A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver by E. L. Konigsburg

Author:E. L. Konigsburg
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780689846243
Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company
Published: 1973-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

KING LOUIS may have had more thoughts of the Kingdom of Heaven than the Kingdom of France, but he had enough thought left over to want an heir. He married again. This time his choice was Constance of Spain, a girl best described as sweet—an adjective I reserve for women who lack sufficient spirit to cause trouble. Constance presented Louis with a child in the year 1168. We were assembled at Christmas court that year when the subject of Louis’s new child came up.

“They call this one Marguerite,” I said.

“How clever!” Eleanor said. “I never would have thought to name a daughter of mine after a flower.”

“No,” Henry said, “I think it best to name our daughters after queens and mothers of kings, so that they have some notion that they are put on Earth for some reason other than smelling sweet and nodding at the sun.”

“Marguerite, Marguerite Capet.” Eleanor paused a minute and then added, “I’ve just been thinking, Henry.”

“You are always guilty of that, madam,” Henry answered.

“If I know Louis,” Eleanor said, “and I do know Louis, right now he is very concerned about what will happen to his kingdom when he dies. He thinks about death all the time, you know. And if I know Louis, and I do know Louis, he would like to have his newest daughter engaged to a young man of property so that when he dies, at least his grandchildren can hold France. Louis will have to offer a dowry with this daughter, a considerable dowry, so that she can be engaged to a man of property, considerable property, a man with a title worthy of a princess of France.”

“And you believe that Louis would be interested in a young man of property—considerable property—even if that young man of property has as his father a great rival king?” Henry asked.

“Yes,” Eleanor answered. “And even if that young man has as his mother, Louis’s own former wife.”

Henry thought a minute, but only a minute. “I’ll have Becket arrange it,” he said. He smiled. “Becket will arrange the engagement of our son Henry to Louis’s Marguerite.”

“Why Becket?” Eleanor asked. “It was my idea. Besides who knows how to impress Louis’s people better than I?”

“No one knows better, my dear,” Henry answered. “But Becket knows as well. And besides, the Franks do not resent Becket, but they do resent you. Louis resents you, too. He has never forgiven you for divorcing him.”

“Oh, you’re right, Henry. Of course, you’re right. It’s just that I would love to arrange a great pageant to impress those Franks.”

“Becket will do it. He will do a great job. He will make every single bishop, baron, priest, duke, monk, count and serf realize that their former queen is better married than she was.”

Eleanor smiled at Henry. “I should say so.” She patted her stomach. “And when this little Plantagenet arrives, we shall outmatch them by our three sons to their zero.”

“What makes you so certain that you are carrying another boy?”

“I know.

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