Windsor Castle, Autumn: 1540
Spoiler Notice
This chapter summary contains plot details for Boleyn Traitor. If you haven’t read to this point, be aware of spoilers.
Summary
Back at Windsor Castle, the elderly Dowager Duchess of Norfolk and her flinty daughter the Countess of Bridgewater descend on the court to demand a royal post for Francis Dereham, the household’s former purveyor. They remind a terrified Queen Katheryn Howard that Dereham has kept old letters and poems, and that he is boasting of a secret betrothal. Though Katheryn protests she did nothing wrong, her grandmother insists she must silence him by giving him a place.
Jane Boleyn, standing by the queen, quietly reveals that she has been holding the hundred‑pound purse Dereham once gave Katheryn, intending to return it. Under pressure, the Howards force a compromise: Dereham will be appointed a groom of the chamber, to be introduced by Lady Margaret Howard. The Countess of Bridgewater warns bluntly that if Dereham ever speaks against the queen, he can be hanged. When the Duke of Norfolk later visits, Jane tells him the stepmother merely asked a favour, omitting the fraught details.
That evening the king, leaning on Edward Seymour’s arm, announces that Katheryn will share Thomas Cromwell’s forfeited lands with Thomas Culpeper. He then pairs the queen with Culpeper for dancing, calling them “well‑matched.” Katheryn, still smarting from Culpeper’s earlier preference for another woman, cannot refuse the king’s instruction. Their eyes meet, and Culpeper smiles knowingly; she is not as indifferent as she pretends.
On All Hallows’ Eve, after a day of tedious masses, Lady Margaret Howard escorts Dereham into the queen’s presence. Katheryn receives him with frosty detachment, treats him like a distant acquaintance, and hands him off to her vice chamberlain before he can speak. Jane hopes the young man will soon grow bored and leave court forever, but the chapter closes with the seeds of future disaster already sown.
Key Events
- The Dowager Duchess and the Countess of Bridgewater arrive at Windsor and demand that Katheryn find a court place for Francis Dereham.
- They reveal that Dereham possesses old letters and is claiming a betrothal, terrifying the queen.
- Jane discloses that she holds the purse containing Dereham’s hundred pounds and agrees to return it.
- After heated debate, the Howards decide Dereham will become a groom of the chamber, presented by Lady Margaret Howard.
- The Duke of Norfolk separately tells the queen she will receive lands from Thomas Cromwell’s estate; Jane discreetly hides the real reason for his stepmother’s visit.
- King Henry announces that Katheryn and Thomas Culpeper will share the confiscated lands and then pairs them for dancing.
- Katheryn’s suppressed attraction to Culpeper reignites despite her earlier hurt.
- On All Hallows’ Day, Dereham is formally introduced and dismissed with cold formality; Jane hopes he will soon disappear.
Character Development
Jane Boleyn emerges as Katheryn’s pragmatic shield. She stays beside the queen during the family interrogation, deflects questions, and manages the dangerous purse of money. Her cautious handling of the Howard duke shows her deepening skill in court intrigue, yet her dislike of Dereham and her hope that he will simply leave foreshadow her miscalculation.
Katheryn Howard reverts to a frightened girl when faced with her grandmother’s authority. She pleads not to be left alone and panics at the mention of the past. Yet she also displays a queen’s dignity when formally dismissing Dereham, and her vanity is re‑awakened by Culpeper’s attention—showing how easily she is swayed by admiration.
The Howard family acts as a united, predatory force. The dowager duchess is imperious and unimpressed by royal grandeur; the countess speaks with brutal candour about hanging Dereham if necessary; Lord William shirks responsibility onto his wife. Their collective message is that silence must be bought, and the queen is merely a tool for their security.
Francis Dereham is introduced as a handsome, untrustworthy rogue. Though he appears only briefly, his presence instantly destabilises the court, and the threat of his loose talk hangs over every decision.
Thomas Culpeper is not a passive figure: he knows Katheryn still likes him and uses the king’s command to re‑engage her. His warm, amused smile signals that he recognises the power he holds over the young queen.
King Henry VIII remains oblivious to the currents swirling around his bride. He generously parcels out Cromwell’s wealth and casually orchestrates a pairing that will fuel disaster, believing he is merely entertaining his wife.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Manipulation and Family Loyalty: The Howards regard Katheryn as a family asset who must be coerced into protecting them from gossip. The chapter demonstrates that royal status offers little protection against blood‑kin who know her secrets.
The Past as a Trap: Dereham’s letters and the purse of money become tangible symbols of a youthful indiscretion that can destroy a queen. Jane’s possession of the purse implicates her in the hidden narrative.
Appearance versus Reality: Katheryn’s composed dismissal of Dereham creates a flawless public performance, yet the underlying tension is palpable. The king’s perception of a happy, obedient wife contrasts with the private turmoil Jane witnesses.
The Danger of Proximity: The king’s decision to partner Katheryn and Culpeper literally pushes them together. The phrase “well‑matched” acquires an ironic, ominous weight, underscoring how royal whim can accelerate tragedy.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 39 is a turning point that locks the mechanism of the queen’s downfall into place. By forcing the appointment of Dereham, the Howards place a living piece of Katheryn’s past inside her own household, creating a permanent vulnerability. Simultaneously, the king revives her connection to Culpeper, setting the stage for the adulterous romance that history records. Jane Boleyn, who here acts as both guardian and unwitting enabler, becomes a central witness to two overlapping intrigues. The chapter’s atmosphere of fear, coercion, and reckless attraction makes clear that the safety of the Howard faction—and of the queen herself—is already crumbling.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the Howard family exploit Katheryn’s past to control her present?
The family leverages Dereham’s letters and his claim of a betrothal to force Katheryn into compliance. They make no secret that if she refuses him a post, his gossip will reach London’s reformist circles and brand her a whore like Anne Boleyn. The dowager duchess treats Katheryn as a disobedient child, and the countess bluntly observes that it is better to keep Dereham close enough to silence at the first sign of trouble. By embedding him in the queen’s own chamber, they turn a personal secret into a hostage situation that binds Katheryn to the family’s interests.
2. In what ways does Jane Boleyn act as both protector and enabler?
Jane physically stays by Katheryn’s side and negotiates the terms of Dereham’s appointment, trying to limit the damage. She also holds the compromising purse and agrees to return it, temporarily removing a piece of evidence. However, she tells the Duke of Norfolk “nothing” about the real purpose of the visit, shielding the family’s scheme from his scrutiny and allowing the appointment to go forward. Her hope that Dereham will simply vanish reveals a dangerous underestimation of the threat—one that will have catastrophic consequences.
3. How does the king’s decision to pair Katheryn with Culpeper increase her danger?
The king publicly matches them as dance partners and describes them as “well‑matched,” inadvertently giving Culpeper a sanctioned reason to be at the queen’s side. Katheryn cannot refuse a partner chosen by her husband, so the attraction she has tried to suppress is reignited in full view of the court. The gesture, intended as a harmless amusement, sets the couple on a path toward intimacy that will become a matter of treason.