The Shadow of the Pomegranate (22 page)

Henry scowled when he read this. He was beginning to believe that he was a fool to put any trust in such a double-dealer. But it did not mean that he was not going forward with his plans for war.

Maria de Salinas came to the Queen’s side and whispered: ‘Caroz is without. He is in a sorry state. An attempt has been made on his life.’

Katharine, who had been sitting at her embroidery with two of her ladies, rose immediately and went with Maria into the adjoining ante-room.

‘Bring him to me here,’ she said.

Maria returned in a short time with Caroz. His fine satin doublet was torn, and there was blood on his arm.

‘Your Grace,’he panted, ‘I was set upon in the street. I was attacked, but by a stroke of good fortune my attacker slipped just as he was about to thrust home his sword. It caught my arm and I ran . . . I ran for my life.’

‘Bring me water and bandages,’ said Katharine to Maria. ‘I will bind up the wound. I have a special unguent which is a wonderful healer.’

As she spoke she cut the sleeve away from the wound and saw to her relief that it was not deep.

‘I am submitted to insults on all sides.’ Caroz was almost sobbing. ‘Everyone here blames me for the treaty His Highness has made with the King of France. They have determined to kill me. It is unsafe for me to go abroad in the streets.’

‘You are distraught, Don Luis,’ said Katharine. ‘Pray calm yourself. This may have been nothing but the action of a cutpurse.’

‘Nay, Your Grace. The people are infuriated with me. They blame me, although Your Grace well knows . . .’

Katharine said: ‘This may make you feel a little faint. Lie back and close your eyes.’

As she washed the wound and applied the unguent, she thought: Poor Don Luis. He is the scapegoat. I must do all in
my power to save him. I should not forgive myself if he, bearing the blame for my father’s action, should also suffer the death wound which would be his should these people lay their hands upon him.

She bound the wound and made Don Luis lie down, setting two of her pages to watch over him.

Then she went to the King’s apartment.

Henry frowned at her. He was still displeased with the Spaniards and he wished her to know that she was included in that displeasure. But she faced him boldly. She was certain that some of his friends had set an assassin to attack Don Luis, and she believed that Henry alone could save the ambassador from another attack. She felt sickened with humiliation because of her father’s conduct and, although she had no great regard for Don Luis, she was determined that his death should not be placed to her family’s account.

‘Henry,’ she said, ‘Don Luis has been attacked.’

Henry growled his indifference.

‘His murder would help us not at all.’

‘Us?’he demanded. ‘For whom do you work, Madam? Do you set yourself on the side of your father or your husband?’

Katharine drew herself to her full height and in that moment she looked magnificent, with her eyes flashing and the colour in her cheeks.

‘I have made my vows to love, cherish and honour my husband,’ she said distinctly. ‘
I
do not break my vows.’

Then Henry laughed exultantly. His Kate was a handsome woman. She was telling him clearly that she recognised her father’s duplicity and that she was ranging herself on her husband’s side against him. The woman adored him. That was easy to see.

‘Why, Kate,’he said, ‘I knew it well.’

She threw herself into his arms and clung to him.

‘Oh Henry, I am fearful that you should go to war.’

He stroked her hair gently. ‘No harm will come to me, Kate. I’ll give a good account of myself.’

‘Yet I shall fret if you are away.’

‘You are a good wife to me, Kate. But have no fear for me. I’ll go to France and I’ll come back . . . in triumph . . . and you shall share those triumphs with me.’

‘Come back safely . . . that is all I ask.’

‘Bah! You speak like a woman.’ But he was not displeased that she should.

It was then that she asked him to forbid further attacks on Caroz.

‘The man is a fool,’ she said, ‘but no knave. Rest assured that he signed the treaty on my father’s behalf in good faith.’

‘I’ll order it, Kate . . . since you ask me. Caroz can live on without fear of losing his life. And if your father does not recall him, he shall keep his position at Court.’ His eyes narrowed. ‘The man is a fool. But sometimes it is not a bad thing when those who are set to work against us are fools.’

Katharine did not answer. She had shown clearly that she would never completely trust her father again. Henry was satisfied.

And so the life of Caroz was saved.

The June sun shone on the walls of Dover Castle. From a window in the keep Katharine looked down on the fleet in the harbour, waiting to set sail. She knew most of the ships by name for she had taken the greatest interest in the preparations
for this war. There lay the
Peter Pomegranate
– named in deference to her, whose device of the pomegranate had become so well known at the Court. There was the
Anne of Greenwich
side by side with the
George of Falmouth
; there was the
Barbara
, the
Dragon
and the
Lion
.

It had been a magnificent cavalcade which had passed along the road to Dover. The people had come out to cheer their King, and when they had seen him, so richly clad, so handsome, they had declared he was more like a god than a man. He was preceded by his Yeoman of the Guard in the Tudor colours, green and white; and the knights in armour and the gaily caparisoned horses were a colourful sight.

