In the apartments of the maids of honor there was a great deal of gossip, and they were naturally interested in my relationship with Henry Percy.

I was unprepared for the storm.

One day Henry did not arrive in the Cardinal's company when the great man called on the King. My disappointment was intense. What had happened? Was he ill? That was my first thought.

I asked one of the young men who was in the Cardinal's household.

“He is not ill,” I was told. “He has greatly displeased the Cardinal, so I heard.”

“Then where is he?”

“He is not in attendance on the Cardinal.”

I was very anxious. What would happen? Would he be sent home? To displease the Cardinal was often to displease the King. If he were sent back to Northumberland, perhaps I could join him there. We could be married. But marriages were not arranged as simply as that. What could this mean? What could he have done?

For the rest of the day I was in a state of terrible uneasiness. It will pass, I kept telling myself. After all, even Wolsey must take care how he treats the son of Northumberland.

The next day the Cardinal came and I was watchful in the gardens. One of Henry's friends came to me and told me that Henry would try to come and see me, but it must be secret, and if he did not arrive I must understand that he had failed in his attempt to reach me.

Now I knew that something was seriously wrong.

It was difficult to contrive the meeting, but the maids of honor were ever ready to assist lovers, as were Henry's friends, and by a certain maneuvering they helped us to the meeting. It was brief and completely shattering.

He came up the river to Greenwich and we went to a secluded part of the gardens. I could see that he was in great distress.

He said: “They are determined to stop us. The Cardinal called me to him and addressed me in a most hectoring and insulting manner. He said he marveled at my folly in attempting to contract myself to you. He said, had I forgotten the estate to which God had called me, for when my father died I should inherit one of the noblest earldoms in the kingdom, and therefore how could I think of marrying without the consent of my father and also that of our King. I had offended not only my father but the King in this folly. He suggested that the King had a special interest in your future. I know not what he meant by that.”

“I do,” I said bitterly. “He can't forget that I once played a little game with him. He liked it not and ever since has been determined to repay me for my insolence.”

“Then everyone is against us. I never thought of this opposition. Your father stands high at Court; he is in the King's favor; and your mother was a Howard. I could not believe this. I would pass over my inheritance to my brother. I wish I were not the eldest son. I told the Cardinal that I was old enough to choose my wife and I would beg the King's favor for the match. I was sure that, if he did give it, my father would also.”

“And then?” I asked.

“The Cardinal looked very shocked. I was not alone. That made it worse. Several of our company were there witnessing my humiliation. He turned to them and said: ‘You saw how this foolish boy lacks wisdom. I thought, Henry Percy, that when you were made aware of the King's displeasure you would have repented your folly and sought at once to end it.’ I told him that you and I had already plighted our troth and I could not give you up. Then he said he would send for my father. And that is what he has done.”

We looked at each other in despair.

“What can we do?” I asked.

He shook his head. “There is nothing we can do.”

“Do you give up so easily, Henry Percy?”

“My dearest, we could run away together. How far do you think we should get? We should be put in the Tower for that.”

“Why should they behave like this? Am I so far below you in birth?”

“I would not care if you were a serving maid. But I do not think that this is a case so simple.”

“But your father wanted you to marry Mary Talbot.”

“It was long ago that that was talked of. I will see my father. I will talk to him. It may be that I can explain to him. It may be that when he sees you…”

“But the King …”

“It may be that the Cardinal only mentioned him to make me give way. I cannot see what interest the King could have.”

“I think he seeks revenge on me.”

“But, my dearest Anne, there are many ways he could have done that had he wished. He could have refused to have you at Court.”

“I do not understand him. I see him watching me sometimes and there is anger in his eyes.”

“It is your fancy. Wait until I see my father. Do not give up hope, my love.”

“No. I will cling to it. I cannot bear to do anything else.”

“I must go. The Cardinal must not know that we have met.”

We parted.

A fearful premonition was creeping over me that there was some evil force working against me.

I did not see him as I had hoped. But I heard what had happened.

It seemed that my enemies were going to extraordinary lengths to ruin my life.

As the meeting between the Earl of Northumberland and his son did not take place in private, there were gentlemen of the Cardinal's entourage to bring news of it to the ladies of the Queen's household, and from them I learned what had taken place.

The Earl must have been amazed to receive a summons to come to Court just to listen to an account of the misdemeanors of his son in engaging himself with a girl who was not considered worthy of the House of Northumberland.

The interview took place in the great hall of Wolsey's palace. The Earl had previously been in consultation with the Cardinal for some time; then he went into the gallery where his son was called to him.

The Earl berated Henry, calling him proud, licentious and an unthinking waster. Such abuse, as all must know, was so untrue that it astonished and maddened me to hear of it. His son had no regard, went on the irate Earl, for his father or his King. He might have brought disgrace on his father and his noble house. He had done his best to ruin them both. But by good fortune, his sovereign and the noble Cardinal had seen fit to warn him of what his profligate son was doing; and therefore he had learned of what sorrow was being brought to his house. He had come to tell his son that he must desist from his folly without delay. He was considering disinheriting Henry and naming one of his brothers as his successor, for the Lords of Northumberland had great duties in the North and these cold not be performed by a profligate waster.

Poor Henry! I could imagine his distress to have his character so misrepresented simply because he had fallen in love and wished to marry. I knew that he was not quick with words as I was; his temper did not rise as mine did. It was those very differences which had attracted me. I wished I had been there. I would have told the Earl—and the Cardinal, too— what I thought of them. I knew in my heart that my poor Henry was not fitted to deal with them.

I could imagine his standing there accepting the abuse, stammering that he loved me, telling them of my perfections. That was not the way to handle them.

And then the Earl turned to the Cardinal's servants, who were listening to this harangue, and told them not to make excuses for his son's faults, and to treat him harshly when the need arose. Then he went out to his barge in a state of great anger.

I sought to cheer myself. It was not the end. The Cardinal's men had been told not to spare him, which meant that he would stay in the Cardinal's household. At least he would not be far away.

But even that hope was soon past.

A few days later I heard that Henry was banished from Court and that he had already left for Northumberland.

I wanted to see the Cardinal, to demand to know what it all meant. Why was everyone so determined to destroy my future happiness? I would have them know that I had Howard blood in my veins. Perhaps they would care to throw insults at the Duke of Norfolk. In private I stormed; I raged; I made up conversations between myself and the Cardinal in which I flayed him with my tongue until the man cringed; but of course it was only my own angry face which looked back at me in the mirror, not the bland one of the great Cardinal. In my thoughts I argued with the King. Why did you have to do this to me? I know you have not forgotten that time at Hever. I see you watching me. Is it possible that a great King could want revenge just because for a few minutes a young girl made him feel foolish?

But these imaginary conversations did nothing but increase my fury.

I was very sad, very hurt and very angry. I supposed it was called broken-hearted for I was listless and had no interest in anything.

My father summoned me to his presence.

He looked at me coldly. “So you have disgraced yourself with young Percy,” he said.

“Disgraced! We were to have been married.”

“Foolish girl. You should know that the marriage of the future Earl of Northumberland must be arranged by his family.”

“We are as good as they are…almost.”

“You have displeased the Cardinal.”

“Why should my affairs displease him? If he is so worried about my low birth, let him look to his own.”

“You are too forward. You are lacking in modesty. Your presence at Court is no longer needed.”

“Do you mean…?”

“What I mean is that you are to leave at once for Hever.”

So I was banished too.

It did not matter to me very much where I was. What was the use of being at Court if he was not there?