“I should like to make sure on that point,” said Puebla. “It is important.” Ayala looked scornfully at the Jew. “Your lawyer’s mind boggles at unimportant details. Rest assured that if the Sovereigns want the dispensation they will get it. Spain is great enough to make sure of that.”

“At first I shall say nothing of this suggested marriage. I wish to alarm the King by demanding the return of the dowry and the transfer of the goods which the Infanta has inherited by her marriage. That will put him into a mood to agree to this second marriage—and it is the wish of the Sovereigns that it should take place.”

“I thought,” said Ayala, “that the Queen would have wished to have her daughter back.”

“She wishes it most fervently, but duty comes before her own personal desires as always. There is another matter. Her health has declined rapidly during the last months. You, who have not seen her for so long, would scarcely know her. I do not think Isabella of Castile is long for this world. She knows it, and she wishes to see her youngest daughter happily settled, with a crown in view, before she departs this life.”

“She need have no fear. Henry will agree to this marriage,” smiled Ayala. “It is the way out for him. He would never allow anyone to take one hundred thousand crowns from him.”

They had reached the gates of the Palace.

With Puebla on one side and Ayala on the other, Hernan Duque rode in; and shortly afterwards Puebla and Ayala presented him to the King, who was very ready to conduct him to a small chamber where they might discuss this matter of the Infanta’s future in private.


* * *

IN THE SECLUSION of Durham House, Katharine had no idea that her parents’ envoy had arrived in England with such important documents affecting her future.

She felt at peace, for she was certain that very soon now she would be preparing to make the journey back to Spain. In her apartments, the windows of which overlooked the Thames, she could almost believe she was back in Spain. Here she sat with three of her maids of honor, all of whom were dear to her, and they stitched at their embroidery as they would in their own country.

She could almost believe that at any moment there would be a summons for her to go to her mother’s apartment in this very palace, and that if she looked from the window she would not see the lively London river with its barges, its ferries, its watermen all shouting to each other in the English tongue, but the distant Sierras of Guadarrama or the crystal-clear waters of the Darro.

In the meantime she could live in Durham House as though she were in a Spanish Alcazar and wait for the summons to return home.

Maria de Rojas had grown even prettier in recent weeks. Maria was in love with an Englishman. Francesca de Carceres was only pretending to sew, because she hated to sit quietly and was not fond of the needle; she found life at Durham House irksome, longed for gaiety, and it was only the thought that soon they would be returning to Spain that made it possible for her to endure it. Maria de Salinas worked quietly. She too was happy because she believed they would soon be leaving for Spain.

Francesca, who could never contain her thoughts for long, suddenly burst out: “Maria de Rojas wishes to talk to Your Highness.”

Maria de Rojas flushed slightly, and Maria de Salinas said in her quiet way: “You should not hesitate. Her Highness will help you, I am sure.”

“What is this?” asked Katharine. “Come along, Maria, tell me.”

“She is in love,” cried Francesca.

“With Don Iñigo?” Katharine asked.

Maria de Rojas flushed hotly. “Indeed no.”

“Ah, then it is with the Englishman,” said Katharine. “He returns your affection?”

“He does indeed, Highness.”

“And you wish to marry him?”

“I do, Highness; and his grandfather is willing that we should marry.”

“The consent of the King of England would be necessary,” said Katharine, “and of my parents.”

“Maria is thinking,” Maria de Salinas said, “that if Your Highness wrote to the King and Queen of Spain, telling them that the Earl of Derby is a great English nobleman and his grandson worthy of our Maria, they would readily give their consent.”

“And her dowry also,” put in Katharine. “You may depend upon it, Maria, that I shall write immediately to my parents and ask them to do what is necessary in the matter.”

“Your Highness is good to me,” murmured Maria gratefully. “But it will then be necessary to have the consent of the King of England as well.”

“That will easily be obtained,” answered Francesca, “if the Countess of Richmond is approached first. Her opinion carries more weight with the King of England than anyone else’s.”

“You must ask your lover to arrange the English side of the project,” said Katharine. “As for myself, I will write to my parents without delay.”

