The Queen From Provence - Plaidy Jean (книги онлайн полные .txt) 📗

Sanchia was with them. She was sorry to leave her husband but she had the compensation of her sister’s company and she could not forgo the opportunity of seeing her family once more.

Henry was impatiently waiting at Bordeaux for their arrival, in a fever of anxiety lest disaster should befall them; and when he saw his Queen he was wild with joy.

It was his happiest moment since he had left her, he told her. They embraced fervently; then he turned to the rest of the company.

In the castle a great feast had been prepared. Never had he felt more like celebrating anything, said the King. He wanted to hear what the family had been doing and how baby Katharine fared. Poor darling, what a pity it was that she was too young to join them!

Later he explained the position to the Queen and Edward.

This marriage was necessary if they were to keep Gascony. King Alfonso, who had come to the throne on the death of his father Ferdinand III, was being very firm in laying down his conditions.

The little Eleanora of Castile, the bride-to-be, was very young. She was the daughter of Ferdinand by Joanna Countess of Ponthieu – that lady whom Henry had churlishly treated in order to marry Queen Eleanor. Joanna, after being jilted by Henry, had married Ferdinand who had already had Alfonso by a previous marriage. Thus the young Eleanora was the new King’s half-sister and he was in control of her destiny.

He had offered her to young Edward and Henry had seized on it as the only way out of the predicament he found himself in after his quarrel with Simon de Montfort, which could have lost him Gascony.

Once the marriage ceremony was performed, Gascony would be safe for Henry.

It had to be admitted that Alfonso was a little cynical regarding the intentions of the King of England.

This was not to be wondered at. Young Eleanora’s mother had been badly treated by Henry who after being betrothed to her had abruptly broken off his contract. Moreover the young girl’s grandmother had been that Princess Alice who had been sent to England as the bride-to-be of Richard Coeur de Lion, and had been seduced by Richard’s father when she was a child and kept by him as his mistress so that the marriage she had come to England to make had never taken place.

Nothing of this nature was going to happen to his half-sister, Alfonso determined; therefore she should not go to Edward but Edward should come to her; he should travel to Burgos and if he did not arrive by a day which Alfonso would appoint, the contract would be broken and he would invade Gascony.

Henry said: ‘You see what a position we are in.’

‘What an arrogant fellow!’ cried the Queen.

‘He is indeed, my dearest. But we are in his hands. If we are to keep Gascony, Edward must be in Burgos before the date expires.’

‘He shall be there,’ said the Queen.

No time was lost, as soon as the contracts were signed and agreed on, Eleanor and Edward set out for Burgos. Henry’s presence was needed in Bordeaux so he could not accompany them.

Travelling across the Pyrenees was hazardous, but at least it was summer, and the Queen’s determination was well known.

Michaelmas day marked the end of the period allowed them.

They arrived on the fifth day of August, thanks to the indefatigable efforts of the Queen; and there was great rejoicing in Burgos.

The young Infanta Eleanora saw the arrival of the cavalcade with the Queen riding at the head of it, her son beside her.

This was Edward – who was to be her husband.

Her heart leapt with excitement for he was very handsome. She knew at once who he was because of his bright flaxen hair. There was a distinction about him. He was very young – not much older than herself; and she thought that since she had to marry and leave her home she would rather it was with this Edward than any other.

Her home had never been the paradise enjoyed by the Queen of England and her sisters. In the first place her mother had not been her father’s first wife. Ferdinand had never been very interested in her; his favourite child had naturally been Alfonso, son of a previous marriage, and Alfonso had shown very clearly, since he had become King, that he ruled them all.

Alfonso had little time for his half-sister and regarded her merely as a pawn in his political game. But she was very useful at this time, he admitted; and he would be glad to see her a potential Queen of England.

His interests were divided between politics and astronomy, and he was reckoned to be very clever. In fact he had invented tables concerning the heavens which were known as the Alfonsine Tables of Astronomy. He was known as The Wise, and his knowledge of the stars had brought him great prestige.

So he had little time for his stepmother Joanna and his half-sister Eleanora, except when they could be of use to him.

Joanna, who had herself been buffeted from one bridegroom to another, had told her daughter that this was what an Infanta must expect; but the King of England was notoriously devoted to his wife and it seemed likely that his son would be the same with his.

Therefore the little Infanta, having lacked the happiness in childhood that some had had, at least had the compensation that it was no great wrench to leave her home.

Down to the courtyard. Her mother held her by the hand. And there he was, the flaxen-haired boy, his eyes eagerly scanning those assembled until they came to rest on her.

Then he smiled and she blushed a little.

Her heart leaped with pleasure for she read in his looks that he was not ill-pleased.

They were married. She did not have much time to speak to him before the ceremony but he did let her know that he was happy to be her husband. He spoke a little of her language and she had been taught his so it was not hard to communicate.

She thought he was the most handsome young man she had ever seen – and not only handsome, but different from any other.

She was a little in awe of her mother-in-law, who was very beautiful and clearly determined to have her own way. They had the same name – or almost. The Queen’s had been made Eleanor instead of her native Eleanore; and Eleanora, which the Infanta was called now, would, the Queen told her, doubtless be changed to Eleanor when she was in England, for the English thought their way of doing everything – even spelling names – was better than anyone else’s.

The Infanta told the Queen that she did not mind how they changed her name as long as they liked her.

At which the Queen grunted and said they were a difficult people and in particular the Londoners.

However Edward was more reassuring. The people would love her, he told her, because she was pretty and moreover gentle. He liked her gentleness too. In fact he was very pleased with his marriage.

Alfonso was eager to show the English Queen that he could give her as good entertainment in Burgos as she had in England and there was a rich feast and a festival which was more stately than those held in England. Edward was most impressed but most of all he liked to sit beside his little wife and let her explain her country’s customs to him.

Alfonso knighted Edward and the little Infanta was moved to see handsome Edward kneel before her half-brother.

As the bride was so young – she was only just ten years old – there was to be no consummation of the marriage. That, said Alfonso, could wait.

The Queen replied that the best way was to allow these things to settle themselves naturally; and in any case the little girl must finish her education first and this should have the Queen’s personal supervision, which she had given to her own children.

This was all arranged to the satisfaction of Alfonso and in due course the party set out for Bordeaux and this time the little bride rode with them.