Henry Percy paled and looked at his wife in fear. George and Jane looked at one another, nonplussed. Neither of them had anticipated this turn of events, not in their wildest dreams.

"I do appreciate the offer, Your Grace, but I love my husband and desire to remain married to him," Anne stammered, having finally found her voice.

"Does there not yet abide any love in your heart for me, then, dearest Anne?"

"I love you as any subject loves her sovereign, Your Grace."

Henry looked sulky. He hadn't expected this reaction from Anne at all.

"Do you mean to say that you prefer the life of a country peasant to that of a Queen?" Henry's voice was incredulous.

"I am happy with my life as it is now," Anne said calmly.

"Very well." Henry's face looked as if it had been carved from stone. Without another word he turned and rode back from whence he had come.

The following day brought another unexpected visitor in the form of Thomas Boleyn. George's face registered surprise at first, then anger.

"Greetings. I hope that all my beloved family are doing well," Thomas said cheerfully, as if nothing unusual at all had ever passed between them.

"How dare you approach me after what you tried to do to my wife?" George asked angrily.

"As I recall, you were the one who took the blow," Thomas reminded him.

"Yet you intended it for her," George said coldly.

"I sincerely apologize for all the pain I have caused you and your wife," Thomas told him. "I've come to tell you that I've had a change of heart and would love to welcome you and Anne and, of course, your spouses and children, back to the family. I realize now how wrong I was to have done what I did and humbly beg all of you to forgive me. I would also love to meet my two new grandchildren."

"The King came to visit you, didn't he?" George's voice was like ice.

"As a matter of fact, he did, but that has nothing to do with the purpose of my visit."

"He bribed you to do this, didn't he? How much did he offer you?"

"It wasn't like that at all, George. He humbly apologized for casting us aside and gave my earldom back to me. We're back in his favor again, George. That's cause for celebration."

George said nothing but glared at his father suspiciously.

"Please, son, can't we just let the past remain in the past?"

George felt conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he knew that he would have a very difficult time forgiving his father for trying to hurt Jane. On the other hand, he had never seen his father looking more sincere and remorseful than he did now. Perhaps he really had had a change of heart.

"Very well," George said, after giving the matter some thought. "I accept your apology, on the condition that you never again treat my wife in any way less than respectfully."

"On my honor, I never shall," Thomas promised.

King Henry visited again several weeks later.

"I have come to tell Anne that I respect her decision to remain married to Henry Percy and shall never mention the matter again," he told George, Jane, Henry Percy, and Anne. "I have also come to request that all four of you return to court. All of you shall have excellent positions, even better than the ones you had before. I miss your presence and the services you all once provided for me. It would mean many opportunities for your children as well, much more than would be available to them should they remain out here in the country."

"How do you feel about the prospect of returning to court?" George asked Jane later, when they were alone in their quarters. Georgie was asleep in his crib, and his parents were sitting on the bed cuddling. Jane's head lay on George's shoulder, and his arm was around her.

"I do have to admit that I miss some things, like the dances, the parties, the entertainment, and the companionship. Out here it just gets so...quiet sometimes."

"Do you think that a move back to court would make you happy?"

"If it would make you happy, George, then it would make me happy as well."

George chuckled. "I was just about to say the same thing." He hugged her tightly and kissed her hair.

"Of course, the main question is, what would be best for Georgie."

"I think Henry's right in that there would be better opportunities for him, a superior education and the opportunity to mingle with children from good families."

"Let's do it, then."

"Yes, let's."

After speaking with Henry and Anne and learning that the other couple had reached a similar conclusion, the four adults and their children began the journey back to Whitehall Palace.

Jane found that there were many new faces at court since the last time she had been there. Particularly troubling was the presence of Edward and Thomas Seymour. Upon seeing them, she greeted them pleasantly and was surprised and hurt when they rebuffed her. She mentioned it later to George when they were alone in their bedchambers.

"They are the brothers of the late Queen who gave her life to give the King his long-desired son," George told her. "As such they are, of course, in great favor with the King and quite certain to remain so. No doubt they are jealous, as they fear that our return to court will detract from their own power and influence. I'm afraid nothing can be done about the situation and it must simply be tolerated, at least for the time being."

"I'm beginning to wonder whether we did the right thing by coming back here after all," Jane sighed.

George put his arms around her and lovingly stroked her hair. "Everything's going to be all right, my love. Just be patient."

Little did they realize at the time that something was about to happen that would make being snubbed by the Seymour brothers seem paltry by comparison, very paltry indeed.