Tempted (40 page)

“Your Majesty, Lady Kennedy was telling the truth. The man below is most definitely not Ramsay Douglas.”

“Then who the devil is he?” demanded an impatient Henry.

“Er—he wouldn’t say, sire. He said his identity was for your ears alone, Your Majesty.”

“Can nothing in this whole damned realm be handled without my personal attention? Oh, go on—fetch him up. Just be sure he’s well shackled before you bring him into my presence.”

Henry fidgeted nervously with his beard as he awaited Surrey’s return. What damned plots were being hatched north of the border? Why the hell was Margaret so eager to save the man’s skin? Or had she been forced to write the letter? Henry glared fiercely at the man the guards brought in. His wrists were manacled behind him and chains stretched down to irons around his ankles “Who the devil are you?” Henry demanded.

The tall, dark young man stepped closer to the king and murmured low. Henry snickered and looked at the handsome young devil with new eyes. Then he threw back his head, and the laughter rumbled up from his barrel-chest. Spine of God, no wonder Margaret was so eager to get the
fellow back! “How the devil did you manage to get yourself arrested?” Henry demanded.

Heath replied, “A man in my delicate position has many jealous enemies.”

“Just so,” chuckled Henry. “Surrey, get these damned irons off the man. We are celebrating All Hallows today. You shall be a guest and join the festivities. Tonight we have the Gypsies to entertain us.”

Heath rubbed his wrists. “My humble thanks, Your Majesty, but I dare not dally longer. A lady of our mutual acquaintance, who must remain nameless, is in need of my services. Perhaps at some future date I may be of invaluable service to Your Majesty. My pledge on it,” he vowed, his head bent in servitude.

When Heath left, Henry gave a couple of orders. “Follow him, and while you’re at it I want Lady Kennedy’s servants watched closely—and that brother of hers I’ve never seen.”

Later, as Henry and his courtiers made their way to the archery butts, he thought, sly puss Margaret—but what the devil am I to tell the little redhead?

At the moment the little redhead was packing her clothes frantically. “I’ll wear the white gown tonight and my emeralds, but pack up everything else.”

“You’ll need a cloak. Autumn has finally arrived in England,” Ada said.

“Yes, I’ll wear the green velvet.”

“Good choice. Henry will think you are wearing his Tudor colors.”

“He can think what the devil he likes, but I’ll be damned if he finds me in this chamber tonight when he steps out of the secret panel. Get the luggage to the stables, and have the men rent rooms at an inn. Give them gold to pay.”

Their voices hushed immediately as they heard a rapping on the door. Ada opened it a crack to find a page with a message. “His Majesty the King commands Lady Kennedy attend him at the archery butts,” piped the boy.

“Thank you kindly,” Tina said, giving him a silver sixpence. “You may take me to him.”

The page was happy to oblige. Usually all he got when he delivered a message was a sweetmeat, sometimes only a cuff on the ear. As she followed him through the palace garden, past the bowling green and into the great park to where the archery butts had been set up, Tina was acknowledged by everyone at court. She received bows and nods from the men and curtsies from the women. She blushed furiously. They thought she was the king’s latest whore, and she experienced real shame

When they arrived at their destination, a contest was in full spate, complete with fast and furious wagering. Tina stood by like the rest of the onlookers, just another puppet on a string who applauded when the king hit a bull’s-eye and laughed when he attempted a witticism. She stood patiently for an hour while Henry shot his arrows, drinking a mug of ale between every shot. He remained undefeated, and after he’d received enough applause, praise, and outrageous compliments, he decided to notice her presence.

“Ah sweeting, come walk with me while I try to put your mind at ease.”

Tina curtsied low and saw his hot gaze linger on her breasts. After a full minute he raised her and retained her hand in his. “It was a case of mistaken identity all along How fortunate it was you came to me! No doubt you have seen the gentleman in question about my sister’s court?”

“Er—yes, Your Majesty. I believe he is a particular friend of Queen Margaret’s,” she improvised, picking up on his clue.

“Thanks to you, my lady, the gentleman is already on his way home to Scotland, which brings me to your Lord Douglas.”

Tina was faint with relief. “Yes, sire?” she murmured breathlessly.

“I haven’t the vaguest notion where the fellow could be,
but I’ll bet he never left Scotland. I’ll wager he isn’t within four hundred miles of Greenwich.”

I’ll wager he’s within four hundred yards, thought Tina, giddy with relief. She went up on tiptoe and kissed Henry joyfully.

He bent toward her intimately. “I shall find out for you where Douglas is, even if it takes all winter. Meanwhile, I shall keep you at my side, where I know you will be safe. Let’s stroll through the maze, sweeting. There is a bench at the center where we may be private from prying eyes.”