Maria de Rojas sank to her knees and taking Katharine’s hand kissed it dramatically.

Francesca laughed and Maria de Salinas smiled.

“What a wonderful thing it is to be in love,” cried Francesca. “How I wish it would happen to me! But there is one thing I should welcome more.”

“And that?” asked Katharine, although she already knew the answer.

“To return home, Highness. To leave this country and go home to Spain.”

“Ah yes,” sighed Katharine. “Which of us does not feel the same—except Maria, who has a very good reason for wishing to stay here. Prepare my writing table. I will write at once to my parents and ask for their consent.”

Maria de Rojas obeyed with alacrity, and the three maids of honor stood about Katharine’s table as she wrote.

“There!” said Katharine. “It is ready. As soon as the messenger leaves for Spain he shall take this with him among other important documents.”

“None is as important as this, Highness,” cried Maria de Rojas, taking the letter and kissing it.

“So when we leave for Spain we shall leave you behind,” said Katharine. “We shall miss you, Maria.”

“Your Highness will be so happy to return home—and so will the others—that you will all forget Maria de Rojas.”

“And what will she care?” demanded Francesca. “She will be happy with her English lord whom she loves well enough to say goodbye to Spain and adopt this country as her own for ever more.”

“That,” answered Katharine soberly, “is love.”


* * *

DR. DE PUEBLA called at Durham House. The Infanta had no wish to see him. She found him quite distasteful, and although she was always pleased to see Ayala the little marrano irritated her, and because she knew that he was ridiculed throughout the English Court she felt ashamed of him.

Puebla was well aware of this, but he was not unduly put out; he was accustomed to being scorned and he had an idea that he would remain at his post longer than Don Pedro de Ayala, for the simple reasons that he was more useful to the Sovereigns and that the King of England believed he was as good a friend as any foreign ambassador could be.

His lawyer’s outlook demanded that he know the truth concerning the Infanta’s marriage. Whether or not the marriage had been consummated seemed of enormous importance to him because, if it had not been, it would be a far simpler matter to get the dispensation from the Pope. He was determined to find out.

And who would be more likely to know the truth than Katharine’s confessor? So when Puebla arrived at Durham House it was not to see Katharine that he came, nor yet Doña Elvira, but Katharine’s confessor—Father Alessandro Geraldini.

Geraldini was delighted to be sought out by Puebla. He pretended, with everyone else, to despise the man, but he knew the power of Puebla and he felt, when the ambassador came to see him, that he was becoming of great importance. Had not Torquemada begun as confessor to a Queen? And look what power he had held! Ximenes de Cisneros was another example of a humble Friar who became a great man. Ximenes was reckoned to be the most powerful man in Spain at this time—next to the Sovereigns, of course.

So Geraldini was proud to receive Puebla.

The cunning Puebla was well aware of the feelings of the Friar, and decided to exploit them.

“I would ask your opinion on a very delicate matter,” Puebla began.

“I shall be delighted to give it.”

“It is this matter of the Infanta’s marriage. It seems a very strange thing that two young people should be married and not consummate.”

Geraldini nodded. “As the King forbade consummation it is almost certain that the Infanta would have mentioned in her confessions to her priest if she and her husband had defied the King’s wish.”

Geraldini looked wise.

“A confessor is the one confidant to whom it is possible to tell that which one keeps secret from the world. Is that not so?”

“It is indeed so.”

“Therefore if anyone knows what happened on the Infanta’s wedding night, that person is most likely to be yourself.” The little priest could not hide the pride which showed in his eyes. “In the name of the Sovereigns, I ask you to tell me what happened.”

Geraldini hesitated. He knew that if he told the truth and said he did not know, he would cease to be of any importance to Puebla; that was something he could not endure. He wanted to see himself as the Infanta’s confidant, as a man destined to play a part in Spanish politics.

“You see,” went on Puebla, noticing the hesitancy, “if the marriage was consummated and this fact was kept hidden the bull of dispensation from the Pope might not be valid. It is necessary to lay all the facts before his Holiness. We must have the truth, and you are the man who can give it. You know the answer. Your peculiar position enables you to have it. I pray you give it to me now.”