'And as to the descent[43] of the king it shall behove me to speak so soberly as I may me constrain, for it is the thing that I desire as much as his coming. And the same of my lady Mary, as God knoweth. The heart me breaketh when it behoveth me to dissemble, not in this but in many others. And it seemeth to me that I may not so well serve the king, being in this fear, as before; so when the king shall descend that I shall be always in this pain, and I feel me I shall not dare speak nor show good semblance to the said personage; whereas I would make to him much honour and good cheer, I shall not dare behold him with a good eye, which displeasure shall be the same to him and to me. And I know no remedy[44] but the same that Bresylle shall show you for to put remedy to all. I would not constrain him to it against his will, but, and he desire ever that I do him honour or pleasure, it is forced that it be so, not for that I have not the good will towards him, such as ever I have had, but for that I am for mine honour constrained so to do. I pray you very much to take pains for to make well to understand to the king and to the personage this thing, to the end that I may do to him better service and to his fellow pleasure. I pray you to do of this as of the other. (Likewise signed, M.).' (Endorsed, Secret matters of the Duke of Suffolk.) [43] Apparently his landing on the Continent. [44] In the margin is written, 'Bresylle said there was no way to avoid the bruit but that my lord should marry the lady Lisle, as more at length I have written unto my said lord.' Although these interesting letters are so badly transcribed from the original French that their meaning is often obscure, they undoubtedly prove that Margaret had fallen desperately in love with the handsome English favourite, who, on his side, appears to have been more or less serious in his flirtation with her. How deep were Brandon's feelings for Margaret we shall probably never know. It is certain that Henry VIII. did not look favourably on his suit, and as Margaret herself sadly observed to the English ambassador in her letter quoted above: 'I know no remedy (to stop the gossip) but the same that Bresylle shall show you,' namely that Brandon should look elsewhere for a wife. The rumours and reports concerning Margaret and the Duke of Suffolk reached as far as Spain. King Ferdinand heard of them, and in July he wrote to Luiz Caroz de Villaragut, his ambassador in England, asking 'if it is true or not that Madame Margaret is to marry Monsieur de Lisle (Charles Brandon)?'[45] [45] _Calendar of Spanish State Papers_, vol. ii. But in the midst of all these troubles and anxieties preparations for the first wedding in the little circle at Malines turned Margaret's thoughts into another channel.