Kenninghall

"Your niece, Mary Boleyn, is here" a servant tells Thomas Howard

"Please welcome her in" I tell the servant.

Mary enters the room "Uncle." she curtsies "You needed to speak to me?"

"My Lady Mary" I say to her. "Do you know when your sister is arriving" I ask.

" I wanted to congratulate her on her marriage to the king and I invited the two of you to a feast if you want one that is. Are you interested?" I say to the lady Mary.

"Please feel free to invite anyone you like my Lady. I have not seen your children yet I would like to meet them" I say.

"She'll arrive when she is finished with her duties and her ladies for the day." Mary smiles "Of course. Mother would want her own daughters to spend time with their uncle." As her uncle mentions her children, the image of her eldest daughter, Catherine, comes to her mind. "I'm sure my daughter wouldn't mind. Her nurse says that it can be quite difficult to keep her in her place when she keeps running off."

"I am sure that her majesty is very busy now with all of her duties" I say to Mary.
"I am looking forward to meeting your daughters as I have not seen them yet and your mother is also a great sister maybe I should invite her. What do you think?" I ask Mary?
"We are having more guests around and we will have a lovely feast. This will be a good chance for you and your sister to meet my daughters" I tell the Lady Mary.

"Mother would like that very much." Mary smiles "Ah your daughters. I believe mother has told me that you have two." She only knew about his eldest daughter, Mary "I don't know much about your youngest daughter."

"I am sure that my sister would be delighted to come as well" I tell her.
" Would you like to meet my daughters or the whole family if you like?" I ask Mary
"You will meet them don't worry" I tell Mary

"Have you not met Anne Rose Howard my lady?" I ask Mary

"Of course I would but, I think it would be better if Anne and I met the lady cousins together." Mary says "So that's the young daughter's name. Like I said, Mother has spoken little of her somehow and has never told me her name."

"Yes I think you are right that the two of you should meet my children together". I tell the lady Mary.
"Have you met my son Henry Howard and Jenny Howard". I ask Mary. "I will get both of them to come round as well".
"Your mother speaks little of them because I do not tell her much about them" I say.

"I believe I have." Mary smiles "Henry and the three of us used to play together as children. I trust Henry is well?"

"I did not know that you had met Henry" I say.
"Yes Henry is well". "When did you meet Jenny and Henry?" I ask Mary

Word in court had reached me of a Howard family gathering. We haven't had one of these since, well yes. I hoped that it would be a simple gathering to talk together like normally families did. Secretly, I hoped Thomas Boleyn wouldn't come as soon as he and my father got together. They would spend hours and hours scheming about court the king even. It felt nice to be away from the clouded London air and out into the countryside once more. Upon arriving a servant announced me to the guests.

My mind was in a whirl as my carriage approached Kenninghall, ever since I had received word from his Grace the Duke of Norfolk that he wished to meet with me, I do believe that he must want word on his Niece Queen Anne as I am her lady in waiting.

I step out from the carriage and am met by a servant Please tell his Grace that I have arrived I politely ask

I heard rumours of Muriel not wanting to see Thomas Boleyn and I waited to be able to speak with her about it.

"Escort the lady Mary Dawn to my private rooms" I tell the servant.

Muriel Howard wrote:

Word in court had reached me of a Howard family gathering. We haven't had one of these since, well yes. I hoped that it would be a simple gathering to talk together like normally families did. Secretly, I hoped Thomas Boleyn wouldn't come as soon as he and my father got together. They would spend hours and hours scheming  about court the king even. It felt nice to be away from the clouded London air and out into the countryside once more. Upon arriving a servant announced me to the guests.

Mary turns around as a servant announces her Cousin Muriel "Welcome Cousin Muriel." she smiles as she approaches Muriel "Your father has told me much about you."

I follow the servant to his Grace's private rooms, I try to steady my nerves as I am shown into the room to await his Grace's arrival.

I look around the room and catch my reflection in the window, I smooth down my dress and wished I had been able to change into a better dress rather than meet the Duke in a gown crumpled by the journey.

Dressed in her finest gown of forest green color that offset Sabrina's light hair she arrived at Howard's family estate. It was the first time she was invited at families gathering, and she felt excited and nervous at the same time. Cheeking herself once more in the window she gestured to servant to announce her.

I awaited the arrival of all of the guests and I asked the servant: "Get the lady Dawn a nice dress and tell her I will be there shortly when I have finished getting everything ready" I tell the servant.

I tell the servant: "I hope that the lady Dawn accepts this dress from me" I ask the servant to tell her.

I am told by my servant of the lady Muriel's arrival and I go and greet her.

"Welcome my lady Muriel you look wonderful in green" I tell her.

"apologies for getting your name wrong Sabrina" I tell her

I am startled by the opening of the door, automatically I curtsy expecting His Grace to be standing there. I hear a faint cough and raise my eyes and feel my cheeks redden with embarrassment as I stand to look at the servant.

My curiosity is peaked as I spy a package, "a gift from his Grace the Duke" I am told, I open the package and am astonished by the most magnificent gown in a stunning peacock blue "Please tell his Grace I respectfully accept his gracious gift" I reply to the servant and dismiss him.

As I step out from my own gown I can not help but wonder why his Grace has sent me this gift, it is so finer than any I own. I gently caress the material as I begin to get dressed.