But it was the King who stood out in that glittering assembly. He was not in armour, but dressed as Supreme Head of the Navy of which he was very proud. There were four hundred ships waiting to set sail from Dover harbour, and he himself had superintended a great deal of the preparation for the journey. Thomas Wolsey was with him; he had learned more and more the value of that man.

And there rode Henry in his vest of gold brocade, his breeches of cloth of gold and his hose of scarlet. About his neck on a thick gold chain hung a whistle – the biggest any of the spectators had ever seen – and this was set with jewels which flashed in the sunlight. He blew on the whistle from time to time to the delight of all those who heard it.

Of all the pageants in which he had played his joyful parts there was not one which had delighted him as did this new game of going to war.

Katharine rode with him, applauding, admiring; and the glances he threw her way were full of love and tenderness.

There was a reason for this. As though to crown his
happiness she had been able to give him, some few weeks before, the news which he had so wished to hear.

‘Henry,’ she had said, her eyes alight with happiness, ‘there can be no doubt that I am with child.’

Then he had embraced her and told her that there was only one regret in his life; that to make this holy war on France he must leave her.

‘You must take care of yourself, Kate,’he had said. ‘Remember in this fair body lies the heir of England.’

She had sworn to take the utmost care.

Then he had requested her to be present at the meeting of the Council, and there he had announced that since he must go away he must appoint a Regent to govern the land in his absence.

‘I have given this matter great thought. I have prayed for guidance, and I am leaving you the best and only possible Regent.’ There was the pause for dramatic effect; then the little eyes, shining with sentiment, were on Katharine.

‘Gentlemen of the Council, your Regent during my absence will be Her Grace the Queen.’

She had been overcome with joyful emotion, and she thought, as she did on all such occasions, If only my mother could be with me now!

So she was to be Regent during his absence. She was to have a Council to help her, should she need their help. The King had chosen the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Lovell, and the Earl of Surrey. The Earl had been allowed to return to Court for Henry was in a mellow mood. Many of his most able statesmen were accompanying him to France, and Surrey, who, in spite of his arrogance, was a man of experience, could be more useful at Court than skulking in the country, perhaps
planning mischief. So back to Court came the Earl – although Thomas Wolsey had discreetly tried to advise the King against the old man’s recall. Henry did not accept Wolsey’s advice, and Wolsey was too clever to press it.

So they had ridden into Dover, up the steep hill to the Castle, there to rest awhile until the expedition was ready to sail.

The King was now ready to embark. Beside him were the most courageous of his knights, men such as Brandon, Compton, Sir John Seymour, Sir Thomas Parr and Sir Thomas Boleyn. There was the indefatigable Thomas Wolsey, determined to keep a wary eye on food supplies and equipment, glancing with the faintest hint of triumph at the Earl of Surrey who was with those who remained behind.

There on Dover strand the King had decided a ceremony should take place. He wanted all his subjects to know in what affection he held his Queen; and when before them all he took her into his arms and kissed her loudly on both cheeks, a cheer went up, for the people never loved their King so much as when he, sparkling with the glitter of royalty, showed them that he was at heart an ordinary family man.

Then he took Katharine’s hand and addressed the assembly.

‘My subjects, my friends, you see me about to depart on a holy war. I grieve to leave my country but it is God’s will that I should cross the sea to bring back to you that of which the French have robbed us. On this fine day you can see the coast of France; my town of Calais lies across the sea and I am now about to set out for that town. From there I shall seek to win back my rights and your rights. But while I am engaged on this
duty I do not forget my people at home, so I leave you one who, I hope, is almost as dear to you as she is to me – my wife, your Queen. My friends, when I go aboard, when I set sail, Queen Katharine becomes the Governor of this Realm and Captain General of the forces for home defence.’

As he took Katharine’s hand and kissed it, another cheer went up.

He looked into her face and his eyes were glazed with tenderness and the pleasure he felt in scenes such as this.

‘Farewell, my Kate. I will return with rich conquests. Guard yourself well . . . and that other.’

‘I will, my King,’ she answered.

A last embrace, and to the fanfares of trumpets he went aboard.

Katharine stood, with those who were remaining behind, on Dover strand, watching the glittering fleet as it set sail for France.

She was praying for Henry’s safety, for divine guidance that she might carry out her duties in a manner worthy of the daughter of Isabella of Castile.

She determined to surprise the King with her ability to govern; she was going to show him that if at one time she had sought to win advantages for Spain, she no longer did so; for there was only one country which she now called her own; and that was England.

Yet the real reason for her exultation lay within her own body. The child! This child must come forth from her womb, strong and healthy; and when he did come he must not be allowed to die.