The Manner of Amy's Death (16 page)

       The follo
wing day Amy tells me that they are travelling to see Henry Dudley’s widow, Margaret Audley, at her home Christchurch in London. Queen Mary was, by all accounts, shocked to hear of young Henry’s death and, in gratitude for the loyalty that the family’s shown to Prince Philip, has forgiven the two remaining Dudley brothers, Ambrose and Robert.  This means that the attainder which was placed on the whole family after the Lady Jane Grey affair has now been lifted and they can all have back the family property that was confiscated.  Once again the Queen has shown herself to be a strange mixture of compassion to her one time enemies and vindictiveness to heretics who are still being burned in even larger numbers.

      “Once we have inherited our property
,” says Amy, “We will be free to choose a manor of our own in Norfolk.  Just imagine it, Kat!  A beautiful house of our own, fruit trees, a little garden and a deer park - plenty of hunting land for Robert.”

       “H
as Robert agreed to this?”  I’m astonished.

       “Yes – he says he’
ll no longer have to fight wars for others to make a living and never wants to see another battlefield.  Henry’s widow has offered him the use of Christchurch in London because she can’t bear to be there – it has too many memories of Henry.  So Robert can have it and he’ll sometimes go there when he wants to be alone to resume his studies of mathematics or we’ll both go there when we need to be at court.  But most of the time we’ll live as Lord and Lady of the manor here in Norfolk.”

      
I could never have imagined Robert Dudley settling down as Lord of the Manor in some sleepy part of Norfolk but I expect that the war has made him see life in a different light.  After all, Amy tells me, at St Quentin he saw Henry blown to pieces by a cannonball while the two of them stood side by side.

January 1558

Amy and Robert return
ed to Throcking before Christmas 1557 and now intend to start their search for a manor in the spring.  For perhaps the first time since their marriage almost eight years ago they seem happy and contented.  The winter weather is cold and Christmas has been observed as a religious festival but with none of the traditional celebrations as we’re all still in mourning for Henry.  Other than the traditional feast for the benefit of the servants it’s a quiet time.

       With the harsh snowfalls of January
painting the landscape white, Robert uses what little daylight there is sitting by the window and reading while Amy sews.  They’re expecting Robert Blount to ride from London with news of business transactions to be made, letters to be signed and accounts to be scrutinised but the deep snow has all but cut us off from any form of communication.  Still our small family here at this mansion of Mr Hyde’s is self sufficient. Many of the animals were slaughtered before Christmas and, as the nights became colder and the ponds froze over, the meat was preserved in pits of ice hewn from the ponds.  Now we only have to feed the animals intended for breeding next spring and the three cows still producing a little milk.  In the buttery there’s plenty of cheese, ale, preserves, meat pickled in spices and jellies while in the grain store, guarded from the mice by a family of cats, there’s wheat and rye for bread, dried peas and beans.  We will not starve.

       By mid February the days are longer and a short spell of good weather allows the outside world to reach us again.  Mr Blount, ever the faithful servant to Lord Robert, battles through the mud and melting snow to reach us and brings astonishing news from the court
.

       Just af
ter Christmas the Queen had convinced herself once again that she was expecting to give birth to a child although Prince Philip left her for Flanders five months ago and has not returned since. Mary’s certain that during his stay in England, a stay of just three months, she had conceived an heir to the throne and was again begging him to return to court.  But Philip mistrusted her assessment of the situation even though it was widely reported that, during his summer stay in England, they were enjoying a second honeymoon!  And now he must be remembering with some embarrassment the previous debacle of Mary’s “confinement” and refuses to return.

       Robert gives a faint smile.  “He had many mistresses in
Flanders,” he says.  “I think Philip’s enjoying his freedom too much.”  Amy gives him a sharp and quizzical look.  If Philip had mistresses, what about those around him?

       “Anyway,” continues Blount, “Th
e Queen is still adamant that she’s with child though the word at court is that her swollen belly is a sign of something far worse, a much more serious illness.  It’s rumoured that,” - Blount looks around to check there are no servants around - “she may well die before the year is out.”  To talk of the Queen’s death is treason and we’re all shocked.  Blount leans back in his chair and smiles.

       “W
hatever,” he continues, “There’s even worse to tell.  Calais has fallen to the French.”

       “What!
  Calais?”

       “I
’m afraid it’s quite true.  The French attacked the garrison there while everyone was still celebrating at the beginning of January.  They took our men by surprise and the town fell after a short struggle.”

       “But we’
ve held Calais for two hundred years.  It was the last of our possessions in France.  Why did the Spanish not come to our assistance?” says Mr Hyde.

       “Obviously,” says Blount, “They did not believe they had
anything to gain now that they’ve made their peace with the French king.  So now we have no English possessions in France at all.”

       “After all our sacrifices on their behalf,” Robert muses sadly,
obviously remembering how Henry died helping Philip and the Spaniards.

       “The people in
London are blaming the Queen and her Spanish blood for getting us into this plight.  They’re hungry too.  After all the bad summer weather last year and this harsh winter, food is in short supply and people in the countryside are starving.  Mary’s spent all the money in the coffers on Prince Philip’s wars and this, together with the persistent burnings of poor folk, is making her a figure of hate.  Many will be glad to see her dead.  They think that England’s sorry state is a result of everything she’s done and that she’s angered God himself.  They want an English queen with English blood in her veins.”

       “
Elizabeth,” says Amy flatly.  Blount nods.

       “And what about her mother, the whore Anne Boleyn?  I thought many
declare Elizabeth to be a bastard.”  Amy’s feelings against the princess rise to the surface again.

