The Lady in the Tower Read Online Free

man.”
    “She will make him dance to her tune.”
    “Of course she will. But how angry she is…and how she longs for Suffolk!”
    “I was sure at one time the King would give way to her.”
    “Oh no… not even to his beloved sister. It is all part of the treaty. That is what royal marriages are about.”
    “I long to know what she will do when she
sees
him.”
    “You will. She will let us know. She will let everyone know.”
    “When her temper flares out…”
    “As it will.”
    “But the King loves her well. That is why he is waiting here to say goodbye to her.”
    “Perhaps,” said Elizabeth Grey, “he fears that if he does not see her off she will come back to Court … or run off with Suffolk.”
    “How she would like to do that!”
    “And knowing her, do you think she might attempt it?”
    “And so they continued to talk while we were in our beds but I was so tired that I was soon fast asleep.
    The next day I came face to face with the Princess herself. She took my chin in her hands and studied me. She was in one of her good moods apparently. “Little Boleyn, is it?” she asked. She added, “Fine eyes you have, child.” And she gave me a little tap on the cheek.
    That, said the ladies, was indeed a mark of approval.
    I said I was amazed that she should have noticed me.
    “Oh, it is only because you are so young,” I was told by Anne Grey. “Lady Guildford is really very put out because you are here. She said did they expect her to look after children.”
    I heard one of them whisper something about Thomas Boleyn always being on the lookout for favors.
    But it did not worry me unduly that I was resented. Everything wasso novel to me and to be here in the castle waiting for the wind to change, being ready to embark at short notice, was very exciting.
    The time came at four o'clock on the morning of 2 October. Everyone had been growing more and more uneasy the longer we stayed, for the year was advancing and October was notorious for its gales. We should have waited for the spring, but matters of state have to be concluded, whatever the time.
    I shall never forget that voyage. I thought it was the end of my life and that I should never see France. We had not gone more than a few miles when the storm arose and the fleet was scattered. Never in my wildest imaginings had I thought of anything like this. The ladies were terrified; and Lady Guildford hovered round the Princess, who seemed less concerned than the rest of us.
    I realized then how she must be dreading her marriage for she cried out, laughing rather wildly: “I rejoice for perhaps I shall not be Queen of France after all, Mother Guildford.” She always called Lady Guildford “Mother” because they had been together since the Princess's childhood.
    How unhappy one must be to welcome death! But later I realized that she, who was so full of life, would cling to it with her entire being; it was just her reckless and extravagant way of talking. The Princess Mary could not be quietly sad, she had to be tragically so and let everyone know it.
    So we were flung about—too frightened to feel even the horrible sickness which had begun to affect most of us. We could think only of one thing: death in that angry sea.
    We were making for Boulogne—I heard later that some of the ships put in at Calais and some even went to Flanders—and the ordeal seemed to go on for hours. Then suddenly someone called: “Land!”
    But that was not the end of our troubles. The Captain could not get the ship into the harbor and we ran aground outside it. But at least we felt comparatively safe then, for although we were still surrounded by sea we could see people watching on the shore.
    We were all on deck, drenched to the skin, our hair wildly flying, and soon they were sending out little boats to bring us in. One gallant gentleman waded out and shouted that he would carry the Queen ashore. Mary was lowered into his arms and we watched him take her to dry