at the mercy of the queen; a novel of anne boleyn
TRANSCRIPT
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 112
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 212
This is a work of 1047297ction All of the characters organizations and events por-
trayed in this novel are either products of the authorrsquos imagination or are
used 1047297ctitiously
983137983156 983156983144983141 983149983141983154983139983161 983151983142 983156983144983141 983153983157983141983141983150 Copyright copy 2011 by Anne Clinard Barnhill
All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America For information
address St Martinrsquos Press 175 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10010
wwwstmartinscom
Design by Anna Gorovoy
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barnhill Anne Clinard
At the mercy of the queen a novel of Anne Boleyn Anne Clinard
Barnhillmdash1st ed
p cm
ISBN 978-1-250-00519-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-312-66213-4 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4299-2554-9 (e-book)
1 Anne Boleyn Queen consort of Henry VIII King of England1507ndash1536mdashFiction 2 Great BritainmdashCourt and courtiersmdash
Fiction 3 Great BritainmdashHistorymdashHenry VIII 1509ndash1547mdash
Fiction I Title
PS3602A77713A94 2012
8136mdashdc23
2011036004
First Edition January 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 312
One
A lready the grassy 1047297elds surrounding Hever Castle
were greening though Easter was several weeks
away The nearby forests had put out tender buds and
the barley 1047297elds sprouted fresh green shoots Though the gray
sky still shrouded the land one could feel a hint of warmth the
1047297rst indication that spring would come after all This along
with the birth of her favorite bitchrsquos puppies made Madge Shel-ton frisky that morning able to shake 1047297nally the feeling of
dread she had carried since her arrival in the south of England
Although she could not know it yet this was the last morning
of her old life the 1047297rst morning of the life shersquod hoped would
never come
ldquoThe fat one the one with a bit of red on his chestrdquo said
Madge leaning over the roughly made pen that housed ten set-ters her unclersquos newest stock of hunting dogs
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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4 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoHersquos already been spoken for Master Boleyn left word that
the biggest and best pup was to be trained for the huntrdquo said
Ben Whipple the son of the yeoman who managed the Boleyn
farm
ldquoWersquoll see about that My birthdayrsquos coming soon and I
shall ask my uncle about the hound Irsquom likely to get him you
can be sure of that My uncle gives me whatever I fancy these
daysrdquo Madge said She held the pup to her bosom and stroked
behind his ears
ldquoYoursquoll be mine pretty boy And wersquoll roam the 1047297elds to-
gether Irsquoll teach you to point Wersquoll show my uncle how a good
dog and a brave girl can hunt with the best of themrdquo Madge said
ldquoMaster Boleynrsquos a-wanting to groom the biggest pup for
the queen He knows how she fancies a smart cur You wonrsquot get
your way this time mistressrdquo said Ben He picked up the runt of
the litter a pitiful-looking setter with only a spot of white at the
tip of its tailldquoShall I drown this one Itrsquos only a bitchrdquo he said
ldquoDonrsquot you darerdquo said Madge
ldquoMaster Boleyn told me to get rid of the runt and spare only
the smartest healthiest ones He canrsquot afford to keep the whole
passelrdquo said Ben
ldquoGive me that little one then Irsquoll keep her saferdquo Madge said
She put the fat pup back into the pen and wrapped her handsaround the small black one The pup nuzzled against Madge
and licked her hands ldquoShe knows Irsquom saving her from a watery
grave Look at how grateful she isrdquo
ldquoTell you what Irsquoll let you keep her if you give me a kissrdquo
said Ben
ldquoYoursquoll let me keep her Ben Whipple kiss or nordquo Madge
stood up abruptly still clutching the puppy She smoothed herskirts with one hand while holding the dog against her chest
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 512
At the Mercy of the Queen 5
ldquoWhy wonrsquot you kiss me Madge You did once down by the
creek Let me againrdquo said Ben
ldquoIrsquoll never kiss the likes of you again Ben Whipple I am
cousin to the queen and must act according to my new station In
a few short weeks Queen Anne will be crowned and then you
wonrsquot dare speak so in my companyrdquo said Madge
