How It All Goes Down
Autumn 1532
- Anne is awarded the title of Marquess of Pembroke.
- You'd think the Boleyn family would be happy, but Mary's uncle is "torn between joy at the wealth and the prestige for his niece and his increasing hatred of her arrogance" (35.1).
- Arrogant Anne decides she no longer has to wait until marriage to bed the king. She goes to his bed that night.
- In the morning, Mary learns that Thomas More, the chancellor, will resign his position, giving Henry free reign to rule on his own marriage and, hopefully, marry Anne.
- Mary rushes off to tell Anne.
- That evening, George sees Mary flirting with William Stafford. He understands they are in love, but he tells Mary to at least wait to remarry until Anne is queen.
- Mary might be waiting a while.
- Anne demands to go to France as queen, not "half a queen" (35.123), but Henry still won't marry her.
- The court travels by ship to France.
- On the ship, William, seasick, goes to Mary for comfort.
- William and Mary end up heavily making out, even though they are not yet married. Gosh, we though Dramamine was the best cure for seasickness.
- In France, Anne is furious that the French queen, who is a Spanish princess like Katherine, won't meet with her.
- A lack of invitation won't stop Anne Boleyn.
- Anne throws a costume party and enters the king's banquet in a mask.
- King Francis of France is enchanted with Anne's mysterious beauty.
- When the court returns to England by ship, Mary frets that she won't get to see William anymore. They don't have the same privacy in court that they do on the boat. (Hopefully they'll have fewer rats watching them.)
- William suggests that he should resign from her uncle's service and go build a farm for them to eventually live on.
- It will be hard to be separated from William, but Mary agrees.
- Back at court, George talks to Mary again about her relationship with William.
- George reminds Mary that, as a Boleyn, and especially a Boleyn girl—you might say the other Boleyn girl—Mary is not in charge of who she may and may not marry.
- "Heartbreak becomes you" (35.299), says George. That is an excellent name for a shade of lipstick, but it's hardly comforting for Mary in the moment.