Hey guys brand new chapter for my first week of not having a job :D hope you enjoy
Very early the next morning, before Henry was even awake, Cromwell called for an audience with Isabella. Isabella complied, she did not particularly like the man but he was still in favour with the King so she felt compelled to play nicely. Once his young servant had been dismissed, Mr Cromwell put down the papers he had been looking through and stood up to greet Isabella.
"Secretary Cromwell," she began curtseying slightly. "to what do I owe the pleasure of being called by you so early in the morning?"
"I am sorry to wake you so early, Lady Lockhart." Cromwell said, but he did not sound at all sorry for it. "There is an urgent matter that I would like to discuss with you, one that cannot wait."
"And what could someone such as yourself possibly have to discuss with me, Mr Secretary?" she asked. Cromwell looked at her, his expression unreadable. He was the only member of court who Isabella could never work out what he was thinking. He was like a deadly snake that one never knew what it was about to strike.
"The matter of your charge to the care of the young Prince Edward." Cromwell stated.
"I am to be placed as a governess in the Prince's household." she replied.
"I am aware of your new position, Lady Lockhart, and His Majesty would very much like you to start your position as early as possible." he told her. Isabella raised an eyebrow at him, that certainly was not what the King had said to her the previous night but she would play along with what Cromwell was telling her.
"When does His Majesty require me to start?" she asked flatly. Last night Henry had asked her to marry him and now Cromwell was telling her that he wanted her gone. She knew the King well enough to know that this was not his doing – Cromwell wanted her out of the way because he knew that she was all that stood between him and Henry marrying the woman that he, Cromwell, chose. Before last night Isabella would have happily gone and allowed Henry to marry whom would be the best for him but now, now that he had lost so many women he loved, she was not going to give up the man that she loved without a fight.
"His Majesty asks that you leave for the Prince's house immediately." Cromwell stated. "As he asked that it be done so swiftly, I hope you don't mind but I already took the liberty of having your things packed for your departure."
"Actually I do mind my Lord Cromwell." Isabella replied. Now she was angry. Not only did this man had the audacity to lie on behalf of the King, thinking that she would not know the truth of the matter, he had then gone and packed her things without her permission in an attempt to try and get rid of her! "I mind because I was with His Majesty last night and he said nothing of the sort to me, in my opinion he seemed rather more inclined for me to stay than for me to go." she told him.
"I beg your pardon, Lady Lockhart," Cromwell replied, trying to keep his composure. "but His Majesty gave me strict instructions and has not informed me otherwise, even if he may have changed his mind about his original desires I am still bound to do as I was first instructed."
"Tell me Mr Cromwell," Isabella asked, finally deciding that she would not take this insolence from him lying down. "is it His Majesty that wishes for me to be sent away or is it, in fact, you?" Normally she would accept what was being asked of her but Cromwell was not a nobleman like Suffolk or Edward Seymour – he was, in fact, no better than she was. He had been elevated by the King and the Boleyn family and it was known that he was thought to be an emissary of Satan. Cromwell visibly stiffened.
"I believe you are mistaken Lady Lockhart..." he began.
"Am I now Mr Cromwell?" It was a rhetorical question and both of them knew it. Isabella knew that Cromwell was only sending her away because he knew that the King was in love with her and there was no way he could control her if she became the Queen of England. Cromwell knew that there was no possible way that Isabella was going to give up without a fight. He stepped around the table and advanced towards her.
"Lady Lockhart, it would be in the best interests of the Kingdom if you were...how shall I say it, removed from His Majesty's presence so as not to provide any...possible distractions." Cromwell hedged.
"And what could I possibly be distracting His Majesty from?" Isabella asked, again it was a rhetorical question; she knew exactly why Cromwell was trying to get rid of her.
"His Majesty needs a new wife," Cromwell began, changing his tact. "one that will bring a foreign alliance and one who will benefit the Kingdom. His Majesty does not need any...unnecessary distractions in choosing the right wife and you, most definitely, are a distraction."
"And what makes you think that His Majesty does not want me as a distraction?" she asked, smirking slightly. "What makes you think that by sending me away that you won't anger His Majesty?"
"His Majesty will understand what I have done and that I have done it for the good of the Kingdom." Cromwell replied.
"The good of the Kingdom?" Isabella asked. "Or the good of your own elevation?" Cromwell's jaw tightened in anger.
"You forget your place Miss Lockhart." he replied, emphasising her low stature. She turned and made to leave the room but turned back to face Cromwell before she left.
"No, Mr Cromwell," she stated. "I believe it is you who have forgotten yours."
Later that day Isabella left the Court to go the Prince Edward's household. She left almost immediately after her audience with Cromwell and did not say goodbye to Henry. She knew that if she did he would ask why she was leaving and she would have to tell him that Cromwell was trying to get rid of her. If she refused to go the Secretary would be relentless and hound her until she finally did leave – that much was clear from their 'talk'. Isabella did not have the patients to deal with him and, deep down, she knew that it would be better for Henry and the Kingdom if she was not there to distract him. She just didn't want to admit that Cromwell was right.
