Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey (15 page)

He was handsome, all right, although if I had to marry one of the Dudleys, I would have preferred his younger brother, Robert. Not as handsome, Robert was noble when you saw him in action. Guildford was never driven to action. He was handsome, round faced and childish, and when he didn't get his own way and his lip curled under, he was ugly.

"I rule, yes," I said, "and I choose to make you a duke. Not King."

He stamped his foot like a girl. "I'll not stand for it," he said, pouting.

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"You'll have to, I'm afraid. Now leave me. I want no sulking in my bedchamber. I want no whining child."

"I am your husband!"

"For convenience only. Leave me, please."

He turned and slammed out. As he went, I heard him calling, "Mother, Mother, do you hear this? Mother? I need you."

She came back in with him in minutes. She was a large woman, massive about the shoulders, and I think she disliked me because I was small. "What is this I hear, daughter-in-law? My son is distressed."

"He wants to be made King and I have refused him."

"And what right have you to do so? He is your husband."

"It is nothing I sought, or wanted. He can be my husband, but he will not be King. Only Parliament can make him King, and they are not about to do so."

"You can insist on it."

"But I will not. The crown is not a toy. I don't even want it myself. And I won't bestow it on him."

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"Well, of all the insolence! Wait until your mother hears about this."

"I am Queen," I told her. "And I will not suffer either one of you to question my decisions."

"Come, Guildford"--and she took his hand--"you don't want to be husband to an ungrateful little baggage like this. You will not bed her. I will not allow it."

I sighed with relief and thought,

T

hank you, mother-in-law. Thank you.

Of course, the celebrations did not go on forever. There was routine. Anybody who thinks a queen sits around all day eating sweetmeats and ordering people around should have another thought. There was a whole new course of study now, which I set to eagerly. I remembered how much studying Edward had to do as King, and I thought again,

Ob, Edward!

The Privy Council met mornings, but I did not go. What would I do at a Privy Council meeting? Guildford went, and I let him go to quiet him. His father made all the decisions anyway.

I was paid a visit by Sir John Cheke on the

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following morning as I set myself to my books. He was an elderly, kind man, with long thin hands and a gentle manner. He had once been Edward's tutor and was learned in the ways of our religion.

"I would fain help you with your studies," he said, "if you arc not ahead of me. I hear you are an excellent scholar."

I wanted to hug the man. Edward had loved him. And think of the remembrances he could tell me about my cousin! "Oh sir, you are too kind. Come in, come in, and sit. I shall send for some wine for you. Oh, I would be honored to have you as tutor! And you knew Edward well, then?"

He chuckled quietly. "No one knew him better."

"Oh sir, sit, do."

Northumberland sent letters for me to sign. They were to foreign ambassadors. So many letters. I read them over, just to be sure I wasn't signing someone's death warrant. You could never tell with Northumberland. But I did not understand the letters. And when I wailed once

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to Sir Cheke that I never hoped to understand matters of state, he told me not to worry, that Northumberland wouldn't let me make such decisions anyway. But I should ask him any question I wanted, and perhaps he could at least explain things to me.

The noon dinner lasted for two hours and was very formal. I must sit between my mother and mother-in-law, with all the members of the council and all the lords at the table. But I listened to everything being said. And I learned that Londoners were not happy with my being Queen. I learned that one of the privy councillors, William Cecil, was working to restore Mary to the throne. I learned that Mary was still wandering around out there somewhere. That Robert Dudley was trying to capture her.

I learned that Princess Elizabeth was ill, or pretending to be ill.

I signed everything Northumberland gave me to sign. I signed "Jane the Queen." Sometimes he explained the papers to me and sometimes he didn't.

I learned that in Norfolk and Suffolk, in Berkshire and Buckinghamshire, in

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Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire, men were arming and giving their loyal support to Mary as Queen.

Would Mary forgive me for taking the throne if she came into power? Or would she have me taken prisoner? We had always been friends in the past. I knew her to be a kind and forgiving person.

But the throne. It wasn't like taking a morsel off someone's plate.

I became ill then. I lost my appetite and could not eat. I could swear that my hair was falling out. The skin on my hands started to peel. I knew that Northumberland had been whispered about in connection with poisoning King Edward when he was ill, and I grew fearful that he was poisoning me.

He was poisoning me because I would not make his son Guildford King.

I lay in my bed alone and cried. Then I heard that Northumberland had left the Tower to muster some troops at Tothill Fields near Westminster, to go against Mary, who was at Kenninghall. And I thought,

There will be war and people will be killed for

me. To defend my right

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to wear the crown, which I don't even want.

I wanted to forget it all and go home. I wanted to go to Chelsea Manor and study my Greek and Latin and forget matters of state. I wanted to be what I was: a fifteen-year-old girl.

