The Unsuspected Spy

Chapter 7 October 4th 1583

Frances wakes up bright and early. It's Saturday, Frances loved Saturdays because they were the days her mother brought her new books and cyphers to practice with and she was able to spend the whole day in her room working on her cyphers. She had been working on the cypher to show her father, perfecting it in every way. She waited happily on her bed before she heard her mother's familiar knock on the wooden door. Frances jumped up quickly and ran over to the door, covering herself with her robe. She opens the door carefully and smiled brightly at her mother. "Do you have some new ones for me?" The young girl smiled brightly to her mother.

"Of course I do, it's a Saturday morning." Ursula chuckled at her eager daughter and came into her room. She took the cyphers to her desk and smiled. "There are some more that will be a bit more challenging for you. But some that are more for repetition." The woman said to her child.

Frances nodded eagerly. "Okay, is that all? Can I be excused for the day? I do not wish to see anyone else. I'll even deal with anyone you want tomorrow but please mother." She begged. Not wanting to see Philip especially, quite nervous as to what he would do. She did wish to see James though, she couldn't help that she couldn't get him out of her head.

"Fine, fine, but you better be ready for a long day tomorrow, you know how long your father can be on Sundays. Philip will also be staying for a few more days, so he will be there as well and I expect you to behave." Her mother said looking at Fances.

Frances laughed, "Only if he bloody well behaves himself. He's insufferable mother." Frances said exasperated. She laid on her bed. Ursula rolled her eyes looking at her.

"Frances, you will need to learn to tolerate him. He is going to be around much more often and you will have to deal with him. I'm sorry Frankie." She said looking at Frances. "I'll talk to you later dear okay?" Frances made a mumble and Ursula left. Frances sat up rubbing her eyes tiredly, knowing her mother only called her Frankie on occasion from her getting older. Frances missed the nickname, wishing things weren't changing so much.

Frances pulled herself out of bed and over to her desk, she heard footsteps coming towards her room and they were that of a man. She quickly panicked, thinking it was Philip. Her fears were luckily wrong as James knocked on the door and came in slowly, holding a tray of breakfast for her. "Miss? I brought you something to eat." He said softly, a kind and beautiful smile on his face. Frances loved that smile more than anything.

"Thank you James, and thank you again for coming to my rescue last night as well." Frances said to him thankfully and with a kind and gentle smile, her heart fluttering a bit. James just nodded and smiled. He bowed and left, having to do many things in the mornings.

Frances never knew much of James's duties, but she was always curious what each servant really did. She began to think up a plan, one that she could spend a whole day with the servants, especially James. Then, an idea popped into her head, she was almost sixteen years of age, meaning that she would be potentially married off soon. But, as the woman of the house, you were in charge of the servants and making sure their duties are done correctly. How else would Frances know about servant's duties without learning. She knew exactly what she could do. She began to plan out a day where she could get out of something she especially dreaded to do this.

Frances was a very clever girl, she always had been, getting it from her mother and father. Frances was the youngest surviving child of her family. Her older brothers were often gone and not usually around so Frances was pretty much an only child. She had a younger sister but she died from a sickness. Frances was 9 years old when her sister died at age 7. Frances also was in France at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, one of the most bloody and violent times of French history. At the time her father was the French Ambassador and was there on business. Frances and Ursula had gone along, not expecting the effects that soon came to happen. Frances was quite young but the memories constantly haunt her dreams. The whole massacre lasted for so long, the streets had pools of blood, people marching with the heads of killed people on the poles. The screams of fear and pain were heard regularly. Frances feared that her father would be killed, or that all of them would be killed, while Ursula was pregnant with Mary at the time. Every time her father went out of the safety within doors, he was surrounded by royal guards to protect him. She always had the fear that it would be the last time she saw her father.

Eventually Frances and Ursula were able to escape from France and return back to their homes in England. Sir Francis was soon able to return after things had been calmed and back to order. Even though it was done the effects remained on Frances constantly. In her dreams she relived the memories but with twisted turns that her mind created. She could still remember the screams and the things she heard each night trying to fall asleep. When she was growing up there were many times she came running to her parents room sobbing and quite afraid. She was never the same after being there during such a violent time. Being there for this also caused her to hate violence, and what it could do to everyone involved.

The young girl stayed within her room through the whole day, only leaving for meals but avoiding Philip at all costs. She worked on the cyphers throughout the day, not letting anyone know what she was truly up to. The cyphers had to be perfect, she had to prove to her father that she wasn't a child anymore, and that women can be just as brilliant as men, and can work for her majesty other than helping her dress while at court.

Later in the evening, James brought in a letter for Sir Francis that had information regarding everyone in the family. Everyone was called to the great room and reluctantly Frances carried herself out of bed and down to the great room. Her father had a smile on his faces, waiting for her to arrive. When Frances finally made it there her father spoke happily and with a voice that Frances didn't usually hear. "We have been called to court, her majesty wishes for your company Frances. She took quite a liking to you when you were last at court and wishes for all of us to be there again. As well as you Philip she requests you accompany us there. She says that your uncle wishes to speak to you. We will be leaving Tuesday as she requests our presence immediately. Make sure that you have everything you may need to stay as long as she wishes us." He smiled at Frances. Ursula was quite excited as well, she loved to take Frances to experience the world and to teach her about being in court. She also loved the idea of finding the perfect husband for Frances, which Frances absolutely hated the idea of. Frances tried to act as excited as possible for her parent's sake. She was quite tired and quite hated the idea of leaving home again, knowing that her nightmares would be worse while away somewhere she hadn't been in quite some time. But she did have things that she could look forward to, spying and learning information from the other women of the court. She knew that this would be a perfect opportunity to find out information and prove to her father she was good.

She made her way back up to her room, climbing into bed and looking up at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. She listened to the crickets and night creatures outside and the dying fire crackling in the fireplace. She closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.