Read Legacy: The Acclaimed Novel of Elizabeth, England's Most Passionate Queen -- and the Three Men Who Loved Her for Free Online Page B

way,” he remarked smoothly, eyeing
    Edward’s lean white face with a certain satisfaction, watching him sweat
    discreetly beneath his collar, terrified that his fool of a brother had ruined
    all they had worked for. “And as you say, Tom—as you so rightly say—
    who are we mere mortals to question His will?”
    Edward Seymour’s breath of relief was clearly audible, the glance he
    cast at his brother venomous as a snake’s. Henry saw it and was amused.
    Divide and rule was a principle he took seriously. He put an amiable arm
    about the young man’s shoulders and strode on between the two of them,
    strongly reminded of the way chained bandogs strained to savage each
    other. The aim of a good master was to keep them wanting to savage each
    other rather than the man who held them in their chains; and Henry was
    a good master; he knew all the tricks. While he lived there would be fair
    balance held between the ambitious dogs about his court who jostled for
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    Legacy
    power; but he was no longer young and the Tudors were a short-lived,
    unhealthy stock. A festering sore was creeping steadily up one leg and
    the stench of it was beginning to permeate his rooms. The Seymours had
    taken the scent of his weakness, like the good bloodhounds they were.
    They padded after their master and looked to the future, to the possibility
    of a child upon the throne and a long period of minority. But only Tom
    followed the trail as far as the nursery door, and made a pleasure out of
    political necessity by courting the affection of Henry’s son.
    He had a chameleon quality which made him fit unobtrusively against
    any background. In foreign courts the suave diplomat; on high seas the
    respected captain; in the nursery the devoted uncle; in all of these roles
    he was genuinely at home, without any conscious effort. There was no
    need to feign affection for his royal nephew; he had an infinite capacity
    for light-hearted love. And among those many little loves which gathered
    about him, like a collection of semi-precious gems, there was Elizabeth,
    that amusing, lively, acquisitive little girl, whose greed for life reminded
    him so fondly of his own. “What have you got for me?” said her eyes
    each time he appeared fresh from a voyage to foreign parts and the atti-
    tude never gave him offence, for he also asked that same silent question
    of everyone he met.
    It was grand sport, this playing for power in virgin territory, a highly
    enjoyable mixture of business and pleasure. There were pleasant byways
    along the stony roads of ambition for those who were sharp enough to
    read the map.
    Tom Seymour took many a profitable detour down them; and enjoyed
    the scenery.
    t t t
    Elizabeth was six when the King chose her next stepmother. He had been
    nearly three years without a wife, a merry widower, and he was reluc-
    tant to exchange his freedom for marriage with an insignificant German
    princess named Anne. Indeed, the name itself might have put an end to
    the negotiations before they started but for Cromwell’s thick-skinned
    persistence. They needed the alliance with Cleves—and the woman was
    comely, said Cromwell slyly, one had only to look at Holbein’s mini-
    ature, specially commissioned for the purpose, to see that.
    Henry looked and was appeased, yet stil his vague sense of unease
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    Susan Kay
    remained. Another Anne! However fair the creature, how could he help but
    make unhappy comparisons? So, when he heard of Elizabeth’s hot impa-
    tience to meet this new stepmother he was touched on the rawest of nerves.
    “Tell her,” he snapped, turning on those who had thought to please
    him with news of the child’s delight, “that she had a mother so different
    from this woman she ought not to wish to see her.”
    It fell to Mr. Shelton, governor of the household, to deliver the
    King’s unkind message to his daughter. He saw her eyes widen in hurt
    astonishment before she turned away slowly and climbed up into