The Red Rose of Anjou - Plaidy Jean. Страница 21

‘Most people would be ready to take a fancy to their Queen.’

‘I have no doubt, but I do feel friendship for Alice. She is different from any woman I have met. Perhaps it is because she did not descend entirely from the nobility. Her father, she tells me, was Thomas Chaucer, the eldest son of Geoffrey Chaucer who made a name for himself with his writing. He married a sister of Catherine Swynford who was John of Gaunt’s third wife. You see the connection.’

‘Ah, she climbed into the nobility.’

‘Her father was a very rich man. He was Speaker of the House of Commons and the Marquess of Suffolk is her third husband.’

‘What a lot you know about her.’

‘We talk and it comes out. She was an only child and I suppose she had a fortune. She was married to the Earl of Salisbury before she married Suffolk. I like her very much. In fact I like Suffolk too. I feel in them I shall have good friends in my new home.’

‘You are excited about this marriage, Margaret. I wish mine could be settled. Father is going to stop it again, I believe.’

‘Perhaps if you spoke to him...’

‘I have done so. He hates the Vaudemont, Margaret.’

‘I suppose it is natural. They were really the beginning of his troubles. If they hadn’t claimed Lorraine...’

‘They had a right to,’ declared Yolande. ‘The Salic Law does exist and their claim for Lorraine comes before his.’

‘You will never get our father to see that.’

‘But he agreed to the terms...marriage for Ferri and me.’

‘I am sure Father will relent. It would be pleasant to have the two marriages together.’

‘We are going to insist on it.’

‘Then I am sure it will take place.’

But Rene was adamant when it was suggested.

‘There is so much that has to be arranged first,’ he insisted.

But those who knew him well fully understood that this was another example of his procrastination. The fact was that he did not want his daughter to marry into a house which he considered an enemy. That he had promised, that the marriage had been one of the terms of an agreement did not worry him. Rene was accustomed to waiving an agreement when it suited him.

But he had reckoned without a hot-blooded, romantic lover. Ferri was making plans and if he could get no satisfaction from his prospective bride’s father he intended to carry them out.

The dark November weather had no effect on the ceremonies.

In fact it accentuated their brilliance and crowds witnessed the proxy marriage of Margaret with the Marquess of Suffolk standing in as her bridegroom when the Bishop of Toul performed the ceremony in the church of St. Martins in Nancy and in the presence of a most illustrious assembly presided over by the King of France.

The King had said that this should be an occasion to be remembered and he was determined to make it so. Rene was nothing loth. He was eager that no expense should be spared— even if it was the expense of others—and with the King of France giving the orders it was very grand indeed.

There must be a tournament in honour of the new Queen of England and all the most famous champions of France must perform in it. Margaret could not help being thrilled by the sight of the pavilions flying their pennants and the numbers of chivalrous knights who wore the daisy. She had chosen this symbol because her name was Margaret which meant a daisy and she had always loved the flower because of that. From now on it should be her emblem and this exhibition of chivalry should be the Field of Daisies.

She sat with the two Queens—her mother and her aunt Marie of France and watched the jousting. The King himself took part more than once and Rene also rode into the lists.

Margaret had never seen anything like it in the whole of her life and the fact that it should all be in honour of herself—a fifteen-year-old girl—was overwhelming.

There must be eight days of revelry the King had decreed, and each day should be better than the one before. There was one occasion when a figure clad in armour set with jewels appeared at the tournament and when the visor was thrown back the most beautiful face in France was revealed. Agnes Sorrel had appeared thus at the request of the King who wished the whole of France to know how much he revered her.

Charles rode round the field with Agnes and even the Queen joined in the applause.

It was while this was happening that there was a sudden commotion around the royal loge where the ladies were seated. Ferri de Vaudemont had stepped up to Yolande and taking her hand had walked with her across the field. Intent on the glittering Agnes and the homage done to her by the King, few had noticed. And then Ferri had set Yolande on a horse and himself mounting behind her, with a company of five or six friends began to gallop away.

Rene was the first to notice. He shouted: ‘After them!’ And several of his men gave chase.

The King was astonished. Instead of admiration for his beautiful Agnes there was a tittering in the crowd and everyone was agog to know what had happened.

He ordered that a troop of guards be sent out to see what the disturbance meant and to bring back the fugitives.

Ferri’s attempt to abduct his bride was short-lived; perhaps he had intended it should be so and his motive in making it had merely been to call attention to his case. Within a few hours he was brought before the King.

‘What did you mean by behaving in such a way at my tournament?’ demanded Charles.

‘Sire,’ replied Ferri, ‘I had to call your attention and that of others to the situation in which King Rene has placed not only me but his daughter. Yolande was sent to us as a child. We have grown up together. She wants to marry me as I do her and yet again and again the ceremony is put off simply because the King of Naples does not wish to honour his agreement.’

‘I will speak to the lady,’ said Charles and ordered that Yolande be brought before him.

‘You have been the victim of an abduction,’ said Charles. ‘How do you feel about that?’

‘I was very willing that the abduction should take place. Sire.’

Charles began to laugh. ‘And doubtless planned it with your abductor?’

‘You are right. Sire.’

‘And you want to get married. You are a year older than your sister, eh, and she is now marrying. Is that what you feel?’

‘It is, my lord.’

‘For my part I see no reason why we should not have a double wedding. Perhaps I should speak to King Rene.’

The two young people fell on their knees and kissed the King’s hands.

‘Enough,’ said Charles. ‘I know you will be grateful if I persuade Rene to allow the marriage to take place. So, let me see what I can do.’

He sent for Rene. Agnes was with him when Rene arrived.

‘So your daughter was abducted?’ he said.

‘It is an outrage. It changes everything. It releases me from my bond. I shall take my daughter back with me.’

‘Nay, nay. You go too fast. In the first place it does not release you from your bond. The marriage was at the root of the agreement you made with the Vaudemont when you were beaten in battle by them. You must remain faithful to the laws of chivalry, brother-in-law.’

Rene was silent. He had always prided himself on keeping those rules.

‘Be reasonable. The marriage must take place if you value your honour. The young people are eager for it. Why delay?’

‘There are certain matters which have to be arranged.’

‘Oh come, Rene, how many years have you had to arrange those matters?’

Agnes said: ‘If I may say it, my lord, it would seem to me that much expense would be spared if Yolande and Ferri were married now. Margaret could share her celebrations with those of her sister.’

Charles laughed inwardly. Trust Agnes to find the right answer.

Rene was wavering. The expenses of a daughter’s wedding were great. He was deeply in debt everywhere. Of course if the wedding took place now Charles would be paying for everything.