The king strode from our boudoir and went to his councillors as I turned to where Dame Clothilde and Mariposa were warming my underwear at the fireside.
I slipped into my shift and then sat to allow Mariposa to do my hair. She pinned it and swept it up into a coronet of plaits, placing a sweet cap and veil over it.

The gown that hung on the door of the closet seemed overly fancy to me so I decided on something a little less ornate, choosing instead a warm gown of velvet in a rich shade of golden brown. I slipped my feet into a pair of fur lined shoes and wriggled my toes in pleasure at the feel of the warm fur encasing my cold feet.
When I was ready I knelt briefly at the little altar in the corner to spend a moment in prayer.

Just as I raised my head there was a knock at the door.
It was a page, wearing the King's livery, with a message from the king.
The young man bowed gracefully and handed the note to me with a flourish.

I didn't know Henry's hand writing, but since the missive had come via one of his pages, I assumed it was from Henry himself.
The letter was written in English with a pen and ink and folded in four quarters, but bearing no seal or other form of identification.
"Madam" it began, "Please join me at luncheon and a small concert afterwards. Your ladies are welcome to attend if they so desire. Your loving Henry R."

I resisted the impulse to feel annoyed. I had to make a favourable impression on Henry's court and decided an inspection of the kitchens would have to wait. I placed the note in my sleeve pocket and swept out the door, nodding and smiling at Jacques as I passed.
He came to attention, clashing his halberd against his mailed chest and snapping a smart salute. Albeit with a warm smile and a wink from his very blue eyes.

I went on my way with Dame Clothilde at my side, to be met by Lady Theodora Plunkett, one of my ladies of the bedchamber. The English lady curtseyed low to me, so I smiled politely and waited for her to continue on her way .

However that wasn't to be as Lady Theodora was anxious to speak to the new queen of England and was determined to do so. She turned and went back along the passage in step with me, forcing Dame Clothilde to walk behind.

"Your Grace," she began tentatively," did you -er- sleep well last night? "
I looked at her and saw she was blushing. Her face was crimson and there were tears of embarrassment in her eyes.
"Forgive me Your Grace if I seem to be impertinent, but was the King -er- pleased with you? Did he -erm- that is did you er- satisfy him?"
I was amused but forbore to comment as Lady Theodora floundered on.
"The reason I ask is because there are those who see your presence at the king's side as a threat to their security at court. They would stop at nothing to remove you from the King and perhaps even threaten your life."

I stopped dead in my tracks and turned to look right into the scared face of the woman beside me. I realized she was in deadly earnest and was afraid not only for me, but for herself. I decided there and then that Theodora would come to no harm from befriending me and spoke to her as gently as if she was a frightened child.
"Who might "they" be my dear?. Is the King aware of their plots and plans?"
I held Theodora's gaze for a long moment, before glancing around to Dame Clothilde and Mariposa. They had heard Theodora's words and were looking concerned.

Theodora stared back , her tears overflowing down her cheeks. For a moment she
looked as though she was about to elaborate on what she had said, but then she turned away, dropping another curtsey as if to depart, with her face veiled in a handkerchief.

"I am sorry your Grace, to have troubled you with my babblings. Forgive me please." The
young woman said through a fresh flood of tears. " Perhaps I was mistaken and there is no threat to you at all. Its just that Grimalkin was gloating and boasting and I -----"
I stopped her with a hand laid on her wrist. With the other I lifted the sobbing girl's face and looked into her eyes. It was a trick I had learned from my mother that always worked. Theodora's tears abated and her voice became stronger.

"Grimalkin? I asked. "Who is Grimalkin?
A look of distaste flickered over Theodora's face as she gulped away the last of her tears and stood before me and Dame Clothilde, Somehow I believed she had decided to become my friend and felt a rush of warmth towards her.

"Grimalkin is a member of Princess Mary's household. He used to be her mother's jester, but when Queen Kath-- er that is Princess Mary's mother left the court he managed to contrive a position in Mary's service. He isn't well liked at all, bur somehow he learns things-- about people and uses what he knows to make them do what he wants."

I felt a frisson of cold slide down my spine. My memory sped back to the days shortly before my departure from home and Dame Domitilla's words of prophesy.
Grimalkin! The name often given to a black cat or familiar of a witch.

I put my arm through Theodora's and patted her hand reassuringly. This was something
I needed to find out about very quickly, so I steered her to a small with drawing room just along the passage from my boudoir and went in. Dame Clothilde saw the fire was brightly burning and set a couple of snug chairs in front of it, seating herself a little away from us.
Mariposa went to stand guard at the door.

