Виктория Холт - The Rose Without a Thorn

“I am a simple man,” he went on, and I almost showed my amazement at such a statement. “I ask but little. Just to live in peace with a wife who will care for me as I care for her. Katherine, my sweet child, that joy has, till now, been denied me. What have I done that God should punish me, eh?”

Another of those unanswerable questions—and one I had heard before. Fortunately, he supplied the answer, and as I cast down my eyes he continued: “I will tell you. Through no fault of mine, I went through a form of marriage with my brother’s widow. That was no true marriage, and for years I lived in a state of sin with a woman who was not my wife in the eyes of Heaven.”

“Oh no, Your Majesty,” I murmured.

His arm tightened about me: and then his face hardened.

“And then … I married a witch …”

Visions of my beautiful cousin came to me. He had broken with Rome for her sake, and now he said she was a witch.

“Then Jane … she was a gentle creature, but she died and, though she gave me a son, he is not strong. And now … this woman from Flanders. You see what I tell you is truth. But you have come to me and you are going to give me all that I ask. The curse is lifted and so, Katherine, I shall make you my Queen.”

His expression had undergone many changes as he was speaking. He had looked both forlorn and angry. At times he reminded me of a little boy, and then seconds later his face was so twisted in anger that he was like a cruel tyrant.

I felt suddenly sorry for him, and I realized at once what a pretentious attitude that was. On impulse, I put my arms round his neck and kissed his cheek.

The effect of my action was immediate. His eyes filled with tears; his expression was soft and sentimental.

“Sweet Katherine,” he murmured and held me close against him.

And in that moment I was reconciled to whatever lay before me.

THE WHOLE COUNTRY was now aware that Anne of Cleves was no longer the Queen and that the King and she had come to an amicable agreement. The King had made her his sister and Parliament had obsequiously begged him graciously to consider marrying again for the sake of the nation.

The marriage was secretly arranged. There was to be no grand ceremony and coronation, as there had been for my predecessors. Whether the King considered these would follow too closely after those of his fourth marriage, or whether they would prove too costly, I was not sure.

I felt as though I were being hurried along in a fantastic dream. I could not say that I was unhappy. I had always loved excitement and I certainly had my share of it at that time.

There was a quiet ceremony with only a few people present, including my uncle, the Duke, who was clearly pleased that we had progressed so far, and I had the rare sight of recognizing the approval in his face for me. I had to admit I enjoyed that.

My grandmother was present, her eyes full of pride as they rested on me, and perhaps I did detect the faintest apprehension.

I realized afresh the immense power of this man who had chosen to be my husband. Yet I was not afraid of him. How could I be? Nothing but the warmest affection had he ever bestowed on me. His hand constantly reached out to touch mine; there was a caress in his very smile. I knew, of course, what lay before me. I was indeed no innocent child.

The King had given me several jewels on our wedding-day when he told me that the happiest man in the country was the King.

I know now that I am one of those women who must have physical love. It was something I had greatly missed when Francis Derham went away. Now I could indulge legitimately, and I need have no qualms of conscience. Thomas and I had always been afraid to give way to our desires, lest we might jeopardize our future. Derham and I had deceived ourselves into insisting that we were in truth married. But this was different. This was duty. This was my husband, and there was no need for guilt. Did it add to the excitement? Perhaps that was due to the fact that this was the King. I believe that power is a strong element in the attraction of the male to the female. The man is all-conquering; the woman submissive. Henry was the most powerful man in the country. I had been of no consequence until he had singled me out for his approval.

I had an uneasy moment or two when he seemed to show surprise at my ready responses. He had been expecting an entirely innocent girl. That was something I could not feign, and I was never good at pretending. My grandmother had insisted that I must be natural, and I found it difficult to act otherwise than my impulses directed. If he had expected a reluctant child, who must be carefully initiated into the mysteries of the senses, he was mistaken. This was one sphere in which I was not ignorant, as I seemed to be in all others. But I think Henry attributed my reaction to a delight in the great honor which was being bestowed on me, and it seemed to add to his pleasure.

He said I was the perfect wife—the Rose without a Thorn.

* * *

We were at Hampton Court—one of the King’s favorite palaces, presented to him by Cardinal Wolsey in an attempt to regain his favor. It held many memories for me—later less pleasant ones—but at that time I shared the King’s pleasure in it.

Cardinal Wolsey had made it one of the most desirable residences in the country. I had heard that there were 1,500 rooms, and so lavish had been the Cardinal’s hospitality that at times all these rooms were in use; and the fireplaces in the kitchen were each large enough to roast the whole of an ox. I had not seen proof of this, but I believed it to be true.

It was a pity that the palace for me was haunted by Wolsey—only now and then, of course. I used to think of him there at the height of his glory, no doubt imagining it would always be thus for him. But he loved power too much for his own safety: he loved pomp and splendor and surrounded himself with it, so that people used to sing: “Why come ye not to Court?” “To which Court? To the King’s Court or to Hampton Court?” That was his downfall. A subject should not seek to rival his King. It was small wonder that the King asked if it were meet and proper for a subject to outdo the King in his manner of living. There was nothing Wolsey could do then but offer Hampton Court to the King, yet even that did not save him. So I was a little saddened thinking of him during those days.

