Chapter Eleven - The Chateau Vert Pageant (Part II)
A Note from the Author: Historians don't really know what Lady Jane Parker (later Boleyn) looked like, there are no definite descriptions of her, but I decided to 'create' my own version of her. I also have additional actors and actresses who I have chosen for other characters: Sam Woolf as William Carey, Nell Hudson as Lady Jane Parker.
HISTORICALLY INACCURATE ON PURPOSE
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The actors took their place in the Great Hall of Whitehall Palace. The dark, emerald green, backdrop castle had been fully erected and painted with gold filigree trimmings around the edges and the court musicians were tucked on a small stage in the corner nearby. The hall had been completely cleared away except for one vast table extending from either end that had trays of food, savory and sweet - the banquet would follow the performance. The pageant began and all the ladies were present, all sixteen of them, Lady Scorn shouted angrily towards the gentleman playing 'Honesty', daring him and the others to come to the rescue of the ladies dressed in white. The other courtiers present who were not acting laughed at Lady Scorn's snarky retaliation, amused by the comedy of it.
Cardinal Wolsey stood up on the balcony with a few other highborn men, including Thomas Boleyn, who was watching his daughters perform with a proud look on his face. Soon, the ladies all dressed in black started throwing different sorts of fruits at the men who attempted to raid the castle. After the successful rescue of the ladies dressed in white, the audience clapped and cheered, the actors all bowed and curtsied and took to the dance floor with the other nobles of the court. After the first dance, the king announced the banquet and the courtiers lined up around the table, taking their portions of food. They followed the crowd to another hall where long tables had been set for the banquet. The king and his queen took their place at the table that had been set horizontally to the room and the other five were vertically placed, enough space for the court to walk comfortably.
There were servants rushing about the room, pouring wine and then disappearing behind doors and curtains. Anne sat with her sister and Princess Mary. The conversations echoed throughout the feast. Laughter and pleasantries were exchanged all around. King Henry would laugh the loudest sometimes at his conversation with Charles Brandon, who sat to the king's left. Anne looked around the hall, amazed by all the things that were taking place. She spotted Henry Percy sitting several seats down from her. He caught her gaze and smiled at her. She smiled back, feeling her cheeks go hot. Soon after the first meal, the crowds of nobles began filtering in and out between halls, as did the king. There were still some smaller groups sitting at the tables, socializing and playing cards or dice. Others were in the Great Hall dancing and feasting.
Anne found Henry Percy once she had finished speaking with her sister and Princess Mary. Henry kissed her on the cheek, after checking no one had been paying attention to them. Anne watched the people around her, there had been one or two couples who had snuck off without most people noticing. The queen caught her eye and Anne made her way to Queen Katherine, paying her respects.
"Your Majesty," Anne greeted.
"Mistress Boleyn," Katherine said, with a nod of her head and gave the young woman a smile. "You played well in the pageant this afternoon."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. Is there anything you need at all? Might I fetch it for you?" Anne offered, kindly.
"I noticed that you and that young man, Henry Percy, are growing rather close now, aren't you?" Katherine asked.
"We enjoy each other's company and he's a good match in chess. I consider him a good friend of mine now, Your Majesty." Anne answered, carefully choosing her words.
"There isn't anything going on between the two of you?" the queen wondered, quietly.
"I don't know, Your Majesty, in truth."
"Perhaps I ought to encourage him to step it up already, he seems quite fond of you, Lady Anne. Shall I speak to him for you?"
"I think he would make his interest known soon enough if there was anything there, if I'm honest."
"Do you like him?"
Anne was surprised by the queen's bluntness and felt her cheeks go hot. She DID like Henry Percy, in fact, she was in love with him.
"Very much," Anne admitted.
"Well, I think it's splendid. I think it a far better match for you than that James Butler fellow." Katherine continued. "I don't know what your father was thinking trying to attach you to him."
"It was a business transaction for his own gain. He wanted to inherit the earldom of Ormond but His Majesty wrote a decree that my father is closer to the line of inheritance than James and so my father now has the title without me having to marry the man." Anne explained.
"It is so unfortunate that in some things, we women are pawns. That is why I can be an ally to you and you can be an asset to me. With my backing, your father cannot completely force you to marry someone you don't wish to. I will stand behind you should the young man decide to propose to you one day."
Anne smiled gratefully and curtsied low.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, with all my heart." Anne said, relieved.
"Now, go and enjoy the festivities before Lent begins tomorrow."
Anne, while feeling a weight lift off her shoulders, found Henry Percy amongst the crowd. He'd been speaking to another from Cardinal Wolsey's pageboys. He'd seen her come forward and greeted her, taking hold of her hand as he did.
"Hello, Anne," he said, softly.
"Hi, Henry, do you want to go outside for a little while? It's a bit stifling here."