ldquoPshaw Nan Bullenrsquos no better than a whore and everybody
knows it Catherinersquos the rightful queen and Old Harry canrsquot
change that Nan Bullenrsquos as common as these pupsrdquo said Ben
Madge pushed Ben out of her way still holding the black
pup She stomped across the barnyard Halfway she stopped
turned toward Ben her cheeks 1047298ushed and her red hair 1047298ying
every which way in the early morning breeze
ldquoYoursquoll live to regret those words My familyrsquos no longer
simple wool merchants Yoursquoll seemdashthe Shelton name is some-
thing these days and you Ben Whipple better watch your
tonguerdquo Madge turned again on one heel and headed for themain house where her nurse would have hot tea ready and maybe
a tasty bit of raisin cake
Margaret Louise Shelton Madge as she was known to the
servants and farmers on her unclersquos manor in Edenbridge Kent
was 1047297fteen years old and already a handful for her nurse Cate
Tall and thin with a smallish bosom a delicate waist and 1047298ar-
ing hips Madge was quickly becoming a beauty and she knewit Her green eyes were wide and expressive showing every nu-
ance of feeling a young woman could experience When angry
her eyes narrowed and actually darkened When happy her eyes
seemed lit from a secret sunshine within When sad her eyes
turned watery and red-rimmed much to her chagrin
Though she gave her nurse Cate a good deal of trouble
Madge was happy to have Cate with her for she was unused toliving with the Boleyn family especially now that Sir Thomasrsquos
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 612
6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 212
This is a work of 1047297ction All of the characters organizations and events por-
trayed in this novel are either products of the authorrsquos imagination or are
used 1047297ctitiously
983137983156 983156983144983141 983149983141983154983139983161 983151983142 983156983144983141 983153983157983141983141983150 Copyright copy 2011 by Anne Clinard Barnhill
All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America For information
address St Martinrsquos Press 175 Fifth Avenue New York NY 10010
wwwstmartinscom
Design by Anna Gorovoy
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Barnhill Anne Clinard
At the mercy of the queen a novel of Anne Boleyn Anne Clinard
Barnhillmdash1st ed
p cm
ISBN 978-1-250-00519-9 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-0-312-66213-4 (trade paperback)
ISBN 978-1-4299-2554-9 (e-book)
1 Anne Boleyn Queen consort of Henry VIII King of England1507ndash1536mdashFiction 2 Great BritainmdashCourt and courtiersmdash
Fiction 3 Great BritainmdashHistorymdashHenry VIII 1509ndash1547mdash
Fiction I Title
PS3602A77713A94 2012
8136mdashdc23
2011036004
First Edition January 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 312
One
A lready the grassy 1047297elds surrounding Hever Castle
were greening though Easter was several weeks
away The nearby forests had put out tender buds and
the barley 1047297elds sprouted fresh green shoots Though the gray
sky still shrouded the land one could feel a hint of warmth the
1047297rst indication that spring would come after all This along
with the birth of her favorite bitchrsquos puppies made Madge Shel-ton frisky that morning able to shake 1047297nally the feeling of
dread she had carried since her arrival in the south of England
Although she could not know it yet this was the last morning
of her old life the 1047297rst morning of the life shersquod hoped would
never come
ldquoThe fat one the one with a bit of red on his chestrdquo said
Madge leaning over the roughly made pen that housed ten set-ters her unclersquos newest stock of hunting dogs
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 412
4 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoHersquos already been spoken for Master Boleyn left word that
the biggest and best pup was to be trained for the huntrdquo said
Ben Whipple the son of the yeoman who managed the Boleyn
farm
ldquoWersquoll see about that My birthdayrsquos coming soon and I
shall ask my uncle about the hound Irsquom likely to get him you
can be sure of that My uncle gives me whatever I fancy these
daysrdquo Madge said She held the pup to her bosom and stroked
behind his ears
ldquoYoursquoll be mine pretty boy And wersquoll roam the 1047297elds to-
gether Irsquoll teach you to point Wersquoll show my uncle how a good
dog and a brave girl can hunt with the best of themrdquo Madge said
ldquoMaster Boleynrsquos a-wanting to groom the biggest pup for
the queen He knows how she fancies a smart cur You wonrsquot get
