Summer 1530 Summary

Mary travels to Hever, now surrounded by servants and the Howard family standard. She is attracted to her uncle's gentleman assigned to escort her, William Stafford, but is put off by his bad manners.

She has decided to put little Catherine in proper gowns and to cut small Henry's curls this summer, but sheds tears over losing their babyhood. William Stafford sees her crying, and suggests to her that she has an opportunity to be free from the family while they are so fixed on Anne. Stafford says he is a free man regardless of his service to the Howards, and would like to have a woman who loved him, one who would stake her life on his ability to care for her rather than have her father bind him with a dowry and contract. He also assures her that young Henry will...