When Henry found out the she had left he was furious. He flew into a rage and wanted to find out why Isabella had not only left the Court but had left him without saying goodbye. He sent a letter to her demanding to know why she had left him and not given him an answer to his proposal. After receiving the letter Isabella sent back a reply of her own, telling Henry the truth about her meeting with Secretary Cromwell and that she had left because of his threats to her. This angered Henry greatly – Cromwell had greatly overstepped his mark this time.
Henry was displeased with the way the court had been run in his absence. He was especially displeased with how Mr Cromwell had chosen to run things while he had been in mourning over his wife. The sending away of Isabella was the very last straw and Mr Cromwell was very swiftly falling out of Henry's favour and it would not be very long before he found himself requiring a room in the tower if he continued in this way.
Since Cromwell had succeeded in driving a wedge between Henry and Isabella he was now pushing even more for the King to marry whom Cromwell thought would most benefit himself rather than His Majesty. There were many candidates for Henry to choose from, and they were all presented to His Majesty, but Cromwell seemed intent to steer him towards one of the Duke of Cleaves' sisters; Amelia and Anne.
When Cromwell told him of the possibility of an alliance to the Lady Anne of Cleaves he said that she was 'of no great praise, either of her personage or her beauty'. Cromwell, however, was relentless – stating that Cleaves was in favour as a part of the Protestant faith. This would leave England able to shape its own religious destiny but Henry desired to know more of the Emperor's niece, the Countess of Milan. The Countess, however, was not as inclined to marry Henry as many wished she would be – she said that she would very much like to keep her head rather than to marry His Majesty unless she was commanded to.
The wound in Henry's leg had once again become infected and it was causing him to act strangely and rashly, well more rashly than usual. The infection finally caused His Majesty to collapse and before he had been taken ill he was raving to Charles Brandon about traitors and those who would wish to steal his crown from him. His Majesty was lying in bed with an infection for a number of days – showing no sign at all of improvement – until finally Charles made the decision for the surgeon barbers to try and cut out the infection, an action which may have resulted in the King's death.
When Isabella heard the news she desperately wanted to run to Henry's side but Charles begged her to stay where she was. If anything where to happen to His Majesty then the lives of all three of his children would be in danger. Luckily for the Kingdom, though, Henry recovered after the Duke of Suffolk's decision and he found himself healthy once again and looking forward to the prospect of his new marriage.
Henry was shown many portraits of his potential brides but he was still unsure of all of them. He stated to Secretary Cromwell the he had no way of choosing if he had never seen any of them in the flesh – he wondered if there was a chance that the artist was using licence to flatter the lady or to please His Majesty. This was a great fear that even Henry's treasured artist Mr Holbine would use this artistic licence to give him a false representation of these women. Henry discussed his new potential marriages with Charles Brandon, the Duke of Suffolk, stating that he could not choose between all the ladies he had been presented with because they were all portrayed as so attractive. Brandon had a sneaking suspicion that Henry's hesitation on the subject was due to the fact that he was in love with Isabella and wished to take her as his new wife.
"Are you sure that this is why he is stalling?" Isabella asked, incredulously, when Lord Suffolk voiced these thoughts to her, during a rare visit to Edward's household (once he had finally managed to get permission from the young Prince's uncle).
"I believe it is, yes." Charles replied, turning to face her. Isabella laughed lightly.
"Then I believe that you are greatly mistaken, Your Grace." she replied grinning at him. Brandon raised an eyebrow at her.
"And why do you suppose not?" he asked. "Ever since you left..."
"Were sent away by Cromwell." Isabella interjected.
"Fine." Charles relented. "Ever since you were sent away by Cromwell all that His Majesty has been able to talk about is you."
"Really?" Isabella asked, genuinely shocked.
"He misses you Isabella." Brandon told her. "We all do."
"All accept Cromwell." she replied, giving him a knowing smile.
"I highly doubt that Mr Cromwell will be plaguing us or His Majesty for very much longer." Brandon said, giving Isabella a look that said he knew a great deal more than he was letting on. Isabella raised an eyebrow at him.
"Do you know something that I don't, Your Grace?" she asked, giving him a slight grin but all Brandon did was smirk at her.
"I wouldn't say that," he replied, still smirking at her. "all I would say is that Mr Cromwell will get his comeuppance one way or the other and very shortly if he continues to fall out of His Majesty's good graces."
"Well we can only hope." Isabella smirked, she knew that Henry was beginning to fall out of love with Cromwell and it was only a matter of time before the man found himself about to get a head shorter.
"But for now we should look forward to the King's upcoming marriage." the Duke of Suffolk stated.
"Ah yes." Isabella nodded. "So who is the lucky lady?" she asked. Suffolk chuckled softly.
"I'm sure we will find out sooner or later." he replied, that smirk still plastered on his face. That smirk that Isabella could not quite work out the meaning of, but she certainly had a feeling that she, and the rest of the Kingdom, would know what he meant before too long.