Jean Plaidy - Mary, Queen of France: The Story of the Youngest Sister of Henry VIII

“’Tis true, I fear,” agreed Mary. “Oh Henry, have done. Charles and I are married.”

“You have not been married in England.”

“But you cannot say we are not married. What if I should be with child—which I can tell you may well be the case. Now I have shocked Katharine again. But I am blatant, Katharine.” She went to Charles and put her arms about him. She sighed. “You must send us to the Tower if you will, Henry, but one boon I ask of you. Let us share a cell, for I never want to be parted from this man as long as I shall live.”

Watching them, Henry’s face softened. They were such a handsome pair and there was much love between them. Henry felt a little envious. Katharine would never be a wife as Mary was. Mary was a woman of passion and he felt more alive since she had come back. Let them pay him vast sums. That should suffice.

He laughed suddenly. “Well, you will have to be married in my presence,” he said. “It shall take place soon and we’ll have a tourney to celebrate it. Charles, I’ll challenge you. Perhaps we’ll ride into the arena disguised as knights from a foreign land. …”

Mary threw herself into her brother’s arms.

“Oh, it is wonderful to be home,” she said.

Henry was constantly in the company of his sister and brother-in-law; and it was useless for Norfolk and his supporters to attempt to poison the King’s mind against them—they were home and he was happy. Moreover he had gained financially from their exploit, and if they were now not as wealthy as might befit their rank, Henry was secretly pleased at that because his sister would be all the more delighted with the gifts he intended to bestow on her.

Mary was his beloved sister, the person whom, at heart, he loved best in the world; Charles Brandon was his greatest friend. At the joust Charles was his most worthy opponent, brilliant enough to arouse the applause of the spectators, but never quite equaling the King. Mary’s laughter was more frequent even than in the days of her childhood. Never before had she been so merry; never before had she been so contented.

He took them Maying with him and Katharine on Shooters Hill, where they were intercepted by men disguised as outlaws who turned out to be gentlemen of the Court, and who had prepared a magnificent picnic for them in the woods—an entertainment after Henry’s own heart, made more amusing, more hilariously gay, because his sister and her husband were present.

Out of love for her he decided that she should launch the latest ship he was having built. Wherever she went, the people cheered her; they said she looked more like the King than ever, and there was not a more beautiful girl in England than Mary Tudor, Dowager Queen of France, nor a more handsome man than Henry VIII of England.

Glowing health and glowing spirits added to their natural beauty, and Henry, making merry in the new vessel which would hold a thousand men, dressed in cloth of gold, his great golden whistle hanging round his neck, was an expansive host; and his sister Mary in green velvet, cut away in the front to show an amber satin petticoat, her golden hair flowing freely about her shoulders, gave the ship the name La Pucelle Marie.

Those were happy days. There was no longer any fear of the King’s displeasure.

When they returned to Greenwich after the launching of the ship, Mary noticed that Charles was thoughtful, and because she was susceptible to all his moods was certain that something was disturbing him.

As soon as they were alone in their apartments she asked him what ailed him. “For it is no use your trying to keep secrets from me, Charles.”

He sighed. “I preceive that to be so,” he answered, and went on: “Now that the King demands such payments from us we are much poorer than others at Court. I have been wondering whether Court life is too expensive for our pockets.”

Mary smiled. “Well, then, Charles, if we cannot afford to live at Court we must perforce live elsewhere.”

“But you are a king’s daughter.”

“King’s daughter second. First I am the wife of a country gentleman with estates in Suffolk who cannot afford to live at Court.”

“How would you like to live in the country?”

“The country … the Court … what care I? If we are together one place will suit me as well as the other.”

“You have never lived away from a Court.”

“Then it will be interesting to do so. Charles, I have been thinking that perhaps I should enjoy life in the country. They say Suffolk is very beautiful.”

“You would find it very dull, I fear.”

“I have a craving for a quiet life. I did not mean to tell you … until I was sure.”

“Mary!”

“I think it may well be so. Oh Charles, I thought my happiness was complete, but when I hold our child in my arms I shall have reached the peak of content.”

“If it is a boy …”

“Nay.” She shook her head. “I shall not pray for a boy, Charles. I think of poor Katharine who constantly asks for a boy, and I am saddened by her disappointments. If my child is a girl I shall be quite happy. Yours and mine Charles—that is all I ask the child to be.”