The King was very happy at that time. He continually kissed and caressed me; he gave me valuable jewels. He sensed that I did not care for them a great deal and, as he liked everything I did, that seemed to please him. He was proving to be the most uxorious of husbands. I think he really did love me dearly.

I said to him one day: “There is to be a grand banquet in the great hall here. You are proposing to present me to them as your Queen.”

“That is so, sweetheart,” he said. “You are going to have the honor which you deserve.”

“There is something I would ask Your Majesty,” I said, a little hesitantly.

“Ask me, and I doubt not that it shall be yours.”

“It concerns your daughter, the little Elizabeth. She is but young. She has done no wrong. I would ask that she may be present at the banquet and seated in a place of honor … near me where I can see her.”

He hesitated for a few moments. Then he said: “Why do you wish this?”

“Because she is young. She is your daughter, yet she is shut away. I think she may be sad and wish to see her father now and then. And as she is your daughter—I would know her too.”

I saw that look of sentiment in his face. It was so often there for me.

“As you ask, sweetheart,” he said, “it shall be. The child has done no wrong. She could not be held responsible for her mother’s ill deeds.”

So Elizabeth was to come to the banquet.

In due course I was brought to the great hall where all the greatest in the land were assembled: and they came to kneel before me and pay homage to me as their Queen, while the King looked on benignly; and I could not help but be proud to have won so effortlessly that favor for which they were all striving.

Afterward we went to the royal chapel and I sat beside the King throughout the service.

In the banqueting hall, Elizabeth was seated opposite me. She was a striking-looking child; her reddish hair must have been very like the King’s, when he was her age, of course. She would be about seven years of age, but she looked more. There was a wariness, an alertness, about her. Poor child, she had been but three years old when her mother had gone to the block. How much did she know of that? I wondered.

I smiled at her to show her that I would be her friend, and she responded cautiously. I was very pleased though that I had arranged for her to be brought to Court.

It was a successful occasion.

When we retired, the King looked at me with that indulgent expression to which I had become accustomed.

“Well,” he said. “Did your presentation please Your Majesty?”

“It was wonderful. You are so good to me.”

I enjoyed bringing that soft, sentimental look to his face.

“You shall see, sweetheart, what I shall do for you.”

“You do too much.”

He laughed aloud. “The feeling of most around me is that not enough is done for them.” He added: “Were you disappointed not to have a coronation?”

I shook my head. “What do I care for a coronation when I have the King?”

He was so happy that, although I did think of Thomas now and then, I could be happy too.

“And I have something to show you,” he went on. “I was not going to let our marriage pass unnoticed.”

“Unnoticed? Oh come, my lord, that was not possibly what you wished. It is not every day the King marries.” I stopped myself in time. That seemed a rather tactless remark and might have provoked some merriment if any had been there to hear it—and dared show the flicker of a smile. Every day might be an exaggeration, but five in a lifetime was a goodly tally.

In his uxorious mood, he had not noticed. He drew a coin out of his pocket.

“What do you think of this?” he asked.

“It looks like a gold coin.”

“It is a gold coin. Look. Here are the royal arms of England.”

“With the initials H.R. I have a notion that might mean Your Majesty.”

“My Katherine is a saucy wench,” he said. “Turn it over.”

I did so. Then I saw what it meant. It was done to honor me.

“K.R.,” I read. “‘Henricus VIII Rutilans rosa sine spina.’” He had named me his rose without a thorn. I felt a faint shiver of uneasiness.

I hoped he would not ask too much of me.

* * *

I did not lose much time in visiting the nurseries, which at that time were situated at Hampton Court. I missed my own brothers and sisters and had always wished to be in the heart of a family. Now I had three stepchildren—one of them older than myself; but I did not think the Lady Mary would wish to see me. She was a sad creature; she had never recovered from the suffering her mother’s ill treatment and death had caused her. I had heard it said that when Catherine of Aragon’s heart was broken, Mary’s was too. I had seen her only once or twice, and she had seemed to be a very tragic figure.

It was the children I wanted to see—Henry’s daughter Elizabeth and his frail little boy, heir to the throne.

Lady Bryan, who had brought up Mary and was in the process of doing the same for Elizabeth, now held the office of Lady

Mistress in the Prince’s household. She was greatly loved by the children, I had heard, as was Lady Penn, who was now their chief nurse.

These ladies greeted me with the utmost respect, although they must have thought I was very young, quite inexperienced and quite unfit to hold the important office which the King had thrust upon me.

I had told them that I had come to see the Prince and that I believed the Lady Elizabeth was often in his company.

“ ’Tis so, Your Majesty,” said Lady Bryan. “It is a source of great pleasure to me that they are so happy together. The Lady Elizabeth is a very clever child, and the Prince dotes on her.”

“It would seem you have a very happy household.”

“I trust so, Your Majesty. Children should live in happy surroundings.”

“We are in agreement on that. Would you please conduct me to the Prince’s apartment?”

The Prince was sitting at a table, with Elizabeth beside him. She sprang to her feet at my approach and curtsied. The Prince scrambled down.