Queen of This Realm - Plaidy Jean. Страница 82

Such charming things he said! He was the constant wooer and that was how I wanted it to remain.

“Have I Your Majesty's permission to ride beside you?”

“You would incur Her Majesty's displeasure if you rode anywhere else, Master of Horse.”

Then we laughed and talked and, as we rode into Itchingworth, I noticed there were two women in the party whose names had been linked with Robert's; one was Douglass Sheffield, the other was Lettice Knollys.

They were both exceptionally beautiful women and obviously of very differing temperaments. Douglass was a soft and clinging creature while the handsome Lettice, as I have said before, could take good care of herself.

I have no doubt that there were many women who could boast of encounters with Robert. Why not? As long as they were unimportant and Robert did not become heavily involved, I was not averse to his having a brief flirtation with such women. I knew very well that they were all substitutes and, he being a lusty man, they were necessary to him; any one of them would be dropped at a word from me. As long as that state was preserved I did not object.

I dismissed both women from my mind and gave myself up to the chase which was most enjoyable.

After Itchingworth we went to Grafton, which was one of my houses. The weather was very hot and, as we stepped into the cool hall, Robert said the first thing that I required was a drink of cool ale.

“As you do yourself, my lord, I'll swear,” I said.

He admitted this was so and he called to the servants to bring ale which they did, but when I put it to my lips I spat it out.

I was furious. Why, in my own house, did they have such stuff? They knew I drank only the mildest ale, and this strong variety was not to my liking; and yet they had dared bring it to me.

Robert tried a flagon and when he had sipped, grimaced.

“It is as strong as malmsey,” he cried. “I feel heady already.” Then he roared out to the servants that light ale must be brought at once.

There was pandemonium throughout the house. Where was the ale the Queen preferred? Apparently they had none in the house at all. They had known I was coming yet had neglected to provision it, and here I was tired and hot and unable to quench my raging thirst in my own home!

“Bring something!” I shouted. “I dare not let Your Majesty take the water,” said Robert. “For all we know it could be contaminated. Leave it to me.”

What a wonderful organizer he was! What a man of action! In a few moments he had sent his servants out in all directions telling them that they must return with light ale suitable for the Queen to drink.

I was astonished at the speed with which these men came, bringing with them just the ale which suited me.

“Robert,” I said, “you are wonderful. Is there anything you cannot do?”

“Anything you ask me I will do for you,” he replied. “There is one thing I would you would do for me.”

“Dear Robert,” I said, “who knows? One day perhaps all you desire will come to you.”

A gleam of excitement shone in his eyes. I believe he was hoping for a great deal from the visit to Kenilworth. That was what I found so enchanting about Robert. He never lost hope.

And so we came to Kenilworth. What a magnificent sight! The massive Keep which formed the citadel of the castle was of great antiquity and was called Caesar's Tower. There was a beautiful lake on the southwest side, over which Robert had had a bridge built. I was very happy as I rode forward with Robert at my side. I noticed in the strong sunlight that there were streaks of silver in his thick dark hair now—which somehow endeared him to me— but there was a look of such boyish enthusiasm on his face that I could not help smiling.

I knew this was going to be the highlight of my trip—in fact, I believed, the zenith of all my wanderings—and not only because I loved to see the wonders of architecture and enjoyed the lavish entertainments my subjects devised for me, but most of all because it was Robert's achievement; he was proud of it but he could only be contented if I shared that pride.

I said: “Robert, this is to be compared with any royal palace I ever saw.”

I was reminded then of my father—as I often was—for when he had seen the splendors of Hampton Court, he had commented that it was too grand a house for a subject, and had soon taken it from Cardinal Wolsey and made it his. I did not want Kenilworth. I was content for Robert to have it; there was pleasure enough for me in remembering that it had come to him through my bounty.

“It is only Your Majesty's presence in it that can make it that,” he said now. “You transform it. It is royal because you honor it. Without you it is nothing to me but a pile of stones and empty baubles.”

That was not quite true. I knew he loved it and was often here. But it was pleasant to see the love in his eyes for me…as well as for Kenilworth.

As we rode toward the Keep ten beautiful girls, all clad in white silk, appeared; they came toward us and one of them stepped forward and raised a hand. We pulled up, and coming to stand before me, she began to recite a poem which described the happiness my presence brought to Kenilworth this day, and the Sybil went on to proclaim that my coming to Kenilworth was symbolic of my coming to the throne, and she went on to prophesy a time of peace and prosperity for England under the great Elizabeth.

I said: “What a delightful girl, what a pleasant voice and what comforting verses.”

Immensely gratified, the sybils retired gracefully and I rode on with Robert until we came to a tiltyard, where a very big man, tall and square, a giant indeed, stepped out to bar my way, brandishing a club in one hand and carrying a bunch of keys in the other. He looked ferocious and quite terrifying and for a few seconds I wondered what was happening; but glancing sideways at Robert, I saw the smile about his lips.

The giant demanded what was the cause of all the noise and who it was who dared to come riding into his master's stronghold which it was his bounden duty to protect. Then as he approached me, he looked as though he had been blinded; he put his hands up to his face and fell to his knees.

“Rise, Sir Giant,” I said. “You seem less fierce than you did a moment ago. What has happened to change you?”

“My Gracious Liege,” he cried in a parrot voice which suggested to me that he had the greatest difficulty in memorizing his lines, “I have been blinded by your glory. I have spoken rashly not knowing for a few moments what joy had come to my master's house. Clemency, Your Gracious Majesty, to your humble servant who, if you will forgive his initial mistake and take his club and keys of the Castle, only then can he hold up his head again and win back his master's regard for this terrible mistake.”

“Rise and give me the keys,” I said. “I take them most willingly, and I congratulate your master on having such an excellent servant who is ready to defend him and his castle from all intruders.”

The giant rose and handed me the keys, looking very relieved because his little act was over.

As the gates were flung open, six trumpeters who were stationed on top of the wall, dressed in long garments of white silk, lifted their silver trumpets, and there was a glorious fanfare as we rode under the gateway into Kenilworth.

There were more trumpeters on the walls of another tiltyard through which we went on the way to the inner gate. Passing through this we came to a pool on which floated a figure representing the Lady of the Lake; about her were nymphs holding blazing torches. As I stopped to admire, the Lady of the Lake began her peroration which was even more full of praise than that of the Sybil. Everything was so beautiful and original; and I was all attention wondering what was coming next.

The bridge across the lake was about twenty feet wide, Robert told me afterward, and seventy feet long; and he had had it constructed purely for my pleasure. I dismounted and walked across beside Robert, and as I did so I was met by young men and women each representing a god of mythology, all with offerings for me. There was Sylvanus, the god of the woods, who presented me with birds—bitterns and curlews, live in cages; from Ceres I had sheaves of corn, and wine from Bacchus, fish from Neptune and musical instruments from Apollo. It was an enchanting pageant.