When we were seated I said to Theodora,
"Now come my dear. Tell me all about this Grimalkin and what you heard him say"
She took a deep breath and drew herself together. I silently applauded her courage as she began to speak .
"Grimalkin is a dwarf. If anyone attempts to curb his conduct he whines and whimpers that people are being horrid to him because he is too small to retaliate. Princess Mary keeps him because he once belonged to her mother, but she believes every lie he tells about anyone coming newly to court. Grimalkin speaks Spanish and makes remarks about the people she meets that are rude, but funny and so she laughs instead of chastising him."

"Grimalkin?" I said thoughtfully. "Why is he called by that name? Has he no other?"
Theodora shook her head.
"No, not that I have ever heard. I've heard it said that he was left in a basket at the door of an orphanage and they thought he was ugly enough to be a witch's familiar, so they called him Grimalkin. I don't know if it is true, but he is ugly. Not only in appearance, but in ways and manners. Cruel too", she added, "But only when he thinks no-one is watching.
I saw him snatch a baby's toy from out of its hands one day and he stood laughing at the poor babe's tears. When he saw me watching, he made a show of picking it up and replacing it in the baby's crib. He likes to tease and annoy, but the minute anyone says a word in protest, he runs to Princess Mary's side and hides in her skirts."

I nodded. This was what Dame Domitilla had warned me about. The witch's cat. But what else had she said? If I was to discover his name I would have him right where I wanted him.
That's what I would do then. Somewhere the real name of this strange little man was recorded and I resolved to find it, no matter what or who stood in my way.

I rose to my feet and Theodora stood up, but I caught her by the hand and drew her close to me.
"This person might frighten you, my dear, but take heart. I will discover his secret and vanquish him entirely."
He brown eyes looked trustingly into mine and she drew my hand to her lips to kiss.
"If anyone could do such a thing it would be Your Grace" she said fervently. "Thank you so much for listening to me. I know you to be a true friend and I will keep faith with you."
She slipped out the door and went back along the passage we had come.

Mariposa fixed me with a bright, green-eyed gaze, mischief written all over her face. She curtsied in a quick bob and drew Dame Clothilde into her long armed reach. I knew she had something important to impart and smiled at her in encouragement.

"Milady, I know of this dwarf. He was in the court of Isabella of Castile, Queen Katherine's mother. He was once wed to another such as himself, but she died. Her name was Faustina Ignatia. She died on English soil, although I don't know where. Or where her remains lie, but surely it would give us somewhere to start looking."

I stared at Mariposa. She had an uncanny way of being right where she was needed and I thanked Providence that I had chosen her as my personal maid and not one of the many other eager candidates.

"Right," I declared," This gives us a start. Mariposa, the Grimalkin you speak of may not be the same as the one in Princess Mary's entourage, so we must be sure. Would you know him by sight if you were to see him?"

Mariposa fixed me with her clear, green gaze, but her eyes had become hard. Hard as jade.
"Yes, Milady, I'll know him again. I'm not likely to forget."
There was a menacing note in her voice that bespoke of old wounds and I felt a slight chill as I wondered about the past of this girl who had come into the service of our household in Flanders as a child of ten.
She was sister to Jacques, my guardian and companion since I learned to ride and went out alone nearly every day. That was as much as I knew about her since my mother had accepted Jacques's recommendation and taken the child in as a kitchen maid.

Mariposa gave me a bright smile and curtseyed again.
"When will you seek him out Milady? He goes to church with Princess Mary , but they should be back by now. Then they go to visit the Princess Elizabeth and the baby prince in the nursery. They pass by here on the way." She opened the door as approaching voices
sounded along the passage.

I turned to Dame Clothilde and made for the door. Mariposa opened it wide and I saw who was passing.
Princess Mary, tall and slim, her sleek,dark hair held back with a small frontlet and veil, walked down the passage towards me. She stopped and dropped me a deep, graceful curtsey. Then rose and took my hands in her own.
"Your Grace, this is well met," she said looking into my eyes. " Come with me to visit my sister and brother. They are very young, but they know they have a new mother. They will welcome you most gladly. Elizabeth is six and Edward is three, but they're bonny babes."

I felt an overwhelming sense of warmth at the thought of being a mother to two small children. I murmured something about her generous invitation and fell into step alongside her. Suddenly the dwarf seemed completely irrelevant as my mind focussed on the two little children I was about to meet. What would they think of me? How should I treat them? I resolved to do as my own mother had done and was pleased to think of my own happy childhood.
As we reached the panelled door a shriek of rage came from within.
Mary made a face and said
"Oh dear something has upset Elizabeth . We'd better go and see what's the matter "
and pushed the door open.
To Be Continued