Mary Queen of Scotland & the Isles by Margaret George Page B
Authors: Margaret George
Tags: Fiction, Historical
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Marie de Guise landed in France during the summer of 1550, and she brought a number of Scottish lords with her. King Henri II and Queen Catherine prepared a royal reception in Rouen, and Mary's tutor made her memorize a long, formal greeting to her mother. But when Mary, trembling with excitement, was brought into the salle where her mother was waiting, she forgot her speech and flew into her mother's arms.
She hugged her so fiercely her arms crushed the Queen Mother's stiff petticoats and made them crackle. It was not until then that she knew she had not really hugged anyone without restraint since she had come to France.
"Oh, Mamanl" she cried, and to her embarrassment tears flooded her eyes.
Her mother was stroking her hair, clasping her to herself. Mary's head came up to her mother's bosom, and her tears were staining the jewelled bodice.
"My dearest, beloved daughter!" Marie de Guise took Mary's face in her hands and lifted it up. "Look how you have grown! Soon we cannot call you petite Reinette at all." She looked around at the entire court and said, "Soon she will be old enough to have her own royal household, and appoint her own officials!"
Mary could not imagine why her mother would say that; she was not even old enough yet to insist that Francois could take his pet bear with him when they changed palaces. But she squeezed her mother's hand and looked up at her adoringly. Just to hear that almost-forgotten voice was heaven.
Marie de Guise joyfully met with her brothers, and the three of them would sit down with little Mary and discuss their plans for her. Her education, under the direction of the Cardinal, seemed to be progressing well; her mother was pleased.
"I believe you can start studying Greek next year," Uncle Cardinal said. "Your Latin is quite sound. Do you not think so?" he asked his sister.
"Mine is not sound enough to judge!" she said. "But certainly, add Greek if you feel she is ready. And my dear le Balafre what is your assessment of the household situation?"
The muscular Duke stirred on his seat; clearly, sitting for a long time was hard for him. "I think we must propose a separate household as soon as it is feasible. But I warn you, the King and Queen prefer to have her as part of their own establishment."
"But I don't want a separate household!" cried Mary, suddenly. "I would rather live with the royal children, and especially Francois."
Marie's eyes widened. "Oh, so you like Francois?"
"Yes." Why were they all asking these questions?
"That's good, that's very good," said Uncle le Balafre. "But remember, you have the rest of your life to live with him. As you bcome a little older, it will be better for you to have your own establishment."
"But why? And better for whom?"
"For you, child, for you," said Uncle Cardinal. "If Francois can see you every day, as if you were a sister, why, then, he may come to think of you that way rather than as a wife."
"But I will miss him!" She did not want to be sent to a separate household, where there would undoubtedly be too many adults.
"Well, we shall see," said her mother soothingly. "It may not come to pass at all."
When they were alone, her mother took pleasure in inspecting her quarters. She had Mary show her all the chests of beautiful clothes, the bags and shelves of toys, the carved furniture that was scaled to child's size. At length she sat down on one of the little chairs, overhanging it. She took Mary's hands and looked deep into her eyes.
"Now for the truly important things," she said solemnly, and Mary wondered what these could be.
"Yes, Marram?"
"Your faith. Have you been preparing that as well as your school lessons? For it is much more important."
"Yes, Maman. We have a chaplain here, he's a very kind and learned man "
"It is time you had a confessor! I will see to it that a suitable one is assigned to you, to you alone. Do
Marie de Guise landed in France during the summer of 1550, and she brought a number of Scottish lords with her. King Henri II and Queen Catherine prepared a royal reception in Rouen, and Mary's tutor made her memorize a long, formal greeting to her mother. But when Mary, trembling with excitement, was brought into the salle where her mother was waiting, she forgot her speech and flew into her mother's arms.
She hugged her so fiercely her arms crushed the Queen Mother's stiff petticoats and made them crackle. It was not until then that she knew she had not really hugged anyone without restraint since she had come to France.
"Oh, Mamanl" she cried, and to her embarrassment tears flooded her eyes.
Her mother was stroking her hair, clasping her to herself. Mary's head came up to her mother's bosom, and her tears were staining the jewelled bodice.
"My dearest, beloved daughter!" Marie de Guise took Mary's face in her hands and lifted it up. "Look how you have grown! Soon we cannot call you petite Reinette at all." She looked around at the entire court and said, "Soon she will be old enough to have her own royal household, and appoint her own officials!"
Mary could not imagine why her mother would say that; she was not even old enough yet to insist that Francois could take his pet bear with him when they changed palaces. But she squeezed her mother's hand and looked up at her adoringly. Just to hear that almost-forgotten voice was heaven.
Marie de Guise joyfully met with her brothers, and the three of them would sit down with little Mary and discuss their plans for her. Her education, under the direction of the Cardinal, seemed to be progressing well; her mother was pleased.
"I believe you can start studying Greek next year," Uncle Cardinal said. "Your Latin is quite sound. Do you not think so?" he asked his sister.
"Mine is not sound enough to judge!" she said. "But certainly, add Greek if you feel she is ready. And my dear le Balafre what is your assessment of the household situation?"
The muscular Duke stirred on his seat; clearly, sitting for a long time was hard for him. "I think we must propose a separate household as soon as it is feasible. But I warn you, the King and Queen prefer to have her as part of their own establishment."
"But I don't want a separate household!" cried Mary, suddenly. "I would rather live with the royal children, and especially Francois."
Marie's eyes widened. "Oh, so you like Francois?"
"Yes." Why were they all asking these questions?
"That's good, that's very good," said Uncle le Balafre. "But remember, you have the rest of your life to live with him. As you bcome a little older, it will be better for you to have your own establishment."
"But why? And better for whom?"
"For you, child, for you," said Uncle Cardinal. "If Francois can see you every day, as if you were a sister, why, then, he may come to think of you that way rather than as a wife."
"But I will miss him!" She did not want to be sent to a separate household, where there would undoubtedly be too many adults.
"Well, we shall see," said her mother soothingly. "It may not come to pass at all."
When they were alone, her mother took pleasure in inspecting her quarters. She had Mary show her all the chests of beautiful clothes, the bags and shelves of toys, the carved furniture that was scaled to child's size. At length she sat down on one of the little chairs, overhanging it. She took Mary's hands and looked deep into her eyes.
"Now for the truly important things," she said solemnly, and Mary wondered what these could be.
"Yes, Marram?"
"Your faith. Have you been preparing that as well as your school lessons? For it is much more important."
"Yes, Maman. We have a chaplain here, he's a very kind and learned man "
"It is time you had a confessor! I will see to it that a suitable one is assigned to you, to you alone. Do
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