The Sixteenth day of February, the Year of our King 1569
Though I had not mentioned this, from the very day that the St Valentine's Holidays had ended, we Ladies had been dashing to and fro the castle, aiding the Queen or attending our lessons. Pretty normal days at the Windsor Castle, considering what happened just now in the ball. But since the day Countess Goldmine (I call her this in my head for she wears so much costly things just to show off how rich she is) arrived to this precious palace, things are very uneasy. Around every corner are people whispering and gossiping. The only good thing about her surprising entrance is that the Queen is now distracted from me and my suitors. Come to think of it, I had not seen many of them around, not even jolly ol' Sir Nicholas. Only Her Highness seems comfortable enough to arrange a bouquet to welcome Countess Goldmine, though the reproachful glances say otherwise. O Ethan, Ethan! O, where fore art thy Ethan? (I have been diving under my quilt with William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet every night these days). But no worries, for guess what was on my bedside table but a letter! His writing seemed a little blotchy, like he had written in a hurry. This surprised me in two ways; first, how could he get in to my chamber? Secondly, I have seen Ethan's writing before, and I suspect this has not the same elegance and flow to it. What made him and his family flee so? The Goldmine, or was it something else?
I fear the Queen is sending Mrs Cobblenock to nag me about the marriage again. I shall write more at the Tree.
Later this day
My heart is thudding like mad. My brows are damp with cold sweat. For what is there in my secret hiding place, the hole in my Tree, but a parchment? I searched frantically for Queen Catherine's half-molten dagger, but alas, no such luck. With shaking hands, I unfolded the paper, and found a message written with a stranger's hand;
Quit snooping around, missy, or suffer.
Even as I was frozen to spot, unable to move, my brain worked intensely for clues of who might have composed this threatening letter. Images and scenery whirled before my eyes for two seconds, and then I raised my forefinger and wiped the message once. I observing my stained finger for half a second before whipping out this journal to write down my jumbled thoughts on;
1. Ash is the only one besides me who knows about this tree.
2. The Hallway, where I had found the dagger, was empty except for the statue.
3. The passage where I found the dagger was the same passage where Ash saw the 'ghost of Mistress Anne Boleyn'.
4. When I –
Still later this day
The reason I had stopped was because of a strange noise down the tree. I snuck down, hoping to surprise whoever it was, but he was too quick. This treacherous spy, I suspect, was he who left me the message. I only saw a glimpse of black velvet before he vanished. Immediately I thought of Ethan (cursed be my hand!) but of course he would not do such evil as possessing and stealing back the devilish dagger or threatening me…would he? I am tired and I must get some sleep before attending my courtesy lessons.
Even later this day
My throat aches from singing and reading Bibles, and my hands are sore from needlework. Moreover, there are rumours flying around the castle that a skilled thief and assassin is in or near the castle; the gossiping ladies all claimed to have heard weird noises down in the wine cellar at nights, and few swore that they had seen a silhouette of the dark stranger slinking into the shadows. Furthermore, some valuable jewels or other prized possessions appeared to have been stolen, like Archbishop of Canterbury's ivory cross laid with turquoise (he was reasonably calm about it, dear Tom; he used to be Her Majesty's Chaplain when she was the Princess, and is very good at controlling one's emotions – and his own as well) – O, it troubles me dearly to acknowledge that a dangerous assassin would indeed dare to sneak into an old man's chamber, how close he had come to the face of death. He had been visiting the Castle to pay his respect to Queen Elizabeth, only to lose his treasure. The ivory charm was valuable to him for mostly sentimental reasons, but it is pure ivory and sapphire, so it must be worth quite a lot. The Archbishop left this morning. Had the assassin been expecting, or I daresay, intending this to happen? But then how could the invisible monster pick out the right room? Is he here in the Palace right now, listening to our whispers of fear and perhaps cackling with menacing glee? I fear the answer is yes.
There is a traitor among us.
Just like the Scottish murderer.
Whose mother must we sacrifice now?
Even later this day
The bouquet was chaotic, I daresay. Everyone, everyone except the Casanders, that is, attended this event, and though the Queen tried - without success - to brighten up the atmosphere of the ball room (which we use for these events; how I hate to see the luminous glow of the white marble dancing floor covered up with unadorned carpets), the chilly frostiness of suspicion and jealousy. In spite of the lavish and sumptuous feast that we fest on as the night went creeping by, nobody, not even the Queen, ate much of it. I can just hear the Chief Cook (menacing woman – sneaky and manipulative) circling the kitchen and threatening anyone to speak to her. I guess the reason for her beastly behaviour is the amount of food that was carted off to the Dumping Grounds.
Here is what we ate tonight at the Bouquet of Welcome:
On the table was placed a centre-piece, which represented a green lawn, surrounded with large peacocks' feathers and green branches, to which were tied violets and other sweet-smelling flowers.
In the middle of this lawn a fortress was placed, covered with silver. This was hollow, and formed a sort of cage, in which several live birds were shut up, their tufts and feet being gilt.
On its tower, which was gilt, three banners were placed, one bearing the arms of the Queen, the two others those of Countess Isadora and de Villequier (the Goldmine's son, who had arrived today), in whose honour the feast was given.
The First Course
The first course consisted of a civet of hare, a quarter of stag which had been a night in salt, a stuffed chicken, and a loin of veal.
The two last dishes were covered with a German sauce, with gilt sugar-plums, and pomegranate seeds (I didn't touch those seeds, for they remind one too much of that ghastly weapon)....
At each end, outside the green lawn, was an enormous pie, surmounted with smaller pies, which formed a crown. The crust of the large ones was silvered all round and gilt at the top; each contained a whole roe-deer, a gosling, three capons, six chickens, ten pigeons, and one young rabbit.
To serve as seasoning or stuffing, a minced loin of veal, two pounds of fat, and twenty-six hard-boiled eggs, covered with saffron and flavoured with cloves.
The Second Course
...There was a roe-deer, a pig, a sturgeon cooked in parsley and vinegar, and covered with powdered ginger; a kid, two goslings, twelve chickens, as many pigeons, six young rabbits, two herons, a leveret, a fat capon stuffed, four chickens covered with yolks of eggs and sprinkled with powder de Duc (spice), a wild boar.
The Third Course
…Some wafers (darioles), and stars; a jelly, part white and part green, representing the crests of the main guests
The Fourth Course
…Cream with Duc powder, covered with fennel seeds preserved in sugar; a white cream, cheese in slices, and strawberries; and, lastly, plums stewed in rose-water.
The Fifth Course
Besides these four courses, there was a fifth, entirely composed of the prepared wines then in vogue, and of preserves. These consisted of fruits and various sweet pastries. The pastries represented stags and swans, to the necks of which were suspended the arms of the Countess Isadora…
And who knows how many more.
I do hope dearly that things will work out between the Court and Goldmine; as much as I loathe Goldmine with passion, I cannot bare to see the Court divided. Countess de Senilla did not attend the bouquet today (and I do not blame her) and the Casanders (I shall pray to Lord tonight for his – their - safe and quick return).
I must have my supper now, and hopefully talk to Ash, too.