The Pearl of Great Price Part II

Chapter 41: Gambits

The respite of peace did not come until the deaths of Lady Rochford and Catherine Howard. It's true what they say. No one mourns the wicked. Instead, their deaths serve as a loss that teaches a lesson about the value of things. And so it was the same with the beheadings of the lady and the once child Queen.

During her time spent in the Tower of London, Lady Rochford suffered a mental breakdown. The woman had not been tortured. Although Charles would have welcomed that due to the torture she had put his family through. But since the lady had the breakdown, it initially meant she could not be tried for her role in the Queen's supposed affair.

The quick-thinking King quickly implemented a new law. One that allowed for the execution of the insane should they be charged with high treason, which Lady Rochford had been found guilty of. No matter what, it seems the vile woman could not weasel her way out of the punishment.

When the day of death arrived, a physically weakened Catherine was hauled to the scaffold first. The girl had asked to see the head block the day before and stayed up into the night practicing how to place her head on it. It was a quick death, as far as executions go. The former Queen asked the people gathered around to pray for her. She made a small, quiet speech regarding her 'worthy and just punishment.' Then the girl prayed for His Majesty's preservation and for God's forgiveness. Afterward, the rose without a thorn was executed. The executioner took off her head with one blow. It was painless. Later, she was buried in the Tower of London's parish church, close to the body of her cousin Anne Boleyn.

Next came the death of Lady Jane Rochford--- a woman guilty of utter stupidity in action. When she was brought to the scaffold, the lady was in a frenzy until she died. She made a rather lengthy discourse naming several faults that she had committed before resigning herself to the executioner. When it was over, her head was taken to London Bridge for display. Her body was buried in the royal chapel within the Tower. The slander of this woman is forever rampant, and she was known as the wicked woman who craved vice.

Sitting on the shaded terrace at the summer home in Cardigan, Dot declared, "It serves her right in death. Jane Rochford was nothing more than a horrible woman who only thought of herself. Her place with both her cousins is fitting because they are the same. As in life, so in death."

The executions ended no sooner than Charles, Mary, and their friends packed up and left the palace. Eager to escape death and London's stench, the Brandons rode straight to Cardigan. All of their close friends joined them a few days after. While the men went deep sea fishing, the women stayed behind and busied themselves in the art of relaxation.

Paisley agreed. "It's true. A person's sharp tongue most usually ends up cutting their own throat. In Lady Rochford and the girl queen's case, their actions and lies did them in." She stirred the sugar cubes in her tea.

While the women pondered this, Mary moved to change the subject. "Since we're all together, this would be an excellent time to review product formulations. It's also the perfect scenario to dream up new ones." Her hand reached for a chocolate biscuit.

Of course, the ladies deferred to her. So the quartet sat around the table, dreaming up new configurations and remarking about the consistency of old ones. They had all agreed that gardenia and peony should be added to make a new type of product. Especially since the flowers smell divine. The women had just discussed the merits of sugar added to products and the possibilities of what that ingredient could do. No sooner had they decided to try it as a type of scrub than the men reappeared.

Charles, Edward, Tony, and William sat with their respective ladies. But it was Charles who pulled his wife up from her chair and had her sit on his lap. This act earned him a squeak and a swat to his arm. After nuzzling her neck, he called for a round of fine wine, bread, cheese, and fruit. The other couples enjoyed seeing the love their Prince and Princess hold for each other, noting how stable and dissimilar it was from the King of England. Not for the first time; it made them wonder what life would be like under their rule. All knew it would be vastly different than current times.