Queen Elizabeth's Daughter Read Online Free

all the land, is planning to marry the Queen of Scots! Mistress Eleanor, are you certain of this?” said the queen.
    “I have only said what has been said to me, Majesty. I know not the truth of it,” said Mistress Eleanor.
    “Tut-tut. I’ll warrant there is truth to it—what a match they would be against me! He a Catholic, she likewise. He a duke and she a queen! If they marry, it would not be four months before I was in the Tower,” said the queen. “Oh, how am I to manage this monstrous woman, this cousin of mine! Would she were as easy as my other dear cousin, Mary. Mary, where are you?” said the queen as she walked on, impervious to all but her own cares.
    Mary hurried from behind the hedge and joined the last of the ladies-in-waiting.
    “Here, Your Grace. Here!” Mary shouted as she made her way through the women to catch up with the queen.
    “Where have you been?” said the queen, not breaking her stride.
    “I have been here, walking with Your Majesty,” said Mary, her face coloring.
    “Do you think I do not know what goes on beneath my own nose? You were not here—you scurried behind yon hedge, most likely to meet that Wotton boy with whom you seem besotted. Do you deny it?” said the queen, rounding on Mary, facing her.
    Mary had the look of a coney caught in a trap. She had seen how frantic a captured rabbit could become and she felt just that way. Her face paled and she looked all around, anywhere but into the queen’s own eyes. She said nothing.
    “God’s blood, as if I do not have enough to vex me! My very own girl, my darling Mary, betraying me for a callow youth! Yes, yes, child—I know all about it. But it is easily solved,” said the queen, a strange smile playing across her mouth.
    Mary dared not move. She had observed what could happen when the queen caught lovers making plans behind her back. To the Tower! They were sent to the Tower!
    “I shall have the boy return to his lands. When he arrives at Yorkshire, he shall have a wedding feast,” said the queen, staring at Mary.
    “You … will send him away?” said Mary, barely able to speak. She could not look at the queen. She could not think what to do or say. All she could feel was the queasiness in the pit of her guts and the pumping blood that coursed through her veins, a blood that called for release of the rage she felt in that moment. She raised her head and gazed at the queen.
    The queen was smiling, a cruel little curl of her lips. Her black eyes had a proud look about them.
    “He shall leave on the morrow. You shall never see him again, I fear. Yorkshire is far from London and I intend to keep a much closer eye on you, young woman. Have a care! You are my creature to marry at my discretion! You do not make any choices on your own!” screamed the queen, her face now turning red and her body shaking with anger.
    “I am God’s creature! You are my queen, not my jailer! Just because you find no happiness in love now that your ‘Sweet Robin’ has found a roost with the Lady Essex, you have no right to ruin my happiness! God’s bones, I will never forgive you for this! I loathe you!” said Mary, running from the queen onto the brick pathway that led to the doors of the castle. The ladies surrounding the queen had become quiet; they had seen such skirmishes between Mary and the queen before and knew better than to utter a sound.
    “I have not excused you! You do not have my permission to leave!” the queen shouted. Then, just as suddenly as the storm arose, the waters were calm again and the queen motioned for Mistress Blanche.
    “Oh Parry, I mishandled that, I fear. Go to her. Try to explain. I shall speak with her later in the bedchamber. And, dear Parry, be gentle, as I was not,” said the queen.
    *   *   *
    Mary stood in disbelief in the empty bedchamber. She hadn’t realized tears were streaming down her face. She’d been oblivious to them, startled to find her cheeks wet, much the same way she had