FILLOS Elizabeth Tudor: Ancestry of Sorcery

Part 11

September 1542

Hatfield House, Hertfordshire

Kat returned the next morning, an entire day late. I teased her that she had not wanted to return, for her face was alight with something, though I could not tell what.

"What have you been doing?" she said with a tsk when she tied up my petticoat and saw that my face and arms were brown from the sun. "I have not talked with Blanche as of yet, so you will have to tell me."

I had determined to continue playtime with Robert, no matter what Kat had to say.

"I have been playing, Kat. Robert and I have spent every moment of every day together, running and jumping and playing in the mud!" My voice was haughty and my eyes dared her to say anything about it to me.

Her face hardened. "Well, if you think that my absence has changed our relationship to the point that you can speak to me in this manner, you are mistaken, my Lady. I am almost forty years old and I will not be spoken to so disrespectfully, even by the daughter of the king." She did not raise her voice but she did command respect.

I felt ashamed, but not so much as to give in, so I tried a different approach.

"Kat, I am sorry for being disrespectful. You know I love you as well as a mother, but you never let me play. I need it. I like it. It makes me feel free. Daughter of the king or not, I am only nine years old!"

"Yes, you are nine, and that is too old to be rolling around in the mud. I will not hear of it, Elizabeth." Her voice was final and unemotional and I knew that was the end of it, but I protested more anyway.

"Perhaps we can reach a bargain." I looked at her hopefully. She regarded me with straight face but nodded me on. "I will not do anything that will get whatever clothes I am wearing dirty or damaged. That means that I can run and swing and sword fight with Robert. I can still play but not in a messy, childish way. Also it will not conflict with my study time."

I smiled sweetly at her and her face moved a little so I thought that there may be a chance of agreement. The terms sounded perfectly reasonable to me.

After a moment of looking at me, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly and she said, "I shall talk to Blanche and Sir John."

I screamed with pleasure, "Thank you, Kat!" and hugged her tightly around the waist.

"That is not a yes, my Lady," she said and slipped my dress over my head.