All at once Frances understood. The King had sanctioned this – ordered it, even. He had bided his time these past three years, waiting until the duke was so universally despised that nobody would think it amiss if an officer in his army decided to avenge Buckingham’s many sins in an act of summary justice.
‘What will become of him?’ Frances asked, hoping that even now Felton was aboard a ship bound for the Continent, where he could live out his days in safe obscurity.
‘He has already been arrested and brought to London.’ Charles’s face was ashen, his voice faltering. ‘He did not attempt to flee. There was such confusion that he might easily have made his escape, as . . .’
As we had planned.
‘But he remained there, steadfast, and was seized by one of the duke’s men,’ the King finished.
Her husband tightened his grip on her shoulders, as if willing her not to react. She stared at Charles in disbelief. Surely he would not see his faithful servant hanged for carrying out his wishes. The look on his face made her blood run cold, despite the stifling heat of the chamber. At that moment, she knew. Felton had knowingly surrendered his own life to end Buckingham’s. Frances understood that, as a man of conscience, he could not have hidden from his crime as the King had no doubt urged him. Tears sprang to her eyes and she saw that Kate, too, was struggling to master her emotions.
‘I will leave you to your grief,’ the King said softly, resting his hand lightly on Kate’s arm as he rose. ‘But, please, draw comfort from the knowledge that I will always protect and support you – your children too,’ he added, glancing at the cradle.
As if prompted, the baby gave a small, fretful cry. Kate was on her feet at once. She swept a deep curtsy as the King and Thomas made to depart. Frances’s eyes met her husband’s briefly before he bent to kiss her hand, then followed his royal master from the room.
The sound of the door closing echoed into silence. Frances watched as Kate rearranged her son’s coverlet, then walked slowly back to her. Tears were streaming down their faces as they gazed at each other. It was over.
‘Felton cannot be pardoned, can he?’ Kate murmured. ‘Even though he was carrying out the King’s wishes – the nation’s too.’
Frances stroked a stray tendril of hair that was clinging to her friend’s cheek. ‘May God preserve him – in the next life, if not in this,’ she said, then moved to embrace her.
‘Let us pray for him – and for my husband’s soul,’ Kate said, when at last her sobs had subsided.
Frances stared at her friend, humbled by her goodness and mercy. Then they sank to their knees and closed their eyes. As Kate began to murmur the words of the prayer, imploring God to forgive her husband’s manifold sins, Frances was filled with a profound sense of peace, such as she had not experienced since coming to court. She closed her eyes and mouthed her thanks, for she knew, with a searing certainty, that the old King’s angel had fallen into Hell.
Acknowledgements
With each of the novels in this trilogy, my debt of gratitude to my wonderful editor, Nick Sayers, increases. He has been a gentle, steady source of guidance and inspiration throughout and has been a joy to work with. I am also deeply thankful to my amazing agent, Julian Alexander, for all of his insights and wisdom, both in shaping the book and helping me keep a sense of perspective. My US editor, George Gibson, has provided another steady hand on the tiller, and I am so grateful for his sage judgement and experience.
The supporting team at Hodder have, as ever, been fantastic. Hazel Orme has done another wonderful job with the copyedit, and Will Speed has designed a stunning cover. Huge thanks are again due to Becca Mundy and Caitriona Horne, as well as Amy Batley, and to John Mark Boling at Grove Atlantic. I have also been lucky enough to have the support of the Soho Agency, in particular the ever-efficient Ben Clark and Isabelle Wilson.
In researching the novel, I was able to draw upon the work of numerous scholars. These include Deborah Roil and Melita Thomas of Tudor Times, whose excellent Tudor Book of the Garden provided invaluable material on contemporary herbs and medicine. Benjamin Woolley vividly evokes Buckingham’s character in The King’s Assassin and also provides intriguing evidence that he may indeed have poisoned his royal master to death. Ronald Hutton is the author of several seminal works on the period in general and witchcraft in particular. His latest book, The Witch, is one of the finest. I am also deeply indebted to my fellow historians Alison Weir, Sarah Gristwood, Nicola Tallis and Kate Williams for their continued support and encouragement.
My research took me to a range of archives, libraries and historic sites, and I would like to extend particular thanks to the staff of The National Archives, The British Library, Calke Abbey and Historic Royal Palaces. I am also thankful to colleagues and members of Historic Royal Palaces who have been kind enough to read and give feedback on the other novels in this trilogy. I do hope they will enjoy this one too. I would particularly like to mention the Hampton Court legend that is Ian Franklin, whose knowledge of the palace and its residents is both encyclopaedic and inspirational. Also James Peacock, who alongside his duties at the palace finds time to run the wonderful Anne Boleyn Society. I value their support and friendship greatly.
As with all of my previous books, fiction and non-fiction, my friends and family have been fantastic throughout. Stephen Kuhrt was again the first person to read this novel (in weekly instalments, as before) and his wonderfully positive and timely feedback gave me the confidence to keep going – even on the days when sorting out my paperclips seemed a more alluring prospect. On the other side of the Atlantic, the enthusiastic feedback and encouragement of my friend and colleague Susan Mathieson has meant a great deal. I was chuffed to bits that my lovely friend and fellow Hull alumni Alice Burton chose The King’s Witch as one of her all-time favourite novels and do hope she’ll approve of this latest one.
Heartfelt thanks go to my parents for their steadfast support, which has extended beyond just childcare and now covers pet management. I am also deeply grateful to my sister Jayne for being such a cheerleader for my books and other work. Finally, huge thanks to my wonderful husband for all of his help and encouragement, and to my daughter for asking questions to which I rarely know the answer.
Author’s note
As with the first two books of this trilogy, my narrative is based upon real events and characters. I have stayed as close to the known facts as possible, weaving in quotes from original sources where appropriate.
The last ten years of James I’s reign were just as turbulent as those that had gone before. Although there was no repeat of the Gunpowder Plot or anything on that scale, the Catholic threat remained very real. The legislation introduced after 1605 had driven most Catholics underground but their networks were still strong. The prospect that Arbella Stuart might make fresh trouble, even from the Tower, remained potent until it was finally extinguished by her death in September 1615. She and her husband, William Seymour, had never seen each other again after he had fled to exile in Flanders four years earlier. He eventually returned to England and became a prominent opponent to James’s son and successor, Charles.
International relations became increasingly fraught after 1619, when James’s daughter Elizabeth and her husband Frederick, the Elector Palatine, rashly accepted the offer of the Bohemian crown. A league of Catholic forces, including those supplied by the King of Spain, was soon ranged against them. This put James in the difficult position of deciding between family loyalty and maintaining his fragile alliance with one of the most powerful monarchs in Europe.