Free Katharine of Aragon by Jean Plaidy Page A

hers.
    As duenna to a virgin bride she was supreme, for Katharine herself, on the instructions of Queen Isabella, must bow to her wishes.
    Doña Elvira had never been chary of expressing her opinions, and it was inevitable that other ambitious people in the Spanish entourage should find her intolerable and seek to undermine her power.
    There was one who held great influence with Katharine. This was Father Alessandro Geraldini who had been her tutor for many years and who now was her chief chaplain and confessor.
    Since he had been in England Geraldini had become increasingly aware of the important role which was his and what a different matter it was to be adviser and confidant of the Princess of Wales after being merely tutor to the Infanta of Spain. Not only was Katharine the most important lady in England next to the Queen, but she was also more important to her parents' political schemes than she had ever been before. And he, Geraldini, was her confessor. Was he going to allow a sharp-tongued woman to dominate him!
    He sought for means of destroying her power. He asked permission to speak to Don Pedro de Ayala confidentially.
    The ambassador shut the door of the anteroom in which the interview took place and begged Geraldini to state his business.
    Geraldini came straight to the point. “Doña Elvira Manuel has become insufferable. One would think she was the Princess of Wales.”
    “In what way has she offended you, my friend?”
    “She behaves as though she has charge of the Infanta's very soul. And that happens to be my duty.”
    Ayala nodded. He was secretly amused; he liked to contemplate strife between the domineering duenna and the ambitious priest.
    “The sooner our Infanta is free of such supervision the better, I say,” continuedGeraldini. “And the sooner this marriage becomes a real marriage the better pleased will be our Sovereigns.”
    “I see that you are in their Highnesses' confidence,” said Ayala with a smile.
    “I think I know my duty,” answered Geraldini sharply. “Could not their Highnesses be persuaded that it is dangerous to Spanish policy if the marriage remains unconsummated?”
    “Tell me how you see such danger in our Infanta's virginity.”
    The priest grew pink. “It is… not as it should be.”
    “I will pass on your comments to the Sovereigns,” Ayala told him. Geraldini was not satisfied. He went to Puebla. Like most of the Infanta's household he had come to despise Puebla, who was often disparagingly referred to as the
marrano
. Christianized Jews were people of whom the Inquisition had taught Spaniards to be wary.
    As for the English, they had found Puebla parsimonious and, although this was a trait they had to accept in their King, they did not like it in others. Therefore Geraldini was less careful of offending Puebla than of offending Ayala.
    “The marriage should be consummated,” he said at once. “It is our duty as servants of their Catholic Highnesses to see that this unsatisfactory state of affairs is ended.”
    Puebla eyed the priest speculatively. He knew of Geraldini's influence with Katharine.
    “It is the wish of the Infanta?” he asked.
    Geraldini made an impatient movement. “The Infanta is innocent. She expresses no opinion. How could she, knowing little of such matters? Yet she holds herself willing to obey the command of her parents.”
    Puebla was thoughtful, wondering how best he could ingratiate himself with the English King. He believed that England was to be his home for a long time, and that pleasing the King of England was as important a matter— if not more so—as pleasing the Spanish Sovereigns. Yet the consummation of the Infanta's marriage seemed to him of small importance compared with the matter of her dowry.
    Even as he listened to Geraldini he was wondering what he could do to please the King of England in this matter without displeasing the Spanish Sovereigns. The dowry had been agreed on as two hundred thousand crowns, one