"Yeah, let's go now. Wolsey's distracted and he won't miss me." Henry agreed, pulling Anne gently through the crowd.
They slipped through and disappeared to the Boleyn apartments where they set up a game of dice. Mary Boleyn was present there with another lady-in-waiting, also taking a break from the masquerade. It had appeared Mary ordered the servants to bring them up a few trays of food, seeing as though there was one table by the window with the same sort of treats as in the Great Hall and two pitchers of wine. Anne got herself some more food as did Henry before settling in to play dice. Two more ladies showed up, Princess Mary and Jane Parker. They joined in the game of cards that Mary B. had set up, clearly also overwhelmed by the court.
"I'm going to lock that door so no one else thinks to come into our sitting room, Mary." Anne exclaimed, looking at her sister.
"I'm still waiting for Will to show up, Annie."
"Alright, I'll wait for him but as soon as he's here, if I can, I'll lock the door for now so we have our privacy. I know we don't like the crowd of people too much."
"That's fine, but Father knows we're here too. He wants us at some point to go back to the masquerade. It'll be going on for most of the night I think. There will be fireworks tonight too."
"Oh how fun!" Jane Parker exclaimed.
"You know, Janie, my brother has a crush on you." Mary B. said, glancing at her friend.
"George?" Jane cried, surprised. "There's no way he could possibly have a crush on me."
"But, he does. I saw him staring at you during the pageant."
"Are you sure it was me he was staring at, Mary?" Jane inquired, leaning on the chaise.
Anne looked over at Jane. She was a very pretty girl and it wasn't any wonder why George would have looked her way. Jane had auburn hair and bright green eyes; her skin was fair and freckled, and she had a well rounded figure, but just the right amount. She seemed very charming and polite, as a young lady ought to have been.
"Oh for Pete's sake, Jane, you're not bad to look at, he'd be very lucky to snatch you up!" Anne remarked, sending the girl a look. "We know our brother better than you think we do."
"He is rather handsome, I suppose." Jane said, her cheeks turning pink as she thought of George Boleyn.
"Rather handsome?" Mary B. questioned, raising an eyebrow as she smirked at Jane.
"I'd say he's a very handsome man, Jane Parker. And I think my brother recently made him Viscount Rocheford, didn't he?" Princess Mary quipped.
"Oh, alright - I agree, he IS very handsome. Please don't tell him I said so!"
"Why not?" Anne asked, curiously. "Don't you want someone to court you?"
Anne glanced up at Henry Percy who smirked at her playfully, knowing full well she was teasing Jane, even if it was only a little. Jane did seem rather gullible. Henry Percy only knew of George, Anne's brother, but ever so often when the viscount did come to speak to Wolsey, he was very suave and genteel. He certainly knew how to soften people up to get his way, if he needed to.
"Well, yes, I suppose nearly every girl wants to be courted at some point and fall in love. But, Lady Anne - do you really think someone like George would ever fall for someone like me? I don't think it's realistic." Jane answered, feeling defeated.
"If I can put in my two cents, Lady Jane?" Henry inquired, turning to face her.
The girl nodded and sat up, hoping his advice would be more beneficial than the other ladies around her.
"If George is interested, you won't have to worry about whether or not he'll court you. He will if he wants you enough. That is my experience in all this. You won't have to wonder. And if George does know what he wants, he'll let you know. It's not hard to guess if he is interested or not."
Henry glanced back at Anne quickly, but the quick glance did not go unnoticed at least by Princess Mary and Mary B. The two Marys looked at each other incredulously, abruptly realizing that Henry Percy was in love with Anne. Even the way Anne looked at him, they could see she was in love with him.
"But how do I know?" Jane cried, frustrated.
"He will let you know himself, believe me." Henry responded, enunciating his sentence clearly as if speaking to a child.
"If you are interested in George, just drop subtle hints, but don't make it too obvious." Anne added.
"But how?"
Oh, dear Lord, this poor girl has no experience, Anne thought irritably. No one clearly thought to teach Lady Jane Parker how to snatch up a husband. This poor young girl had no clue about courtly love or romance in general. She was so naive and Anne hoped that George wouldn't make a game of it to tease Lady Jane. She seemed nice enough, but clearly she was not at all confident in herself or what she had to offer. Anne looked at Henry for assistance in this matter.
"Should we show her how to practice speaking to my brother?" Anne asked him.
"I think it might help a little. She seems clueless," Henry whispered, so quietly only Anne could hear.
"Oh good, I'm not the only one who thinks that way." Anne muttered, under her breath.
She stood up just as a gentle knock could be heard behind the door. It opened, the hinges creaking - only to reveal William Carey, her brother-in-law. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. Mary, her sister, got up quickly to embrace her husband fondly. It was a short embrace since everyone had decided to help teach Jane Parker how to attract George.
