I felt terrible about that whole night. Not because of the whispers as such (I'd been subject to those for so long, they were hardly of any real consequence to me), but for my concern had they reached Catherine's ears. Or, more worryingly, Henry's. It wouldn't look good for me if he learnt I had fallen for the Queen.

Afraid to acknowledge the night's events with her, I tried to avoid the subject completely. But we both knew she had to address it at some point.

'Henry, like all Kings, never ceased taking women to his bed throughout our marriage.' She reminded me. 'Not that a Queen is ever given the same freedom, but he knows better than to question my loyalty.'

I remained silent, afraid to say anything at this point. I was worried if I allowed myself to speak, I would say far too much.

'He could never hope to be one of the few people in this world who knows me completely. Unguarded. He hasn't, not for quite some time now.' She took my hand.

'Those people are rare and precious to me. I won't let anything come in the way of that. We don't have to discuss the reasons Lord Valentine rescinded his offer for marriage. Whispers…. they vanish, like the night air.'

That was her way of saying I was safe. She would keep me safe.

If Catherine had ever suspected my feelings before, she hadn't let on. But I had to be careful. The rumours were potentially dangerous and would call into question my position as her Lady, which could in turn cast suspicion on her. I wasn't about to risk that, so I tasked myself with simply focusing on my duties. I'd never had any problems in that area before, I wasn't about to let us down now.

Although this was not always as easy as one might expect.

Our best option was to continue as normal.

In need of some fresh air and a change for a more relaxed setting to clear our heads, we decided to take the horses for a ride. The break was both pleasant and necessary.

We followed a path that led down through a small stream. As we crossed, something must have spooked Catherine's horse and it went wild. With her being a less experienced rider, I intervened, trying to calm him, but inevitably she was thrown off into the stream and he bolted. Fortunately, the water reduced her risk of any serious injuries, but the water was absolutely freezing!

Spurred by my fierce determination to protect her, I was able to pull her from the water and onto my own horse. Never had I been more grateful for my skills at riding. Wrapping my cloak and arms around her, I gripped the reins and rode us back to the castle with as much speed as was safe.

We arrived back at the castle where she was quickly taken from my arms as we rushed to her chambers. I instructed the servants to fetch blankets and prepare her a hot bath. I was helping her to remove the wet clothing which clung to her body, including my cloak which was soaked through. Wrapping the blankets around her, I moved us close to the fire, cuddling her with its warmth. Desperate to ease her chills.

'So. Cold.' She shivered.

'You'll be alright, Catherine.' I rubbed her body with my arms. 'I promise you.'

We sat there awhile, her body slowly relaxed into mine. It could have been such an intimate moment, if only I wasn't so concerned about the possibility of hypothermia setting-in. I was relieved to see the colour returning to her cheeks.

'You're looking better.' I noted. 'That's good. The servants should return any moment with the bath. It'll be much easier to assist you into it if you can actually move.'

Once she was safely in the bath, I dismissed the servants. I refused to leave without being certain she'd returned to full health, I would attend to anything she needed.

'I appreciate your help, Charity, but you don't have to stay.'

'I know. Except I do. I can't leave until I'm sure you're recovered.'

Catherine smiled.

'And we were having such a pleasant time. I'm sorry it was cut short like that.'

'Don't be, it was hardly your fault. Besides, you suffered enough.'

'You did too. Your efforts to get me back here…. you might have saved my life, you know.'

'I would do whatever was necessary to save your life.'

There was absolute truth in that. She could have died before we'd even reached the castle, a thought I hadn't allowed myself to settle in my mind. Now that it did, it chilled me.

If she was surprised by my words at all, she didn't show it. She took my hand, clasping it firmly in hers. Without thinking, I leant down and kissed it.

She looked at our hands briefly, then spoke.

'And I would save yours.' and kissed mine.

We looked at each other, something deep passed between us. Neither one of us dared to express it, but it was there. Something was happening.

Meanwhile, for the most part, we all seemed to be moving-on with our lives, while remaining civil to one another. This was at the King's insistence, though I suspect his interest was little to do with the details of that debacle. More likely it had tested the limits of his patience for the "childish drama" it had caused at his court.

Not that it took Lord Valentine much time to find a new potential bride, mind. One who, while not a Queen's Lady, came with equally substantial wealth. They seemed a better fit and happier certainly than I likely could have made him. I wished them well but kept my distance. While there was no animosity between us, we remained not quite on friendly terms either.

After all, this was French court and, as such, you could seldom fully trust anyone. So we should have known better than to be lulled into a false sense of security.

To be continued...