your way this time mistressrdquo said Ben He picked up the runt of
the litter a pitiful-looking setter with only a spot of white at the
tip of its tailldquoShall I drown this one Itrsquos only a bitchrdquo he said
ldquoDonrsquot you darerdquo said Madge
ldquoMaster Boleyn told me to get rid of the runt and spare only
the smartest healthiest ones He canrsquot afford to keep the whole
passelrdquo said Ben
ldquoGive me that little one then Irsquoll keep her saferdquo Madge said
She put the fat pup back into the pen and wrapped her handsaround the small black one The pup nuzzled against Madge
and licked her hands ldquoShe knows Irsquom saving her from a watery
grave Look at how grateful she isrdquo
ldquoTell you what Irsquoll let you keep her if you give me a kissrdquo
said Ben
ldquoYoursquoll let me keep her Ben Whipple kiss or nordquo Madge
stood up abruptly still clutching the puppy She smoothed herskirts with one hand while holding the dog against her chest
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 512
At the Mercy of the Queen 5
ldquoWhy wonrsquot you kiss me Madge You did once down by the
creek Let me againrdquo said Ben
ldquoIrsquoll never kiss the likes of you again Ben Whipple I am
cousin to the queen and must act according to my new station In
a few short weeks Queen Anne will be crowned and then you
wonrsquot dare speak so in my companyrdquo said Madge
ldquoPshaw Nan Bullenrsquos no better than a whore and everybody
knows it Catherinersquos the rightful queen and Old Harry canrsquot
change that Nan Bullenrsquos as common as these pupsrdquo said Ben
Madge pushed Ben out of her way still holding the black
pup She stomped across the barnyard Halfway she stopped
turned toward Ben her cheeks 1047298ushed and her red hair 1047298ying
every which way in the early morning breeze
ldquoYoursquoll live to regret those words My familyrsquos no longer
simple wool merchants Yoursquoll seemdashthe Shelton name is some-
thing these days and you Ben Whipple better watch your
tonguerdquo Madge turned again on one heel and headed for themain house where her nurse would have hot tea ready and maybe
a tasty bit of raisin cake
Margaret Louise Shelton Madge as she was known to the
servants and farmers on her unclersquos manor in Edenbridge Kent
was 1047297fteen years old and already a handful for her nurse Cate
Tall and thin with a smallish bosom a delicate waist and 1047298ar-
ing hips Madge was quickly becoming a beauty and she knewit Her green eyes were wide and expressive showing every nu-
ance of feeling a young woman could experience When angry
her eyes narrowed and actually darkened When happy her eyes
seemed lit from a secret sunshine within When sad her eyes
turned watery and red-rimmed much to her chagrin
Though she gave her nurse Cate a good deal of trouble
Madge was happy to have Cate with her for she was unused toliving with the Boleyn family especially now that Sir Thomasrsquos
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 612
6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
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At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
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At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
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12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
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One
A lready the grassy 1047297elds surrounding Hever Castle
were greening though Easter was several weeks
away The nearby forests had put out tender buds and
the barley 1047297elds sprouted fresh green shoots Though the gray
sky still shrouded the land one could feel a hint of warmth the
1047297rst indication that spring would come after all This along
with the birth of her favorite bitchrsquos puppies made Madge Shel-ton frisky that morning able to shake 1047297nally the feeling of
dread she had carried since her arrival in the south of England
Although she could not know it yet this was the last morning
of her old life the 1047297rst morning of the life shersquod hoped would
never come
ldquoThe fat one the one with a bit of red on his chestrdquo said
Madge leaning over the roughly made pen that housed ten set-ters her unclersquos newest stock of hunting dogs
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4 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoHersquos already been spoken for Master Boleyn left word that
the biggest and best pup was to be trained for the huntrdquo said
Ben Whipple the son of the yeoman who managed the Boleyn
farm
ldquoWersquoll see about that My birthdayrsquos coming soon and I