"So, perhaps, Henry - if you can be so kind as to assist us, practice being George for Lady Jane. Let's get started." Anne exclaimed. "Will, if you can supervise this conversation also, I'd greatly appreciate it."
"I'd be happy to help, but why is Henry pretending to be George?" Will asked, glancing over at his wife.
"I don't know how to flirt or strike up an interesting conversation in general. I'm afraid I'm going to make a fool of myself if I talk to George." Jane admitted. "I haven't been as lucky as my friends."
"We'll help you. Don't worry about that. You'll have our brother wrapped around your finger in no time." Anne promised, pulling Jane up to her feet.
"Ah, I understand it now. It's acting. What can I do to supervise?" Will responded.
"If you notice any errors in their practice conversation, call it out immediately and we will explain to Lady J what she said or did wrong." Anne answered. "And point out to her any flirtation she might miss from Fake George."
"Got it," Will confirmed.
The practice runs began with Henry and Jane, the pretend couple sitting on the chaise. Anne, Mary B., and Princess Mary sat on the three chairs around the sitting room and William was listening intently to the conversation.
"Hello, my lady - I'm sorry - I didn't mean to bump into you like that. How clumsy of me," Henry said, in a deeper, more gruff voice.
Jane hesitated for a moment and cleared her throat as she glanced at Anne, she nodded and encouraged her to say something.
"Er, that's alright, m-my lord. No one was injured." Jane replied, her voice shaking.
She sat still for a moment, uncertain of what else to say. Jane looked to the other young ladies for relief or some kind of assistance. Anne heaved a deep sigh and looked down before getting up and walking towards Jane. She sat on her knees in front of Jane and folded her hands on her friend's hands.
"Dear Jane, you have to think of something useful to say! It's my brother after all, and you have no trouble talking to me."
"I don't want - I don't know - I, oh Anne! I can't do this! I don't know what I am doing and I don't know why my father brought me here because clearly I have NO prospects in finding a suitable husband for myself! I can't even talk to Henry pretending to be your brother! It's impossible!" Jane wept.
"Oh dear God," Anne sighed and stood up. "I'm going to go talk to my brother. You just sit tight!"
"NO!" Jane shrieked, getting up. "Don't tell him anything!"
"Would you like me to ask him what he thinks of you at least?" Anne asked, looking at Jane with an exasperated expression.
Jane was clinging onto Anne's arm, desperately trying to hold the Boleyn girl back, but Anne dragged them both to the door in the process. William glanced at his wife, an amused look on his face and he was trying his best not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Princess Mary was already laughing, she found she couldn't control herself in this current predicament. Jane stopped fussing and let go of Anne's arm.
"I suppose you can ask him that, but you have to swear you won't say anything about my feelings for him! I JUST want to know what he thinks and what my prospects are."
"Okaaay, Jane! Relax, I'm not going to tell my brother that you fancy him just like that. I'm not that heartless. Let me go find him and at least see what he's up to."
"Let's all go! I want to go back dancing. I've rested well enough now and I think my brother will wonder where we all are." Princess Mary exclaimed, marching towards the door.
"You all go on ahead, I'll catch up with you shortly," Anne said, quickly looking at Henry.
"Alright," Mary B. said, giving her sister a look. "Come on, Will."
"Coming," William chirped, quickly jogging out the door.
Once the room had been cleared, Anne made her way over to Henry and kissed him fervently. He gripped onto her waist and pulled her closer to him, their kisses growing more passionate. Henry pulled her onto the chaise and she straddled him. He helped in lifting her skirts up, revealing her legs which had been smooth to touch. His hand gently slid up her inner thigh, his palm slightly calloused from years of fencing and the like. Henry brought kisses down her neck and bit down on her collarbone. He flipped her over onto her back on the chaise, causing her to laugh. He moved so he was over her and continued caressing her thighs. Just as he was about to make his move, a heavy knock startled both of them. Henry got up, nearly falling over onto the floor as he quickly got up off Anne. She, too, bolted upright, fixing her dress and her appearance.
"Anne!" her father called for her. "Where the devil are you?"
"I'm here, Father! I'll be out in just a moment!" Anne cried, loudly.
"The King has asked to see you, come out now, this instant. We cannot keep the king waiting."
Anne kissed Henry once more on the lips.
"Don't let him see you, Henry. I love you but we have to be careful. I'm so sorry!" Anne whispered. "Wait for a little while before coming back. Be sure no one catches you in here."
"Don't worry about me, just go." Henry murmured, laughing softly.
Anne made her escape and slipped through the door without revealing Henry to her father. Thomas looked at Anne bewildered and shook his head.
"You look flushed, Anne. What on earth were you doing?"
"I was reading, you know how I get when I enjoy a good book."
Thomas rolled his eyes, rather fed up with Anne at this point for always sneaking off and hurried her back to the masquerade along with everyone else. This was one meeting that could NOT go wrong, Thomas would make sure even if it was the last thing he did.
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