The Lady Series by Denise Domning Page B

to seduce Mistress Anne. Lord Andrew chose that moment to again thrust himself between his taller and older friends. Rather than chide the lordling for his rude interruption, Kit breathed in relief as it served to distract John from his request.
    “Look there,” the youth said, his voice low as he shot another glance toward the body of the room. “Leicester’s making his way to the queen. What do you wager, friends? I have a good red angel that says he speaks to her of the Maying, reminding her we’re late in repairing to Greenwich for that celebration. “Aye, and after that, I’ve a pound that says he does so good a job at wooing her we find ourselves Greenwich-bound before the morrow’s sunset.”
    “That’s too easy a wager,” Ned scoffed. “Everyone can see she’s finally ready to be soothed into leaving Whitehall.”
    Shoving past his friends, Kit stared toward his royal mistress’s chair. That parvenu of all parvenus, Robert Dudley, now Lord Denbigh and Earl of Leicester, was already on one knee before his queen. Elizabeth’s handsome favorite shone like the bright star he was, his doublet yellow, his breeches green and red beneath his brown, fur-lined coat. Bright diamonds served him for buttons, while his buckled garter proclaimed his status as a Garter Knight.
    Mistress Blanchemain and Old Amyas were nowhere to be seen. Kit cursed himself for allowing his friends to distract him. With so many men certain to pursue the new maid-of-honor and despite that Amyas could but hate him more for it Kit wanted to make his introductions now.
    There was a flash of red near the Presence Chamber’s doorway. It was Old Amyas, taking his heiress from the room.
    Panic spiked. What if Lady Montmercy’s ploy was more than the old man’s arrogance could tolerate and Amyas now sought to completely remove his granddaughter from court? The queen would be furious, but her vengeance would likely be heavy fines rather than a request for the girl’s return. If Mistress Blanchemain departed all chance at reclaiming Graceton’s lordship went with her.
    “Pardon,” he told his friends, already pushing through the courtiers to intercept Amyas. His path took him close enough to Leicester to overhear his speech to the queen.
    “May Day will soon be upon us, Madame,” the earl was saying. “Give way to pleasure, sweet Gloriana. Too long have you shielded your brilliance from us, trapping us in winter’s drear dullness. ‘Tis time to celebrate the coming of summer. Be you our goddess and lead us into gaiety.”
    It was a coquette’s smile Elizabeth offered her Master of the Horse as she reached out to trail the royal fingers along her earl’s cheek in a caress that was but a hair’s breadth this side of being too intimate for public display. At this moment Kit wouldn’t have cared if Elizabeth bedded her favorite before all the court; he had his own bedmate to catch.
    “You are right, My Eyes,” the queen replied, new huskiness in her voice, “it’s time we finished with all this animosity and strife. Activity is what we need to clear our livers.
    “What say you?” the queen asked, raising her gaze to the many men whose only job was to adore her. “Are we for Greenwich on the morrow?”
    Her announcement sent a pleased rumble rolling across the room. Half a chamber ahead of Kit Old Amyas and Mistress Anne exited this room for the gallery beyond it. Kit put wings on his feet. If he didn’t catch them now, the chaos of the court’s move would forestall his introduction until after they were settled at Greenwich. It was as sprightly a dance as he’d ever done as he wove through this party and that to catch his quarry.

Amyas pulled Anne toward the Presence Chamber exit. Anne opened her mouth to protest that leaving the queen’s presence before being released was rude, if not dangerous. Before she spoke, she glanced up at her grandsire and thought the better of it.
    His breaths came in quiet gasps; sweat beaded on