shall ask my uncle about the hound Irsquom likely to get him you
can be sure of that My uncle gives me whatever I fancy these
daysrdquo Madge said She held the pup to her bosom and stroked
behind his ears
ldquoYoursquoll be mine pretty boy And wersquoll roam the 1047297elds to-
gether Irsquoll teach you to point Wersquoll show my uncle how a good
dog and a brave girl can hunt with the best of themrdquo Madge said
ldquoMaster Boleynrsquos a-wanting to groom the biggest pup for
the queen He knows how she fancies a smart cur You wonrsquot get
your way this time mistressrdquo said Ben He picked up the runt of
the litter a pitiful-looking setter with only a spot of white at the
tip of its tailldquoShall I drown this one Itrsquos only a bitchrdquo he said
ldquoDonrsquot you darerdquo said Madge
ldquoMaster Boleyn told me to get rid of the runt and spare only
the smartest healthiest ones He canrsquot afford to keep the whole
passelrdquo said Ben
ldquoGive me that little one then Irsquoll keep her saferdquo Madge said
She put the fat pup back into the pen and wrapped her handsaround the small black one The pup nuzzled against Madge
and licked her hands ldquoShe knows Irsquom saving her from a watery
grave Look at how grateful she isrdquo
ldquoTell you what Irsquoll let you keep her if you give me a kissrdquo
said Ben
ldquoYoursquoll let me keep her Ben Whipple kiss or nordquo Madge
stood up abruptly still clutching the puppy She smoothed herskirts with one hand while holding the dog against her chest
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At the Mercy of the Queen 5
ldquoWhy wonrsquot you kiss me Madge You did once down by the
creek Let me againrdquo said Ben
ldquoIrsquoll never kiss the likes of you again Ben Whipple I am
cousin to the queen and must act according to my new station In
a few short weeks Queen Anne will be crowned and then you
wonrsquot dare speak so in my companyrdquo said Madge
ldquoPshaw Nan Bullenrsquos no better than a whore and everybody
knows it Catherinersquos the rightful queen and Old Harry canrsquot
change that Nan Bullenrsquos as common as these pupsrdquo said Ben
Madge pushed Ben out of her way still holding the black
pup She stomped across the barnyard Halfway she stopped
turned toward Ben her cheeks 1047298ushed and her red hair 1047298ying
every which way in the early morning breeze
ldquoYoursquoll live to regret those words My familyrsquos no longer
simple wool merchants Yoursquoll seemdashthe Shelton name is some-
thing these days and you Ben Whipple better watch your
tonguerdquo Madge turned again on one heel and headed for themain house where her nurse would have hot tea ready and maybe
a tasty bit of raisin cake
Margaret Louise Shelton Madge as she was known to the
servants and farmers on her unclersquos manor in Edenbridge Kent
was 1047297fteen years old and already a handful for her nurse Cate
Tall and thin with a smallish bosom a delicate waist and 1047298ar-
ing hips Madge was quickly becoming a beauty and she knewit Her green eyes were wide and expressive showing every nu-
ance of feeling a young woman could experience When angry
her eyes narrowed and actually darkened When happy her eyes
seemed lit from a secret sunshine within When sad her eyes
turned watery and red-rimmed much to her chagrin
Though she gave her nurse Cate a good deal of trouble
Madge was happy to have Cate with her for she was unused toliving with the Boleyn family especially now that Sir Thomasrsquos
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6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
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At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
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12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 412
4 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoHersquos already been spoken for Master Boleyn left word that
the biggest and best pup was to be trained for the huntrdquo said
Ben Whipple the son of the yeoman who managed the Boleyn
farm
ldquoWersquoll see about that My birthdayrsquos coming soon and I
shall ask my uncle about the hound Irsquom likely to get him you
can be sure of that My uncle gives me whatever I fancy these
daysrdquo Madge said She held the pup to her bosom and stroked
behind his ears
ldquoYoursquoll be mine pretty boy And wersquoll roam the 1047297elds to-
gether Irsquoll teach you to point Wersquoll show my uncle how a good
dog and a brave girl can hunt with the best of themrdquo Madge said
ldquoMaster Boleynrsquos a-wanting to groom the biggest pup for
