Chapter 78: A Wife's Duty
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Banned
Chapter 78: A Wife’s Duty
November, 1611
The door opened and Henry walked in, dressed in some colourful clothing that David Murray had chosen for that day’s entertainment. Henry took off his top and threw it onto the floor, he then sat in the chair opposite her. He exhaled.
“How was it?” Anna Maria asked.
Anna’s husband looked at her and sighed. “I…I couldn’t stand it.”
Anna frowned. “Why?” Her husband had been in the celebratory mood when he’d arrived at Whitehall from Edinburgh earlier this week. They’d sung, danced and drunk, and in their private quarters they’d made love. But now, now Henry looked exhausted.
“I don’t want to keep doing this. I feel like a bloody puppet, dressed up for everyone else’s attention.” Henry said.
Anna wanted to say something about how this was all being done because the King wanted to celebrate Henry, to celebrate his son who had achieved something nobody else had been able to. But looking at Henry, and seeing just how drained he seemed, she thought better of it. Instead, she asked. “What would you rather be doing?”
“I want to be with you and with our son.” Henry said. “I don’t want to be paraded around like a bloody goose for slaughter. I want to be with my family.”
Anna took Henry’s hand in hers then and said earnestly. “Then let’s get away from here. After the funeral. Let’s go to Richmond or to Woodstock. Let’s just get away from here.” From court, from London, from it all.
The look in Henry’s eyes then broke her heart. He looked terrified and lost. “I want nothing more than that my love. But I can’t go.”
Anna frowned. “Why?” She asked.
Henry sighed, and Anna could hear tiredness and grief mixed together in that simple action. “The King wants me to be part of the council deliberations over something to do with the Polish Russian War.”
“Ah.” Anna said. She could understand that. She had some things she could say to help Henry on the matter, but looking at him now, she decided to put that to one side, and instead said. “We can always go to Woodstock after that. After all, how long could the King debate such a thing for?” English involvement in that war wasn’t severe, at least not that Anna knew of.
“I hope so.” Henry said. Her husband cleared his throat then and added. “He wants me to stay at Whitehall to talk about things as well. With Carr.” The way Henry said the word Carr, made Anna wince. Her husband did not like the man.
“What about?” Anna asked.
“I have a feeling it might have something to do with the fact that I nearly hit the man today.” Henry said.
“What?!” Anna exclaimed shocked. She knew her husband didn’t like Carr, but that was going a bit far surely?
“I overheard him saying something bad about Robert, and so I got close to him and would have punched him if not for William Cecil.” Henry said.
“What was he saying?” Anna asked. Wondering what it was that could have riled her husband up quite so badly.
“It doesn’t bear repeating.” Henry said in a manner that indicated that no matter how much she pressed him, he wouldn’t elaborate, so Anna changed tack.
“So, will you be better behaved this time?” Anna asked.
Henry snorted. “Yes. I know not to attack Carr whilst my father can see me.”
“Henry!” Anna exclaimed.
“What?” Henry replied. “It’s true. Carr is an idiot and I don’t understand what my father sees in him. He favours Carr over others more deserving of such a favour. For heaven’s sake, we’re going to be attending Robert’s funeral in St Paul’s Cathedral because of Carr! Westminster Abbey is where Robert’s funeral should be. Not in bloody St Paul’s.”
Her husband’s voice had become more strained as he had spoken, until it sounded as if it were going to break. Anna squeezed his hand and whispered. “You don’t know that he had anything to do with it.” At least she hoped that was true, otherwise she’d go and deal with Carr herself.
“He did. I know he did.” Henry said.
“How?” Anna asked.
“Suffolk’s son told me about it. Apparently Carr and Robert’s wife Frances are a thing now. He promised her he would ensure that there was no proper funeral. He suggested St Paul’s.” Henry replied.
“Carr and Frances are together?!” Anna exclaimed horrified. She thought Frances had better taste.
“Apparently so.” Henry said, his voice filled with disgust.
“I promised Robert before we went into battle that I would protect Frances. But how can I protect her from herself?” Henry asked. He looked at her his eyes beginning to water. “I won’t be able to look Robert in the eyes now.”
“What do you mean?” Anna asked confused.
Henry exhaled shakily. “Every time at night when I close my eyes, I see Robert, as he was before he was killed. I see him asking me to protect Frances, and to protect his sister. And every time I promise that I will.”
Tears started to fall from Henry’s eyes. “I can’t do that now. I’ve failed him. Just as I failed to keep him alive.”
Anna’s heart broke then, and she got up and moved to her husband and pulled him to her chest. “You haven’t failed him, Henry. You haven’t.”
“I have.” Henry murmured against her chest. “If Frances is with Robert Carr, then I’ve failed.”
“You haven’t. We can make sure nothing further happens between them.” Anna said. She was sure of it. She’d get Catherine and the other ladies onto the case.
“How?” Henry asked.
He pulled back and looked at her through red eyes. “How?”
Anna looked at him and exhaled, then replied. “Leave that to me. I will make Robert Carr suffer.” And she meant every word of that. Carr would rue the day he’d dared hurt her husband. She could promise him that.
