September 1554
CPOV
And so it came to pass that my wife, my children and I are returned to England. We stand, on a golden September day, outside Hampton Court Palace, remembering what happened to us the last time we walked through the doors. Bella senses my train of thought, and takes my hand. I look over at her, and I am, as ever, struck by how lovely she is. She's thirty-four, and seems to get younger by the day. She doesn't seem even a little nervous, standing very upright in her best dress, and wearing the Spanish hood like a crown.
"Come, my love," she says, softly, tucking her hand through my arm, and gripping our youngest son Emmett firmly by the hand. James and Katherine have twelve year old Maria between them, and James stands very tall beside his smaller sister's, even though Katherine, at fourteen, is only two years younger. She looks exactly like her mother. They wear matching headdresses, and both of them are exactly the same height. They could almost be sisters. "We must go in."
Our entrance into court is heralded loudly, and all the chatter of the presence chamber dies away. I watch my wife out of the corner of my eye, and even knowing how nervous she is, I can't believe it. Only earlier this year, this Queen had her own sister imprisoned on trumped-up rebellion charges. Elizabeth is at court, but I notice she is absent from the presence chamber. Bella drops the Queen a curtsey, and Katherine and Maria join her in perfect synchronisation. Emmett attempts a bow, and James mimics me exactly. I can feel Mary's eyes burning into me.
"You must be Lady Isabella, and Lord Carlisle," she says, and I realise that she cannot see us properly.
"Your Majesty," Bella says. Mary smiles at her, and I know it is because of the Spanish accent that deepened and purified during the fourteen years in Spain. All four of our children have developed it.
"And these are your children? Four? What names have they?"
"Our eldest, James," I say, and James bows again. "Our eldest daughter, Katherine, our third, Maria, and our youngest, Emmett."
"How old are they all?"
"James is sixteen, Katherine is fourteen, Maria is twelve, and Emmett is almost ten."
"None of them are yet betrothed?" I feel Bella stiffen beside me.
"Not yet, Your Majesty. We could find no suitable matches," say, praying my wife will keep silent.
"Well, perhaps here, matches may be found for your eldest two, certainly. And Maria is of suitable age."
"If it please your Majesty, I have no wish to see any of my children married just yet," Bella says, quietly.
"Perhaps not married, but surely you wish your daughters to make good matches? A betrothal will ensure a good marriage, and will be surety against any future - accidents." The threat is thinly veiled, and Bella hears it.
"If a suitable match were to present himself, or herself, then I would perhaps consider betrothal. But I would want my children to marry for love, and not for money or status, Majesty."
"As you did?" The Court watches the two women exchange sugared barbs, and there is a breathless silence.
"As I did, Your Majesty. And, if it is not to bold, as you did."
Shown to our rooms after pleasantries and conversation has been exchanged, Bella is beset by Katherine and Maria.
"Mamma, you won't make us marry some old man, will you?" Katherine asks.
"No, my darlings, I won't. I will make no decisions about your future without consulting you first."
"But mamma, the Queen said we would be betrothed."
"Betrothal is not marriage, as both of you well know."
"Father, I don't want to get married yet," James says, appealing directly to me.
"Nobody is getting married, for goodness sake. Now, I will hear no more about it tonight, it is getting close to dinner. We must dress. Katherine, Maria, your dresses are in the large press. Go to your room, Fran and Amelia will help you dress." She turns to the boys and runs a critical eye over them. "James, you are presentable, I suppose. But help Emmett change, would you? Just his shirt."
Having successfully rid the room of children, she calls out for Anna, her maid from Spain, and begins to change her dress. Jasper appears from the boys room, and insists I wash, producing ewer and basin as if from air.
"How is Amelia?" Bella asks him, washing her face and arms, standing in the middle of the room in her shift and nothing else.
"She bore the journey better than most," Jasper replies, eyes softening as Bella talks of his new bride. Bella knows full well how Amelia is, she simply enjoys needling Jasper. Anna finishes lacing on Bella's skirt and begins the task of tying her bodice laces. Jasper hands me a clean shirt, and I drag it on, ignoring his mumbling about creases.
"Bella, what are we going to do about this betrothal business?"
"Nothing. They aren't going to get betrothed."
"But -"
"No. If they don't want to get betrothed, they don't have to. They're too young."
"You were only James' age when we got married."
"We were different. We knew we loved each other. Thank you, Anna. Can you go and ask Fran and Amelia to hurry, please? Then you're dismissed for the night."
"Yes, my Lady," Anna says, calmly.
"That'll be all, thanks, Jasper," I say. Bella and I face each other.
"Don't look at me like that, Carlisle. They'll get married when they're good and ready, not before."
"Please, for the sake of me and for the sake of our children, do not aggravate another ruler. If it's what she wants, why not get them betrothed. You said it yourself, betrothal is not marriage."
"My children are my first priority. If she objects, they can go back to Spain. Charles is still King."
"Not for much longer, as you well know. He'll go off soon, join a monastery. Phillip will take over, and then where will you be?"
"Carlisle, I will not make them miserable."
