Nine Days a Queen: The Short Life and Reign of Lady Jane Grey by Ann Rinaldi Read Free Book Online Page A

and a tattletale, and I knew in my bones Sir Thomas would find out it was I. So would Elizabeth.
    How can doing the right th
    ing make someone feel so wrong? I wondered. And then I went to my tutor for my lessons.

    The morning sessions went on, but with a strange twist. Now Katharine joined in, going to Elizabeth's bedroom with her husband and making a great to-do out of getting her out of bed.
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    I stayed away, but I was told of it by a serving maid.
    "They do the most odd things. They chase her around the room, and she, princess that she is, just eludes them always, and jumps on the bed, skirts flying."
    So then, Katharine was partaking in the early morning romp so as to protect her husband. If there was any gossip outside the house, she could say she was there.

    How she must love him,
    I thought.

    I will never wed,
    I told myself, then knew that was impossible. I was a bargaining chip for my parents, mayhap even for Sir Thomas now that he had taken me under his care. All girls of royal blood were, princess or not. And you were lucky indeed, if you got yourself a patron such as Sir Thomas.

    And then, two days later, on a day of February thaw, when the sun seemed a blessing, nothing less, the unthinkable happened.
    Katharine caught Sir Thomas and Elizabeth in an embrace in the garden.
    I had seen them together there first, merely
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    strolling, although there seemed to be something intimate in their conversation. Sir Thomas had waved at me, and I at him. Then I went into the house, and there was Katharine looking out one of the large windows.
    "They are together, then," she said flatly to me.
    I could not deny it. I said yes. And she went outside. Oh, I wanted to stop her. There was a death knell in my bones, I wanted to stop her so! But I did not. Why did I not?
    I watched Katharine waddle down the steps of the garden. And waddle she did, for she was well advanced in her pregnancy. I turned from the window and picked up a book and tried to read, but to no avail.
    I picked up my flute and started to play. My back was to the door from which Katharine had exited. I was well into my song, practicing, when the door opened and Sir Thomas stormed in.
    "Well, I hope you're happy," he said.
    I stopped midnote and stared at him. His face was flushed. From the sun I hoped, but I knew better.
    "Sir?"
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    "Don't 'sir' me, Lady Jane Grey. You told her about my morning visits to Elizabeth, didn't you? Making something of innocent play."
    I did not answer. He had a violent side. Anger came quickly to him.
    "And now you ran into the house to tell her we were in the garden together. Is this how you repay me for my kindnesses?"
    Something in his tone caught at my heart. I put my flute down. "Sir, I never."
    Just then Katharine came in, huffing and puffing. Tears were coming down her face. "Thomas, don't blame the girl."
    "There is no blame to be put. Nothing happened. Except that she was spying for you." He turned to me. "Is that what you learned at court? To spy? You do it well."
    I could not abide this! I ran to him, threw my arms around him, and he held me. I buried my face in his leather doublet. He did not let go, but he said no more.
    Katharine spoke. "Thomas, I would speak with you in our chambers. Leave the child out of it. She is not spying." She wiped tears from her
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    face and, regally as she could in her condition, walked from the room.
    He followed.
    "Please," I said as he walked away from me. I held on to his hand with both of my own. "Please, Sir Thomas, I did not send her into the garden. I promise you that."
    He pulled his hand away and looked at me sadly. "Trust is so hard to come by, Jane," he said. "It was one of the reasons I adopted you. You trusted no one. Everybody could see that. I wanted to give you some sense of, of..." His voice trailed off and he sighed, shook his head, and walked from the room.
    How could he speak of trust, he who had failed Katharine so? Because he thought of it as innocent play?
    Oh, I