The Boleyn Reckoning by Andersen Laura

Author:Andersen, Laura [Andersen, Laura]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION
ISBN: 9780345534132
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2014-07-14T16:00:00+00:00

By the time Minuette appeared in his privy chamber for dinner, William’s restless mood had swung from his earlier enjoyment to a more usual melancholy. Dominic had been so very solemn earlier—not that he was ever a beacon of cheer—and though William had been moved by Dominic’s words of confidence and trust, he was also perversely struck by self-doubt. A condition only Dominic had ever been able to induce.

Every time he’d closed his eyes this last week, he had seen his aunt’s face in the darkness. Jane Boleyn had never been a favorite of his—the duchess was not a woman to endear herself to children—but nevertheless she had been part of that inner circle of family that was now so perilously small. When Minuette entered the softly lit chamber, romantic with candles and flowers, William asked abruptly, “Do you remember the incident in the gardens at Blicking Hall?”

For one moment she seemed startled. Then remembered laughter lit her eyes. “Oh dear, we were far too mischievous for our own good. I remember distinctly how very angry Lady Rochford was at the beheading of her tulips.”

“And I remember you saying most solemnly to my aunt, ‘But when one is fighting a dragon, there are likely to be innocent casualties.’ Right before my aunt repossessed our wooden swords.”

“This has been a most difficult week for you. I wish I could make it better.” Beneath the laughter, understanding lurked in Minuette’s voice. She sat next to him at the circular table filled with delicacies that held no appeal for William. All he wanted was the wine, and he’d had more than one cup already.

He took Minuette’s hand, caressing her fingers as he studied her face. She’d looked so drawn since Hatfield, her brightness dimmed and uncertain. But her beauty was all the greater for it, especially the gold-green eyes that shone luminous in the candlelight.

“You make everything better, sweetling.” But better didn’t necessarily mean easy, just easier to live with. There was no avoiding the fact that Jane Boleyn had died at the hands of William’s executioner. Though he did not regret the punishment, he did regret its necessity. If only his aunt had stayed out of his marital plans, then he would not be plagued by memories of her sculptured face and sharp tongue while imagining how she’d changed as prison broke her in body and spirit.

“I am told she made a good end,” William said. “Left her blessing on me and England. Apologized for her offenses.”

Minuette sat silent for long minutes while William brooded and caressed her hand with his fingertips. When she spoke, it was soft and far away, almost as though she were talking to herself. “I know what it is to be haunted by one’s actions. I never told you …”

And now she faced him fully, her eyes alive but wary. “I’ve never told anyone this. Only Dominic knows, and that is because he was there. When Giles Howard died at Framlingham, it was not Dominic who killed him.

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