Read Online All the Sweet Tomorrows by Bertrice Small - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bertrice Small
Ads: Link
that your son’s rights are fully protected. The boy will grow up as Her Majesty’s personal ward.”
“Are you mad?!”
The look on Skye’s face was pure shock. “I cannot leave Ireland and England! My life is here. My lands, my wealth,
my children!
Besides I have sworn to never wed again, m’lord. I cannot lose to death another man whom I love.
You cannot ask this of me!”
But she knew that he could, and he did.
“Madam, you have never even met the Duc de Beaumont de Jaspre. Therefore you cannot love him. If he departs this life it should be no matter to you. He is said to be in failing health for all his desire to father children. In all likelihood you will be widowed in a year or two; but in the meantime England will have a listening post in France’s bedchamber.”
“You are heartless, sir!” Skye cried. “Ask anything else of me and I will gladly comply, but you cannot ask this!”
“I can, madam, and I do! The only way I will support your son’s rights is if you will agree to go to Beaumont de Jaspre as the duc’s bride.” His dark brown eyes looked straight at her.
“I shall appeal directly to the Queen!”
“You are forbidden court. Appear without the Queen’s permission, and you’ll return to the Tower, where you can do your son no good. Besides, the Queen will accept my advice in this matter. An infant heir is so vulnerable, madam, without strong protection. Who stronger than the Queen?
A grateful Queen
. Think, madam!”
Skye knew that she was beaten. She could refuse William Cecil’s infamous proposal and return to Ireland, where she would be forced to fight off the Dublin English and her Irishneighbors for the next fifteen years, until her son was old enough to fight himself; or she could agree to become a stranger’s wife. The idea was totally alien to her, but she had no other choices. Still, she would not give in to the Crown without having certain conditions guaranteed her.
“I want the same kind of marriage contract that I had with Southwood and Lord Burke,” she said firmly. “What belongs to me remains mine alone. I will not give over my wealth to anyone else. Women are hapless enough creatures as it is in this man’s world; but I will not be helpless as well, dependent on someone else for every pennypiece I spend. If the duc will not agree then
nothing
, Lord Burghley, not even your threats, can make me go.”
He nodded. “It will not be easy, but if your dowry is sufficiently generous, madam, we should have no difficulties with the duc. It is a simple enough matter to convince him that your estates are entailed to your children. As for your children themselves, they will remain here.”
She nodded in answer to him. It would break her heart to leave her children, especially her Burke babies, behind, but it would be safer for them. Padraic and Deirdre must remain on their lands as a symbol to their people. “My uncle, the Bishop of Connaught, must be allowed to govern Burke lands for my son,” she said.
“Agreed,” William Cecil said. Old Seamus O’Malley might be a papist, but he was an honest one and a popular one. He would give the Crown no difficulties. If they put an Englishman or one of the Anglo-Irish in charge of the infant heir, the regent would eventually appropriate the child’s inheritance. Besides, the safety of the Burke children themselves would be guaranteed in their grand-uncle’s care.
“My other children will remain where they are now,” Skye said.
“Then you should have no difficulty, madam, in readying yourself fairly quickly. I shall return to the Queen tomorrow. You are to follow in seven days’ time. You will advise me of your arrival in London, and I will arrange for you to come to court once more. Where do you intend staying?”
“I will stay at Greenwood,” Skye said. “Lynmouth House is too large to open for one person for such a short time.”
He smiled his frosty smile at her, pleased as he always was by her sense of
“Are you mad?!”
The look on Skye’s face was pure shock. “I cannot leave Ireland and England! My life is here. My lands, my wealth,
my children!
Besides I have sworn to never wed again, m’lord. I cannot lose to death another man whom I love.
You cannot ask this of me!”
But she knew that he could, and he did.
“Madam, you have never even met the Duc de Beaumont de Jaspre. Therefore you cannot love him. If he departs this life it should be no matter to you. He is said to be in failing health for all his desire to father children. In all likelihood you will be widowed in a year or two; but in the meantime England will have a listening post in France’s bedchamber.”
“You are heartless, sir!” Skye cried. “Ask anything else of me and I will gladly comply, but you cannot ask this!”
“I can, madam, and I do! The only way I will support your son’s rights is if you will agree to go to Beaumont de Jaspre as the duc’s bride.” His dark brown eyes looked straight at her.
“I shall appeal directly to the Queen!”
“You are forbidden court. Appear without the Queen’s permission, and you’ll return to the Tower, where you can do your son no good. Besides, the Queen will accept my advice in this matter. An infant heir is so vulnerable, madam, without strong protection. Who stronger than the Queen?
A grateful Queen
. Think, madam!”
Skye knew that she was beaten. She could refuse William Cecil’s infamous proposal and return to Ireland, where she would be forced to fight off the Dublin English and her Irishneighbors for the next fifteen years, until her son was old enough to fight himself; or she could agree to become a stranger’s wife. The idea was totally alien to her, but she had no other choices. Still, she would not give in to the Crown without having certain conditions guaranteed her.
“I want the same kind of marriage contract that I had with Southwood and Lord Burke,” she said firmly. “What belongs to me remains mine alone. I will not give over my wealth to anyone else. Women are hapless enough creatures as it is in this man’s world; but I will not be helpless as well, dependent on someone else for every pennypiece I spend. If the duc will not agree then
nothing
, Lord Burghley, not even your threats, can make me go.”
He nodded. “It will not be easy, but if your dowry is sufficiently generous, madam, we should have no difficulties with the duc. It is a simple enough matter to convince him that your estates are entailed to your children. As for your children themselves, they will remain here.”
She nodded in answer to him. It would break her heart to leave her children, especially her Burke babies, behind, but it would be safer for them. Padraic and Deirdre must remain on their lands as a symbol to their people. “My uncle, the Bishop of Connaught, must be allowed to govern Burke lands for my son,” she said.
“Agreed,” William Cecil said. Old Seamus O’Malley might be a papist, but he was an honest one and a popular one. He would give the Crown no difficulties. If they put an Englishman or one of the Anglo-Irish in charge of the infant heir, the regent would eventually appropriate the child’s inheritance. Besides, the safety of the Burke children themselves would be guaranteed in their grand-uncle’s care.
“My other children will remain where they are now,” Skye said.
“Then you should have no difficulty, madam, in readying yourself fairly quickly. I shall return to the Queen tomorrow. You are to follow in seven days’ time. You will advise me of your arrival in London, and I will arrange for you to come to court once more. Where do you intend staying?”
“I will stay at Greenwood,” Skye said. “Lynmouth House is too large to open for one person for such a short time.”
He smiled his frosty smile at her, pleased as he always was by her sense of
Similar Books
