The Miracle at St. Bruno's

Of course his marriage to her lasted twenty years and for all that time he remained married to one wife; and then Anne of Cleves who was not at all to his liking. She was the fortunate one. She now enjoys life mightily at Richmond, I believe; and now pretty little Katharine Howard.”

"With whom he is so happy.”

"With whom he was happy. Poor Katharine, rumor has it that she learned a loose way of life in the dormitory she shared with the other girls of her grandmother's household-some lowborn and little more than servants-and that as young as thirteen she had taken a lover. These unscrupulous women found the corrupting of this nobly born young girl's morals an amusing occupation.

It is said that young Katharine had soon formed an immoral association with a musician and that was but a beginning. Afterward she went through a form of marriage with a young man named Francis Dereham. Thus she was no virgin when she married the King although I'll swear she professed to be.”

"Her grandmother is surely the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk?”

"Of a surety she is, and little care she took of her fascinating granddaughter. Poor Katharine! Daughter of a younger son, she was of little account until the King singled her out for notice. Then my Lord Norfolk begins to appreciate his niece, just as he did with that other niece, Anne Boleyn. But you remember how he deserted her when she needed support. I'll swear the fellow is now preparing to desert Katharine.”

"Is Katharine in danger?”

"Unlike Anne, she is really a little fool, Damask. Oh, how differently I should have managed my affairs had I been in her place!”

"Queen Anne could not have managed her affairs with any great skill for they led her to Tower Hill and the executioner's sword.”

"True enough," admitted Kate. "But this is different. Anne could not get a boy and the King was obsessed with the need for a boy.”

I thought of Bruno then. I believed he was obsessed by the desire for a boy. At least, I thought ironically, he could not cut off my head if I failed to provide one.

"He was also enamored of Jane Seymour," went on Kate. This is why Anne lost her head-through circumstances outside her control. It is not quite the same with Queen Katharine Howard. She was loose in her morals, they say; she had several lovers and allowed this to be known by the unscrupulous people of her grandmother's household. I am told that several of them acquired places in her Court because they asked for them with veiled threats and she was perforce obliged to give them to them.”

"And all this has been brought to the King's ears? I was of the opinion that he loved her dearly and if this is so surely he will forgive what she did before he married her.”

"You live in a backwater, Damask. You do not know what goes on. Do you not realize that this country is split by a great religious conflict? Have you ever heard of a man called Martin Luther?”

"Of course I have," I said hotly. "I fancy that my father and I have had more discourse on theology in one week than you ever had in your life. And Bruno and I talk of these matters too.”

"I know your discourse. You would argue the rights and wrongs. I mean not that. This is politics. There is fast growing in this country two great parties-those who support the Catholic Church and those who would reform it. Did you know that Anne Boleyn was growing very interested in the reformed ideas? This brought her many enemies from the Catholic side. Of course, they had always detested her because of the divorce.

How big a part they played in bringing about her downfall we shall not know, but depend upon it they played a part. Now our little Queen Katharine cares not for religion.

She merely wishes to be happy and gay and to keep her royal husband so. But she comes from the Norfolk family-the Duke, her uncle, is a leader of the Catholic party. Cannot you see that those of Reformed party are determined to bring her down? She would not dabble in politics. She would not understand what it is all about. So... they will delve into her past; they will discover that she has lain carnally with several men and may have called herself married to one of them. We are going to see fearful happenings at Court. You may depend upon it, Damask.”

"We must pray for her.”

"Forget not that the Reformed party prays for her destruction. So many prayers coming from Catholics! So many from those who wish for reforms. And all to the same God.

How can they all be answered, Damask?”

I said: "I shall pray for the Queen, not for any form of religion. She is only about our age, Kate. It is tragic. Is she going to lose her head?”

"The Reformed party is beside itself with anxiety. It fears she may not, for the King dotes so much upon her.”

"If this is true the King will never let her go." "I am told that that is what she believes. But she has some powerful minds against her. Archbishop Cranmer has examined her they say, and methinks he will not be a very good friend to her!”