“I know,” I said. My mother had told me that many times. Were they not always reminding me of the importance of the family?

She was not to be diverted. I expected she had had to listen to such talk when she had been persuaded to marry a man who could offer her, along with a ready-made family and a life of poverty, a famous name.

“Your grandfather was committed to the Tower because he was loyal to a king to whom he had sworn allegiance, and you know he was robbed of his titles and estates because of this. Fortunately for him, King Henry VII was an astute man and recognized his qualities, and after Flodden, he restored him to favor.”

It had been told to me many times, I reminded her.

“Your grandmother, the second wife of this illustrious Duke, is now offering you a home with her. You cannot be so young and ignorant as not to realize what this means. The Duchess would be received at Court. Who knows, there might be a time when you could go there. Imagine that—especially now, when your cousin might be very highly placed. So you are a foolish child indeed if you do not rejoice in this great good fortune which is to come to you.”

“When am I to go?”

“The Duchess is already sending those who will conduct you to her house. You will not take much with you.” She smiled ruefully. “What have you to take? Not those patched gowns of yours, certainly. Oh, you will find it very different in the household of the Duchess! She is sending grooms and there will be a woman to look after you. It is all settled and soon you will have said good-bye to all this.” She waved her hand disparagingly. “You will be living the life which will be right and proper for a young girl of such a family as that to which you belong.”


* * *

I was of a sanguine nature and, after the first shock, I began to look forward to the change.

My brothers and sisters were clearly envious. “Our grandmother of Norfolk,” they said. “Why, this could mean you have one foot in the Court.”

I tried to imagine what it would be like at Court. Dancing, singing, fine clothes and a glimpse of the King who, so I had heard, was big, strong and handsome. There was talk about a “secret matter,” which must be very exciting, particularly because my own cousin Anne was involved in it.

Of course, my grandmother would be there. She had changed in my imagination from the formidable old lady and become young and beautiful, exquisitely gowned, taking me to Court with her. I must make the deepest curtsy I had ever made to the King … and the Queen, the lady from Spain, who had been married to the King’s brother before he died. I was surprised that I could remember so much of that, for I had listened only vaguely in the past.

So, I forgot my fears and basked in the envy of my siblings, and on that day when the little cortège arrived at Lambeth, prepared to take me on the journey to Horsham, I was in a mood of eager anticipation.

Nights in the Long Room

I WAS OVERAWED BY THE GRANDEUR of my new home and, as we approached the great stone edifice with its battlemented towers and embrasures, I felt a touch of nostalgia for the one I had left.

We passed through the gates and were in a cobbled courtyard. There seemed to be people everywhere, chattering, laughing, and all very interested in our arrival.

One girl cried out: “’Tis Her Grace’s granddaughter. She is come!”

They clustered round me, laughing, familiar, friendly.

“Her Grace did say that Mistress Katherine Howard should be brought to her as soon as she arrived.”

“Marry, she did,” said another.

One of the men lifted me down from my horse. I felt tired and a little unsteady after riding far that day; but I was very excited.

They surrounded me as we went into the hall, which was like ours at Lambeth, built in the same style, extending, I imagined, the whole length of the house; but the timbers in the roof here were more elaborately carved. At one end of the hall was a dais on which was a long table; and there were big windows looking out over lawns. The weapons on the walls were highly polished and, as I looked round and compared this hall with the one I had just left, I realized afresh how dingy and neglected ours had become.

There was little time to dwell on comparisons, for I was hustled through a door and, with a girl on either side of me, taken up a staircase, through a gallery and up more stairs until I arrived at what I guessed to be the Duchess’s apartments.

She was seated and seemed as regal as she had in the hall at Lambeth. She looked as though she had just awakened from a doze.

One of the girls who had escorted me remained beside me, the other left us.

The girl who was with me curtsied to the Duchess and said: “Your Grace. Mistress Katherine Howard is come.”

