Constant Heart (38 page)

Upon our return to Lytham House, Lady de Winter was my first visitor. She came as I was walking to the stables in preparation for going to court. She reached out a gloved hand from her cloak to clutch my arm. “I have come to offer my condolences. On Her Majesty’s Progress.”

“We ruined ourselves in preparation for the visit . . .” I made a great effort to blink back my tears. “We have nothing left.” I could hardly bring myself to whisper the words loud enough to be heard above the rain. The wind had already whirled our cloaks about us and left our ruffs exposed to the rain. They lay flaccid on our shoulders.

She removed her hand from my arm and offered it to me.

I took it. We could not meet above them due to our farthingales, but I clung to it for my very life. And so we stood there allowing the rain to bleed our gowns of their dyes. The colors ran and then dripped down into a puddle of mud that was soon painted with all the hues of a flower garden.

“Do not give up hope.”

I tried to smile. “You assume that I still have some left.”

“If Lytham could obtain a Garter Knighthood . . .”

“You think I have not tried?”

She squeezed my hands. “You may have tried, but have you tried
every
one? Every
thing
?”

“Of what do you speak?”

“Who has Her Majesty’s ear?”

It did not take me long to realize her intent. “Essex?”

“Aye.”

With Lady de Winter’s help, I soon obtained a meeting with the Earl of Essex. Knowing Lytham’s strong feelings about the man, I confess that I felt a bit guilty about my actions, but what else was there to do? Lytham’s plans had been ruined. It was up to me to help him. And so I set my thoughts on my meeting with Her Majesty’s favorite. On how I would appeal to him.

Could he really be in love with such a one as the Queen?

I supposed power was a strong aphrodisiac; even if he did not truly love her, he had bet his fortunes on the illusion. And if he had, then so had I. I told Joan to paint my face white and then to black my teeth in imitation of Her Majesty.

When I took myself to Wanstead, I was accompanied by four of Lady de Winter’s men. Upon my arrival, I was taken straight to Essex’s chambers. He was attired according to his usual negligence. I failed to see how anyone so inclined to dishevelment could figure so prominently in Her Majesty’s affections.

“Lady Lytham. I welcome you to my humble estate. You grace me with your presence.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“What shall I have brought for you? Can you stay?”

“I am at your leisure.”

“You are too kind.”

Having never been adept at courtly games and the manipulation of truth—and knowing that Lytham’s future depended upon this meeting—my nerves were frayed as at the point of a knife. The pricks in my hands and feet were turning to tremors. “My lord, may I be plain?”

“Is that a possibility for the most beautiful woman at court? Pray tell how you would do this. What sort of magic would you use?”

I tried again. “My lord, I have a confession.”

“Tut. There is no one in the realm who would mistake me for a priest.”

I began once more. “I discover myself to be anxious of late.”

“Then what balm shall I apply to your nerves?”

“Tell me, please, how can I obtain a Garter Knighthood for the earl?”

“Of Lytham? Her Majesty alone makes those appointments. I do not know why everyone seems to think that I can read her mind.”

“May I be blunt?”

“As the axe of Mary Stuart’s executioner, may God rest her traitorous soul.” He paused and smiled, baring wolfish teeth. “Although, now that I think on it, He cannot, can He? For she was a papist. It does one no good in life, neither does it do one any good in death.” His smile disappeared and his eyes lost their gaiety. “As you were saying . . . ?”

“It is said you possess Her Majesty’s ear.”

“Among other things, I would imagine.”

I inclined my head toward him, unwilling to confirm the gossip whispered throughout the court.

“Please, forgive my lack of couth. Continue.”

“He who controls Her Grace’s ear might, perhaps, control many other things as well.”

“He might.”

“Then can you tell me, sir, how I might obtain the appointment?”

“One might suppose that pleasing me would be the same as pleasing Her Majesty’s Grace.”

So there it was, just as Lady de Winter had said. I had not yet tried everything. She had given me the chance with Sir Thomas, but I had not done it. But maybe this time . . . for Lytham. I curtsied and held it longer than I had need so that I could gain control of my emotions. Upon righting myself, I was able to speak. “I only wish to serve.” But I knew even as I said it, that I could not do
that
.

Essex crossed the floor and came to stand in front of me. “What a noble sentiment of English virtue. And what great things might be accomplished by such service. Would that all of the Queen’s subjects had hearts so fully devoted as your own.”

“You must only tell me what I am to do, my lord.”

He turned my chin with a fingertip so that I had to look into his eyes. He examined them for only a moment and then he began to laugh. “So, Lytham has sent me the most powerful weapon in his arsenal. But tell me, lady, does he know your heart is already engaged?”

“He does not know . . . that I am here. He has no knowledge of our meeting.” My words came out in a whisper. O God, save me. I have made a terrible mistake.

“You are far worse than a spiked cannon, for those cannot be expected to work. You are a cannon forged with an invisible flaw. Only upon engagement is it discovered to be defect. And do you know what happens then?”

“Nay, my lord.” I could only whisper the words.

“It backfires into the face of the man who intended to use it.”

A cold sweat broke out behind my ears. How would he use me?

To my surprise, he bowed before me in the manner of a courtier. “Have no fear, Lady Lytham. I am in the habit of playing only with faithless hearts. The faithful will find themselves in no danger from me. I accept as gifts only those things given freely. I am quite willing to make a different arrangement.”

Blood buzzed in my ears as I tried to understand the meaning of his words. Was I . . . had I been saved then?

Thank you, God.

He took himself from me and settled into a chair. “Do you have any idea what it takes to please Her Majesty the Queen?”

Had I? “Nay.”

