Free The Queen`s Confession by Victoria Holt Page A

been used by Marie Therese, wife of Louis XIV, and Marie Leczinska, wife of Louis XV; and from the windows I looked out on the lake—Piece d’eau des Suisses—and the parterre with the two staircases which were called Les Escaliers des Cent Marches, leading to the orangerie, which contained twelve hundred orange trees.
    But on that first occasion I was taken to my ground-floor apartment, and there ready for me were those grim ladies-in-waiting with my wedding dress. I gasped with pleasure and my gloomy thoughts were all chased away by the sight of it. I had never before seen such a lovely dress and I was enchanted by its panniers of white brocade.
    As soon as I reached my apartment the King came to welcome me to Versailles. What charming manners he had! And with him were two little girls: my sisters-in-law, Clothilde and Elisabeth. Clothilde, the elder, was about eleven, inclined to be too plump, but very friendly;
    as for little Elisabeth, I found her delightful: I kissed her and said we should be friends. The King was pleased and whispered to me that the more he saw me the more he fell under my spell. Then he and the little girls left and the ladies-in-waiting fell on me and prepared me for my wedding.
    It was one o’clock in the afternoon when the Dauphin came to lead me to the chapel. It was very hot, and although he sparkled in gold-spangled net, the brilliance of his clothes only made him look more dour. He did not glance at me as he took my hand and led me into the King’s Council Chamber where the procession was forming. I remember noticing the red marble mantelpiece and the smell of pomade;
    there was a haze of powder in the air from freshly-powdered
     
    wigs and a frou-frou of silks and brocades as the ladies in their voluminous and elaborate skirts moved across the floor.
    The Grand Master of the Ceremonies led the procession, followed by the Dauphin and myself, he holding my hand;
    his was warm, clammy, and, I knew, reluctant. I tried to smile at him but he avoided my glance, and immediately behind me walked Madame de Noailles, so I could not whisper to him. Behind her came the Princes of the Blood Royal with their attendants, followed by my young brothers-inlaw and the King; and after them the little Princess, whom I had met for the first time that day, with the aunts and other Princesses of the Court.
    Through the Galerie des Glaces and the Grand Apartments we went to the Chapel, where the Swiss Guards were lined up, and as the King entered they blew their fifes and beat their drums to herald his arrival. It did not seem like our chapel at home, because it was elegantly decorated. I was sure my mother would have thought the decor irreverent, for although the white and gold were lovely, the angels looked more voluptuous than holy.
    The Dauphin and I knelt on the red velvet edged with gold fringe and the Grand Almoner of France, Monseigneur de la Roche-Aymon, came forward to perform the ceremony
    My bridegroom appeared to be growing more and more bored; he fumbled as he put the ring on my finger and I thought he was going to drop the pieces of gold, blessed by the Grand Almoner, which he presented to me as part of-the ceremony.
    So we were married. The Archbishop gave us his blessing;
    Mass followed; then the organ pealed out and the marriage contract was handed to the King for his signature. After the Dauphin signed his name, it was my turn. As I took the pen my hand was trembling and I wrote my name in an untidy scrawl: Marie Antoinette Josephe Jeanne. A jet of ink shot on to the paper and I felt that everyone was staring at the blot I had made.
     
    Later this too became an ‘omen. ” If blots were omens 58 I had been scattering them rather freely over my exercises for many years. But this was different. This was my marriage contract.
    One would have thought that that was enough ceremony for one day. But no! I was now in truth Dauphine of France, and Madame de Noailles conducted me to my apartments,