Chapter 266: That Is Disappointing
He matched her pace. "You are not going to roll over and take this."
Slowly, she turned to him.
"Why not simply tell Lord Langford that His Majesty did not give that instruction?" Lionel pressed. "Tell him he means to marry you."
"And then what?" Livia asked. "Leave the men to fight my battles. Fine job you lot have been doing so far."
"But you know His Majesty did not write that," Lionel said.
"Yes, I know," Livia replied. "But Lord Langford is certain it is in His Majesty’s own hand."
Lionel’s expression darkened. "Unfortunately, yes."
"I know of only one person in Whitehall who may be able to point me in the right direction," Livia said and turned fully towards him. "Can I count on your help?"
"Will I be committing any more treason than I have already?"
"God, no."
His brows lifted. "That is disappointing. I was counting on you saying yes."
Livia smiled.
Lionel saw it and inclined his head. "I have you, my lady. Just tell me what you need."
*****
Tabitha heard the news the moment Livia returned from the council chamber. She listened without interruption as Livia explained. Tabitha’s face did not alter much during the telling.
When Livia finished, Tabitha said nothing. She turned away, crossed the room, and stood beside the window with her hands folded before her.
"Tabitha?" Livia asked.
Still, the woman did not answer then Tabitha reached for her cloak.
Livia straightened. "Where are you going?"
"To remind Her Grace that there are limits."
Livia’s throat tightened. "What are you going to do?"
"What I should have done sooner."
The walk to Theodora’s apartments was not long. At Theodora’s door, she requested an audience.
She waited until one of them entered to announce her. A few moments later, she was admitted. Her Grace sat in her receiving chamber.
"Mrs Crowe," Theodora said. "I would like to believe your lady is already preparing her things to leave the palace."
"I warned you."
"Oh, shut up," Her Grace snapped. "You have nothing," Theodora continued, her voice rising. "Do not stand before me and invoke nonsense you do not own. I have spent years frightened of what you might do with what you claim to have, and every time you come to me, you arrive armed with nothing but threats."
Theodora stood then. "I dare you Tabitha, show the world what you have."
"You have me there," Tabitha said. "I cannot."
Theodora’s eyes narrowed. A woman who yielded too quickly was either frightened or waiting for her opponent to lean too close.
"I cannot show the world what I have," Tabitha continued, "because what I have will harm the king too, and he does not deserve it. He does not deserve a mother like you." She drew herself straighter. "I will make this clear. Call off this mad marriage market you have set in motion, or I will go to His Majesty with everything I know."
Theodora’s laughter came softly at first then it deepened. "Oh, please do. Go to my son...Run to him with your old secrets. Throw yourself at his feet and tell him that his mother is a dreadful woman. I am certain it will be a revelation."
"He deserves the truth."
Theodora’s eyes glittered. "Did you think the king was ignorant of the deaths of his brothers?"
Tabitha went still. "There is no way His Majesty knew."
Theodora smiled with terrible pity. "Oh, you poor thing. You very poor thing. You have stood all these years clutching a secret like a holy relic and never once considered that power teaches children faster than mothers do." She stepped closer. "My son grew up in a palace where only the strong stand tall. He understood more than you think. He learned what was done for him, what was hidden for him, and what the crown costs."
"You are lying."
"Because you need me to be," Theodora said. "Because if Henry knew, then your precious burden becomes less noble. If Henry knew, then all your years of silence were not protection. They were merely silence. Power makes hungry beasts of us all. Some of us only learn to feed before we are fed upon."
Tabitha felt sick. Henry was too damaged by the deaths of his brothers for her to accept that he had known every step and lived easily with it.
Yet the seed had been planted.
"Get out of my chambers," Theodora said looking her over with cold satisfaction. "And when your harlot finally leaves this palace, please have the decency to go with her."
Tabitha curtsied. "Your Grace."
Then she turned and left. The walk back to Livia’s chambers felt longer than it should have. Whitehall seemed to stretch around her.
Did you think the king was ignorant of the deaths of his brothers?
No.
No, it could not be true.
By the time Tabitha returned to Livia’s apartments, Livia could tell something had gone seriously wrong.
"Tabitha?" Livia rose from the chair. "Are you all right?"
"Yes."
"You do not look all right. What did Her Grace say?"
"Something I do not believe."
Livia’s voice lowered. "You have to stop keeping things from me if we are to work together."
Tabitha exhaled and sank into the nearest chair. "Years ago," she began, "I intercepted a message from one of the maids who served Theodora when I went with Richard’s mother to Theodora’s household. At the time, word of the princes dying of the plague had just reached us. Richard had gone to be with Henry...He wanted to comfort him."
Livia remained opposite her, hands folded tightly together, listening.
"It was after the deaths had begun," Tabitha said. "One prince, then another, then another. Whitehall was drowning in prayers. Everyone said plague had entered the royal household."
"And Richard went to Henry?"
"Richard loved him like a brother. He heard Henry was grieving and went to him before anyone could stop him." Tabitha’s mouth tightened at the memory. "But Richard’s mother panicked. She feared Henry had taken ill too and that Richard would catch the same sickness if he remained near him. She insisted on going to fetch her son at once, and I went with her."
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