With her brothers away from court, things were much more peaceful for the queen. Jane had been furious with Thomas and had not even allowed him an audience before he was shipped back to Wolf Hall. She regretted accepting the request from Edward. He had been sharp with her, like always, when he demanded that she support her family and not forget who 'gave' her her crown. She had only glared at him and not responded to his threats. She had learned long ago not to fight Edward, it never ended well. He had left shortly afterward with Thomas in tow. Yes- this week was certainly going to be relaxing for her.
After her attack, Anne and Henry's daughter spent quite a bit more time together. Jane was pleased to see the two women finding common ground and did everything she could to promote the good feelings between them. They were both incredibly intelligent, beautiful young women and although they had several differences in opinion and theology, Jane was glad to see Mary moving past the hurt that had been dealt to her.
She had another great reason to be happy as well. According to her numbers, she had officially skipped her courses this month. She would wait until next month before she consulted a midwife and brought the news to Henry. She couldn't afford to make a mistake.
A knock at the door woke her from her thoughts and she watched as her usher stepped forward to present a messenger. Jane was curious as an unmarked, sealed letter was passed to her. She moved to her desk and sat, breaking the wax seal. The letter was short and unsigned.
"He knows and is making movements. The king will hear about it soon. Make sure he knows I am available and able to handle it."
Jane bit her lip and stood, walking over to the fireplace. She quickly threw the letter into the fire. Watching it curl in the flames, she thought (not for the first time) if she had made the right decision employing Cromwell to this mission. She knew it had to be done. Mary Talbot was singlehandedly keeping Northumberland from and heir while lying to her husband, a sweet man who's only mistake was allowing his family to dictate his match. Hal Percy and Anne were meant to be together. They had been forced to separate and married people that were just not right for them. She didn't doubt that Anne had loved the king. But their love had been too passionate and daring to be compatible with the crown. Henry had come to hate her sharp tongue and her jealousy, which was an integral part of who she was. Hal would never have hurt Anne the way the king had-Jane just knew it. If he could be faithful to that shrew of a wife, lord knows he would have cherished the woman he truly loved.
But did it have to be Cromwell? He had been a viper in regards to Anne while she was queen even though she had facilitated his rise at court. Was she tempting fate working with him this way? If things worked out for the both of them, Jane would see her friend happy and Cromwell would be back in the kings good graces. If Henry started giving Cromwell power, it was only a matter of time before he was handling everything in the kingdom again. If her marriage to the king soured, that might pit him against her. She knew how close Anne had been to losing her head and Henry had loved her fiercely...still did, to be honest. What would happen to Jane if Henry decided he wanted to be a bachelor again and had Cromwell working to achieve it for him? She knew Henry cared for her, but it was nowhere near the passion he felt for Anne-Jane had come to accept that fact.
Her only hope of keeping her marriage together and a crown on her head was, God willing, growing in her belly. It had to be healthy and it had to be a boy. Henry would not settle for anything less. And this was her last chance