Catherine’s nod was brief, impatient. “Does he indicate his news?”
“Not yet, merely that he will fully inform the king upon his return. He is expected at Greenwich any day.”
“Then we shall await him with calm and conviction of our right.”
“And one other thing. There has been a case of smallpox among the women in the laundry.”
“Smallpox?”
Thomasin thought at once of Mistress Arnold, with her neat cap, folding the dry clothes.
“One confirmed and one suspected. Hopefully contained there, but it is probably wise to wait in your rooms until all is clear. Some others…” He broke off. “The Lady Anne and her household are moving to the rooms above the stables, to be apart from the infection.”
“Above the stables?” replied Catherine wryly, smiling at the animalistic connotations. “I thank you for your warning, and we will remain here and pray for those afflicted.”
Brandon nodded. “Then I will bid you a farewell. I hope the time passes quickly before we see each other again.”
“And Mary is restored to health. As soon as she is well, and all is safe, I will visit you in Southwark.”
“We will look forward to it. A good day, a good day to you all, ladies.”
TWENTY-THREE
About midday, the sounds of horns came lilting through the distant greenness of the park. Thomasin and Ellen had been sewing, while Mary read to them from a book of saints’ lives.
In one swift movement, they reached the window and stared outside, but the park was on the other side, and they could only see gardeners trimming the bushes in the friary below.
“So the king went hunting after all,” said Ellen, “after we have been stuck inside all these hours.”
“Perhaps he does not know, if he went early,” Thomasin suggested. “Do you think we will have to move again, due to this smallpox?”
“I don’t know,” said Ellen, “but my servant in Buxton had it as a child and survived, although her face was deeply pitted.”
“Oh, poor thing. Did she ever marry?”
Ellen shook her head. “It would be a terrible shame, would it not, if a certain Lady at court was to be infected in a similar way?”
Thomasin turned away to conceal her smile. “Now, now, we must not wish ill upon anyone, or else we risk bringing it back upon ourselves.”
Catherine emerged from her chapel, followed by Maria, where she had been praying again. “Was that the hounds? Are they back?”
“I believe so, My Lady,” Thomasin replied, “although I have not seen them.”
“No doubt we shall hear soon enough. But you must be prepared to pack up my effects quickly, if it transpires that we must depart again. When shall we be free of all this illness?”
Before long, the outer door swung open without warning, as only the king would dare. Henry strode through, into Catherine’s inner chamber. He was still dressed in his riding jacket and boots, but was wringing his hands and working his lips so that his agitation was apparent. Wolsey and William Compton hurried in after him, apparently having failed in their efforts to appease his mind. In an instant, the queen’s quiet space changed mood. The very air seemed to crackle. Thomasin at once felt the tension she was certain had also seized all the others present.
“You have heard this news? The pox has hit us now? Four in the laundry and two in the kitchens? Did you know?”
Catherine curtseyed, always mindful of protocol. “We heard of a case in the laundry, after you departed, and have not moved from these chambers since, waiting to hear your will. I hope we did right.”
Henry ignored her question but began to pace up and down, gripping at his sleeves. “It has come for me, it seems to follow me, determined to claim me as it did my brother. What kind of punishment is this? How have I deserved this in God’s eyes?”
“Come now,” said Wolsey, lifting his hands in supplication. “This is no more a punishment from God than the roses failing to bloom. It is an illness we see every summer. There are always bound to be cases nearby, it is so common.”
“But my brother,” Henry urged. “He died, remember, of the sweat. He was mortal, as am I.”
“And we have learned the lessons of that tragedy. Sensible steps have been taken to prevent infection. Those who are ill are being removed and the areas of their employment thoroughly washed down. All their clothing and effects have been burned.”