The Duchess yawned and looked about her as though not quite sure where she was. Then she said: “Ah, Katherine Howard.” She seemed as though she were trying to recall who I was. “So, here you are. Pretty child. Tell me, how old are you?”

“I am ten years old, Your Grace.”

“Very young. But it was no place for you in your father’s house. You’ll be better here.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“Yes, you do have a look of your cousin. It is hard to say what, but it’s there. The Howard look. We can hope you do as well as she has.” She laughed. “You could not do that, of course, but I see a bright future for you. Too young to go to Court yet.”

She laughed again suddenly. “You lack the grace of your cousin. You may see her one day. Then you will understand what I mean by that. But you do have a look of her. The Howard look. I saw that at once. You could have stayed there in your father’s house and been passed by. You’re too pretty for that.”

She yawned again and half closed her eyes. I did not know what I was expected to do, and suddenly I wanted to be back with my brothers and sisters—even with my elder brother, who despised us younger ones, and my domineering sister Margaret, who did everything better than I did. Yes, I was already thinking lovingly of the squalor and dingy hangings, the unpolished furniture, the meals that were never on time and scanty when they did come.

My grandmother seemed to remember why she had sent for me, for she suddenly said to the girl who had brought me to her: “Isabel shall look after her. Go and bring Isabel to me.”

The girl disappeared and my grandmother half-closed her eyes again, and there was nothing else for me to do but study the room while I awaited the arrival of Isabel.

Through an open door, I saw the bedroom containing a large four-poster bed with bed curtains in elaborately embroidered material. I could glimpse an ornate carved chest. The walls of the room in which I waited were covered in tapestries which depicted battles, in which I presumed members of the family had taken part and scored successes. There was a painting of a very splendid gentleman, whom I guessed to be my grandfather, the second Duke of Norfolk.

I studied him intently, remembering that he was my father’s father, who had been a prisoner in the Tower of London until Henry VII, the present King’s father, realized he should be working for him instead of being his prisoner, and then he had won the Battle of Flodden Field and worked with the King ever since.

The girl who had brought me to the Duchess then came in with another young woman of about seventeen years of age, buxom and lively looking; she had light green eyes, closely set together, and rather thin lips that were not in accord with the rather frivolous nature with which I was to become familiar.

Isabel made a deep curtsy to my grandmother and said: “Your Grace sent for me.”

“Ah,” said my grandmother, rousing herself from what seemed to have been a delightful dream which she was reluctant to leave. “Isabel, this is my granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard. She is come to live with us. You will see that she is looked after as becomes her rank.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“You will show her where she will sleep.”

“Your Grace will have given orders.”

The Duchess yawned again and nodded. “You will look after her and show her the customs of the household. Now, you may take her away.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Isabel looked at me and smiled, and we both made a deep curtsy to my grandmother. We went out together, followed by the girl who had first taken me to my grandmother’s apartment.

As soon as the door shut, Isabel and the other girl laughed silently, and Isabel said: “Mistress Katherine Howard, of the great Howard family, I shall be your guide and I shall make it my pleasure to attend you.”

We had moved away from the door as the girls’ laughter was no longer silent. I thought this was all rather odd, but it seemed jolly, and I said: “Thank you, Isabel.”

“I am going to show you how we live here, Mistress Howard. We have good fun, do we not?” she asked of the other.

There was a nodding of heads and secret smiling.

“We shall have to remember that you are Mistress Katherine Howard, of course.”

That made them laugh again, and then they put on rather prim looks, which I understood were not to be taken seriously.

I expected to be taken to my apartment, but Isabel quickly discovered that none had been prepared for me and that I was to sleep in the Long Room.

That seemed to amuse Isabel. In fact, I was discovering that a great deal amused her.

My memories of that day are a little hazy. I ate dinner at a long table in the hall near the kitchens. Isabel sat beside me and there was a great deal of chatter among the young people. Isabel told them that I was the Duchess’s granddaughter, Mistress Katherine Howard—one of the family and “please do not forget it,” she added, at which they all laughed.