“I do not believe this!” cried the King, but Cranmer had heard the quiver of doubt in his master’s voice and rejoiced. “But,” went on the King, “I shall not be satisfied until the certainty is known to me.” He glowered at Cranmer. “There must be an examination. And...no breath of scandal against the Queen.”
The King left Hampton Court, and Catherine was told to stay in her rooms. Her musicians were sent away and told that this was no time for music.
Over Hampton Court there fell a hush of horror like a dark curtain that shut away gaiety and laughter; thus it had been at Greenwich less than six years ago when Anne Boleyn had looked in vain for Brereton, Weston, Norris and Smeaton.
Catherine was chilled with horror; and when Cranmer with Norfolk, Audley, Sussex and Gardiner came to her, she knew that the awful doom she had feared ever since she had become the King’s wife was about to fall upon her.
Wriothesley questioned Francis Derham in his cell.
“You may as well tell the truth,” said Wriothesley, “for others have already confessed it for you. You have spent a hundred nights naked in the bed of the Queen.”
“Before she was Queen,” said Derham.
“Ah! Before she was Queen. We will come to that later. You admit that there were immoral relations between you and the Queen?”
“No,” said Derham.
“Come, come, we have ways of extracting the truth. There were immoral relations between you and the Queen.”
“They were not immoral. Catherine Howard and I regarded each other as husband and wife.”
Wriothesley nodded slowly.
“You called her ‘wife’ before others?”
“Yes.”
“And you exchanged love tokens?”
“We did.”
“And some of the household regarded you as husband and wife?”
“That is so.”
“The Dowager Duchess and Lord William Howard regarded you as husband and wife?”
“No; they were ignorant of it.”
“And yet it was no secret.”
“No, but...”
“The entire household knew, with the exception of the Dowager Duchess and Lord William?”
“It was known among those with whom it was our custom to mix.”
“You went to Ireland recently, did you not?”
“I did.”
“And there were engaged in piracy?”
“Yes.”
“For which you deserve to hang, but no matter now. Did you not leave rather abruptly for Ireland?”
“I did.”
“Why?”
“Because Her Grace had discovered the relationship between Catherine and me.”
“Was there not another occasion when she discovered you with her granddaughter?”
“Yes.”
“It was in the maids’ room and she entered and found you romping together, in arms kissing?”
He nodded.
“And what were Her Grace’s reactions to that?”
“Catherine was beaten; I was warned.”
“That seems light punishment.”
“Her Grace believed it to be but a romp.”
“And you joined the Queen’s household soon after her marriage with the King? Mr. Derham, I suggest that you and the Queen continued to live immorally, in fact in adultery, after the Queen’s marriage with His Majesty.”
“That is not true.”
“Is it not strange that you should join the Queen’s household, and receive special favors, and remain in the role of Queen’s attendant only?”
“It does not seem strange.”
