The Pearl of Great Price Part II

Chapter 28: Confrontations

With the opening of a new month, the worst of winter began to thaw. The world started to wake itself again, blossom by colorful blossom. Nature resumed its loveliness. It was revived and renewed just like the King. His Majesty was better save for a few aches in his legs and a bandage on his right wrist.

Henry was out and about and feeling good. He returned to his kingly duties reclaiming them from Charles, who gladly gave them back. Although he could not write due to his wrist injury, Henry still had Charles research and scribe for him. The man was glad to be alive and out of the confines of his chambers. His first order of business was to dote on his pregnant wife, and he counted the days to the royal birth. Spring was alive and well in his heart, despite his erratic moods, which waxed and waned like the moon at night.

For all accounts and purposes, the man was completely oblivious to all the movements behind the scenes. And the things going on are many. First of all, the Archbishop's investigation has now headed into a treasonous territory. Questions have arisen about whether the Queen's family knew of her past indiscretions. If members of the Howard family were privy to any of this information, they undoubtedly kept the matter conveniently concealed. Catherine had suddenly become the golden goose to use to their advantage. No matter what, they would reclaim and hold power at any cost.

However, this scandal can potentially change the fortunes of the Howards and the Duke of Norfolk himself. Do they not realize how serious the consequences would be for them if they were found to have purposely concealed knowledge of Catherine's sexual past? Do they not care about the impact and effects of this on the kingdom at large? And more importantly, what do they know about the pre-contract between the Queen and her secretary Dereham?

Archbishop Cranmer and Edward Seymour had another witness come forward about Catherine's time with her Dowager Duchess grandmother. This time another first-hand account was given in the form of Margaret Benet. She told Cranmer, "I looked through a hole in the door and saw Catherine and Francis Dereham having relations."

The lady further said, "Her clothes were above her navel, and I saw her naked body." Benet added that Dereham said to Catherine that although he used the company of women, he would not get her pregnant. According to Benet, Catherine is alleged to have replied, A woman may meddle with a man and not conceive.

Archbishop Cranmer takes these admissions of witnesses as proof that Queen Catherine was ruined at the time of her marriage to the Kind of England. These eyewitness accounts make things more complicated. It further raises the question of treason because it brings to the forefront that Catherine knew of her status at the time of marriage. So, armed with this knowledge, the investigation began looking into the Queen's private life at court. In the words of Edward Seymour, "What a mess." And he hasn't even started investigating the claims of false pregnancy that Lady Dorothy Knivert set forth.

But Dot is not waiting for the Duke of Somerset. She's been thinking about the Queen's fake pregnancy and planning her next steps. While she would love to confront the girl about it, her thoughts have taken her in an entirely different direction. There's no stinking way the little idiot is doing this by herself. Oh, no, no, no! The child queen has had help to pull this off because she's too immature and too frivolous to think of it on her own. If the Queen's doing something big and stupid, like faking a pregnancy, she'll have some big, foolish help to do so. And who is more significant and idiotic than Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford?

Dot laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. The woman, Lady Rochford, has taken great pangs to repair her damaged reputation. She lied under oath about her husband. She aided in his execution, knowing the man did nothing he was accused of. It's shameful! Though Lady Rochford has fewer finances than when she was married, it's still been enough to keep her as a noblewoman at the royal court.