the queen He knows how she fancies a smart cur You wonrsquot get
your way this time mistressrdquo said Ben He picked up the runt of
the litter a pitiful-looking setter with only a spot of white at the
tip of its tailldquoShall I drown this one Itrsquos only a bitchrdquo he said
ldquoDonrsquot you darerdquo said Madge
ldquoMaster Boleyn told me to get rid of the runt and spare only
the smartest healthiest ones He canrsquot afford to keep the whole
passelrdquo said Ben
ldquoGive me that little one then Irsquoll keep her saferdquo Madge said
She put the fat pup back into the pen and wrapped her handsaround the small black one The pup nuzzled against Madge
and licked her hands ldquoShe knows Irsquom saving her from a watery
grave Look at how grateful she isrdquo
ldquoTell you what Irsquoll let you keep her if you give me a kissrdquo
said Ben
ldquoYoursquoll let me keep her Ben Whipple kiss or nordquo Madge
stood up abruptly still clutching the puppy She smoothed herskirts with one hand while holding the dog against her chest
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 512
At the Mercy of the Queen 5
ldquoWhy wonrsquot you kiss me Madge You did once down by the
creek Let me againrdquo said Ben
ldquoIrsquoll never kiss the likes of you again Ben Whipple I am
cousin to the queen and must act according to my new station In
a few short weeks Queen Anne will be crowned and then you
wonrsquot dare speak so in my companyrdquo said Madge
ldquoPshaw Nan Bullenrsquos no better than a whore and everybody
knows it Catherinersquos the rightful queen and Old Harry canrsquot
change that Nan Bullenrsquos as common as these pupsrdquo said Ben
Madge pushed Ben out of her way still holding the black
pup She stomped across the barnyard Halfway she stopped
turned toward Ben her cheeks 1047298ushed and her red hair 1047298ying
every which way in the early morning breeze
ldquoYoursquoll live to regret those words My familyrsquos no longer
simple wool merchants Yoursquoll seemdashthe Shelton name is some-
thing these days and you Ben Whipple better watch your
tonguerdquo Madge turned again on one heel and headed for themain house where her nurse would have hot tea ready and maybe
a tasty bit of raisin cake
Margaret Louise Shelton Madge as she was known to the
servants and farmers on her unclersquos manor in Edenbridge Kent
was 1047297fteen years old and already a handful for her nurse Cate
Tall and thin with a smallish bosom a delicate waist and 1047298ar-
ing hips Madge was quickly becoming a beauty and she knewit Her green eyes were wide and expressive showing every nu-
ance of feeling a young woman could experience When angry
her eyes narrowed and actually darkened When happy her eyes
seemed lit from a secret sunshine within When sad her eyes
turned watery and red-rimmed much to her chagrin
Though she gave her nurse Cate a good deal of trouble
Madge was happy to have Cate with her for she was unused toliving with the Boleyn family especially now that Sir Thomasrsquos
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 612
6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 712
At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 812
8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 512
At the Mercy of the Queen 5
ldquoWhy wonrsquot you kiss me Madge You did once down by the
creek Let me againrdquo said Ben
ldquoIrsquoll never kiss the likes of you again Ben Whipple I am
cousin to the queen and must act according to my new station In
a few short weeks Queen Anne will be crowned and then you
wonrsquot dare speak so in my companyrdquo said Madge
ldquoPshaw Nan Bullenrsquos no better than a whore and everybody
knows it Catherinersquos the rightful queen and Old Harry canrsquot
change that Nan Bullenrsquos as common as these pupsrdquo said Ben
Madge pushed Ben out of her way still holding the black
pup She stomped across the barnyard Halfway she stopped
turned toward Ben her cheeks 1047298ushed and her red hair 1047298ying
every which way in the early morning breeze
ldquoYoursquoll live to regret those words My familyrsquos no longer
simple wool merchants Yoursquoll seemdashthe Shelton name is some-
thing these days and you Ben Whipple better watch your
tonguerdquo Madge turned again on one heel and headed for themain house where her nurse would have hot tea ready and maybe
a tasty bit of raisin cake
Margaret Louise Shelton Madge as she was known to the
servants and farmers on her unclersquos manor in Edenbridge Kent
was 1047297fteen years old and already a handful for her nurse Cate
Tall and thin with a smallish bosom a delicate waist and 1047298ar-