Tina stopped dead in her tracks. “Your Majesty,” she stammered, “I have an unholy fear of l-labyrinths and c-closed up spaces due to being l-locked in a wardrobe as a child.” She snatched her hand from his. “Just the thought of going in there with you has given me a flux of the bowels! Excuse me, sire.” Tina literally ran from the gardens and didn’t stop until she found Ada in the banqueting hall.

Tina realized she was hungry for the first time in weeks. As she helped herself to a trencher of beef and a pot of ale, she regaled Ada with the tale. “I didn’t lie,” she said between mouthfuls, “The king really does frighten the shit out of me!”

Suddenly Tina looked up into the eyes of a man who had been watching her. He averted his eyes so quickly, she knew he was following someone’s orders. “Don’t look now, Ada, but we have a watchdog. He’s between us and the door. Dear God, if the servants haven’t taken my things to the stables yet, they’ll never be able to sneak them out.”

Ada finished her ale and stood up. “We could leave separately. He can’t follow both of us at once.”

“No, Ada. Don’t leave me alone. We’ll go to my chamber. The king will be in the park for hours.” She hoped the man hadn’t followed her to the tower this morning to see her arrive with one man and leave with another. Nay, she would be under arrest by now if anyone knew she had committed such an act.

Tina prayed that Ram had not been followed. Then she
thought of Heath. They were not supposed to know each other, yet any moment he could be climbing in at her casement window while being followed by one of Tudor’s watchdogs. Her blood slowed in her veins. Spine of God, the king indeed intended to anchor her to his side. He must have sensed she was ready to bolt. Henry Tudor was insatiable—he would devour her.

Much to their relief the luggage was gone when they went to their rooms. “I’m going to bathe and change now rather than later,” Tina said decisively. “Don’t call for hot water. I’ll just use what’s in our water jugs.”

Ada emptied the jugs from both rooms into the slipper bath, and Tina sat down in two inches of tepid water. She was out again within five minutes, and Ada helped her into the lovely white gown Ram had bought her. As she fastened the emerald and diamond necklace with trembling fingers, she wished that Ramsay could see her in the beautiful things he had selected for her. Then an unendurable thought came to her:
He would see her!
She would be watching with the king while Ram masqueraded as a Gypsy!

Before Tina had time to voice her worries to Ada, a knock came upon the door. The king had sent the Countess of Surrey to fetch her to the lawn where they were about to play blind man’s bluff. Tina thought it a game for children until she watched the courtiers at Greenwich play their version. The game was purely and simply an excuse for the gentlemen to fondle the ladies
and touch the intimate parts of their bodies as they feigned ignorance of the identity of whom they had captured.

Whichever man was blindfolded was aided and abetted by the other men, who pushed, pulled, and shoved the ladies into hands waiting to feel them. Tina’s quick wits kept her out of the roaming, grasping hands of the men, but when it was the king’s turn to be blindfolded, she did not stand a chance. Thomas Seymour and Charles Brandon delivered her up to Henry, who managed to caress every part of her body as he guessed each woman’s name of the court save hers. She wished with all her heart she had not chosen the lovely white gown, for before he was finished with her, the King’s fingerprints falsely branded her as his property.

Tonight’s feast was to take place outdoors since it was the last time until next spring the climate would permit such an undertaking. Oxen, venison, lambs, and kids were turning on their spits above outdoor pits of blazing coals. Barrels of October ale, apple cider, and wine from Spain were rolled from the cellars to the courtyard, then stacked about the trestle tables that had been set up at the edge of the great park.

The bacchanalia was Henry’s idea to celebrate the bountiful harvest and was a great excuse for revelry and riotous drinking. The tables were decorated with huge cornucopias overflowing with fruit, and the dining area was encircled by golden sheaves of wheat cut from the fields that very morn.

To give the festival the atmosphere of a country fair, vendors had been allowed to set up their stands in the striped pavilions to hawk roast chestnuts, hot black peas, tripe and trotters, jellied eels, cockles, mussels and winkles, treacle toffee and spotted dick, a sticky jam pudding.

The Gypsies had set up their fortune-telling booths, and by late afternoon were already doing a brisk business. A Punch and Judy show entertained the gathering crowds
and Gypsy musicians strolled about, filling the air with their strange, stirring strains.

The citizens of London had gathered about Greenwich to watch the court indulge itself and marvel at the excess spread before their eyes. The river was filled with little boats and punts, and its banks were crowded with picnickers until the sun went down.

