furniture, the meals that were never on time and scanty when they did come.
My grandmother seemed to remember why she had sent for me, for she suddenly said to the girl who had brought me to her: “Isabel shall look after her. Go and bring Isabel to me.”
The girl disappeared and my grandmother half-closed her eyes again, and there was nothing else for me to do but study the room while I awaited the arrival of Isabel.
Through an open door, I saw the bedroom containing a large four-poster bed with bed curtains in elaborately embroidered material. I could glimpse an ornate carved chest. The walls of the room in which I waited were covered in tapestries which depicted battles, in which I presumed members of the family had taken part and scored successes. There was a painting of a very splendid gentleman, whom I guessed to be my grandfather, the second Duke of Norfolk.
I studied him intently, remembering that he was my father’s father, who had been a prisoner in the Tower of London until Henry VII, the present King’s father, realized he should be working for him instead of being his prisoner, and then he had won the Battle of Flodden Field and worked with the King ever since.
The girl who had brought me to the Duchess then came in with another young woman of about seventeen years of age, buxom and lively looking; she had light green eyes, closely set together, and rather thin lips that were not in accord with the rather frivolous nature with which I was to become familiar.
Isabel made a deep curtsy to my grandmother and said: “Your Grace sent for me.”
“Ah,” said my grandmother, rousing herself from what seemed to have been a delightful dream which she was reluctant to leave. “Isabel, this is my granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard. She is come to live with us. You will see that she is looked after as becomes her rank.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“You will show her where she will sleep.”
“Your Grace will have given orders.”
The Duchess yawned again and nodded. “You will look after her and show her the customs of the household. Now, you may take her away.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Isabel looked at me and smiled, and we both made a deep curtsy to my grandmother. We went out together, followed by the girl who had first taken me to my grandmother’s apartment.
As soon as the door shut, Isabel and the other girl laughed silently, and Isabel said: “Mistress Katherine Howard, of the great Howard family, I shall be your guide and I shall make it my pleasure to attend you.”
We had moved away from the door as the girls’ laughter was no longer silent. I thought this was all rather odd, but it seemed jolly, and I said: “Thank you, Isabel.”
“I am going to show you how we live here, Mistress Howard. We have good fun, do we not?” she asked of the other.
There was a nodding of heads and secret smiling.
“We shall have to remember that you are Mistress Katherine Howard, of course.”
That made them laugh again, and then they put on rather prim looks, which I understood were not to be taken seriously.
I expected to be taken to my apartment, but Isabel quickly discovered that none had been prepared for me and that I was to sleep in the Long Room.
That seemed to amuse Isabel. In fact, I was discovering that a great deal amused her.
My memories of that day are a little hazy. I ate dinner at a long table in the hall near the kitchens. Isabel sat beside me and there was a great deal of chatter among the young people. Isabel told them that I was the Duchess’s granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard—one of the family and “please do not forget it,” she added, at which they all laughed.
They were friendly enough and some of the men—and one of the girls—told me I was very pretty; and one of the men added that I should find much that was interesting here; and that seemed to amuse most of them. All I had to do, they said, was grow up … just a little … but not too much.
A good