Katharine, The Virgin Widow - Plaidy Jean (книга регистрации .txt) 📗

Even the King and Queen were laughing with pleasure, and when the music eventually stopped and the energetic young Prince with his sister returned to the table, congratulations were showered on them from every corner of the hall.

Henry acknowledged the cheers on behalf of himself and Margaret, but his small eyes rested on Katharine. He knew that his father was wishing his first-born were more like his other son.

Henry realized then that he was hoping Katharine was making a similar comparison of himself and Arthur.

* * *

* * *

* * *

DONA ELVIRA MANUEL, that most domineering of duennas, was delighted with the state of affairs in England, for while Katharine had her separate household she remained in charge of it, and she knew well that once Katharine became in truth the wife of Arthur she would cease to maintain the power which was now hers.

As duenna to a virgin bride she was supreme, for Katharine herself, on the instructions of Queen Isabella, must bow to her wishes.

Dona Elvira had never been chary of expressing her opinions, and it was inevitable that other ambitious people in the Spanish entourage should find her intolerable and seek to undermine her power.

There was one who held great influence with Katharine. This was Father Alessandro Geraldini who had been her tutor for many years and who now was her chief chaplain and confessor.

Since he had been in England Geraldini had become increasingly aware of the important role which was his and what a different matter it was to be adviser and confidant of the Princess of Wales after being merely tutor to the Infanta of Spain. Not only was Katharine the most important lady in England next to the Queen, but she was also more important to her parents’ political schemes than she had ever been before. And he, Geraldini, was her confessor. Was he going to allow a sharp-tongued woman to dominate him!

He sought for means of destroying her power. He asked permission to speak to Don Pedro de Ayala confidentially.

The ambassador shut the door of the anteroom in which the interview took place and begged Geraldini to state his business.

Geraldini came straight to the point. “Dona Elvira Manuel has become insufferable. One would think she was the Princess of Wales.”

“In what way has she offended you, my friend?”

“She behaves as though she has charge of the Infanta’s very soul. And that happens to be my duty.”

Ayala nodded. He was secretly amused; he liked to contemplate strife between the domineering duenna and the ambitious priest.

“The sooner our Infanta is free of such supervision the better, I say,” continued Geraldini. “And the sooner this marriage becomes a real marriage the better pleased will be our Sovereigns.”

“I see that you are in their Highnesses’ confidence,” said Ayala with a smile.

“I think I know my duty,” answered Geraldini sharply. “Could not their Highnesses be persuaded that it is dangerous to Spanish policy if the marriage remains unconsummated?”

“Tell me how you see such danger in our Infanta’s virginity.”

The priest grew pink. “It is…not as it should be.”

“I will pass on your comments to the Sovereigns,” Ayala told him. Geraldini was not satisfied. He went to Puebla. Like most of the Infanta’s household he had come to despise Puebla, who was often disparagingly referred to as the marrano. Christianized Jews were people of whom the Inquisition had taught Spaniards to be wary.

As for the English, they had found Puebla parsimonious and, although this was a trait they had to accept in their King, they did not like it in others. Therefore Geraldini was less careful of offending Puebla than of offending Ayala.

“The marriage should be consummated,” he said at once. “It is our duty as servants of their Catholic Highnesses to see that this unsatisfactory state of affairs is ended.”

Puebla eyed the priest speculatively. He knew of Geraldini’s influence with Katharine.

“It is the wish of the Infanta?” he asked.

Geraldini made an impatient movement. “The Infanta is innocent. She expresses no opinion. How could she, knowing little of such matters? Yet she holds herself willing to obey the command of her parents.”

Puebla was thoughtful, wondering how best he could ingratiate himself with the English King. He believed that England was to be his home for a long time, and that pleasing the King of England was as important a matter—if not more so—as pleasing the Spanish Sovereigns. Yet the consummation of the Infanta’s marriage seemed to him of small importance compared with the matter of her dowry.

Even as he listened to Geraldini he was wondering what he could do to please the King of England in this matter without displeasing the Spanish Sovereigns. The dowry had been agreed on as two hundred thousand crowns, one hundred thousand of which had been paid on the wedding day. Fifty thousand more were due in six months’ time and another fifty thousand within the year. The plate and jewels, which Katharine had brought with her from Spain and which were to form part of the payment, were valued at thirty-five thousand crowns. This was important to Henry because the plate and jewels were actually in England. For the remainder of the dowry he had only the word of Isabella and Ferdinand to rely on. Why should not Henry take the plate and jewels now? They were in England, so protests from Spain would be fruitless. Henry had already shown when he had seen the Infanta before her wedding that in England he was determined to have his way.

So Puebla was of the opinion that the consummation of the marriage was of far less importance than the Infanta’s dowry.

“It is always the King of England who will decide,” he said.

“Then I think we should let it be known that the Sovereigns of Spain expect consummation without delay.”

Puebla lifted his shoulders and Geraldini could see that, like Ayala, he was indifferent.

But the fact that Geraldini had approached both ambassadors in the matter was brought to the notice of Dona Elvira, and she immediately realized that the officiousness of the priest was directed against her own authority.

Dona Elvira was never a woman to consider whether or not she offended others.

She asked Geraldini to come to her apartments and, when he arrived, she went straight into the attack.

“It appears, Father Geraldini, that you choose to forget that I am in charge of the Infanta’s household!”

“I did not forget.”

“Did you not? Then it seems strange that you should go about explaining that it is the wish of their Catholic Highnesses that the marriage should be consummated.”

“Strange, Dona Elvira? It is common sense.”

“You are in the Sovereigns’ confidence?”

“I…I am the Infanta’s confessor, and as such…”

Dona Elvira’s eyes narrowed. And as such, she thought, you enjoy too much of her confidence. I shall remedy that.

She interrupted coldly: “Queen Isabella put me in charge of her daughter’s household, and until she removes me from that position, there I shall remain. It is for the good of all that as yet the marriage shall remain unconsummated. Our Infanta is as yet too young and her husband even younger. I will thank you, Father, not to meddle in affairs which are no concern of yours.”

Geraldini bowed to hide the hatred in his eyes, but Dona Elvira made no attempt to hide that in hers.

There was war between them, and Dona Elvira would not be satisfied until she had arranged for the insolent priest’s recall to Spain.

* * *

* * *

* * *

HENRY CAME RUNNING into his brother’s apartments, his eyes blazing with excitement.

Arthur was stretched out on a couch looking very pale.

“Are you sick, Arthur?” asked Henry, but he did not wait for an answer. “I have just seen a strange thing, brother. Our father has done to death his best falcon, and for no other reason than that it was not afraid to match itself with an eagle.”