The Miracle at St. Bruno's

"He told us, you may also remember, that plans are afoot to bring these edible roots into the country. They would grow very well here, so why should we be deprived of them? How I should like to make a salad of these things and take it to the Queen...”

She stopped for she remembered that Queen Katharine who had sent to the Low Countries for her salads was now dead. We were all silent. I was remembering how the King and Anne Boleyn had worn yellow as their "mourning" and had danced on the day of Queen Katharine's death. And now Anne herself was dead and Jane was dead and the news was that the King was mightily dissatisfied with his new Queen.

It seemed impossible to speak of any subject without coming back to that one which was in everybody's mind.

But what I wanted was to get away to read Kate's letter.

"I have written to your parents to tell them they must do nothing to prevent your coming to me. I need your company. There was never any state so uncomfortable, humiliating and dull, if it were not enlivened by bouts of misery, as having a child. I swear it shall never happen again.

I want you to come and stay with me. Remus is agreeable. In fact he is eager. He is so delighted at the thought of the child and so proud of himself (at his age!) that he would willingly put up with any tantrum I care to throw and I assure you I throw them constantly. I have been thinking what I can do to relieve the tedium and the misery and I suddenly thought the answer is Damask. You are to come at once.

You will stay until the child is born. Only a matter of weeks now. Make no excuses.

If you don't come I shall never forgive JT you.

Father came to my room. He was holding Kate's letter in his hand.

"Ah," he said, "you know the gist of this, I'll warrant.”

"Poor Kate," I said, "I think she was not meant to bear children.”

"My dearest child, that is what every woman is meant to do.”

"Every woman except Kate," I said. "Well, am I to go?”

"It is for you to say.”

"So I have your permission?”

He nodded. He was looking at me in a quizzical, tender way. Afterward I wondered whether he had a premonition.

"I shall hate leaving you," I told him.

"The birds have to leave the nest at some time.”

"It will not be for very long," I assured him.

The next day Amos Carmen left and I was busy making my preparations. It would be the first time I had been away from home. I looked wryly at my clothes. I guessed they would seem very homely in Kate's grand mansion.

We were to go by barge some ten miles upriver; and there we should be met by members of the Remus household. I should take two maids with me and torn Skillen would be in charge of the barge. Then our baggage would be put onto pack mules and horses which would be waiting to take us to the Remus Castle.

I was so excited and eager to see Kate again. It was true that without her and Keziah-as she used to be in the old days-life "was a little drab. Then there was Bruno whom in my heart I knew I missed more than any. I often wondered why. He had seemed so remote to me and I had often thought that it was only rarely that he remembered my existence. But I, no less than Kate, had felt this strong emotion for him-in Kate it was an imperious desire for his company; in me a kind of awed respect. Kate demanded it while I was glad when it came my way. I was eager for the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table while Kate was seated at it as if she were supping there.

The day before I was due to leave Amos Carmen came back to the house. I came upon him with Father. They were standing by the stone parapet near the river in earnest conversation. "Ah," said my father. "Here is Damask. Come here, daughter.”

I looked from one to the other; I knew at once that they had something on their minds and I cried anxiously: "What is it?”

My father said: "You may trust this girl with your life.”

"Father," I cried, "why do you say that?”

"My child," he said, "we live in dangerous times. Tonight our guest will be on his way. When you are in the household of Lord Remus perhaps you should not mention that he visited us.”

"No, Father," I said.

They were both smiling placidly, and I was so excited at the prospect of my visit to Kate that I forgot what their words might have implied.

The next day I set out. Father and Mother with Rupert and Simon Caseman came down to the privy stairs to wave me off. Mother asked me to take note of how the gardeners at Remus dealt with greenfly and what herbs they grew and to find out if there were any recipes of which she had not heard. Father held me against him and bade me come home soon and to remember that in Kate's house I was not at home and to guard well my tongue. Rupert asked me to come home soon and Simon Caseman looked at me with a strange light .in his eye as though he were half exasperated with me, half amused.

But he implied at the same time that his great desire was to make me his wife.

I waved to them from the barge and I sent up a silent prayer that all would be well until my return.