Cor Rotto: A novel of Catherine Carey by Adrienne Dillard Read Free Book Online

Katherine quietly.
    I yanked my muslin shift over my head. “I should ask you the same thing!” I shot back.
    Nan looked from Katherine to me, her eyebrow raised.
    “Oh, you know where she was,” Nan laughed. “She was with Culpeper.”
    Katherine buried her face in a pillow and made a little whimper.
    “See,” Nan said gesturing towards our bed.
    I padded across the floor. Sitting next to Katherine, I put my hand on her shoulder. “Where were you really, Katherine?”
    She raised her head, her hair cascading over her eyes. She raised her arm and brushed her golden curls from her face.
    “I was with the king.”
    The silence hung in the air. Suddenly, the focus was off me. Nan pounced on the bed like a panther on its prey.
    “What are you doing?” she demanded. “Why were you with the king? What about Queen Anne? We are all going to lose our place!”
    Katherine glared at Nan. “We are not going to lose our place. I have asked to have you as my ladies.”
    Nan and I exchanged a confused look.
    “Your ladies?” I asked
    Katherine sighed, exasperated by our questions. “Yes! My ladies. When I am queen, you will be my ladies. I have requested it, he has agreed, simple.”
    Nan sat up straight. “No, not simple. What is going to happen to Queen Anne?”
    “The king and the lord secretary are working on that. If Cromwell gets him his divorce, he will make him an earl. I am sure that is incentive enough. She was already pre-contracted to the Duke of Lorraine anyway. At least, that is what the king says.” She gestured towards me, “You know how this goes. If the king is unhappy, he finds a new bride.”
    “What about Master Culpeper?” I asked quietly.
    I saw the pain in Katherine’s eyes and I sympathised. The king had taken choice from both of us. The burden I had been carrying suddenly lifted when I realised that I would be married to a man that Richard said was kind and compassionate instead of an old, ill-tempered king. Another Katherine would bear the burden of my father now.
    “What can I do?” she moaned. “I must do as my king commands me. Uncle Norfolk is pleased beyond words. I could see the greedy look in his eyes when the king informed him of our impending marriage. The king made me come into the room with him to share the happy news when all I wanted to do was hide in shame. I love Queen Anne and I would never want to hurt her, but you know as well as I do that once the king decides he wants something he will do anything in his power to possess it. I cannot fight the inevitable.”
    I did know that side of the king well. He had possessed both my mother and my aunt, and now he was after my cousin. In a way I found it ironic that he was drawn to Howard women, especially because the first two had caused him so much trouble. Katherine was right. All she could do was bend to his will and hope that she satisfied him.
    For the moment, I was off the hook. Katherine’s revelations had shaken us all and my misbehaviour was forgotten. We quickly readied for bed and blew out the candles. Ursula, Dorothy and Mary would be back soon and we knew questions would be asked once they saw our emotional state.
    A week later, my mother and Stafford arrived at Court. I was out in the garden with Nan choosing posies for the queen when I saw them through the hedge. I picked up my skirts and ran as fast as I could, trying to avoid the puddles of mud. Mother swept me into her arms and for the first time in years I was enveloped in a scent that was not lavender. I stepped back and looked her over. She had become plumper. Her cheeks were rosy and she was smiling.
    “No more lavender?” I asked
    She gave a light laugh, “No, my dear Catherine. Being back at Rochford Hall has been the best sleeping draught I could have.”
    I lunged forward and wrapped my arms around her again. I took a deep breath, soaking in her happiness.
    “Ladies, if you will...”
    I pulled myself away and turned to see Stafford waiting for us, a