He took her face in his hands. “You are an extraordinary woman,” he said.

“I am a woman in love. Is there anything so extraordinary in that?”

They sat on the window seat; his arm was about her as they talked of the future. Perhaps, when she was certain, he suggested, it would be advisable to retire to the country, where they could live without great cost in his mansion of Westhorpe. There she would be the Lady of the Manor and the people would love her.

“I should like the child to be brought up there,” she reflected.

“What would Henry say?”

“I shall tell my brother that we cannot afford to live at Court. He will know why.”

“We were fortunate to escape his anger. When I think of what we did … I tremble still.”

“Did I not tell you that all would be well? I know Henry. We shall see him often. He will insist on our coming to Court, so we shall not be entirely cut off. It would not surprise me if he traveled to Westhorpe to see us.”

“To entertain the Court would be costly.”

“Never fear, Charles. I shall make Henry understand how poor we are. And there is something I wish to ask you, Charles. You have two daughters.”

“Yes; Anne and Mary.”

“They should live with their father.”

He looked at her in surprise.

“I am their mother now,” she went on. “Indeed I must be pregnant for I have a great longing for a large family. Yes, Charles, I want to leave Court. I am tired of all the masques and balls. I never want to disguise myself as an Egyptian or a Greek again. I never want to stand on the floor of the ballroom listening to the gasps of amazement when we unmask. I am tired of flattery and deception. I want to be in the country; I want to visit the poor and the sick and the sorry. I want to make them laugh and to show them that the world is a wonderful place. That’s what I want, Charles, with you and my large family of children growing up round me. What are you thinking? You look solemn.”

“I was thinking that you are a woman who has always achieved what she desired.”

She laughed. “This is the good life,” she said.

“And we are in our prime to enjoy it.”

“Well, Charles, I shall always be in my prime while you are beside me to love me.”

Then she embraced him, and laughing, talked of the baby which she was sure she would soon be holding in her arms. She was certain of her happiness; the only thing she was not sure of was the child’s sex; and that was a matter of indifference to her.

“Your thoughts run on too far,” Charles told her. “You are not even sure that you are pregnant.”

“And if I am not, I surely soon shall be,” she retorted. “And when I go to the country I want all my children there. Your two girls and my own little one. A large family you will admit, considering I have been married barely two months.”

“You can always be trusted to do everything on a grand scale.”

“And the girls will come to Westhorpe?”

“If that is what you wish.”

He then told her how he had rescued a child from the river and was bringing her up with his daughters.

She listened with shining eyes. “So I have three daughters already. I would that it were time for my own little one to be born.”

It was impossible, living with her, not to share her zest, her love of life.

The Family at Westhorpe

HENRY CAME to the Suffolks’ London residence in Bath Place, and went at once to his sister’s bedchamber, where he found her lying back on her pillows, flushed and triumphant, looking as though the ordeal had meant little to her. Her blue eyes sparkled although there were lines of exhaustion about them and her golden hair fell in a tangle of curls about her shoulders.

Henry came to the bed and stood looking down at her.

“Well done, sister.”

“Oh, Henry, beloved brother, it adds to my joy that you should come to my bedside.”

“Certainly I came. You’ve acquitted yourself with honors. Suffolk’s a lucky man.”

She called to her woman to bring the baby to the King, and as Henry held the child in his arms his face darkened.

“He looks to be a bonny boy,” he said; and watching her brother, Mary read his thoughts. Why should others have bonny boys when he could not?

Poor Henry. Katharine had at last given birth to a healthy child, but it was unfortunate that it had to be a girl. Katharine adored the little Princess Mary who had recently come into the world and the King was fond of her too, yet he could not hide his chagrin that after all their efforts they had failed to get a boy.

“They tell me he has the look of a Tudor already,” Mary said. “Some say they see you in him.”

“Is that so?” Henry’s scowl was replaced by a smile as he peered into the baby’s face.

“In any case,” Mary went on, “we have decided to call him after his uncle. That is if you raise no objection, brother.”

“Ha!” cried the King. “Young Henry seems to have a fancy for his uncle. See! He is smiling at me.”

