The Glove Thief by Beth Flintoff

Author:Beth Flintoff [Flintoff, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781780019932
Publisher: Nick Hern Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ACT TWO

Scene One

BESS 1, MARY 1, SEATON, LIVINGSTON, and CECILY are all seated, sewing.

ROSE 1 stands nearby, ready for instructions. ROSE 2 speaks to the audience.

ROSE 2. So it’s decided that the Queen is gonna have to stay indoors, and everyone pretends it’ll be fine. Personally, if someone kept me a prisoner against my will in a ruddy great castle, stuck in a room with sewers running past the windows, but didn’t actually lock the doors, after ten days of castrating boredom, I reckon I’d start to consider me options.

For example, opening the door, walking out, stabbing a few guards in the face and making a run for it.

Amazingly, she just sits down, and sews.

Silence amongst the women for a while. They sew.

MARY 1. The weather continues mild for the time of year.

BESS 1. Indeed, though Tutbury is plagued by mud from the rain.

Pause.

MARY 1. Did you have much snow this winter?

BESS 1. Thankfully not.

ROSE 2. And this sort of scintillating conversation continues all day long.

Enter ELIZABETH, WALSINGHAM and JOHN LESLEY. They move through the room, unseen by MARY, BESS and the other women.

ELIZABETH. So now she has to be kept indoors?

WALSINGHAM. It is for the best, madam.

ELIZABETH. What does she do all day?

LESLEY. She speaks of her love for you –

ELIZABETH. No, no, what does she actually do?

LESLEY. Um. She sews, madam.

ELIZABETH. Sews?

LESLEY. The practice of embroidery, wherein you take a needle / and –

ELIZABETH. Don’t be an idiot, sir – why? Why does she sew?

LESLEY. She is a passionate embroiderer, Your Grace. She takes great delight in commissioning designs from artists –

ELIZABETH. Designs for what?

LESLEY. Flora and fauna, mostly. For example she stitched a dolphin, using a picture from a book that she had brought with her called Icones Animalium –

ELIZABETH. Describe it to me, this dolphin.

LESLEY. I have the picture.

LESLEY gives the picture to ELIZABETH.

MARY 1. My dear Bess, look at this. (Shows BESS 1 her embroidery.) Do you like it?

BESS 1. It is charming.

What do you think, Rose?

She hands the embroidery to ROSE 1.

ROSE 2. A giant fish, brighter than the sky, with its fin sleek and gleaming, flying through warm seas –

ROSE 1. It’s like it’s there, in front of you.

BESS 1 (pleasantly). Rose is an artist.

Beat. ROSE 1 is astonished.

Show the Queen your hands.

ROSE 1, still baffled, goes to MARY 1, who takes her hands. MARY 1. Yes, yes indeed, beautiful, graceful hands.

BESS 1. Light fingers.

CECILY stifles a giggle. ROSE 1 wonders if she is about to be stitched up.

She is new to us, and shy, but you will find her useful, I think.

MARY 1. What can you draw, Rose?

Beat.

BESS 1 (gently). Speak.

ROSE 1. I don’t think I –

BESS 1. Draw Zenobia.

I think you have it in you.

She hands ROSE 1 a parchment and quill.

ROSE 1, with much hesitation, starts to draw.

ROSE 2. I never held a quill in my life. But I’ve just learnt that I have graceful hands! And suddenly it seems the most important thing in the world that I draw that woman with the spear.

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