But her reception of him broke that confidence into shards.

"You have done me such a Wrong," she told him in a voice of cold
hatred, that neither the recollection of our early friendship, nor
all the hope you can give me of the future, could ever make me
forget it. Jamais! Jamais je n'oublierai!" she added, and upon
that she dismissed him so imperiously that he went at once.

She sought a way to deal with him, groped blindly for it, being as
yet but half informed of what was taking place; and whilst she
groped, the thing she sought was suddenly thrust into her land.
Mary Beaton, one of the few attendants left her, brought her word
later that day that the Earl of Murray, with Rothes and some other
of the exiled lords, was in the palace. The news brought revelation.
It flooded with light the tragic happening of the night before,
showed her how Darnley was building himself a party in the state.
It did more than that. She recalled the erstwhile mutual hatred
and mistrust of Murray and Darnley, and saw how it might serve her
in this emergency.

Instantly she summoned Murray to her presence with the message that
she welcomed his return. Yet, despite that message, he hardly
expected - considering what lay between them - the reception that
awaited him at her hands.

She rose to receive him, her lovely eyes suffused ,with tears. She
embraced him, kissed him, and then, nestling to him, as if for
comfort, her cheek against his bearded face, she allowed her tears
to flow unchecked.