For a moment he dropped his bantering mood. Then he smiled and said: “You need have no fear. Our marriage will be regarded throughout the world as a true marriage.”
“It would not be so to me,” I said.
“Ah,” he replied. “They have made an ardent papist of you, have they? Papists are so earnest.” He laughed. “You remind me of my mother. You and she will be good friends when you meet, I’ll swear. As for this Catholic ceremony…you see, my dear, you are Queen of this country and you must be married according to the religious observances of the place. But you say you will not be happy…and I cannot allow you to be unhappy. I will tell you how we will resolve this matter. There shall be a ceremony here in this bedchamber. It shall be as you wish, and the other one will take place as arranged on the same day. It means you will have to marry me twice. Could you bear that?”
I felt my lips tremble. I was going to weep because I was so touched, so happy.
“You are all that I hoped for…and all that I dreamed,” I said emotionally.
He looked at me in mock dismay. “Do not have too good an opinion of me, I beg you. I fear you will find me a somewhat sinful fellow.”
“Oh no. You are the kindest and best man in the world.”
He leaned toward me and kissed my cheek. He was sober suddenly. He said: “You shame me.” Then he was merry again. His gravity seemed always to be fleeting, as though his gaiety was waiting impatiently to break in on it.
“So,” he went on, “that little matter is taken care of. There is nothing now for you to be anxious about. All you have to do is get well. I am impatient for these ceremonies to be over.”
When he left me, I lay back in a daze of happiness.
Donna Maria came in and looked at me.
“I never heard of such,” she was muttering. “I can guess what your mother would say if she knew that a man not yet your husband had visited you in your bedchamber…and you abed!”
I pulled the bedclothes up to hide my face and stifle my laughter.
It was the laughter of happiness as much as amusement.
I RECOVERED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY and it was arranged that the ceremony should take place without delay.
There was a great deal of secrecy about the Catholic nuptials, and I realized what a concession it was that it should have been allowed to take place.
It was to be held in my bedchamber. The Lord Aubigny, an almoner of Queen Henrietta Maria, was to perform the ceremony. Francisco de Mello was to be there with three of his trusted servants, and Donnas Maria and Elvira. The only other witness was to be the Duke of York, and I was pleased to see him again. He had made me feel so welcome on my arrival and he had seemed sympathetic and to understand my urgent desire that it should take place.
Charles was as charming as ever. He was less earnest than I, and I felt more and more grateful that he should have granted my wish, which could not have been easy. If he had refused, I should have been most unhappy. He had understood this and was determined to please me. What a wonderful husband I should have!
After the ceremony Charles kissed me. He whispered: “Don’t forget you have to go through all this again.”
I replied that I should be very happy to do so.
Then the Duke of York kissed me and said most graciously how delighted he was that I had come to these shores to be his good sister.
I was so happy. My cold had disappeared and I was now ready for that other ceremony which would take place later that day.
Lady Suffolk helped to prepare me for it. Donna Maria clucked her disapproval and whispered with Donna Elvira, who shared it. They had been somewhat placated because of the earlier ceremony in my bedchamber. At least I was now Charles’s wife and that set their minds at rest. It was a pity, said Donna Elvira, that we had to go through this heathen performance.
They did not approve of my wedding dress, which Lady Suffolk and I thought charming. It was cut according to the English fashion. “Disgraceful,” murmured Donna Maria.
“Too low cut and showing too much of the shoulders,” added Donna Elvira.
It was of the color of roses — a beautiful shade which would be becoming to my dark eyes, and there were little knots of ribbon all over it. I thought it was the most delightful dress I had ever seen.
Communication was not easy. I knew that I must learn the English language as quickly as I could, for I could see many difficulties ahead. I thought: I will ask Charles to teach me. Perhaps I shall teach him Portuguese.
“You must not get exhausted,” warned Donna Elvira.
“Indeed not,” added Donna Maria. “Do not forget that you have just arisen from a sick bed.”
“Oh, Maria…it was nothing.”
“You have to remember, my lady, how excitement upsets you.”
I knew what she meant. Once or twice, when I had been overtired or became too excited, I had fainted, and this was accompanied by a tiresome bleeding of the nose. It had happened only a few times but that was enough for Donna Maria. She was continually reminding me of it. It had happened once in the convent and had alarmed the nuns. Donna Maria was now shaking her head prophetically.
“I shall be watchful,” she said. “And if I see the signs, I shall insist on your returning to your bed — no matter who shall try to stop me. It was foolish to have two ceremonies on the same day. The morning’s was necessary, I agree, but this other…”
“Dear Maria, this is the one people here think is important.”
“I can only wish that we had come to a country of the Faith.”
“I’m happy here, Maria.”
Lady Suffolk fortunately could not understand this conversation, so perhaps there was some advantage in the language difficulty after all.
The ceremony was to take place in the great hall of this house, for which I was grateful. I was buoyed up by excitement, but I did feel a trembling of the knees, due no doubt to this excitement rather than my recent indisposition.
The grand hall, or the Presence Chamber, where Charles received visiting emissaries and ambassadors, was an impressive room, especially as it was fitted up for this occasion. Two thronelike seats had been set under a canopy, and a rail had been put across the room to partition off that section where the nuptials should take place, separating us from the rest of the company. The place was filled with nobles and those of high standing in all professions.
Charles led me to the seat under the canopy, and with us was the Bishop of London, who was to perform the ceremony, and Don Francisco with Sir Richard Fanshawe, whom I knew because of the part he had played in the negotiation of the marriage.
Charles took my hand and the ceremony began.
I could only nod my head when told to do so, for I was not able to say the words which were required of me.
I learned afterward that when the Bishop proclaimed us man and wife, what the people were shouting was: “Long may they live!”
There was to be a banquet and the King, holding me by the hand, took me to his apartment, the people following us.
There we stood side by side and many came to congratulate us and to wish us a long and happy life together. Charles explained this to me. He looked very happy — and so was I.
Lady Suffolk indicated that she would like one of the blue knots of ribbon on my dress. It would be a memento of this happy occasion which she would treasure all her life. I thought it was a charming suggestion, so I pulled one off and gave it to her.
People pressed round and I realized that they were all demanding a knot of blue ribbon.
“You cannot refuse them,” said Charles. “You are going to be ribbonless before they will let you go.”
It was all very merry and there was I, plucking off the knots of ribbon, which I knew later had been lightly tacked on so that they could easily be pulled off.