Jean Plaidy - The Murder in the Tower: The Story of Frances, Countess of Essex

In the play was a youth so handsome, so full of vitality that whenever he was present he attracted the attention of everyone. It was rare that anyone possessed such good looks; there was only one other man at the Court who was so outstandingly handsome; and that was Robert Carr.

The King leaned forward in his chair and watched the play with more interest than it deserved. Or was it the play he watched?

He turned to one of his gentlemen and said: “Tell me, what is the name of yon lad?”

It was impossible to answer the question for the youth was so obscure that his name was not widely known.

“Find out and tell me,” commanded James.

The gentleman of whom he had asked the question hurried off and a few minutes later returned.

“His name is George Villiers, Your Majesty.”

“George Villiers,” repeated James, slowly as though he wished to memorize it.

Many people noted the incident, some with apprehension, others with glee.

Could it mean anything? Could it be made to mean anything?

Perhaps not, for the King did not ask that George Villiers be brought to him; and when he left the Clare Hall, where the piece had been played, he leaned very affectionately on the arm of Robert Carr.

On returning from Cambridge, Lord Pembroke, who had noticed the King’s passing interest in young George Villiers, went to see the Queen.

Anne had always been friendly with Pembroke and when he asked for an audience, it was readily granted.

Pembroke found her playing with her frisky miniature greyhounds, which she held by a crimson cord; the ornamental collars about their necks, embossed in gold with the letters A.R., branded them as royal dogs.

“Ah, my lord,” she said. “I trust I see you well. You are recently come from the Cambridge revels, I believe.”

She pouted with annoyance; she had not been invited to the revels. Rarely had a Queen of the realm been so insulted. But what could one expect when the King gave his attention to handsome young men; and the worst of them all was Robert Carr, who she would always believe had had a hand in the death of her darling son.

She was ready to weep at the thought, and anger shone from her usually mild eyes.

“I came at once to Your Majesty, because I knew you would wish to hear of the revels.”

“I’ll swear you were surrounded by Howards.”

“Your Majesty is right. There were scarcely any women present but Howard women.”

“And Lady Somerset?”

“Flaunting her beauty as usual.”

“I never liked her. They make a good pair.”

“Your Majesty, there was a play.”

“A play. Was it good? They know how I love plays and pageants. Do you not think, my lord, that Suffolk should be reprimanded for so insulting me? Not to ask the Queen! Has any Queen ever been treated thus before, think you?”

“Your Majesty’s good friends were alert in her interests.”

“And what saw they? What heard they?”

“In the play, Your Majesty, there was a very handsome young man.”

“Another?”

“This one was every bit as handsome as Somerset, I swear it.”

“And the pretty’s nose was out of joint?”

“I do not think he noticed, Your Majesty. He has become so sure of himself.”

“He is too sure, my lord. He will discover that one day.”

“Perhaps sooner than he believes possible, Your Majesty?”

“What did you discover, my lord?”

“The King asked his name.”

Anne nodded.

“Moreover,” went on Pembroke, “he insisted on its being supplied to him.”

“And the name?”

“George Villiers.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

“Your Majesty, it occurred to me as I watched the play that you might conceivably hear a great deal of that name.”

“What plans are you hatching, Pembroke?”

“If we could replace Somerset with our man …”

Anne’s eyes were gleaming. What a glorious revenge that would be on Somerset!

“And you think it possible?” she asked quickly. “You know how he dotes on that man.”

“I think that with grooming we might do something. This boy Villiers struck me as being one of the few who might in time oust Somerset from his place.”

“Is he so handsome?”

“He reminds me of that head of St. Stephen—the Italian model, Your Majesty will remember.”

“Here in Whitehall—I know it well. Is he as beautiful as that?”

“I think Your Majesty will agree with me that he is when you see him.”

“What do you propose to do?”

“Bring him to Court, train him in the way he should go and, when the time is ripe, persuade Your Majesty to present him to the King.”

Anne started to laugh. She picked up one of the dogs and held it against her neck.

“Replace one pretty by another!” she said. “Well, providing my lord Somerset loses his arrogance, that will please me. Keep an eye on this Villiers, my lord; and bring him to me. I should like to see him for myself.”

