In Defense of the Queen by Michelle Diener Page B

for her.”
    Lewis caught sight of her, peeping out from behind Kilburne, and his eyes opened wide.
    Whatever he’d shouted up the stairs to Wolsey’s men, Susanna noted he had not gone up the stairs to stop them. Had not made a move to find Kilburne, either.
    Kilburne stood silent, waiting for Lewis to finish, and did not speak for a long moment afterwards.
    Lewis flushed.
    “I will require a word with you when this matter is settled.” Kilburne spoke very quietly, but Lewis staggered back, as if under siege.
    “Aye, sir.”
    “You got her?” A man stepped into view, addressing Lewis.
    Susanna saw the second-in-command go white at what the simple question gave away.
    From the way Kilburne stiffened, the implication had not been lost on him, either.
    At last, Wolsey’s man noticed Kilburne, and then, finally, her.
    “And you would be?” Kilburne’s tone was still even, but she could see his left hand clenching and unclenching.
    “Harris, Captain. In service to the Cardinal Wolsey.” Harris reluctantly raised his hat. His men began to mill behind him, and he turned and spoke sharply.
    Susanna heard them returning to the front entrance, muttering amongst themselves.
    “And what is your business, Harris, that you should storm the Lieutenant’s Lodgings and run along its passageways, without first taking my leave?”
    Harris’ cheeks flushed a deep red, and a little tick started up, just under his eye. “You took into custody a Mistress Horenbout this morning, on my lord’s orders, and she is wanted in the White Tower for questioning.”
    “Who wants her? Where is the writ?” Kilburne held out his hand.
    Harris shifted. “I’m only following my orders. I know nothing about a writ.”
    “I understand. And I can only follow orders, myself. Especially those from His Majesty, the King.” Kilburne held up a scroll, with the King’s unmistakeable seal.
    “What has that to do with the prisoner?” Harris flicked his gaze from Kilburne, to Lewis, to Susanna.
    “This is a writ, containing my orders, straight from His Majesty, in His Majesty’s own hand, on what to do with the prisoner.” Kilburne opened it up. Glanced down at it. “And there is no mention of questioning in the Tower.”
    “I don’t know anything about this . . .” Harris wiped a hand over his forehead, leaving a faint brown line of dust.
    “Clearly not, or you would not have been acting directly against the King’s wishes, sir.” For the first time, Kilburne allowed his anger to show. “Count yourself lucky I prevented you from taking her, or you could well have ended in the dungeons for questioning, yourself.” Kilburne was surely exaggerating, but Harris went white at his words.
    “Mistress Horenbout will not go to the White Tower unless I have the correct papers and a writ from the King, rescinding his orders. And I and my men will be the ones who will escort her there, should that be the case.”
    Harris lifted his hat again, and stepped back, with one last, almost longing look at her. Then he turned and walked down the passage towards the door.
    Susanna put a trembling hand against the wall and leaned against it. Her throat was too tight to speak.
    Kilburne and Lewis exchanged a look.
    “You all right?”
    She flinched at the sound of a voice at her elbow. Spun to face the speaker.
    Eric stood before her, just outside the door Kilburne had come from, and behind him, still in the room, she saw Harry. Eric was smiling, but Harry’s face was grim.
    His fists were white-knuckled, and she knew, with a startling clarity, he had had to force himself not to step forward while Kilburne confronted Harris.
    “It is good to see you.” She could only whisper. She wanted to sink to her knees at the sight of them, but she was too shaky to get up again, and she would do nothing in front of Lewis to show any weakness.
    “I told Parker you could have one servant but with the extra duties required of you by the King, I see that two are