Page 22 of Love, Will

“The one and only,” he replied gloomily. “May I come in?”

“Yes, of course, pardon my manners.” I opened the door more widely for him to take a step forward in the tiny room with two beds and a table with a single chair. I felt humbled and ashamed by the situation in which I was receiving the Earl on his first visit to my accommodation. Then I realized he shouldn’t even be present in such a place, nonetheless in London.

“Henry, why are you here?”

“Why am I here?” he answered, annoyed. “To put some sense into you, of course. Or did you think I could remain in Oxford after you told me you want to go touring the country and only the Lord knows when you get back?” He looked agitated, unnerved, and slightly angry. Even though the room barely allowed the both of us to stand, he paced around, his boots drawing a small circle around me.

“You gave up time with the Queen to see me?” I sighed, avoiding the urge to grab him by the collar and shake him.

“Of course, Will. I cannot lose you!” Henry replied with desperation. He seemed to give up all sense of propriety and threw himself on Richard’s bed, as though searching for a haven from all the troubles he had on his mind.

I followed and took a seat on my bed and listened to how the Earl professed every step of his plan to me. A plan to keep me close to him.

At his insistence, we met for supper in Henry’s villa and ran through the details again, which he was extremely eager to share with me and had thought about during his entire trip back from Oxford. As I made my way to his estate, I felt hopeful and still surprised with the fact that Henry chose to spend time with me rather than the Queen. I would never have asked it of him and did not feel deserving of the honour.

I knocked at the door, which immediately opened, to show Henry himself, looking as anxious as a deer caught in a trap. He grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to his study, sat me down on the chair and rubbed his hands together, as if preparing to do some manual labour. Then he expanded them theatrically and said to me,

“William, will you do me the honour of being my secretary while London is under plague?”

I widened my eyes in shock.

His smile dropped a bit. He probably had expected a better or noisier reaction from my end.

“No?” he added with a continuously growing saddened face. Those were the moments when the Earl could be the most adorable person in the entire world. He displayed everything at maximum intensity, just like a child, and he looked like I just crushed his dreams or broke his favourite toy.

“I don’t know what to say…” I replied honestly, not fully grasping what his offer entailed.

“Well, yes, of course,” he raised his voice in joy.

“Henry, I am humbled by the honours you continue to do me, but…”

“Nothing. But nothing. It is the perfect solution. You will be my secretary, earn money to send home and you can work on your plays while we continue our friendship.”

“But, what about the theatre?” I replied with amazement.

“It is closed, isn’t it?” Henry answered, confused, then turned towards his desk and served himself a small glass of wine, which he downed in the next second. Only then, his gaze returned to mine.

“I mean, my colleagues. They are counting on me to go touring with them.”

“I’m sure you can find a way to make both us and them happy,” the Earl nodded. His posture announced no room for negotiation.

I thought about it for a minute and realised he was right. The boys would be able to spread the roles amongst themselves and if I renounced my payment for the plays I had written, they could share the coin and earn even more.

“I suppose so,” I replied. “But what will I be doing as a secretary?” I frowned slightly, worried that the position the Earl offered had come out of pity rather than the need for a secretary or nursing my talent.

“What every secretary does, take care of my communications, write letters on my behalf and help me study Italian. And you will, of course, have time for yourself and as much ink and quill as you desire. Will, if you say yes, I will bring you all the geese in London,” Henry said hopeful.

I couldn’t say no to those big green eyes. He looked so excited and happy, his joyous face shining beautifully and smiling at me, only at me. Once again, I sensed the desire to get closer to Henry and be blessed with a kiss by those beautiful red lips. And for once, the thought did not scare or bothered me, it actually gave me hope.

“Yes, Henry, with all my heart, yes.”

Working for Henry turned out to be much easier than working in the theatre business. I did not have to maintain a schedule and he allowed me to work alongside him in the study and only write for him whenever something was needed. Most of the time he spent the mornings sparring or taking Italian classes, which, after he discovered my excitement, I was invited to attend and learn what I could. That we both studied Latin made it much easier and his tutor, John Florio, who became a very dear friend, told us about Italian customs and love stories which later inspired me greatly.It also helped to send a small fortune home, from the letters father or my son sent, Anne and the family business had greatly benefited from the help.

The first few days living in the Earl’s villa were authentically daunting, my entire environment improved, and I felt that every single movement I dared to make could be potentially insulting or considered ungrateful. As I was officially named the Earl’s secretary, I became the second highest rank in the household, which meant that I was given a room worthy of nobility and had my own maid and a steward, who prepared a horse or a carriage for me whenever I wished to travel and could make my errands and deliver messages on my behalf.

In the Earl’s absence I had the authority to manage and run the house during the day or command the kitchen with whatever I fancied, so if I decided that one night I wanted to dine on a whole lamb, my wish would be obliged. I even had a maid whose duty was to prepare me a bath every Saturday night and wash me in rosewater, after which she brought me clean shirts for the week.

I never had over three shirts in my entire life, which I wore until the holes were too big to disguise or sew back, but now, I represented the Earl’s household, so I had to behave like nobility and be treated like one. No more ale with pork pies and writing in the brothel to save candles. I had all the materials to last me ten lifetimes and as many books.

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