Chapter 3-Lessons Learned Part I

Thomas grapples with his feelings for Katherine and the aftermath of the incident with Charles Brandon, which sparks a disagreement between the two friends.

Before he left for mass that Sunday, Thomas took his whip and tossed it in the river. Katherine was right; he needed to quit beating himself up for being human. It was time to embrace the idea that he was a human with human feelings.

At mass, Katherine took a seat beside him and said hello. Thomas said hello back and placed his arm over the back of the pew. His heart skipped a beat as he felt her back pressed against his forearm. He kept telling himself to embrace the feeling.

"You know, we can be less formal. Call me Katie," Katherine told her friend as she turned to him.

"That's what my husband called me," she explained when asked why.

"Call me Tom. That's what my wife called me," the humanist said quietly.

A page came to their office on Monday as Katherine prepared for class. The young man had a flushed face as if he had been running a long distance. He also had wide eyes as if frightened about the news he had to deliver.

"Sir Thomas, His Majesty wants you to see him in his study," he told Thomas breathlessly.

The humanist told his friend he would see her later with a pat on the shoulder and followed the young man through the corridors. Thomas had a feeling as to why Henry wanted to talk to him. He just hoped that neither he nor his friend were in trouble.

"You wanted to speak to me?" Thomas asked Henry while the page closed the door.

"Yes, Thomas," Henry told him as he offered his friend a seat. "Charles came complaining to me the other day about you threatening to beat him for bothering the teacher. Is that true?"

Thomas sat and took a deep breath. "Yes. I caught him in the act. He was sitting on her desk and coming on to her. He remarked that 'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' and that the same thing applied to girls and touched her cheek.

Her face was flushed, and her eyes were red. It looked like she was on the verge of tears."

When asked about previous incidents, Thomas explained that Charles would make a double-entendre, for example, something to do with "anatomy lessons" or how they could make "beautiful music together." He added that the Duke of Suffolk would take off when he saw him.

Henry rolled his eyes. He said, "Well, tell her not to worry. Uncle Harry will look after her," with a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Thomas thanked his former student with a bow and started to leave. Just as he did, Henry told him to wait a moment. He realized there was something else he needed, just in case another incident like this occurred.

"I just need one thing from you. Two, actually." Thomas asked what it was he needed.

"I'd like two affidavits—one from you and one from her. I'll have Master Cromwell witness them. Consider it an insurance policy if Charles does something like this again."

The first chance he got to talk to Katherine was at dinner break. He grabbed some food and sat across from his friend. He wasn't looking forward to telling her what happened.

"What did he want to talk to you about?" Katherine asked Thomas as they sat down together.

"Oh, just as predicted, Charles went crying to Harry. He wanted to know our side of the story. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased," he told her before saying grace to himself.

When asked why Henry wasn't pleased, he said he didn't care for Charles' behavior. Thomas also said she didn't need to worry because "Uncle Harry" would look out for her. Thomas finally added that Henry needed two affidavits.

"What's an affidavit?" Katherine asked her friend. She had seen the term in her eclectic self-education but needed to remember what it meant.

"It's a sworn statement signed by at least one witness. Master Cromwell is going to witness it. We will tell what happened in writing, and Harry will put them away if the Duke of Suffolk does something like this again."

"So, let me get this straight. Now I have to tell the king what I did. And Master Cromwell will read it before giving it his blessing and giving it to His Majesty, who will save it for a rainy day?"

While he and Thomas Cromwell didn't see eye-to-eye on religion, to say the least, the humanist still had a good deal of respect for him as an administrator. He also knew he was highly professional and would be discreet. Cromwell wouldn't peruse the documents and would witness them after the friends signed them.

"Well, not exactly. Yes, Cromwell will witness it; however, I highly doubt he would read it. But yes, Harry will hold on to them. I can assure you they will be kept safe," Thomas tried to assure his friend.

Katherine couldn't believe her ears. It was bad enough living through it once; now she had to relive it by writing it down, not to mention that a third party would see the details. The teacher rose from the table and disposed of her dinner. She had suddenly lost her appetite.

