Forbidden Love (Tudors)

Chapter Twenty

Content warning- Mature scenes ahead...

Whitehall Palace (June 1531)

From the comfort of the window seat of her spacious bed chamber, Bessie watched as the summer sky changed from a lush, burnt orange to midnight black, peppered with sparkling stars. Her chambers overlooked the vast palace gardens, and during the past few months that the court had resided at Whitehall, she often found herself admiring the evening views.

A familiar, soft knock upon her chamber door broke her out of her daydream. She drew in a deep breath and her heart drummed almost painfully inside her chest as she rose to admit her visitor. But it was not out of fear, worry or anxiety.

It was anticipation. Excitement. Desire.

Bessie turned the handle of the old oak door to reveal a man, clad in a black cloak that concealed his face. As the door closed behind the couple, Bessie pulled the hood of the cloak away from his face to reveal the handsome countenance of Sir Edward Seymour.

The spring and summer movement of the Tudor court away from Hampton Court Palace had meant that Bessie and Edward no longer had their secret room to conduct their meetings in. Tom, Edward's squire and messenger, had been sent to scout Whitehall for an appropriate meeting place with little luck.

But they found it impossible to stay away from each other, and had thus resorted to dangerously meeting in Bessie's private bed chamber twice a month. It was extremely risky; if but one member of the court witnessed Edward entering her chambers, her reputation and prospects would likely be permanently ruined.

It was a risk she was more than willing to take. For over the past few months, Bessie had slowly come to the realisation that she had fallen in love with Edward Seymour.

Indeed, she had spent countless sleepless nights trying to come to terms with her feelings. She had found that she could no longer deny the fact that she cared for him deeply, or that no one else made her feel the way that he did. And that no matter how hard she tried to resist, she was always drawn back to him.

"Sweetheart," Edward murmured, as he took Bessie into his arms. He gently raised his hands to cup her face and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

"I have missed you," she whispered against his mouth as they slowly drew away.

"I have missed you too, Bess. The court has been intense these past few weeks."

Bessie and Edward moved to sit together on the crimson sheets of her bed. Edward reached out and held Bessie's hand as they fell into their usual rhythm of discussing the goings-on of the King's court.

"Is it true that the King and Mistress Boleyn intend to leave the Queen behind for the upcoming July progress?" Edward asked.

"I am uncertain. The Queen has indeed angered the King more so than usual, but I could not believe they could be as cruel as to leave her behind in such a way," Bessie replied, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"I could. Mistress Boleyn grows bolder by the day."

"She-" Bessie rushed to defend her closest friend.

"Today she announced in front of the Queen's ladies and the court that she wishes to see all Spaniards at the bottom of the sea, and that she would rather see the Queen hanged than acknowledge her as her mistress."

Bessie's eyes flew to meet Edward's in shock.

"Truly?" she asked, horrified that Anne could say such a thing.

Edward nodded. "Nearly the whole court witnessed it."

"Her behaviour has worried me recently," Bessie admitted.