Denys swatted her own hand back at the queen but only after she turned to quit the chamber.
* * *
That eve as the queen"s maids undressed her, she noticed something amiss: a trunk sat askew atop the others, its lock broken. She ordered a maid to fetch it down, flung it open and sifted through the contents. All appeared in order, but she checked the old ledger just to be sure. She"d listed every letter in that trunk and from whom it came, but didn"t find Margaret Holland"s letter. She checked again and for certes, it was gone. She thumbed through the other letters again. None were missing. Just this one.
In her inquisition the queen railed at her bevy of maids, attendants, ushers, pages, barbers, and higher ranking staff: King Edward"s gentlemen of the chamber, Lord Chamberlain and Lord
