Читать книгу My Dark Lady: Shakespeare's Lost Play - Dan Walker - Страница 8

"Beggin' your pardon, Ma'am."

Patricia looked over at Ben. "Yes?"

"What had his mother done?"

"He didn't want to talk about it."

"But you know?"

"Oh yes."

"So what had she done?"

"He thought she had betrayed him and his father."

"How?"

"By marrying her second husband within a month of the first one's death."

"That does seem a bit hasty, Ma'am."

"Edward felt the same way. In fact, the young Earl protested so much that he was sent away to live in London as a royal ward. Unfortunately for Edward, Burghley, who was England's Lord Chamberlain - Elizabeth's closest advisor - had just been appointed Master of the Royal Wards.

"This new honor was yet another sign of the man's total ascendancy at Court. But he'd paid dearly for his high rank. The years of scheming and backstabbing had left indelible marks. Burghley's forehead was creased with cares. His once-spare frame now hung heavy and flabby. Gout was beginning to riddle both legs. To the Lord Chamberlain, these were costs well worth paying. After all, he controlled a kingdom.

"Burghley ran his household, like the country, with an iron hand. Yet, while the schemer may have commanded all of England, there was one rebellious subject he couldn't rule: Edward.

"The Lord Chamberlain's first ward was his opposite in almost every way possible."