ing hips Madge was quickly becoming a beauty and she knewit Her green eyes were wide and expressive showing every nu-
ance of feeling a young woman could experience When angry
her eyes narrowed and actually darkened When happy her eyes
seemed lit from a secret sunshine within When sad her eyes
turned watery and red-rimmed much to her chagrin
Though she gave her nurse Cate a good deal of trouble
Madge was happy to have Cate with her for she was unused toliving with the Boleyn family especially now that Sir Thomasrsquos
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 612
6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 712
At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 812
8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 612
6 Anne Clinard Barnhill
daughter Anne was married to the king Unlike her own fam-
ily where she was the youngest of 1047297ve children and likely to 1047297nd
a partner in any devilment she could think up at Hever Castle
Madge was younger than the Boleyn children by 1047297fteen years
or more No one laughed at her jokes or her funny faces No one
wanted to act out the story of Punchinella and Madge couldnrsquot
1047297nd one person who would sing duets with her in the early eve-
nings after supper
Cate was all Madge had to remind her of Great Snoring
her home far away Madge longed for the 1047297elds of the family
lands in Norfolk where she spent summers cavorting with the
new lambs Catersquos presence wasnrsquot enough to make up for the
familiar life Madge longed for Besides Cate insisted Madge
practice her best behavior all the time She could never relax at
the Boleyn residence There was too much at stake for that
ldquoWhat have you dragged in this timerdquo Cate said when she
saw Madge carrying the pup into the elegant rooms they sharedldquoBen was going to drown herrdquo said Madge She sat on the
low stool near the 1047297replace and warmed her hands allowing the
pup to make a nest in her skirts
ldquoThatrsquos your good wool girl You donrsquot want to be smelling
of dog when you meet the king do yourdquo Cate grabbed the pup
and held it up for examination ldquoNothing but a runt Not even
interesting in its markingsrdquoldquoGive her back I donrsquot care what I smell like when I meet
the king Give me my dogrdquo said Madge
ldquoAnd what makes you think Sir Thomas will allow you to
keep this mutt Hersquos known for killing off whatrsquos weak and
smallrdquo said Cate handing the dog to Madge
ldquoIrsquoll keep her whatever way I can Irsquoll hide her in our rooms
and Sir Thomas wonrsquot 1047297nd herrdquo said Madge She gathered some
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 712
At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 812
8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 712
At the Mercy of the Queen 7
rushes from the 1047298oor into a small bunch and set the pup in the
center of the reeds near the 1047297re
ldquoIrsquom warning you my Maddie you mustnrsquot anger Sir Thomas
Hersquos grown powerful these last ten years and your familyrsquos for-
tunes ride on him And now theyrsquore riding on you toordquo said
Cate
ldquoI know good Cate I know I will try to please Sir Thomas
as best I can But I canrsquot live for his good pleasuremdashI have a life
of my ownrdquo Madge slipped her feet from the stiff leather boots
and stretched her toes toward the warmth of the 1047297re
ldquoA womanrsquos life is never her own Maddie girl We must
make our way as we can Your father sent you here to serve Sir
Thomas in whatever way he so desires Thus far Sir Thomas
has allowed you much freedom but that may pass You must
have it in your mind to obey Sir Thomas and serve the queenrdquo
Cate stood behind Madge and took the pins from her thick hair
Red curls snaked through Catersquos 1047297ngers The red was 1047298eckedwith gold and smelled of lemongrass Cate combed through the
locks and scratched gently at Madgersquos scalp The girlrsquos shoul-
ders dropped a bit
ldquoIrsquoll make Mother proud donrsquot worry So far Sir Thomas
hasnrsquot said two words to me If Irsquom lucky things will stay as they
are and I can go back home by All Saintsrsquo Dayrdquo Madge said as
she nudged the sleeping puppy with her big toe ldquoNow what shallwe call this black runt of a dogrdquo
ldquoBetter call it Nothing That way if Sir Thomas drowns
her yoursquoll have Nothing to miss and Nothing to cry aboutrdquo
said Cate
ldquoA cruel Cate you are No Irsquoll call her Shadow Shersquos black
and shersquoll have to hide away in shadows if shersquos to survive And
she follows me as if she were my very own shadowrdquo said Madge
