VI. I Could Not Afford a Foolish Mistake

HE WAS THE HANDSOMEST MAN I had ever met, an Englishman, though not the Englishman Queen Elizabeth would have had me marry. I defied her; I would marry whomever I chose. But I knew that I had to choose carefully; if my judgment was wrong, I likely would not recognize it until it was too late. Nevertheless, I missed the warning signs and confidently pressed ahead, not guessing that my decision would bring me misery and deliver me into the hands of my enemies.