How It All Goes Down
Spring 1532
- George reports rumors of Anne flying around the countryside.
- "She is a witch and has enchanted the king by sorcery" (33.13). Maybe they think Anne is flying around the countryside on her broomstick.
- Meanwhile, Mary is still being flirtatious with William Stafford.
- Mary casually mentions William Stafford to her uncle, and he says that Stafford is already betrothed to some country girl.
- What a cad.
- That night, George visits Anne and Mary in their room.
- They do what they do best: gossip.
- At one point, Mary catches George's wife, Jane Parker, doing what she does best: spying through the keyhole.
- Mary exposes Jane and dismisses her.
- Before leaving, George gives Anne a rather steamy kiss.
- Mary "pretend[s] that it was nothing more than a brotherly kiss" (33.75), but it was pretty intense.
- The next day, Mary hears a rumor that Henry Percy's wife is trying to divorce him by swearing he was married to Anne.
- This accusation casts Anne's chastity into question.
- Henry accuses Anne of not being a virgin.
- "You! Who sought me out and courted me with another wife still living?" (33.141), Anne shrewdly points out.
- Anne and Henry rage at each other hard, and then quickly make up. They have to get all that pent-up sexual aggression out somehow.