Autumn 1558, pages 29 - 34 Summary

In the Autumn of 1558 we find the princess Elizabeth awakened by the tumult of bells from every church tower in Hertfordshire, replicating how Amy came into the story. Elizabeth is staying at Hatfield palace when she hears the bells, and knows instantly what they mean. Flinging open the shutters, the young princess is joyous, because she knows that she is now next in line for the throne and will be made Queen. The bells signal the death of Old Queen Mary, who has succumbed to her long illness.

Later that morning we find Elizabeth walking in the gardens accompanied by Robert Dudley, who had sped away from his wife Amy, to be one of the first to bear the good news to his new Queen. She asks him what he is thinking, and he replies with a compliment that...