Read The Merry Monarch's Wife for Free Online Page B

have freedom to worship and I might have my own chapel fitted up wherever I lived.
    My mother was immensely relieved.
    But no sooner had that matter been settled than a more serious one arose. It was from Donna Maria that I first heard of this.
    â€œThere will have to be a proxy marriage,” she said. “You cannot leave the country without it.”
    â€œWhy not?” I asked. “I am going to marry Charles. Why should I need a proxy?”
    â€œThe King cannot come here and you cannot go into a strange country as an unmarried woman.”
    â€œWhat harm would it do?”
    â€œMy lady Infanta, you are very innocent of the world. Unprotected virgins do not leave their homes unless chaperoned.”
    â€œI should be surrounded by attendants.”
    â€œHow could we know what might happen to you?” she said mysteriously.
    â€œWell, there will have to be a proxy marriage, I suppose, but it seems unnecessary.”
    My mother was even more concerned than Donna Maria, but for a different reason.
    â€œBut why?” I cried. “You have the King’s letter. He says he is sending the Earl of Sandwich to take me back to England.”
    â€œThere should be a proxy marriage first,” said my mother.
    â€œWell, there will be a proxy marriage. Is that so difficult?”
    â€œIf everything were as it should be there would be no difficulty,” she said. “But if you are married by proxy, it will be necessary to get a dispensation from the Pope because your husband is a Protestant.”
    â€œDoes that mean waiting?”
    â€œIt is not that so much which makes me anxious. The Pope does not recognize you as the daughter and sister of kings. He will give the dispensation; he would not dare offend Charles by not doing so, but at the same time your name will appear on it as the daughter of the Duke of Braganza, and that is something I will not allow.”
    â€œWhat shall we do then?”
    â€œThere is only one thing we can do, and I do not like it overmuch.”
    â€œWhat is that?”
    â€œYou must go to England without having a proxy marriage first.”
    I smiled. “I think we need not worry about that,” I said. “Charles has said he wants me to go to England to marry him.”
    She looked at me searchingly, and I thought she was about to tell me something; but she evidently decided not to. She merely nodded and said: “Well, there cannot be a proxy marriage.”
    I did not attach too much importance to this. I was going to England to marry Charles after this long delay, and I was very happy about that.
    Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 
    DISPATCHES ARRIVED FROM LONDON which made me realize more than ever how very important it was for me to marry Charles, apart from my own inclination.
    There were riots in London. These had been inspired by none other than the villain Vatteville, who had circulated rumors that if the King married a Catholic there would be trouble in England. Had the people forgotten the days of that Queen whom they knew as Bloody Mary? Did they remember that the last queen had been a Catholic? They were ready to blame Henrietta Maria for what was beyond her control. But it served a good reason for objecting to me.
    For Vatteville and his master to act in this way was certainly ironical. They themselves were ardent Catholics. Why did they campaign against me? The answer was obvious. What they wished to avoid above everything was an alliance between England and Portugal.
    The King and his ministers acted promptly. They had long become weary of Vatteville’s meddling. He was found to be in possession of subversive papers when his lodgings were searched, and was forthwith ordered to leave the country. Even then he tried to stay, to plea his cause, but Charles was tired of him, and refused to see him.
    It was a great relief to know that Vatteville was no longer in England.
    My mother said: “The fact that the Spaniards have