When the Heavens Fall (36 page)

After Eden had made the usual remarks, she heard herself asking, “I wonder about your son, Brandon.” She saw that they were reluctant to speak of him and said, “I hope he's well.”

“No, he is not well, Miss Fairfax,” Stuart said. “He's living an ungodly life.”

“But we believe,” Heather said quickly, “that God is going to put his hand on him. That he'll find himself and be the man God wants him to be.”

Eden did not know how to speak to this pair. At length, they wished her well and moved away, and Eden went to sit beside her father.

“I've just met Brandon Winslow's parents.”

“They are wonderful people, Daughter. There is not a more honorable man in England than Stuart Winslow, and his wife is what a woman should be.”

“They're very unhappy about their son.”

“Yes. He's a gambler. Very good at it, but a gambler all the same.” Fairfax shook his head, adding sadly, “He's breaking his parents' hearts.”

“Why would such a bad man come to Spain to save me? I suppose you paid him a great deal of money.”

“What? Not a bit of it, Eden,” her father said in surprise. “He did it to save the life of his uncle, Quentin Winslow. Reverend Winslow, I should say.” He remembered himself and where he was, lowered his voice, and whispered in her ear, “I went to him and told him that if he would get you free, I would save his uncle from being burned at the stake—at least for a while.”

“He didn't ask for money?”

“No, he didn't. As a matter of fact, I've sent money to him twice, but he's sent it back each time with a rather sharp note saying that he didn't do what he did for gain.” He looked about to make sure no one was listening. “I fear for Reverend Winslow. It would be a shame to lose him. He's a fine preacher and as good a man as his brother.”

Eden asked no more questions, but she was deep in thought. This side of Brandon Winslow she had not known.

Eden's meeting with Queen Mary was brief. She was brought to her room, and as she curtsied, she was shocked by how old and sickly the monarch looked. Mary's complexion was almost the color of stale biscuits, and lines of pain showed around her eyes and on her forehead. Her voice was deeper than Eden expected. She spoke for a time about how glad she was that Eden had been brought back and reunited with her parents.

“Would you like to come to court as one of my ladies?” Queen Mary asked.

“It is a grand and gracious offer, Your Majesty. But I missed so many years with my parents that I feel I must spend all my time with them.”

Mary nodded. “That is a good thing. Your father is an excellent man. I respect and trust him utterly. Are you a good Catholic?” she asked abruptly.

“I grew up in the faith,” Eden said. She could have added that it had been nothing more than a formality for her, but she knew that would be a dangerous statement.

“Well, that it is good. England must return to the old religion.”

Later Eden's father told her how pleased he and his wife were that she had chosen to stay with them instead of going to court.

“It was no sacrifice, Father.” Eden shook her head. “The queen is sickly, isn't she? She's not what I thought.”

“Yes. She's sick physically and I fear in other ways.” Fairfax shook his head and said bitterly, “She has brought much misery to England. And only God knows how many more must suffer!”

Eden and her mother were walking along one of the spacious hallways inside Hampton Court. The very size and ornate furnishings of the structure were astonishing to Eden.

“I never saw such a house, Mother. It's enormous!”

“Yes. Cardinal Wolsey built it. More than twenty-five hundred men were employed to build it.”

“It has so many rooms!”

“Yes. A thousand rooms, so they say. Of course, Wolsey didn't keep it long. King Henry confiscated it in 1529. It is a little ostentatious, don't you think?”

“Quite. Who would want to live in a place like this?”

“Not me, I'm sure. Big is not better, is it?” Lady Barbara paused for a moment, and when Eden turned to face her, she said with some urgency. “Your father and I have been wondering what you think about Sir Ralph's offer of marriage.”

“I don't think of it at all.” Sir Ralph Spencer had everything that a man should have who would court a woman of Eden's stature and social standing. He was fairly handsome, though rather short. He was wealthy, but had little wit about him. “He bores me to death, Mother. All he can talk about are his dogs.”

“Well, he has a lot to recommend him, but he is rather
boring. But Eden, you haven't looked with favor on any suitors.” Lady Barbara hesitated and then said, “You're not still grieved over the way Brandon Winslow treated you, are you?”

Eden did not answer for a time, and then she shook her head. “I can't forget one thing, Mother. As badly as he treated me for that brief period of time, I loved him, and I thought he loved me. It was like nothing I had ever known before. If I can't have that kind of feeling for a man, I'm not interested in marriage.”

They strolled on in silence until someone called out, “Lady Barbara!”