Thomas watched as his friend walked out of the dining hall. He wanted to run out and apologize immediately but didn't want to make a scene. Besides, she would probably tell him to go away and leave her alone, possibly forever.

Katherine barely spoke to her friend for the rest of the day. She managed to do her usually exemplary job of teaching the students that afternoon. It was the best way to keep her mind off the dreaded task of drawing up that damned document.

Thomas did some paperwork in his office while he waited for the school day to finish. He wasn't looking forward to filling out that affidavit, either. Thomas felt terrible that she had to relive that incident by writing down the details. But he didn't want any other woman to go through what she did. He hoped that holding these statements over Charles's head would keep him in line.

After the students were dismissed, Katherine went to the office and shut the door behind her. She took out a few pieces of parchment and some ink. The two friends made up the affidavits that told of the Duke of Suffolk's antics and set them aside, waiting for Thomas Cromwell so he could witness them.

Finally, Thomas walked to the secretary's office and knocked on the door. Cromwell, who was finalizing a report, opened the door and poked his head out. He asked the humanist what he needed.

"Master Cromwell, may I borrow you for a second?" Thomas asked him. Cromwell agreed and followed the administrator to his office.

Cromwell, who was the Lord Privy Seal, witnessed the documents. He had an idea as to what they were about, but he didn't bother asking. He gave Katherine a sympathetic look after he completed his task.

"I'll say it again; if the two of you need anything, don't hesitate to ask," he said, wishing them a good night. He placed the papers in an envelope to be delivered to the king in the morning.

While neither was pleased about the affair, Katherine was distraught. She felt like she was reliving that incident. She remembered how she first felt annoyed by the Duke of Suffolk, then upset by his advances, and then slightly frightened by Thomas's reaction. While the teacher understood her friend was protecting her and that Thomas would never direct such actions toward women, it was still unnerving to see those events unfold.

"Do you want to–" Thomas started to ask. He wasn't inviting her to supper, although she was always welcome; he just wanted to talk to her about it.

"No, I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow. Good night, Master More," Katherine told her friend as she walked to her quarters. She was tired and wanted to be alone. Besides, she had work to do.

He wanted to hug her and tell her how sorry he was for what happened, but she didn't want anything to do with him. Instead, Thomas walked out and took the ferry back to his house, mulling over what happened and if he could fix the damage to their friendship. His best hope was a little time to calm down would help.

Thomas went to his study to sulk as soon as he got home. He sat in his chair before the fireplace and held his rosary. He wove it between his fingers while he thought about what he was feeling; this time, it was fear. It went beyond the heresy that threatened the Catholic Church. It was something closer to home.

Thomas was beginning to fear something else; it wasn't just losing his pet project at the school. It was very important to him, to be sure. While only in its first year, Whitehall Academy proved very successful. He wanted that success to continue, especially with Katherine teaching those bright children. It was for a more personal reason.

He realized he loved her. Thomas feared that one of two things was the case; the feeling wasn't mutual, or he would lose her love for him. Both ideas scared the living daylights out of him.

Katherine flopped her folio onto her table and sat down as soon as she entered her quarters. After lighting a candle, she sorted the papers and graded the assignments. It took a little longer, but she managed to finish her task.

She realized she was a little hard on Thomas while grading her papers. She tried to see it from his point of view; he was a lawyer by trade and thinking like one in that scenario. She read in her eclectic self-education that having evidence was vital for a lawyer to make his case, and sometimes that came in the form of sworn statements of witnesses.

It didn't make her feel any less upset about making that affidavit. She still felt like she was reliving that moment. It was one that she hoped to put behind her.

As soon as she finished, she slid the papers back to her folio and blew out her candle. Katherine sat in the dark, thinking about how she felt about the situation. She wasn't about to quit her position. She loved teaching, and she appreciated that Thomas had faith in her. However, she believed they would need to have a good long discussion.