       “My lady wife!  Hold your tongue!  Think what you are saying and be grateful that you are among friends.  Really, Amy, I sometimes doubt your judgement – you are such a foolish, gossiping, empty headed girl.”

       Amy blushes bright red at his rebuke and says nothing more.

       “We have to think carefully what our next move will be,” says Robert to Blount, “So plea
se repeat nothing of what you’ve heard here.”  He glares at Amy.  “Return to the city and let me know immediately if the Queen’s health takes a further turn for the worse.  We will stay here and do what we can to further our family’s fortunes away from the court.”

       Blount nods.  He knows what Robert means and so does Amy. 
Elizabeth’s residence at Hatfield is only ten miles ride away.

       But Robert and Amy do return to the city in the spring, staying at
Christchurch and signing a legal document to raise money.  The manor at Hales Owen is finally sold to Mr Forster.

       “The money is so that we can find a manor in
Norfolk,” says Amy confidently.  “Robert wants a huge deer park so that he can spend pleasant days out hunting.”

       I nod in agreement but my own assessment of the situation is rather different.  Robert wants the money to provide
Elizabeth with the wages for a small army of servants willing to fight on her behalf when the time comes.  Lady Elizabeth, the Queen in waiting, is increasing her influence and power.

A New Queen

We spend
the summer of 1558 at Throcking and, most surprisingly, Robert and Amy are indeed looking at properties in Norfolk.  Today they’re talking to Mr Flowerdew about the estate Amy inherited from her father and about a manor at Flincham which is close to Syderstone and has a manor house that is at least inhabitable!

       Amy stands over Robert as he sits at the table and roles out the plans and drawings of Mr Flowerdew’s survey.  She can scarcely conceal
her excitement.  Robert, who’s not been well over the summer, is still convalescing and is unable to visit Flincham for himself just yet and Amy’s loved having him at home and all to herself.  Their deliberations are interrupted by the sound of horses being ridden hard up to the driveway to Throcking manor.

       Amy runs to the window.  “It’s Blount,” she says, “And Verney’s with
him.”  She frowns.  She doesn’t like Richard Verney, another of Robert’s drinking and gambling companions.  “What do they want?”

       We soon find out
.  Apparently the Queen has taken a turn for the worse, and suffers a high fever with sneezing and a racking cough.  “She won’t survive this,” says Verney with a note of satisfaction.

       “Sorry, my love, I have to leave,” says Robert to Amy’s incredulous look. 

       “You can’t leave yet.  You’ve not been well yourself.  My Lord please do not risk your own health. Richard and Thomas will keep you informed – won’t you?”  she says, turning to appeal to them.  They say nothing and Verney smiles that insolent smile that says, ‘You are not in charge here, my lady; your wishes mean nothing to us.’  Mr Hyde has just entered the chamber.

       “Mr Hyde,” says Amy desperately, “Please advise my Lord Robert against riding out
.  He wishes to travel to London to ascertain the state of the Queen’s health at the risk to his own.”

       But Mr Hyde ma
kes no comment either.  Robert’s already leaving, calling back to Amy, “My Lady Amy, you must not interfere.  These are matters of which you know nothing.  You must leave me to be the judge of this.”

       Amy sin
ks into the chair that Robert’s just vacated and Mr Flowerdew rolls up the plans.

       “I’ll leave these with you, my Lady.  Mr Hyde will take good care of them and maybe we can resume our discussions upon Lord Robert’s return.”  He takes his leave talking to Mr Hyde about trivial matters, the price of wool, the harvest, the state of the countryside – all irrelevant in Amy’s view – and w
e two are left alone.

       “Robert didn’t even say where he was going,” wails Amy.  “I expect it’s to
Christchurch so he can be close to the Queen.”  I don’t say anything but I am certain that, from now on, Robert will be setting his sights on Mary’s successor.

       Summer turns into a
utumn and, to Amy’s surprise, Robert is back again at Mr Hyde’s house even though he now makes frequent trips to unspecified destinations.  Mary had seemed to be recovering from her illness but has again relapsed, this time with her old complaint, and it seems that the Queen, broken hearted by Philip’s apparent disinterest and lack of affection for her, has accepted the fact that she’s dying.  The level of activity at Throcking intensifies whether Robert is here or not and there are frequent visitors we have never seen before.  We take to eaves dropping to gain more information.

       It seems that the Queen has not yet named her successor and
Elizabeth has moved from Hatfield, two miles to the north, to the fortified residence at Brocket Hall, ready to defend her claim to the throne.  She’s preparing for a fight.  As October turns into November the roads to Hatfield become busier and busier with people flocking to show their allegiance to the woman they believe will be the next queen.  Elizabeth has been well prepared for this moment, it seems, and has many gentlemen retainers prepared to help her defend her claim, not even counting those who are happy to serve her without financial reward but in anticipation of her recognition and favour in years to come.  And both Amy and I know that Robert is prominent among this group.  Elizabeth will be relishing every moment.

       “I know Robe
rt will send for me soon so we can both be at court together when the new queen accedes to the throne,” says Amy.  “He’ll always want me by his side.  Things have changed now.  He’s still ambitious, yes, but now I’m part of his ambition.  After the disastrous events in Flanders he saw the benefit of a settled family life and now he wants us to be together all the time – well, nearly all the time.  He’ll have to spend time at court, of course, and I may not always be with him but he’ll always come back to me, as he does now.”

      
Amy’s comments lack conviction and Robert’s visits to Throcking become less and less frequent, to my great concern.  When he does come, it’s usually for some urgent meeting and not to see his wife.  Then he’s away again.  It seems to me just like a return to the old days when the Dudley family’s ambition was limitless.

       The matter’
s settled in November when Robert comes once more to Mr Hyde’s house for a fleeting visit.