Mistress to the Crown. Isolde Martyn

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      His fidelity was a matter of geography. I must accept that. And did Lady Katherine up at Ashby accept that? By Heaven, if his marriage vows could be bent, what rules did he play by? His loyalty to his king? Was that the only standard in his world? If King Edward said, ‘Give me that bread you are eating, that ring from your finger, that woman you are escrewing!’ Did he ever refuse? If his royal master wanted to sample Lady Cecily, his stepdaughter, what then?

      ‘Was she pleased, my lord?’

      He turned. ‘Your pardon, she?’

      ‘Your stepdaughter. Was she pleased by her future husband?’

      A sneer spoilt his face. ‘Yes, for now. That’s one hedge that won’t need jumping. His horns and the forked tail will only come out after they’re married.’ He took an angry swig of wine.

      ‘Who is he?’ I probed gently, seating myself on the footstool.

      ‘Queen’s eldest boy by her first marriage. Tom Grey, Marquis of Dorset. Cecily is a great heiress – vast estates in Devonshire. Fly in the web, poor child. If lightning strikes Tom Grey dead, there’s still his brother to snaffle her up.’

      ‘Can you not withhold your consent?’

      Hastings shook his head. ‘I might as well piss in the wind.’ He downed the wine and slammed the goblet on the small table. ‘And what is so ironic, sweetheart, is that before Ned married Elizabeth Grey – Baroness Ferrers of Groby, as she called herself – she and I had a neighbours’ agreement that if Kate and I had a daughter, Tom would marry her.’

      God’s mercy, before the poor mite was even born!

      I refilled his wine cup, flattered he felt free to speak his mind or was this a means to lull me back to trusting him?

      ‘So Grey was not considered for Lady Cecily back then?’ I asked.

      ‘Hell, no. A landless nobody, son of an attainted traitor? No, Cecily was far too wealthy for the likes of him. It was sheer charity on my part to have any dealings with “the Widow Grey”.’ He took a gulp of wine. ‘Of course, once Elizabeth became queen, she set her sights on Cecily’s inheritance.’

      ‘But you could delay the marriage, my lord. If Cecily is only fifteen, I beg of you, don’t let her go to him yet.’ I should not have spoken so but Hastings did not take offence.

      With a fond look, he reached out a hand and caressed my cheek. ‘You speak from the heart, do you not, sweetheart?’

      I nodded and felt the tears pricking behind my lashes at the kindness of the gesture. I kissed his palm. ‘My lord …’ I began but his mind had moved on.

      ‘So have you’ve begun rattling the bars of Holy Church yet for your divorce?’

      ‘Rattling, yes. I’ve made a start.’

      ‘I’m glad to hear it. These matters take a millennium. If you don’t start proceedings straight away, you’ll still be waiting at the Second Coming.’ Then he realised his improper choice of words.

      I pleated my lips trying not to giggle and then we both laughed. He rose to his feet and slid his arms about my thighs and drew me to him. ‘Let’s go and sup at Gerrard’s Hall. Time for another lesson, my beauteous scholar.’

      Such cunning I learned from the tryst that evening: the act of love does not have to be with the woman underneath; a woman may straddle a man and, what’s more, a man and woman may lie busy tip to tail.

      ‘It is about power as well as passion, Elizabeth, conquest and surrender. A game of subtlety and strategy until you bring the protagonist to their knees, so to speak.’ That disarming smile. He encouraged me to use my imagination and to play out one of my fantasies. I had thought that the reality would spoil it, but with Hastings, I was wrong.

      ‘Soon there will be nothing left to teach you, mercer’s daughter.’ He whacked my behind playfully as I lay on my front after we had sported, and kissed the hollow of my back. ‘And now I desire to ask a favour. Remember I told you one of my duties was to organise revels for the court.’

      ‘Yes, my lord. You were considering The Siege of Troy.’

      ‘Well, the damned siege ladders are going up the walls tomorrow after supper if I haven’t fallen on my sword by then.’

      Ah, if only he would give me a pass to witness such a spectacle. ‘I’m sure it will be a marvel, my lord.’

      He gave a humpf. ‘Not with the citadel unfinished and Helen of Troy breaking his ankle in the palace yard last night.’ His gaze swerved to meet mine. ‘I don’t suppose you’d like to take the part?’

      ‘Me? You’d be better with a duck from the Thames. The last time I was in a pageant I had lost my two front teeth and was warned not to smile or the Devil would carry me off. No, I lie. I did dance once before Queen Margaret. Goodness, you are serious.’

      ‘You can be a damnably acute mimic when it pleases you.’

      ‘Yes, but that’s just between us. Shore’s hair would stand on end if I said yes.’

      ‘I’m glad we would get a rise out of him somehow.’

      I clapped my hand to my lips. ‘That was unkind, my lord.’ I spluttered, battling my guilt anew and ignoring his beseeching expression. ‘Absolutely no. It would be like taking hemlock. Why, Shore and I could be struck off the guest list for next year’s mayor-making.’ I tried to keep a straight face but dissolved into laughter.

      ‘Worse than death, eh? But seriously, Elizabeth Lambard, you’ll enjoy yourself, I promise. It’s very simple. Prince Paris watches you dance, scoops you off to Troy and the rest of the time you are on the Troy battlements watching the duels until Menelaus, your husband, carries you back to Greece. Not much to it.’

      ‘If she’s “carried off” most of the time, I shouldn’t think the broken ankle matters.’ I turned away from him. ‘And it doesn’t have a happy ending if she has to go back to her husband.’ I cradled my body, wondering how long these snatched moments with Hastings could last. ‘I’m a real Helen and tonight I have to go back and there’s no happy ending.’

      ‘There will be if Catesby keeps your proctor’s nose to the grindstone.’ He kissed my shoulder. ‘Humour me, play Helen. You said you would like to see the court.’

      ‘See them, not hop around in front of them like a demented rabbit.’

      ‘You can dance, my dear. I saw you in the shop and it was most charming.’

      ‘I’m a mercer’s wife, my lord, not a handmaiden from the court of Solomon.’

      ‘Hmmm,’ he put a hand on my backside again and shook me playfully. ‘We could disguise you and it’s a very pretty costume. I took your advice and got rid of the breast cones. Except.’

      ‘No!’

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