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 812
8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 812
8 Anne Clinard Barnhill
ldquoShadow it is thenrdquo Cate twirled the rope of Madgersquos hair
into a bun and secured it with pins She covered the bun with a
plain white cap and sat on the stone 1047298oor next to Madge lean-
ing her head against Madgersquos knee
Both nurse and girl were almost asleep when a loud knock-
ing jerked each awake Madge looked at her nurse then at the
pup She scooped Shadow from the 1047298oor then hurried to place
the dog inside the chest that held her modest jewelsmdasha small
brooch her mother had given her covered with seed pearls a
painted comb for her hair a long chain of gold to wear on her
wedding day and a miniature of her father
ldquoWhy so long to answer Nurserdquo said Sir Thomas a tall
slender man with a reddish-gray beard and thinning hair of the
same color He wasnrsquot exactly smiling but he looked as pleas-
ant as Madge had ever seen him His features sharp and hawk-
like were usually pinched together as if he were in deep thought
or as if he had enemies to smite Seeing him storm along thewalkways in the beautiful gardens of Hever Castle made Madge
hide for cover She avoided him when at all possible curtsying
to him when they processed to church and at formal dinners
She kept her head down and never dared look him in the eye
She behaved exactly as her mother had taught her and so far
shersquod escaped his notice Or so shersquod thought
ldquoLetrsquos have a look at you niece Ah yes yoursquoll do nicely Apretty one eh Georgerdquo Sir Thomas strolled into the apart-
ments his son George trailing behind him George was hand-
some with golden hair and softer features than his fatherrsquos Both
men were dressed in rich-looking silks and Sir Thomas had a
red velvet cloak lined with ermine His undershirt was cloth-of-
gold and Madge had never seen anyone look quite so 1047297ne George
1047297fteen years Madgersquos senior was taller than his father and hiseyes seemed more kind
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 912
At the Mercy of the Queen 9
ldquoFather donrsquot speak of Madge as if she couldnrsquot hear you
Hello coz How do you 1047297nd life at Hever Hmmm no answer
eh Irsquoll talk enough for the both of us Has anyone taken time
to teach you the new games so popular at court Chess Cards
No Well coz I shall show you After all once the king and
queen arrive you must help us entertain themrdquo said George
his voice full of fun
Madge felt her cheeks burn as her cousin chucked her under
her chin She did not know what to make of him he seemed too
full of life to have come from the same stock as Sir Thomas
She kept her curtsy wondering if Sir Thomas would ever allow
her to rise Her legs trembled
ldquoEnough George Margaret I asked your father and mother
to allow you to come to Hever Castle for a reason As you
know your cousin Anne is now queen of England This posi-
tion has been a hard-fought one and will be hard enough for
her to hold even though she sits prettily now But there arethose who would upset her from the throne if they couldmdashthe
Seymours the Dudleys not to mention the Spanish ambassa-
dor Chapuys and the Catholics Anne is sitting on the head
of a pin and could easily be toppled It is up to us to keep her
in her position until she bears an heir Once a son is born
Anne and all of us will be saferdquo Sir Thomas stared down at
Madge never once allowing her to raise herself from the deepcurtsy shersquod taken in his honor Finally he raised her head so
that she was forced to look at him ldquoDo you understand my
girlrdquo
ldquoYes my lordrdquo Madge did not understand but she dared
not say so She knew better than to ask any questions Slowly
he raised her to a more comfortable position led her to a bench
and indicated for her to be seatedldquoYou will be going to court Margaret The king and queen
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1012
10 Anne Clinard Barnhill
will arrive at Hever later this week I donrsquot know how many
days they shall staymdashrdquo
ldquoGodrsquos blood I hope their stay will be shortrdquo said George
winking at Madge
ldquoHowever long Their Majesties stay is not your concern
young George What is your concern is to help your sister in
whatever way you can You must remember our future fortune
depends on Annerdquo Sir Thomasrsquos voice was cold and Madge
worried that he might strike George She shivered as Sir Thomas
turned back to her his small blue eyes full of anger
ldquoAfter Their Majesties return to court Margaret you shall