"Bella, I -"
"Mamma?" Katherine is the one who interrupts, mercifully. "Will you and Papa get into trouble if we don't get betrothed?"
"No, darling, we won't."
"Mamma, you always promised you wouldn't lie."
"We won't get into trouble."
"If you would get into trouble," Katherine starts, seeing right through Bella, as usual, "I'll get betrothed."
"To who?"
"Well, I don't know," she says, frowning. "I'm sure Papa would choose somebody decent." Bella laughs, and kisses her on the forehead.
"Katherine, look at me. I promise you, it will be alright. Now, go and get your sister."
KatherinePOV
I'm not stupid. I hear them arguing again that night, after we've all gone to bed. Mamma won't let anything bad happen if she can help it, I know that. And Papa will back her up. But I know of the trouble they left England under, partly because of their marriage. I resolve to do whatever I can to stop them getting into trouble over us.
I get hold of James before Mass the next morning and drag him aside.
"Kitty, what are you doing?" he hisses, straightening his jacket.
"They were fighting about this betrothal thing again last night."
"I know, I heard them."
"We can't let them get into trouble again. Last time they had to leave the country because of it. We'll have to get betrothed."
"Have you lost your mind?"
"James, think about it! If it'll keep the Queen happy, we have to do it. Never mind what Mamma and Papa think is best for us. We have to do what is best for them."
"Kitty, you could end up married to a man older than Papa."
"No, I won't. I'm too pretty to get some older man. I'll get a first son, be a Duchess perhaps. We have to, James." He looks at me and sighs.
"I know. But we keep Maria out of this. And Squeak too," he says, using Emmett's pet name.
"Squeak is only nine years old, they won't even be thinking about a wife for him yet. But Maria - we'll spare Maria as far as possible. She's nothing like ready for marriage yet."
James and I get summoned before the Queen the next morning. Papa is permitted to come with us, but Mamma is told specifically not to accompany us to the Queen.
"If we remember correctly, Katherine, you are fourteen?"
"Yes, your Majesty. I will be fifteen later this month."
"And James, you are sixteen?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"My Lord Carlisle, why have your children never taken up duties at Court?"
"James was educated by the Spanish monks, your Majesty, and King Charles never saw fit to interrupt that education. Katherine did spend some time at Court, but not in an official capacity," Papa explains.
"They both speak Latin?"
"Yes, your Majesty, and James also speaks Greek."
"Katherine can dance, sing, sew?"
"Yes, your Majesty. My wife saw to it."
"Both of them are suitable. We will invite them both to become members of my Court here. James will take up the duties of a gentleman of the guard, and Katherine will make a lovely addition to my Maids in Waiting. She is a virgin?"
"Of course, your Majesty," Papa says, anger tinting his tone.
"Your younger children, however, are a problem. Maria is a suitable age but not suitably trained yet. Emmett, of course, is still a child. They have very little business here at Court. You may take them back to your old home outside London, and you will remain with them."
"My wife, your Majesty," Papa asks, as cold dread settles on my heart. She is going to split us up! "What of my wife?"
"She will remain here, at Court. James and Katherine will be able to see her regularly. And besides, there are questions that will require answering."
Papa ushers us out as quickly as he can. His face is grimmer than I have ever seen it.
"Papa -"
"Not now, Katherine. We must find your mother, and quickly."
She is still in the bedchamber, playing knucklebones with Emmett while Maria has her head bent over sewing.
"Katherine, take your sister to your room. Get her ready. James, same for Emmett. I must speak with your mother alone." The last thing I see Papa doing before the door closes is snatching my mother into his arms and kissing her passionately. It does not comfort me, rather makes the fist around my heart tighten so painfully I nearly gasp out loud.
"Kitty, Kitty, what are we doing? Why are you packing my things?"
"You and Squeak have to go with Papa."
"You and Mamma, and James are also coming?"
"No, Maria, no. James and I, and Mamma, have to stay here at Court."
"Then I want to stay too!"
"Maria, don't cry, darling. You wouldn't want to stay here. It'll be horribly boring, we'll just sew and talk about dresses all day," knowing I'll catch her with this. Sure enough, she stops pouting and smiles.
"But that will be so boring,"
"I know, darling. That's why you have to go with Papa, and have fun with Squeak."
"Do you have to stay because you are a lady?"
"Yes."
"Then I don't want to grow up." I smile in spite of myself.
"Ah, darling, I hope you never lose the innocence you have now."
Mamma did not cry when she said goodbye to Emmett and Maria. She hugged them both very tightly, and only I saw a tear fall onto Maria's headdress. She told Emmett to be a big, brave boy, and Maria to always remember she was a lady. But when they were in the carriage, and she was in my father's arms, I saw my mother cry for the first time. She whispered something in his ear and he kissed her long and hard. And then they were gone, and Mamma watched them out of sight before she turned and walked rapidly back into the castle. I tucked my hand through James' arm and he took me back to our rooms, where Mamma and Amelia helped me pack, while Jasper helped James.
I did not know how dramatically life was about to change, and how one year would change everything I knew.