FILLOS Elizabeth Tudor: Ancestry of Sorcery

Part 7

EPISODE 4

September 1542

Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

Kat was obsessed. The identity of the man with the message was making her mad. It was all she could talk about or think of. Excepting a few quiet comments about Robert's handsomeness, and what a fool I'd made of myself in response to his ridiculous compliments, she kept up a constant dialogue about the strange message she had received from Alice.

"I wonder if the veiled woman was someone whom I have wronged, and she is sending me some sort of curse."

I had stopped commenting on her absurd ideas and took to pretending to listen to her, while I thought of other things.

Robert.

I had never really noticed a boy before—well, not in the same way that I had noticed Robert, but I supposed that I had never met someone that appealed to me as much as he did. He had everything I considered beautiful in one face. Still, the only thing I knew about attraction was that it came before love, and all I knew of love was that it could come and go as easily as a head could be taken off.

Kat was in the middle of another theory when I cleared my throat and said, "Kat, I have an idea. Why not go to Hertford today and hunt the man down? It is but eight miles. We ride that distance easily when we take the horses out. Go, take Larken and Henry, the gardener's son. He will serve as an escort. I will have Blanche to look after me, so you can be away for two or three days and no one will miss you—least of all me." I smiled slyly at her. I would not miss her if this was all she talked of.

Kat looked absolutely uncertain.

"I will have Master Parry give you pocket money so that you can eat well and a letter so that you can stay in the castle. Come now, Kat, you know that I will not hear the end of it until you find out."

Finally, she acquiesced. "I will discuss it with Master Parry, if you are certain."

It was decided she would leave before the midday meal and be home before that same meal day after next. When she finished dressing me, and we had our breakfast, it was study time. I preferred to do this outside on nice days. However, when Kat and I came out of my rooms, Robert was leaning against the rather ornate tapestry of a hunting expedition that faced my doors. He wore casual white linen and held a fishing pole in the crook of his arm.

"Would the ladies like to go fishing this morning?" he asked cheerfully.

I looked at Kat, assessing her mood while I spoke. "I have studies to attend to, Robert." I knew it was rude to not look at him as I spoke, but I did not want to chance making a fool of myself again. When I peeked quickly at him, he looked disappointed, so I sighed and stared down the hall. "Come on, then," I said to both as I swept past them. My mind continued working up a scheme as we walked. "Robert, you could join us for studies this morning. We will only work until ten o'clock, and then Kat must get ready for a little trip she is taking." At this, I turned to look at her. She was glancing sideways at Robert with a look of uncertainty on her face. I continued in a hurry. "Blanche is busy with plans for my birthday dinner, but she will be in the kitchen most of the morning. The lake is visible from there, so yes, Robert, after studies I will go down to the lake with you for a little fishing expedition."

I smiled, as he laughed and said, "Fantastic!"