He would not relinquish the child to his nurse but walked up and down the chamber holding him. The look of sorrow had come back into his face. Lately his thoughts had been more and more occupied with the desire for a son.

In the hall of the mansion in Bath Place stood gentlemen holding lighted torches which set a soft glow on the faces of the illustrious personages gathered there for a great occasion.

At the font, which had been set up for the purpose of christening the son of the Dowager Queen of France and the Duke of Suffolk, stood the King with Wolsey and the King’s aunt, the Lady Catherine, Countess of Devon, daughter of Edward IV. These were the baby’s godparents.

Henry watched the procession through half closed eyes, telling himself that he rejoiced because his sister’s marriage was fruitful; but what would he not have given if that young male child were his son instead of his nephew?

“Why do I not get a son?” Henry asked himself peevishly as he watched the child being carried by Lady Anne Grey while Lady Elizabeth Grey bore the chrysom, preceded by the bearers of the basin and tapers; and for the moment his resentment of his fate was so overwhelming that instead of the red and white roses of his House which adorned the crimson of font and canopy, he saw the pale, apologetic face of his wife, Katharine, and his rage threatened to choke him. What was wrong with Kate that she could not get a healthy boy? Mary had not been married long before she had one. His sister Margaret had a healthy son. Why should he be victimized? There was nothing wrong with the Tudor stock. Where could three such healthy people as himself and his two sisters be found? No, if there was a flaw in his union with Katharine it did not come from the Tudor side.

His lips jutted out angrily, and several of those who watched read his thoughts.

Now the ceremony was being performed and the blue eyes of the baby were wide and wondering. He did not cry. Wise little fellow. All Tudor, thought Henry.

“I name this boy Henry,” said the King; but the fact that he gave the child his name did not ease his sorrow.

Mary, fully aware of her brother’s resentment, was suddenly fearful that he might dislike the boy because he could not get one of his own. But this could not be so. Henry would never hate a little child. He was as fond of children as she was.

While spice and wine were served she stood beside her brother and thanked him for his gifts to her child, which included a gold cup.

“He will treasure it always because of the donor,” she told him. “I shall bring up my son, Henry, to serve you well.”

Henry took her hand and pressed it.

“The child has received many beautiful gifts,” he said.

“But none to be compared with yours.”

“You are fortunate,” he burst out suddenly. “Your firstborn … a son!”

“You will be fortunate too, Henry.”

His mouth was grim. “I see little sign of that good fortune as yet. You have your son; Margaret has hers, and I … who need one more than either of you, am disappointed time after time.”

“But you have your lovely Mary.”

“A girl.”

“But the next will be a boy.”

His expression startled her, because it betrayed more than resentment. Was it cruelty?

In that moment Mary had a longing for the peace of Westhorpe. She wanted to be in the heart of the country with her husband, her stepdaughters and her own little son.

She thought: When a woman has much to love she has also much to lose.

She remembered how, when Charles took part in the jousts against Henry, she was always afraid that he might be going to win. Now there was another to fear for.

Yes, she was certainly longing for the quiet of the country.

Westhorpe, which was close to the town of Botesdale, was a commodious mansion and Mary had loved it from the moment she saw it.

Here she and Charles lived in retirement with their little son. It had not been difficult to slip away from Court because Henry was short of money, and Wolsey had decided to call in certain debts. Since the marriage of Mary and Charles they were two of the King’s biggest debtors and, explaining to Wolsey that if they were to meet their commitments they must economize without delay, they took the opportunity of slipping away to the country.

As Henry was making a tour of some of his towns he did not immediately miss them, so no obstacle was put in the way of their leaving. As soon as Mary entered Westhorpe she brought an atmosphere of gaiety with her, and Charles was surprised, for the mansion seemed a different place from the one he had known before.

He had been afraid that Mary would quickly tire of the quietness, but he had a great deal to learn about his wife. She had always known that she desired to live in peace with her husband and family, and wanted nothing to threaten that peace; while she was at Court—much as she loved Henry—she would always be afraid that her husband might in some way anger him. There were too many people at Court jealous of Charles, and bold as Mary was, she could be nervous where her husband was concerned. She wanted to keep him safe from harm, and where better could she do that than far away from the Court, in his country house in Suffolk.