Thomas Seymour was her first love; and she loved him with that purity and guileless warmth which is indeed peculiar to the first love only.
It sufficed her, therefore, to see him; to be near him; to know that he loved her; that he was true to her; that all his thoughts and wishes belonged to her, as hers to him.
And that she knew.

For there ever remained to her the sweet enjoyment of his letters--of those passionately written avowals of his love.

If she was not permitted to say also to him how warmly and ardently she returned this love, yet she could write it to him.
It was John Heywood, the true and discreet friend, that brought her these letters, and bore her answers to him, stipulating, as a reward for this dangerous commission, that they both should regard him as the sole confidant of their love; that both should burn up the letters which he brought them.

He had not been able to hinder Catharine from this unhappy passion, but wanted at least to preserve her from the fatal consequences of it.

Since he knew that this love needed a confidant, he assumed this role, that Catharine, in the vehemence of her passion and in the simplicity of her innocent heart, might not make others sharers of her dangerous secret.
John Heywood therefore watched over Catharine's safety and happiness, as she watched over Thomas Seymour and her friends.