After the visit to Cambridge, Frances felt a little better; it always did her good to get away from London, for in London there was too much to remind her. It was hardly likely that she would be followed to Cambridge by some impecunious person who would assure her of all he or she had done to help the Countess to her present state. So at Cambridge she had tried to forget her fears and had joined with her mother and sisters in the gaiety of the occasion; and feeling so much better she began to review her situation with less nervousness. Why should she be afraid of these people who were after all so humble! If she could tell Robert, their importunings could be stopped tomorrow; but of course she could not tell Robert.

But there was one whom she could tell; her great-uncle Northampton. He would understand, old rogue that he was; and he would tell her what to do.

Having returned to London she decided to visit her great-uncle in his house at Charing Cross.

When she arrived she was told that the Earl was in the Houses of Parliament where she knew stormy debates were taking place at this time, for many of the ministers still clung to their determination to drive the Scottish favorites back beyond the Border. Northampton was putting up a great fight against them. He had no intention of allowing Robert to be sent out of London, since his fortune and that of the Howards was bound up in Robert Carr. Frances felt calm only to think of that. There was a power about her great-uncle which was invincible.

“He will be coming by barge, my lady,” one of the servants told her. “You will see him arrive ere long.”

Frances said she would go into the garden and watch for his arrival.

The hot June sun shone on the flowery pyramids of loose strife on the river bank and it was pleasant to listen to the lap of oars in the water as the boats passed along. Frances felt more at peace than she had for a long time. How foolish she had been to worry; how stupid to give way to these people who made so many demands! Why had she not thought of asking for her great-uncle’s help before this? He would know what to do.

She had strolled down to the river’s edge and seeing his barge, hurried to the privy stairs to greet him.

But what had happened? They were carrying him; his face was so white that he did not look like himself at all.

“What happened?” she cried. “Is my Lord ill?”

They did not answer her; they were intent on carrying Northampton ashore.

They said he was dying, but Frances did not believe it; she dared not believe it. She was becoming hysterical at the thought because she had made up her mind that he alone could help her.

She knew that he had a wennish tumor in his thigh; but so many elderly people suffered from such things. Now it seemed it had grown so large and was giving such pain that when he had collapsed in the House he had decided to have an operation. Felton, his surgeon, was coming to Charging Cross at once to perform it, because it was feared that if it were not done it would cost the Earl his life.

He will soon be well, Frances soothed herself. Then he will tell me what I must do.

It was said that when Felton cut open the wen in the Earl’s thigh such poison burst forth that Felton himself was likely to die from the very contamination.

As for the Earl he lay on his bed and knew that the end had come.

“There is now no need,” he said, “for me to keep my religion a secret. Send for a priest that I may have Extreme Unction.”

When the priest had gone Frances went to his bedside and knelt there. But the eyes which looked at her were glazed and almost unrecognizing.

She wanted to say: You cannot go like this. You are involved even as I am. You must stay and help me.

But there were others about the bed and how could she talk of such secrets in front of them?

“This is the end,” said Northampton. “Who would have thought I should die of a poisonous wen? Bury me in the Castle Chapel at Dover forgetting not that I died Warden of the Cinque Ports. A long procession will leave London and make its way across Kent to the coast, and that will be the last journey of Northampton.”

“Great-uncle,” whispered Frances, “do not say that. You will recover. You must.”

He peered at her. “Who is that then? Frances … ah, the wayward one! But Robert will care for her. Care for each other, Frances.”

“You must not die … yet,” she cried.

But his breathing was becoming rapid and his eyes were glazed.

Now he did not see her at all. He was preparing to make his last journey to Dover.

They had covered his body with a pall of velvet on which lay a white cross and by the light of candles, his gentlemen took turns to watch over him through the night.

They talked of him in whispers while they watched. It was awe inspiring that one who such a short time ago had been a power in the land was now no more.

In her apartments Frances wept and Robert tried to comfort her.

“You must not weep so, my love,” he said. “He was a great man, but old; and death is something we must all come to.”

But what could Robert know? He believed she wept for love of the old man; he could not guess that fear of facing the future without his help terrified her.

Frances was angry with herself. What had happened to her? She had always been bold, going after what she wanted and caring nothing for the consequences. Why should she be so afraid because a man had died in the Tower?

She was feeling stronger and her old vitality was returning to her. She would continue to pay these people but she would let them know that if they attempted to get more than what she considered their dues she would find some means of making them sorry.