“If I must keep your secret, then you must keep mine. It takes baubles and sonnets and trinkets and diversions. And the next must be more amusing, more perfect than the last. It is enough to drive a man to an early grave.”

“That must be quite taxing, My Lord Essex.”

“Ha.” He barked a laugh that seemed to take the both of us by surprise. “Taxing, aye, and in several ways. I find that I am bereft of ideas and . . . well . . . monies. And this, perhaps, is where you can help me. I have heard Lytham is having made a pair of fabulous bracelets for Her Majesty’s New Year’s gift.”

“Aye.” And only because he had sold some plate in order to do it.

“Then I would like them.”

“I . . . I am sorry, my lord, I do not quite understand—”

“You will give Her Majesty something quite different and I will give her the bracelets. Is it quite understood?”

Was that, then, all he wanted in order to speak on Lytham’s behalf? “It is. I will have the goldsmith render the service, then, in your name.”

“Ah. Well, this is how we conduct our business. I take what is yours and you take what is mine. I am not unjust. In fact, I take nothing; we only exchange the one for the other.”

“I see. And where is your gift . . . rather,
my
gift to be found?”

He tapped his head. “At the moment, it resides just here, but I am certain you will be able to find precisely what it is that I envision.”

“And what is it, precisely, that you envision?”

“It is the most wonderful and amazing of amusements. I hardly have the words to describe it. But I am certain that when you see it, you will know it.”

Clearly, our meeting was at an end. I curtsied before him and then straightened. “Thank you, My Lord Essex.”

44

A
s I was riding through Cheapside, I decided to stop at the goldsmith’s and see to the bracelets I was having made for Her Majesty’s present.

The goldsmith looked up from his work as I entered. “My lord.”

“Goldsmith! I have come to discover how the bracelets are coming.”

“They have come, my lord. And they have gone.”

“Gone? Gone where?”

“To My Lord Essex.”

“Essex?”

“Aye. He said that you had sold them to him.”

“To Essex!”

“Aye, my lord.”

“You gave my bracelets to Essex!”

“Aye.”

“And . . . then what am I to give the Queen?”

“I . . . can you not . . . use, perhaps, the monies that he gave you, my lord . . . I have very many pretty things.”

“I did not want just any bauble. I wanted the bracelets! He asked for them in particular?”

“Aye, my lord.”

“For my bracelets.”

“Aye, my lord.”

“And you gave them to him?”

“He said . . . If he had not spoken to you, my lord, how could he have known . . . ?”

I felt like strangling the man, but in truth it was not his fault. I had been cheated, but I had no recourse. Especially not at this late date. I laid a hand on the counter, and tried to do it gently. “May I see what else you have?”

When Lady de Winter asked for a report on my visit to Essex, I told her it had gone well.

“Better than the visit with Sir Thomas, I trust? I know that Lytham does not like the man, but if you can get him a knighthood, why should he care what you had to do to obtain it?”

“We were able to reach an agreement.”

When she pressed me for details, I took my time in answering.

And before she could ask me once more, providence answered my pleas in the form of an official delegation that paraded through the Presence Chamber.

I was able to distract Lady de Winter with a question. “Who is that man?”

“An ambassador. From Polonia.”

We watched together as he bowed before Her Majesty, offering up a letter. We all must have assumed it was some letter of thanks to Her Grace for having contracted a peace between Polonia and the Moldavians several years before.

One of her ladies took the letter from the ambassador and handed it to the Queen. As she read it, the ambassador was seen to step backward, one foot behind the other, looking still, with each step, at Her Majesty. A strange way for an official to conduct himself.

“What are his designs?”

Lady de Winter frowned. “I do not know.”

We saw him continue to step away.

“Does he mean to flee the palace?” Lady de Winter turned to see if Her Majesty had noticed.

“Perhaps this is the practice of Polonians?”

“He must know he cannot long go in that direction. He will run himself into a wall.”

But just as the words were spoken, he stopped. He cleared his throat and threw back his head. And then he began to speak.

Her Majesty looked up from the letter she was reading. For a moment, she looked annoyed. And so she should have been at a person daring to address her without first being addressed by her. But as he continued, the corners of her mouth plummeted toward her chin and the rings on her fingers glinted as her hand convulsed around the letter.

At first we could not believe what he was saying, as no one, not even Essex, had ever dared address Her Majesty with such words.

First, he complained that Her Majesty had unjustly entrained the rights of the Russians and Polonians in trade. Next, that Polonian goods on their way to Spain had been impounded. And then, as a friend of Spain, he declared he could not remain silent.

“So we hear.” The words came from a baron standing beside us.

“Hush!” Lady de Winter had no shame in using her rank as a weapon.

He demanded reimbursement for the goods that had been seized and wanted the liberty to trade with the Spaniards as Polonia wished. If not . . .

I felt my brow rise. “Did he just make a threat?”

“He just . . . Did he say they would attack us?” a man at my elbow questioned.

The court was abuzz with persons trying to decipher the riddle of his words.

And then Her Majesty condescended to speak. “Your king is young and has come to his crown by
election
, not by royal birth. He cannot hope to understand those things which passed between me and his predecessor.”

“Your Majesty, I—”

“Although princes are governed by the Law of Nations and are presumed to have sovereign rights, those same laws allow a prince to stop supplies from reaching an enemy.”

“But—”

“Especially in time of war.”

“If you would just—”

“You will not speak to me!” At that, Her Majesty withdrew to her Privy Chamber.

The Privy Council rapidly conveyed the ambassador into conference, leaving the court to gossip in their absence.

“But did not the King of Polonia confiscate the goods of our
own
merchants on the way to Muscovy?”