and taking her hand he began to dance, twirling her round, releasing her to caper high in the air. She watched him, clapping her hands, happy to see him so gay.
He grew excited by the dancing and he seized her and hugged her so tightly that she could not breathe.
‘A thought comes to me, Kate,’ he said. ‘If I go to France with my armies, you must stay behind. We shall be apart.’
‘Oh Henry, that will make me very sad. I shall miss you so sorely.’
‘Time will pass,’ he assured her ‘and while we are separated how can I get you with child?’ Then he began to laugh afresh. ‘And we squander our time in dancing!’
Then with a swift gesture – eager in this moment of excitement that she should marvel at his strength – he swung her into his arms and carried her across the apartment to the bedchamber.
Ferdinand, King of Aragon and Regent of Castile until his grandson Charles should come of age, was eagerly awaiting despatches from England.
His great desire at the moment was for the conquest of Navarre. He had made Naples safe and this left him free tomake new conquests. It had always been one of his ambitions that Navarre should be under Spanish dominion; his great concern now was to persuade the Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain, Francesco Ximenes de Cisneros, of the justice of this.
He had summoned Ximenes to his presence with the sole purpose of winning his approval of the project. Ximenes came, but from the moment he entered the King’s apartments in the Alhambra he showed his reluctance to be torn from his beloved University of Alcalá, which he himself had built and where he was now finishing that great work, his polyglot bible.
Ferdinand felt a surge of resentment as Ximenes entered the apartment. Whenever he saw the man he remembered how his first wife, Isabella, had bestowed the Archbishopric of Toledo on this recluse when he, Ferdinand, had so deeply desired it for his illegitimate son. He had to admit that Isabella’s trust in Ximenes had not been ill-founded; the man was a brilliant statesman as well as a monk; yet the resentment lingered.
Even now, thought Ferdinand, I must make excuses for my conduct to this man. I must win him to myself, because he wields as much power as I do, since while I am Regent for my grandson, he is Primate in his own right.
‘Your Highness wished to see me,’ Ximenes reminded Ferdinand.
‘I am concerned about the French, and the dilatory ways of the English.’
‘Your Highness is eager to make war on the French for, I believe, the purpose of annexing Navarre.’
Ferdinand felt the warm blood rushing to his face.
‘Your Eminence has forgotten that I have a claim to Navarre, through my father’s first wife.’
‘Who was not Your Highness’ mother.’
‘But I claim through my father.’
‘Through his marriage into the royal house of Navarre,’ Ximenes reminded Ferdinand, ‘it would seem that Jean d’Albret is the rightful King of Navarre.’
Ferdinand said impatiently: ‘Navarre is in a strategic position. It is necessary to Spain.’
‘That is scarcely a reason for making war on a peaceful state.’
You old fool! thought Ferdinand. Go back to your university and your polyglot bible. Leave me to fight for my rights.
But he said craftily: ‘How can we be sure that their intentions are peaceful?’
‘We have no evidence to the contrary, and it is scarcely likely that such a small kingdom would seek to make war on Spain.’
Ferdinand changed the subject.
‘The English are eager to take Guienne.’
‘A foolish project,’ said Ximenes, ‘and one doomed to failure.’
Ferdinand smiled slyly. ‘That is a matter for them to decide.’
‘Your Highness has doubtless roused these ambitions in the mind of the young King of England.’
Ferdinand lifted his shoulders. ‘Should it be my concern if the King of England becomes ambitious to regain territories in France?’
‘It could well be,’ retorted Ximenes, ‘since the
He grew excited by the dancing and he seized her and hugged her so tightly that she could not breathe.
‘A thought comes to me, Kate,’ he said. ‘If I go to France with my armies, you must stay behind. We shall be apart.’
‘Oh Henry, that will make me very sad. I shall miss you so sorely.’
‘Time will pass,’ he assured her ‘and while we are separated how can I get you with child?’ Then he began to laugh afresh. ‘And we squander our time in dancing!’
Then with a swift gesture – eager in this moment of excitement that she should marvel at his strength – he swung her into his arms and carried her across the apartment to the bedchamber.
Ferdinand, King of Aragon and Regent of Castile until his grandson Charles should come of age, was eagerly awaiting despatches from England.
His great desire at the moment was for the conquest of Navarre. He had made Naples safe and this left him free tomake new conquests. It had always been one of his ambitions that Navarre should be under Spanish dominion; his great concern now was to persuade the Archbishop of Toledo and Primate of Spain, Francesco Ximenes de Cisneros, of the justice of this.
He had summoned Ximenes to his presence with the sole purpose of winning his approval of the project. Ximenes came, but from the moment he entered the King’s apartments in the Alhambra he showed his reluctance to be torn from his beloved University of Alcalá, which he himself had built and where he was now finishing that great work, his polyglot bible.
Ferdinand felt a surge of resentment as Ximenes entered the apartment. Whenever he saw the man he remembered how his first wife, Isabella, had bestowed the Archbishopric of Toledo on this recluse when he, Ferdinand, had so deeply desired it for his illegitimate son. He had to admit that Isabella’s trust in Ximenes had not been ill-founded; the man was a brilliant statesman as well as a monk; yet the resentment lingered.
Even now, thought Ferdinand, I must make excuses for my conduct to this man. I must win him to myself, because he wields as much power as I do, since while I am Regent for my grandson, he is Primate in his own right.
‘Your Highness wished to see me,’ Ximenes reminded Ferdinand.
‘I am concerned about the French, and the dilatory ways of the English.’
‘Your Highness is eager to make war on the French for, I believe, the purpose of annexing Navarre.’
Ferdinand felt the warm blood rushing to his face.
‘Your Eminence has forgotten that I have a claim to Navarre, through my father’s first wife.’
‘Who was not Your Highness’ mother.’
‘But I claim through my father.’
‘Through his marriage into the royal house of Navarre,’ Ximenes reminded Ferdinand, ‘it would seem that Jean d’Albret is the rightful King of Navarre.’
Ferdinand said impatiently: ‘Navarre is in a strategic position. It is necessary to Spain.’
‘That is scarcely a reason for making war on a peaceful state.’
You old fool! thought Ferdinand. Go back to your university and your polyglot bible. Leave me to fight for my rights.
But he said craftily: ‘How can we be sure that their intentions are peaceful?’
‘We have no evidence to the contrary, and it is scarcely likely that such a small kingdom would seek to make war on Spain.’
Ferdinand changed the subject.
‘The English are eager to take Guienne.’
‘A foolish project,’ said Ximenes, ‘and one doomed to failure.’
Ferdinand smiled slyly. ‘That is a matter for them to decide.’
‘Your Highness has doubtless roused these ambitions in the mind of the young King of England.’
Ferdinand lifted his shoulders. ‘Should it be my concern if the King of England becomes ambitious to regain territories in France?’
‘It could well be,’ retorted Ximenes, ‘since the
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