The ladies and gentlemen of the court were arrayed in their finest this evening. The men put the women in the shade with their costly clothes and jewels, and the evening was just cool enough for them to show off the latest fashion—a sleeveless, embroidered coat worn over the doublet and falling to the knee. It was a full garment that swung from the shoulders and added girth to every male figure.

Henry strolled through the park sampling all offerings of food and drink. Lady Valentina was his chosen companion for this celebration, and she forced herself to laugh and respond to his every witticism. Ada trailed after, carrying her lady’s green velvet cloak, and one of the king’s gentlemen performed a similar service for Henry.

Tina knew she was still being watched. She felt the tension rising until she wanted to scream. Even when he dined al fresco, the king insisted his table be raised higher than the others, and as a servant pulled out the ornately carved chair for her, Tina knew she was the center of attention, sitting high on the platform surrounded by dozens of lit torches to illuminate His Royal Highness.

As they were served one course after another, acrobats and rope dancers performed for their entertainment and the King’s gentlemen were instructed to throw coins. Next came a dancing bear. It kept one wild eye on the whip of its trainer and looked to Tina as if it were only performing until an opportunity for escape presented itself. She imagined she knew exactly how it felt and was sorry it was so tightly muzzled. She would have enjoyed seeing it maul someone.

Next came two Gypsy girls with troupes of performing
dogs. Their tricks vastly amused the audience of courtiers, but this time instead of throwing coins, the gentlemen threw morsels of meat and scraps from the table. It caused pandemonium. The Gypsy girls lost control of their animals Tricks were forgotten as the dogs snatched food from each other, snarling and biting and lashing their angry tails. The crowd was thoroughly amused as one or two serious dog fights broke out, and Henry and his gentlemen placed heavy wagers with each other on the outcome.

When enough food and drink had been consumed to feed half of England, the tables were pushed aside so the king could have an unimpeded view of the entertainment. The court roared its appreciation at the caperings of a fire-eater who chased the king’s dwarf about trying to set fire to his derrière. Whenever it did manage to catch on fire, the dwarf’s arse was so close to the ground, he simply rubbed his bum in the dirt to extinguish the flame.

Jugglers tossed about lit torches with dizzying speed. Live coals were spread on the ground, and a Gypsy man walked across unscathed, but got no volunteers from his audience to duplicate his act.

“These Gypsies are sly fellows,” Henry told Tina. “Every last one is a charlatan. There is a trick to every performance—the fellow doesn’t really put his feet into hot coals.”

Tina hung on every word, assuring him that he was the cleverest man on earth.

“Here comes a bareback rider. Now this takes skill,” informed Henry as a dozen white ponies cantered into the circle of tables.

Tina froze. The swarthy man who balanced on the back of the lead animal wore tight black hose with a scarlet kerchief tied about his neck. She couldn’t believe it. It was Ram Douglas! How in the name of heaven had he learned to do such reckless things? His lithe body seemed to glide effortlessly to the ground, then up onto a different animal’s back every time. He leaped from pony to pony as they
cantered beneath his agile feet, and Tina’s heart was in her throat lest he slip where he would surely be trampled beneath the painted hooves. Her attention was riveted upon him, and she saw that his dark eyes smoldered with anger as he saw her with the king.

Henry placed a possessive hand upon her knee when he saw her looking at the handsome Gypsy and said in a voice that carried, “I think the damned fellow envies me.”

Tina, afraid of both men at this moment, murmured, “All men envy the king, Your Majesty.”

“Come, sit on my lap. Let’s really give the insolent fellow something to covet.”

“Nay, Your Majesty,” Tina cried, shrinking back in alarm “Every eye is upon us.”

The king chuckled. “You are a shy little thing with a passion for privacy.” He bent close to whisper, “I should like to kidnap you and carry you off on my barge downriver to one of my other palaces, where we could be entirely alone.”

Tina glanced fearfully at the swarthy bareback rider as he jumped through flaming hoops. The look he returned was murderous. Henry’s attention, much to Tina’s relief, was transferred to the Gypsy dancers, who had just entered the circle. Every man present felt a stir of desire as the scantily clad Gypsy girls swirled rhythmically, going faster and faster, stamping their feet to show off slim brown legs as their red skirts flared from their tempting bodies. They had a wildness in their blood, and any male who watched the flashing white teeth and long black hair felt the wildness enter his own blood.

Henry’s hand was no longer content to paw her knees. It slipped higher and higher while at the same time he urged the small hand he held captive toward his own bulging sex. The Gypsy girls went around the perimeter of the tables, teasing the men with the beat of their tambourines, barely avoiding the outstretched hands groping to touch a thigh or a breast.

