The winter was bitter and long. The women spent their days sewing and gossiping, for the queen’s pregnancy kept them from other pursuits, such as riding, hunting, and hawking. Three of the queen’s Marys were still with her. The Italian secretary, Riccio, kept them amused, but the truth was that Annabella found the days boring. It was obvious that the queen and her husband were not on particularly good terms. The more Annabella saw of Darnley, the less she understood why Mary had married him. True, he was handsome, and she heard that in days past he had been considered quite charming. She saw none of that charm, however. What she saw was an ignorant young man with a thirst for power, who, had he been actually made king, would not have been capable of ruling anything, as he was incapable of ruling even his own emotions. And he was jealous of his wife’s friendship with David Riccio. Annabella didn’t think a great deal of the Italian either.