I was lying on my bed one day when my mother came to my chambers. "Jane, get up. Northumberland is ready to ride out, and you must have a good word for him."

"I'm not well"

"You are Queen, Jane. You cannot give in to the weaknesses of ordinary people. Get up and put on your new blue dress and silver kirtle. Now."

"My hair is falling out."

"Your hair is not falling out, Jane. Don't look for excuses. Northumberland is about to go and fight for your crown. The least you could do is give him a good word before he leaves."

I did so, although my legs were weak and my hands were sweating. My ladies-in-waiting helped me to get ready, and I went downstairs into the receiving hall and waited for Northumberland.

I heard him and his men come into the

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courtyard outside with a great clatter and neighing of horses. Then the large doors swung open and he came in.

He was dressed in armor and looked very knightly, and he had with him all his sons except Guildford. The Privy Council gathered around.

"Mary has fourteen thousand men," he said. "We have five thousand. We ride now to defend Your Majesty and know God to be on our side. I caution all who ride with me that your estates and families are in our hands."

For the first time I was taken with Northumberland, who was ready to ride out to defend my right to the throne. He ran things, yes. He made decisions, but he was willing to lay his life down for that right. And for me.

"I pray you, use your diligence," I told him.

He bowed. "I will do what in me lies," he said.

And in the next moment they were gone.

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TWENTY-ONE

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veryone in the Tower with me--my mother-in-law, my nurse and ladies-in-waiting, the Privy Council and even Guildford-- tried to make things as normal as possible, but I sensed an undercurrent of activity all around me.

The Privy Council was meeting in secret behind closed doors. With Northumberland gone, this was not good. I know he feared their betrayal. What were they meeting about? I supposed as Queen I could break in on the meeting, but I would not know what to do when I got there, so I stayed away.

The next day reports began coming from Northumberland.

He'd been defeated in a fight at Cambridge.

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His men were deserting and going over to Mary. But worse yet, the fleet of ships in the harbor had all declared for Mary.

My father came to visit me. "Some members of the Privy Council are defecting," he said.

"Why?"

"Mary grows stronger by the day, Jane. But Northumberland is recruiting the peasants from the countryside to fight for you. You are not to worry. Everything will be fine. Mary will soon be captured."

"I don't want her hurt," I said.

Guildford, who was with my father, sneered. "You worry about her? She'd have us both clapped in irons in a minute. Worry about us."

"I'm sure you're doing enough of that for both of us, Guildford."

"Stop this, both of you," my father ordered. "Don't you think, with all that's going on, that you two could call a truce?" Then he left us.

Guildford and I looked at each other, shamefaced. "He's right," Guildford said. "Mary has been proclaimed Queen at both Oxford and Norwich. He didn't want to tell you. I think your throne is in danger, Jane."

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"I'd be happy as a child with sweetmeats if she'd take it," I said.

"You don't know what you're saying!" He leaned forward, angry. "This is a kingdom we're talking about here. My father is out fighting for you. The least you could do is care."

"I do care."

"Then act it. People look to you."

I started to cry then. "Oh, Guildford, I don't want them looking to me. Don't you understand?"

He sat down beside me then and took my hands in his. He said absolutely nothing, and as far as I was concerned it was the most tender he ever acted with me. And I started to forgive him, just a little bit.

Lady Eleanor, one of my ladies-in-waiting, came to me. "Your Highness, I beg leave to go out of this place and return home. My mother is ill and needs me."

She was the second one this day. The first had been Lady Dorothy.

I was not fooled. "You wish to declare for Mary?"

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"No, no." She bowed even lower. "My mother truly is ill. Oh, I will stay if you wish it, but I fear for her."

"Go," I said. "I pray your mother gets well soon. When she does, come back to me."

"Yes, Your Highness."

But I knew I would never see her again.

I thought a lot about Mary in the next couple of days. How did it feel to want the throne so badly that you were willing to roam the countryside and evade capture for it? How did it feel to have all the towns and shires, even the ships in the harbor, declaring for you?

What would she do when she got it? I was nobody's fool, no matter what they thought of me. I knew she would win. She was truly a princess of the blood. Her father had been a king. Had she really seen him on the battlements?

I tried to picture her in my mind, traveling around in disguise, fighting for her life. I knew her to be pale and homely, but I also knew she had strengths I did not. And the people wanted her.

Two days later word came to us. Mary was

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proclaimed Queen in London. Northumberland had torn down a banner proclaiming me Queen. But of course he would. To stand for me when she was hailed Queen was to ask for death for treason. What could I do for him and his now?

When I ventured out of my chambers I found the Tower quiet as a tomb. Where was everybody? A page told me all in the Privy Council had left. And that Northumberland had been arrested for treason.

I was at the noon meal with Mrs. Tilney and Guildford when my father came into the banquet hall. He came right to me and stood there, white faced and grim.