate was desperate to know what was happening, but A