Free The Manner of Amy's Death by Carol Mackrodt Page A

Pembroke and the Earl of Arundel at Baynard’s Castle, Pembroke’s home in London.  From there they proceeded to Cheapside in the city where they made the proclamation that Mary was now Queen.  By the time they reached St Paul’s the crowds of cheering people were so thick they could hardly pass through.  Back in the Tower Jane’s father was forced to sign the proclamation for Mary and announce it on Tower Hill.  He then broke the news to his daughter who sadly left the throne room and the panoply of state and retired to the royal chambers.
          The news this morning is that Jane’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk, have left the Tower for Pembroke’s home to make an appeal for clemency for their family.  Mary Sidney is fearful that they will claim, as will the other members of the Privy Council, they were all coerced into the plot by her father and that Northumberland will pay the price.
          “So where i s Jane now?” asks Amy.
          “She’ s been removed from the royal apartments and is under arrest in a small house within the Tower,” says Mary.
          “And Guildford?”
          “He’ s imprisoned in the Beauchamp Tower.  The Duchess, our mother, is also under arrest.  I’m afraid our kin will pay the price for all of this.”
          “Is there any news of Robert or the Duke?”
          “The Earl of Arundel has set off with a large force to arrest the Duke, Ambrose, John and Henry.  We have no news of Robert.”
          “Maybe he’s escaped to France,” says Amy hopefully.
          “Maybe.”
           “What a scoundrel Arundel is,” I say.  “ He pretended to support your father – he even said he was sorry he couldn’t join him in the pursuit of Mary - and all the time he was scheming against him.”
          “Yes and so was Pembroke.  And to make matters even worse Katherine Grey, Jane’s sister, is married to the son of that treacherous old hypocrite.  How must Katherine now feel?  Her husband’s father has betrayed her mother, father and sister!”
          The three of us are silent as we reflect on the nasty business of politics.
          Finally Mary says, “Henry has sent me to advise you to leave London at the earliest opportunity.  We cannot offer you shelter as we have to appear to be unbiased for now and disconnect ourselves from my kin.  Very soon Queen Mary will be back in the city and there will be an attempt to arrest all those implicated in the plot in any way, whether directly involved or not.  Equally, when the servants realise the way the wind is blowing, they may well decide to betray you to Mary’s men.  You must leave quickly.  Is there anyone you can trust?”
          “There’s James, Robert’s groom.”
          “Pack up your things and ask James to take them to  ….”
          “My mother’s cousin has a small house in the city,” says Amy.
          “Well it’s a start.  Will she shelter you?”
          “I expect so.  I’ll send James to ask her first.”
          “Do that this evening. Leave as soon as you can and tell no one where you’re going.”  With this Mary wishes us ‘God Speed’ and takes her leave.
          Amy goes in search of James but returns in despair.  He’s vanished into thin air.
          “Go and find Picto, Kat e,” says Amy.  “We’ll just have to go and hope our cousins will take us in.”
          “But what about the clothes you packed?  There’s a cart in the stable.”
          “No that belongs to Elizabeth.  We don’t want to be accused of theft as well!”
          Amy rummages in a small wooden box that she keeps locked and takes out some coins.
          “I’ll go down to the street to see if I can hire a cart and a driver,” she says.
          We go our separate ways but, while I come back with Mrs Picto, Amy returns still clutching her coins.