They saw that the Princess Elizabeth was approaching them. Elizabeth came up to them with a smile and said, “I must have your opinion on some things, Miss Fairfax. Oh, and I believe your husband is looking for you, Lady Barbara. I trust you can find him in this huge pile of bricks.”

Lady Barbara laughed, for she liked the Princess Elizabeth immensely. “I'll find him. I have to keep him away from these beautiful young ladies of the court.”

“I don't think you have anything to worry about there when he's married to one of the loveliest ladies in England.” Elizabeth gave Lady Barbara a flashing smile, then took Eden's arm, saying, “Come along with me. As I said, I have need of your opinion.” Eden was flattered. She had met Elizabeth twice before and liked her. “All right, if truth be told,” Elizabeth said in a conspiratorial manner, “I just wanted to get you away from your mother and hear the story of your rescue from that pirate in Spain. I've heard rumors, but I'd like to hear all the romantic details from you.”

Eden was embarrassed, but she said, “Well, it was quite a daring thing. I was more or less a prisoner, although the man who called himself my father wouldn't say that. When Mr. Winslow came, I had no idea that he had come for me.”

“And did you fall in love with Brandon? He is so very handsome, don't you think?”

Eden was taken aback, but she knew that Elizabeth was very outspoken, so she said reluctantly, “I'm afraid so, and—and I thought he was in love with me.” She went on to relate that Brandon Winslow had made her fall in love with him and then had used great ingenuity to get her to run away. Then she spoke of the time on the ship when she discovered the truth. “When I found out that he really didn't love me, Princess Elizabeth, I felt like the biggest fool the world has ever known.”

“Why, if this were a romance,” Elizabeth smiled, “the daring hero would have fallen in love with you, and you would have married him. Weren't you tempted?”

“Yes. I was tempted, but when I found out that he had lied, I hated him.”

“I've been thinking a lot about Stuart Winslow and his wife Heather,” Princess Elizabeth said. “I've noticed that he often takes her hand simply for the pleasure of it. Not many men have the courage to show that kind of affection in public. I know nothing of a loving couple's marriage.” She did not mention that her own father had been a cruel tyrant, but Eden of course knew her history.

“I know of what you speak. Brandon told me that they're still deeply in love after all the years of marriage, but there aren't many marriages like that, are there?”

“I'm afraid not.” Elizabeth grew serious and lowered her voice. “I'm concerned about his uncle, Reverend Quentin Winslow.”

“Is he really in danger, Princess?”

“He's a fine man, but I think he has survived this long only because of your father's efforts. But every day of his life he's in danger.”

“I hate these burnings of people! I expected it to be different in this country.”

Elizabeth turned to face her. The sunlight caught the gold tints in her reddish hair. She had the fairest skin of any woman
in England. She liked to laugh, but just now she was deadly serious. Her eyes slid back and forth before she spoke in a hushed voice. “If I were queen, Eden, it would be different. I would never have people put to death because they differed with me because of their religious beliefs.” Suddenly she remembered herself and laughed with some embarrassment. “Please don't mention what I said. They might put me in the Tower.”

“Oh, that could never happen.”

“It did happen, Eden. I was taken to the Tower when I was a very young woman, and for a while it seemed that I would lose my head, as my mother did.”

“Were you very frightened?”

“Facing death every day? Of course I was! But God brought me through it. I was afraid for my life, and that's not a pleasant thing. You must talk to your father and get him to do all he can for Quentin Winslow, although I'm sure he already has. Despite how my sister sees it, the Winslows have always been very loyal to the Crown. Well, I will let you go now. Can you find your way?”

“I doubt it. This is too big for me.”

“It's too big for anyone. It's a big pile of vanity!”

After her conversation with Princess Elizabeth, Eden thought more and more about Brandon Winslow, and her thoughts went from him to Quentin. She had heard that he was preaching at Eastbourne, and decided rather abruptly that she would go to hear him preach. As a Catholic she had not heard many sermons, although she had gone to Mass many times. A stay in Eastbourne was not difficult to arrange, for a distant relative of her mother and close friend of the family lived there. Eden made up her mind.
I'll visit Mrs. Benson, and I'll hear Quentin Winslow preach. I need to know what kind of a man he is.

It was easy enough to persuade her mother to let her go for a
visit to Eastbourne. She took simple clothing rather than the ornate gowns that were her usual attire. All the way to Eastbourne she was thinking about Brandon and his family. The bitter feelings she'd had for Brandon had been mitigated, and now she was anxious to meet the uncle for whom Brandon had risked his life.