November 1st, 1556

Whitehall Palace

Ruth had resumed her normal duties as Lady of the Bedchamber with Sancha as her natural second-in-command. There were some developments at court while she was away, Isabella had become pregnant again, Mariana was being courted by her husband's younger brother Henry Howard, and most peculiarly, Catherine was pregnant by an unnamed man. Ruth knew the French woman was a whore and it was only a matter of time before her sister Marie was also carrying a nobleman's child in his wife's face. In the present, the queen's ladies were embroidering in a circle, perpetuating gossip.

"Lady Norfolk, who do you presume to have fathered Lady Catherine's child?" Sarah Veldon inquired slyly.

Ruth set down her embroidery for a moment and thought. "Perhaps it is that scoundrel Henry Hastings."

Anne Langley clapped her hands. "I think it is Henry Howard."

"How dare you?" Mariana snapped, her chest heaving in anger.

"Peace, be ladies." Sancha murmured and put her arms around Mariana in comfort.

"Oh, Sancha, you're always so serious." Leonor chided.

"I've got another candidate," Madeleine's face glowed with devilish humor. "the Duke of Northumberland!"

"She is a social climber! I would not put it past her." Charlotte nodded.

The women were silent for a moment, their thoughts were on the various courtiers that Edward had in attendance at court. Most were older gentlemen and their wives past childbearing age.

"I do not think she has fornicated with Lord Dudley, I do believe she has slept with one of his sons, however." Sancha mused.

Jane Grey appeared to resent this. "Lady Sancha, I hope you do not intend to suggest-"

Sancha shook her head. "I am referring to Lord Robert."

"Sancha, you are a bit flushed." Mariana giggled.

"I do believe our resident nun has become smitten with Lord Robert!" Ruth shrieked.

"Is it true, Lady Sancha?" Charlotte feigned surprise.

Sancha put her hand over her mouth to cover her smile. "I do find him handsome and we have spoken to each other a few times. He is married, however, so I will only admire him from afar until my own future husband reveals himself to me."

"At least you're respectable, unlike some women in the queen's court." Mary Sidney nodded her approval.

Margaret Denton, another of the queen's ladies, spoke up. "What if the Earl of Arundel is her child's father?"

Anne shook her head. "He is old, much too old to still be potent."

"How are you so sure?" Ruth inquired suspiciously.

Anne scowled. "I was married once already, to a man that is around the Earl of Arundel's age and he was impotent. He died about three months after our marriage."

"Sounds dreadful." Mariana fretted.

"He showered me with expensive gifts, it wasn't completely horrible." She shrugged.

"I could not afford to be a man's mistress." Sancha grumbled.

The women agreed to her declaration and continued their embroidery.

"Where is, Her Majesty?" Madeleine inquired.

Ruth did not look up from her careful stitching. "She is playing cards with the king."

Charlotte jumped and sucked her finger. "Why must the king's emblem be so complicated?"

"Because we are English." Ruth chuckled.

Charlotte nodded at the jest and continued working on her stitching. They had been ordered by the queen to craft blankets for the child she was carrying in various fabrics and colors. Edward had asked that they all be embroidered with the emblem of his family, which consisted of two roses, one inside the other. They were working silently and efficiently, twenty blankets already done. The door flung open suddenly, startling the women and Marie strode in, smelling of sexual conquest.

"Lady Norfolk, the queen requests your presence." she did not look Ruth in the eye, as usual.

Ruth set down her wooden frame and proceeded out of the room without acknowledging Marie. As Ruth strolled down the corridor she saw two figures in the distance. A man and a woman, no doubt, but as she grew closer her heart dropped. It was her husband, Thomas, and Catherine. Ruth stopped and watched as Thomas clasped Catherine's hand in his, and he kissed it. Lady Norfolk bit her lip as she watched her husband rub Catherine's pregnant belly tenderly, as he had done while Ruth was pregnant with Elizabeth. She felt the tears well up in her eyes and she advanced towards them, bringing her hand down heavily on Catherine's face, and she relished in hearing the noblewoman shriek as she landed on the ground. Ruth turned to Thomas, fire in her heart raging.

"Ruth!" Thomas exclaimed.

Ruth raised her hand for him to be silent. "You have forsaken me for some whore!"

Thomas fidgeted under her gaze. "My dear wife, I-"

"Is it your child?" She demanded.

He turned his head away from her.

She raised her voice. "Is it your child, Thomas?"

"Yes, it is his child." Catherine's voice laughed harshly from behind her.

Ruth turned to face her, realizing that she and Catherine were nearly complete opposites. Ruth's hair was dark brown and curly, Catherine's hair was straight and blonde, Ruth's eyes were green and Catherine's were blue, Ruth had heavy breasts, while Catherine's were small like many men preferred. She looked at Catherine and realized that Catherine had easily seduced her husband. Ruth looked between Catherine, who was grinning maliciously and Thomas as he stared down at his shoes, she said nothing and continued to her destination to meet the queen.

Ruth stopped outside of Edward's chambers, sunk to the floor and cried. The feelings of hurt and resentment poured out of her as she felt the tears fall and soak her gown. She took a deep breath to bring herself together, stood, and dutifully knocked on the king's chamber door. Henry Sidney, the husband of Mary Sidney, opened the door. His cheerful disposition brought a polite smile to her face.

He bowed to her. "Lady Norfolk, it is a pleasure."

"Lord Sidney, I thank you for your welcome." Ruth nodded, attempting to add some cheer to her voice.

Lord Sidney appeared to notice her off mood. "Are you ill, my lady?"

Ruth shook her head. "I have received some bitter news today, that is all."

"Something with Lord Howard, I presume." His eyes searched her face.

Ruth nodded. "As a man, you probably already knew of his affair with the Lady Catherine de Meluen."

"Affair?" Lord Sidney appeared to be truly surprised. "I believed that his brother had fathered that child."

Ruth's eyes glazed over as she recounted what she had seen to him. "I saw him hold her hand and kiss it. Then he put his hands over her belly like he had done to mine and when I demanded he tell me, he could not look me in the face. I can still hear her laughing at me, she was so happy to see me hurting. I kept my pride, however, I did not cry in front of either of them. I do not have to let him have me in his bed and our daughter will inherit his estates as any child he has with her is illegitimate and Edward will not allow him to annul the marriage."

Sidney took her words in but could find no words to say. "I wish you well, Lady Norfolk."

She nodded and stepped past him. She meant her words, there would be no more children from her marriage to Thomas, he had made his decision.