“Well,” said Lady Elizabeth, “we can see where Anne gets her rudeness from.”
They left the Norfolk apartments as soon as they could.
“Honestly, I have no stomach now to speak to the viscount,” said Sir Richard, in a low voice. “I judge the chance of a fair hearing from him to be less than that we have just received.”
“The king, then?” asked Sir Matthew.
“I think it must be the king. As his guests, we have been threatened with ejection, whatever other slights of behaviour might have occurred.”
“It was an impropriety!” said Lady Elizabeth. “Pulling the covers off her like that, do not forget! As his guests, we should not be treated thus.”
“No,” said Sir Richard, “we should not.”
“Shall we go there now?”
Sir Richard sighed, looking round at them all. “I suppose we must.”
TWENTY-FIVE
The king’s presence chamber was busy. Visitors, bishops and ambassadors jostled for precedence, all waiting for the opportunity to speak to Henry. The air was hot and heavy with bodies and voices, overlaid by the scent of the fire and the cedar oils burning in a little brazier close by. Wolsey and Campeggio sat on the dais, Charles Brandon played dice with Henry Norris, and Lady Salisbury was also seated in a corner, whom Thomasin was surprised to see, but perhaps she was waiting to speak with the king. The French ambassador Jean du Bellay was surrounded by a group of courtiers, asking him questions about the French king, their faces showing surprise at the scandalous details.
Sir Richard Marwood stopped in the doorway, daunted by the scene.
“Come, now,” said Lady Elizabeth, “let us remember who we are. Once we used to stride through these rooms without fear.”
He nodded. “I was twenty years younger then, with the arrogance of youth.”
“And now you have experience, wisdom. Our family has been wronged, threatened with being sent home for no reason other than the king’s mistress’s dislike.”
Sir Richard looked ahead to the king. Henry sat flanked by his two cardinals, deep in discussion. “But is this the right time?”
“There is no right time,” chimed in Sir Matthew. “We must strike while the iron is hot, or else too much time will have passed. He may already ask why we did not seek him out yesterday, after this event occurred.”
“Come, Father,” said Thomasin, “let us all go and stand together.”
He nodded and took a deep breath.
In a group, they made their way into the room, watched by the dozens of petitioners already impatient with the crowd. Sir Richard chose a spot at the side, close to the front, where Henry could not avoid seeing them. At least the Marwoods’ rank assured them of a hearing, probably before most of those waiting.
Feeling butterflies arise in her stomach, Thomasin hoped that it would be swiftly concluded. This was a significant matter, to complain of Anne to the king, and she had no idea how he might respond. Would he hear them fairly, or turn on them in anger?
They had been waiting for a quarter of an hour when Henry looked up and beckoned the French ambassador Du Bellay to his side. Wolsey and Campeggio withdrew to an alcove to drink wine, as if making a pause in their conversation. Du Bellay had letters to present, unfolding papers and waiting for the king to read them, then formulate his response. The Marwoods watched patiently, gratefully accepting the wine and wafers that were offered on silver plates by servants in Tudor livery.
After a while, Cromwell entered the room. Thomasin’s stomach turned to see him, thinking of his treatment of Nico Amato and Ralph Sadler, copying letters in a freezing room, away from the festivities. He did not approach the king, but worked the chamber, speaking to individuals as he went. Presently, he came closer and Thomasin’s instinct was to turn away.
“Good day,” she heard him address her family in his oily tones. “Are you about the king’s business, or other business that I may attend to?”
“The king’s business,” said Sir Richard, firmly.
“For I am tasked to take any trifling matters off his hands, for the comfort and ease of His Majesty.”
“Thank you, but we must speak to the king.”
“On what matter?”
“On a matter for the king’s attention, as his guests.”
Cromwell narrowed his eyes. “You are certain? It transpires that three quarters of his business could have been dealt with more swiftly by my intervention.”
