The Other Boleyn Girl pt. 3

Mary Boleyn is a newly widowed women. Her husband William Carey and her had just been reunited as husband and wife after years of Mary's affair with the king when Carey came down with the sweat. He warned Mary to go to Heaver with her children where she would be safe while the court was sick. Mary's sister, Anne also came down with the sweat and it almost killed her. To Anne's dismay the king spent the summer with Queen Katherine while she was sick. With Anne's growing health, she begs her sister to return to court with her, although Mary would rather stay at Heaver with her children. Anne explains that she cannot go on living an act all the time, she needs a bedfellow she can trust. Finally, Mary gives in and returns to court. While the girls were away at Heaver there was a secret family meeting held about possibly bringing Mary back to the kings attention, since she is newly widowed. They are worried the king has lost interest in Anne in her absence. Over the next few weeks Anne spends getting the kings eyes back on her. One day in November, Anne asks George and Mary to walk with her by the river at Greenwich place. "I thought I would adopt little Henry as my own son.' I was astounded, i could only look at her. 'You don't even like him very much,' I said, the first foolish thought of a loving mother. 'You never even play with him. George has spent more time with him than you."(page 313) Anne explains that she doesn't want Henry because she likes or even loves him, but to give the king a queen and an heir at the same time, a true Tudor by birth. This also makes Mary less desirable to the king. Mary has no choice but to agree because Anne has had the adoption papers signed and sealed. Mary's son is no longer hers, but her sisters.