Jane looked at the woman in front of her curiously. She pitied Henry Percy. Anne Boleyn was a vibrant, beautiful, kind woman. To have to settle for brittle Mary Talbot must have been hard for him. Mary was dressed ornately, yet gaudily. The woman was obviously dressed in her best and seemed overawed by having an audience with the queen. Jane herself was wearing a rather simple gown, with some light jewels. It was a little awkward to be dressed so simply when the woman across from her was done up in such finery. Lady Mary seemed oblivious to the tension though as she sunk into an insanely deep curtsy. Jane quickly rose the woman and invited her to come sit in her presence chambers.
"I hear you are to be headed back home on the morrow" Jane started, motioning for one of her ladies poured some tea for the women.
"Yes, Your Majesty" the smile slipped slightly from the woman's face, but she soon corrected it. "I will be missing the liveliness of court. My husbands home is quite the opposite." Jane did not miss the sneer when mentioning the duke. She decided to press and see what she could find out about the couple.
"I'm sure Master Percy does what he can to entertain you. It can't be so cold with a man like him around" The smiles and nods of her ladies confirmed that any of them would gladly switch places with the duchess. The only woman who seemed unaffected was the man's wife.
Mary Talbot practically rolled her eyes. "I'm sure" she clipped sarcastically."I'm just glad when he finally brought be to court from that frozen wasteland it was after the false queen was removed." her words brought subtle gasps from her ladies and Jane made an almost imperceptible movement to send them to the other side of the room. Mary seemed to not even notice as she continued her rambling. "I mean...it would have been so hard to have to come to court and pay respects to that woman. Thank God I can instead meet Your Majesty."
Jane had to bite her tongue to not berate this woman for talking that way about Anne. She took a deep breath, reminding herself that there were plenty of people in the country that thought similarly. She couldn't change all their minds. But perhaps she could change Mary's.
"His Majesty's marriage to the Marquess of Pembroke was a true and lawful marriage. Their daughter is the king's heir-"
"A bastard in all but name. The Boleyn whore married my husband before she ever met the king. All of her children, whether they lived or died, were bastards." Jane looked on in horror, her mouth open in shock as the duchess spoke heatedly. "That's why I've made sure his seed never stuck with me. If I allowed him to plant a child it would surely be as cursed as that witches children."
"That is enough, Mistress Percy!" Jane stood in anger and looked down her. Mary Talbot looked up at her fearfully, only just realizing that her words had not been welcomed. "Anne Boleyn is twice the woman you are! How dare you wish that hate upon her innocent children?! You will leave my sight at once and you will not return. Go back to the home you call a wasteland. I pity your husband who has to put up with such an obstinate, hateful woman as a wife. If you had any sense you would leave now without another word!" Jane had never once raised her voice like this to a stranger. Hell, she didn't think she had ever spoken to someone like this in her life. Her ladies had stopped all they were busying themselves with and watched as Jane unleashed her fury on the lady. This was clearly the first time they had ever seen her react this way.
She whirled away from the panic stricken woman and slammed the door of her privy chamber. She heard as her ladies ushered out Mary Talbot all while the woman loudly protested her wrong doing. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. She couldn't believe how she had lost control like that. But it had felt so good. Jane had always been soft spoken and agreeable-even as a child. She had always just bitten her tongue whenever anyone upset her. But listening to Mary's words had infuriate her beyond belief. She greatly pitied Henry Percy to have to live with that harpy. The words she had said about Anne had been cruel. That woman had no idea what she was talking about.
Thank God the Percys would be leaving court tomorrow. Jane never wanted to see that woman's face again. She was only sorry that Henry would also be gone.