The music rose in a crescendo, then came to a dramatic halt as a bright red and black target wheel was placed down in front of the king. A hush fell over the crowd as Zara stepped forward like a human sacrifice. The king licked his lips as he watched the beautiful Gypsy girl have her wrists and ankles tied to the wheel in a spread-eagle position.

The crowd gasped as a swarthy Gypsy man stepped forward with a matched set of shiny silver knives. A cry escaped Tina’s lips. The man was Ram Douglas, and she knew exactly how dangerous and reckless he could be If he thought he could prevent war for Scotland and James Stewart by assassinating Henry Tudor, he was valiant enough to attempt it.

Henry’s eyes narrowed. “What is amiss? Do you know the man?”

“Nay, Your Highness,” she said, drawing her hand firmly from his loins. “I have cut my finger on one of your jewels.”

“Surely it was no more than a prick, sweeting,” he jested bawdily. The king leaned forward, keenly watching as the beautiful Gypsy girl began to spin on the wheel and her swarthy, brooding partner with the dangerous eyes took deadly aim.

Valentina had never been so tense in her life. Her emotions spun faster than Zara’s as she watched Ram throw the silver knives. She was breathlessly afraid that Zara would be killed or maimed. Yet overriding this fear was the dread that Ram would fling a knife into the King of England. The thing that really terrified her, however, was what Ram Douglas would do to her when he got his hands on her. He had watched Henry Tudor paw and caress her body, almost making public love to her.

If only this were a nightmare from which she would awaken! She had not yet confronted the mental horror of submitting to the king when he tired of these revels and the Gypsy music fired his blood to the point where he
would demand she leave with him. Tina closed her eyes, not daring to watch the spectacle before her that was exciting the crowd.

When the next-to-last knife was thrown and entered the target between the Gypsy girl’s wide-open legs, just touching her mons, the audience went wild. The knife handle looked exactly like a large phallus, and Zara writhed upon the wheel as if it had been plunged deep inside her. Henry gripped the arms of the carved chair with intense excitement. His erection had hardened to such a degree, he felt almost ready to spill.

The onlookers gave a collective sigh of sadness as the Gypsy girl pretended to die, and her head fell forward just in time for the last knife to enter the target where only seconds before her head had rested.

Henry’s eyes were glossy with desire, his mouth slack. As the crowd rose to its feet and cheered the performance, Tina leaned over to Henry and whispered Zara’s secret into his ear. He looked at her with disbelief.

“Would you like to meet the girl, Your Majesty?” asked Tina, holding her breath.

He nodded avidly and began to stroke himself. Tina stood up and went to the edge of the platform. She avoided the murderous eyes of Black Ram Douglas and beckoned to the Gypsy girl who strutted forward immediately.

“Your Majesty, may I present Zara?”

Henry took the girl’s hand, and Tina quietly faded back into the shadows.

Where is Ada? Dear God, let me escape! She slipped quickly past the pavilions and got all the way to the gardens of the palace before she realized she was being followed. Where could she go? The king had had her watched all day, so that it had been impossible to get away from him. The last place she had wanted to be tonight was in her bedchamber at Greenwich, for when the oak panel opened she would be trapped for the night with Henry Tudor. And
yet now that his watchdog was on her trail, she reasoned that perhaps if he followed her to her door, he would think she intended to rendezvous with the king and leave off following her for the night.

Like a vixen being run to earth, Tina fled through the garden and into the corridors of Greenwich, hoping Ada would somehow find her. She could still hear the stealthy footsteps approaching as she opened her chamber door and stepped into the darkness. She would wait for perhaps a quarter of an hour and then she would slip away from Greenwich, away from London, away from Henry Tudor forever.

Suddenly she was grabbed from behind. She was gagged and trussed, then something like a blanket was dropped over her head, and she was picked up and carried off. She could not kick, she could not scream. Everything was so black, she could not see, and even sounds came to her muffled and indistinct.

Tina was so afraid, she could not control her trembling, but she knew she must breathe slowly and not panic, or the terrifying sensation of suffocation would overwhelm her. She presumed she would be carried up the secret staircase to the king’s apartments, but she soon realized she was being carried much farther than that. When she was finally set down, she knew she was in a boat upon the river. There was no mistaking the roll of a deck or the muffled sounds of the water.

Some of Tina’s fear was replaced by anger. The king’s words came back to her with a rush. By kidnapping her and carrying her off to another palace, he was fulfilling some sort of sexual fantasy. He was so childish, she wanted to scream. Henry Tudor had to have his own way about everything, and there were scores of sycophants and toadies about him who would cater to his every sick whim.