Page 94 of Love, Remember Me

"I will think on it," the archbishop promised. In the end, however, he allowed her to have her choice of three of the four. The fourth lady would have to be Lady Baynton, whose husband, Edward, was to be the queen's chamberlain at Syon. Catherine asked for her two old companions—the king's niece, Kate Carey, and Bessie FitzGerald.

Varian de Winter was furious at his foolish cousin for involving his wife, but Nyssa said gently, "They seek to find a way to kill her, Varian. And they will find it even if they must bend the truth, or stretch it a little. One thing I have learned at court is that when the mighty desire something, they will always discover a way to get it. Your grandfather and Bishop Gardiner wanted a queen who was more Catholic than Anne of Cleves. They managed to obtain their wish. Now the archbishop wishes to pull down this queen and replace her with a more reformed one.

"Poor silly Cat has given him the ammunition he needed. They will seek until they find evidence of adultery. Then they will kill Catherine Howard for her foolish, romantic notions. If the king were to divorce her, or find a way for an annulment, there would always be the chance he would forgive her. He has loved her more than the others. The reformers do not want him to forgive Cat. She is a doomed woman. She may not admit to it yet, but she knows it. That is why she wants her few friends about her. I go gladly, even if I am still angry at Cat for her stupidity."

"What am I to do without you?" he asked her. "We have never been apart since our marriage. I do not think I shall enjoy sleeping alone again." He drew her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. "Once you are at Syon, I shall not see you until it is all over. Who knows how long that will be, Nyssa, my darling love?"

"The king's intentions toward the Howards and their kin is still a dangerous and dark thing, Varian," Nyssa told her husband. "You must be as quiet as a rabbit in its nest, outwaiting the fox, my lord."

"I will escape the fat old fox," he promised her, "and I will be waiting for you, Nyssa, to come back to me."

The Duke of Norfolk joined them with new information. "You will be allowed to take little," he told his grandson's wife. "The queen is only being allowed to have six changes of clothing, and nothing can be sewn with jewels. A bit of gold or silver, but that is all. Choose your own clothing with equal discretion. If you want, your tiring woman can go with you. They may allow the servants in and out, but I cannot promise you that for certain," he said.

"If anything should happen to Varian, or me," Nyssa said, "you must promise me that you will send Tillie home toRiversEdge, my lord."

"You have my word," he agreed, "but I do not think you need fear for yourselves, madame. You and Varian are de Winters, after all, and not Howards." He smiled grimly at her.

She curtsied to him, saying, "I had best go and ready myself."

"You are a brave woman . . . Nyssa," he said, using her name for the very first time. "I did not intend it, but I seem to have done my grandson a favor when I managed his marriage to you." It was the closest he would ever come to apologizing to her.

"I shared in the favor, my lord," she answered him, "for love remembered me when I found myself matched with Varian. I have learned to love in return." It was the closest she would come to telling him she accepted his apology.

Varian watched this exchange between the two people he loved the most in all the world, excepting his children; marveling at how alike and yet how dissimilar his grandfather and his wife were. In time, he thought, these two might even become friends, providing they all survived the debacle of Catherine Howard.

Nyssa went to their bedchamber and told Tillie her news. "You need not go with me," she said. "If you choose, I will send you home, and hold no grudge against you for going."

Tillie pursed her lips. "I'll not leave you, m'lady. Why, me aunt Heartha would have me hide if I did. Besides, this new adventure will give me something to tell my grandchildren one day."

"You must have children to have grandchildren," Nyssa teased her tiring woman. "Have you a husband in mind, Tillie?"

"Aye," she admitted. "That Toby of his lordship's will do me nicely when we get back to Winterhaven, m'lady. He's shy, and a bit slow, but I see 'im eyeing me. It's time we both settled down."

Nyssa chuckled. Poor Toby, she thought. His fate was already sealed, though she would wager he did not yet know it. Still, he and Tillie would make an excellent pair. She explained to her servant that she could have but six changes of clothing, as that would be all the queen was allowed; and her garments must be plain, without adornment. Together they chose velvet skirts in black, a rich golden brown, deep blue, forest-green, violet, and orange-tawny. The matching underskirts were of plain satin and satin brocade. The duke found a seamstress among his household who helped Tillie remove the magnificent adornments from Nyssa's bodices, rendering them simple, with naught but gold or silver embroidery about the necklines. There were petticoats and chemises of cotton, lawn, wool, and silk; knitted stockings, and a single fur-lined cloak. Nyssa took no jewelry with her, wearing only a small gold and pearl crucifix about her neck, and her wedding band.

"You'll be needing French hoods," Tillie said. "You know the queen likes her ladies to wear them."

"They can't be jeweled," Nyssa said.

"We'll make them up new with just a bit of gold, m'lady," the seamstress said helpfully.

"Thank you," Nyssa told her.

Within the two days' time, her wardrobe was ready, and on the morning of the thirteenth of November, Nyssa joined Kate Carey and Bessie FitzGerald for their trip to Syon House in Middlesex. They would go by barge from Whitehall. The queen would travel in the same fashion from Hampton Court in the company of Lord and Lady Baynton. It took all the courage she had to kiss her husband good-bye, but Nyssa managed to keep her composure. Then Varian and the Duke of Norfolk escorted her down to the Water Stairs, where her two companions waited. She did not look back as the barge moved upriver, making its way into Middlesex.

The three young women sat within the comfortable cabin. A small brazier heated the space. Kate and Bessie were very quiet as they traveled along. The two girls did not know what to say under the circumstances. Finally Kate said, "Do you think she really cuckolded the king?"

"I think she may have," Bessie said low, then turned to Nyssa. "Remember how she was always disappearing from her bedchamber at night when we were on progress? She would not come back for hours."

"How do you know that?" Nyssa asked her. God's boots, Cat had been appallingly indiscreet. Obviously everyone knew, but no one dared to say anything. She felt better about withholding her own knowledge.

"You were with your husband, I forgot," Bessie said. "Several nights she would disappear about eleven o'clock, and not return until three or four in the morning. I was always awakened by her return."

"I have heard," Bessie continued, "that Lady Rochford went mad when they took her to the Tower. They say she cackles, and babbles to herself all the time. I even heard that she talks to her dead husband, George Boleyn, and to his sister, Anne. They have taken everything from her, for they fear she will harm herself before they may hear her testimony."

"What good will testimony be from a madwoman?" Nyssa wondered.

"She has some lucid moments," Bessie replied. "I think they plan to question her during one of those times."

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