Daughters of Spain - Plaidy Jean (онлайн книга без TXT) 📗

She said: ‘I am anxious about the ceremony. This wildness of hers must not be visible. I do not know how the people would react. It is not only here in Castile that she must be calm. There will be the ceremony in Saragossa to follow. You will know that the people of Aragon were none too kind to her sister Isabella.’

‘But they accepted her son Miguel as their heir. We have Charles to offer them.’

‘I know. But Charles is a baby. I want them to accept you and Juana as our heirs. If she will be dignified before them, I believe they will. If not, I cannot answer for the consequences.’

Philip’s eyes narrowed. Then he said: ‘Your Highness need have no fear. Juana will behave with the utmost decorum before the Cortes.’

‘How can you be sure of this?’

‘I can be sure,’ he answered arrogantly, ‘I can command her.’

When he had left her Isabella thought: There is so much he could do for her. But he does not. He is cruel to her, my poor bewildered Juana.

Isabella found that she hated this son-in-law; she blamed his cruel treatment for the sad change in her daughter.

Philip came into his wife’s apartments in the Toledo Alcazar. Juana, who had been lying down, leapt to her feet, her eyes shining with delight.

‘Leave us! Leave us!’ she cried, fluttering her hands; and Philip stood aside to let her women pass, smiling lasciviously at the prettiest one, calculatingly. He would remember her.

Juana ran to him and took his arm. ‘Do not look at her. Do not look at her,’ she cried.

He threw her off. ‘Why not? She is a pleasant sight.’

‘Pleasanter than I am?’

Her archness sickened him. He almost told her that he found her looks becoming more and more repulsive.

‘Let me look at you,’ he said; ‘that will help me to decide.’

She lifted her face to his – all eagerness, all desire – pressing her body against him, her lips parted, her eyes pleading.

Philip held her off. ‘I have had a talk with your mother. You have been telling her tales about me.’

Terror showed in her face. ‘Oh no, Philip. Oh no … no, no! Someone has been carrying tales. I have said nothing but good of you.’

‘In the eyes of your sainted mother I am a philanderer.’

‘Oh … she is so prim, she does not understand.’

Philip gripped her wrist so tightly that she cried out, not in pain but in pleasure. She was happy for him to touch her, even though it might be in anger.

‘But you understand, do you not, my dear wife? You do not blame me.’

‘I don’t blame you, Philip, but I hope …’

‘You don’t want another child yet, do you?’

‘Yes, I do. We must have children … many, many children.’

He laughed. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘we have to undergo this ceremony with the Cortes. You know that?’

‘Yes, to declare us heirs. That will please you, Philip. It is what you want. No one else could give you so much as that. I am the heiress of Castile and, as my husband, you share in my inheritance.’

‘That is so. That is why I find you so attractive. Now listen to me. I want you to behave perfectly at the ceremony. Be quiet. Do not laugh, do not smile. Be serious. All the time. If you do not I shall never touch you again.’

‘Oh, Philip. I will do everything you say. And if I do …’

‘If you give satisfaction I will stay with you all through the night.’

‘Philip, I will do anything … everything …’

He touched her cheek lightly. ‘Do as I say, and I shall be with you.’

She threw herself against him, laughing, touching his face. ‘Philip, my handsome Philip …’ she moaned.

He put her from him.

‘Not yet. You have not shown me that you’ll give me what I want. After the ceremony we shall see. But one smile from you, one word out of place, and that is the end between us.’

‘Oh, Philip!’

He shook himself free of her. Then he left her and went to find the pretty attendant.

The ceremonies both at Toledo and Saragossa had passed without a hitch. The people of Saragossa had accepted Juana without protest. She already had her son Charles, and it was unlikely that he would not be of an age to govern by the time Ferdinand was ready to pass on the Crown to him.

Isabella was delighted that the ceremonies had passed so smoothly. She had been terrified of an outburst from Juana.

On the other hand she knew that Philip had ordered his wife to behave with decorum. Perhaps no one else had noticed the glance of triumph that Juana had given her husband once during the ceremony, but Isabella had seen it. It touched her deeply; it was almost like a child’s saying: See how good I am.

So much she would do for him. What he could do for her if he would! She loved him with such abandon; if he were only good and kind he could save her from disaster.

Perhaps if Juana remained in Spain it might be possible to nurse her back to health. Isabella had been untiring in her watchfulness over her own mother. She had paid frequent visits to Arevalo to make sure that all that could be done was being done for that poor woman. If she had Juana with her she would watch over her even as she had watched over her mother.

She would suggest this at an appropriate time, but she did not believe for one moment that Philip would remain in Spain; and how could she persuade Juana to stay if he did not?

She tried to think of more pleasant matters. Soon she would have her little Catalina home. Negotiations were now going on with England. Half of Catalina’s dowry had been paid, but Ferdinand had refused to pay the other half. Why should he when Catalina was now a widow and was coming home to her family?

Oh, to have her back! What joy that would be! It would compensate a little for all this trouble with Juana.

Perhaps good fortune is coming to me at last, thought the Queen. If I can keep Juana with me, if Catalina comes home, I shall have regained two of my daughters.

There was news from England. Isabella and Ferdinand received it together.

As Isabella read the letter a great depression came over her, but Ferdinand’s expression was shrewd and calculating. The news in the letter, which filled Isabella with sadness, was to him good news.

‘Why not?’ cried Ferdinand. ‘Why not? What could be better?’

‘I had hoped to have her home with me,’ sighed Isabella.

‘That would be most unsettling for her. It is great good fortune that Henry has a second son. We must agree at once to this marriage with young Henry.’

‘He is years younger than Catalina. Arthur was her junior by one year.’

‘What matters that? Catalina can give Henry many children. This is excellent.’

‘Let her come back home for a while. It seems to me somewhat indecent to talk of marrying her to her husband’s brother almost before he is cold in his grave.’

‘Henry is eager for this marriage. He hints here that, if we do not agree to Catalina’s union with young Henry, it will be a French Princess for the boy. That is something we could not endure. Imagine! At this time. War over the partition of Naples pending, and who can know what that wily old Louis has up his sleeve! The English must be with us, not against us … and they would surely be against us if we refused this offer and young Henry married a French girl.’

‘Agree to the marriage, but let there be an interval.’

‘Indeed yes, there must be an interval. It will be necessary to get a dispensation from the Pope. He’ll give it readily enough, but it will take a little time.’

‘I wonder what our Catalina thinks of this?’

Ferdinand looked at his wife slyly. Then he took another letter from his pocket.

‘She has written to me,’ he said.