follow them forthwithrdquo Sir Thomas bowed and headed toward
the doors
ldquoTo court I I cannot possibly go to court I have no
proper clothes I cannot dance I lack the graces for court Sir
Thomas Irsquom a mere girl Imdashrdquo
ldquoEnough His majesty has assigned you to be one of thequeenrsquos ladies-in-waiting and to court you will gordquo Sir Thomas
thundered Then he turned to Cate ldquoNurse see that this girl
has the best dresses available Tell my wife the Lady Eliza-
beth to give you bolts of silk to supply you Margaret will need
at least 1047297ve gowns You and my wife will see to the construc-
tion of eachrdquo Sir Thomas said ldquoAs for your want of grace I
would suggest for your own sake that you begin to cultivatethose skills you lack George after we sup you will begin to
teach the girlrdquo Sir Thomas turned quickly and left them He
stopped in the doorway and stared at his son
ldquoAnd George no spoiling this one ehrdquo said Sir Thomas
ldquoOf course not Father Of course notrdquo said George
Sir Thomas gave his son a hard curious look and then
stomped down the hall his steps on the stone 1047298oor command-ing and steady as a clock
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1112
At the Mercy of the Queen 11
Madge George and Cate sat still as relics Suddenly a cry-
ing sound came from the chest next to the bed Madge began
to hum trying to cover the noise
ldquoWhatrsquos thatrdquo said George as he searched the room trying
to discover the source of the sound
ldquoWhat All I hear is my lovely Madgersquos voice Tell me
deary wherersquod you learn that dittyrdquo said Cate
ldquoWhatrsquos that you are hiding Nurse Aha A pup and one
from fatherrsquos newest litter Irsquoll warrant Whatrsquos it doing hererdquo
George grabbed the puppy before Madge could get her hands
on the little dog
ldquoShersquos mine Give her to merdquo Madge tried to take the puppy
from George
ldquoSo Mousy Madge has a tongue after all Good Good for
you coz Tell me whatrsquod you name herrdquo George gave the pup
over to Madge who carefully petted the dog and held her close
ldquoShadow Shersquos my Shadow and where I go shersquoll go toordquoMadge stared straight into Georgersquos eyes daring him to cross
her
ldquoThen Shadow will be going to court soon Best keep her
safe Madge Mouse And yourself toordquo said George ldquoCourt isnrsquot
for the faint of heart Yoursquore going so you better learn to mas-
ter yourself and your bettersrdquo
ldquoNo no no You must hold the string down more 1047297rmly Madge
Mouse See like thisrdquo said George placing his 1047297nger across the
neck of the lute and pressing the catgut until the tip of his 1047297n-
ger turned white
ldquoIrsquom trying I do not seem to have the strength for it Perhaps
we should explore another instrumentmdashthe virginalsrdquo saidMadge Two hours earlier when the lesson began she would
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully
832019 At the Mercy of the Queen A Novel of Anne Boleyn
httpslidepdfcomreaderfullat-the-mercy-of-the-queen-a-novel-of-anne-boleyn 1212
12 Anne Clinard Barnhill
never have spoken so boldly to the great George Boleyn But her
1047297ngers hurt her head ached and she wished to return to her
rooms
ldquoThe lute is the easiest to playmdashany dolt can learn it All
you must needs do is strum a little so you can sing The king
loves music and is quite accomplished as is my sister I play and
carry a tune rather well myselfmdasheven our sister Mary can do
such Surely you have some of the family abilityrdquo said George
ldquoEvidently I do notrdquo said Madge
ldquoDear Margaret forgive my impatience I am to prepare
you for court in a fortnight teach you those things my sisters
learned over years at the French court It is a quick study and I
fear I forget how many hours I spent teaching my own 1047297ngers
to press the proper string Let us put the lute away for tonight
and try again on the morrowrdquo said George
ldquoThank you cousin I am quite ready to retire But if you
would like I shall sing you a lullaby one my mother used tosing to us as we drifted off to sleep I do have a small gift with
a songrdquo said Madge
ldquoThat is encouraging Yes let me hear you Madge Mouserdquo
said George He picked up the lute and waited for Madge to
begin
ldquoRock-a-bye donrsquot you cry for we will go to see NannyUp
the hill by the mill to see the wee little lambierdquo Madge sangsoftly her voice breathy and tender
George motioned for her to repeat the song and he strummed
along with the lute The sound of the strings gave Madge more
con1047297dence and with Georgersquos encouragement she sang out
more forcefully