Jacqueline's Dilemma by Emma - Part Eighteen

For the first time in days the royal dining room played host only to the royal family. The endless barrage and courtiers who had received hospitality due to the ball, were now back in their own homes. Danielle could tell that Stephen and Hélène were pleased to be back in their own drawing room. The stifling atmosphere of royal dining did not suit them. It didn't really suit any of the royal family or those close to them, it was just a formality that they had to put up with. Danielle especially hated the gossip which had polluted the atmosphere. Jacqueline was just relieved not to be so closely scrutinised by so many people.

The remaining family at the table were still watching her however. There seemed to be something different about the way she held herself. For a while she had been somewhat despondent. It was as if she was mourning the loss of something so great she could not speak about it. However now there was an air of genuine contentment about her. Something must have happened during that day and Danielle felt that she knew what it was. Captain Laurent must have asked her something very important in the gardens that afternoon. Henry was not so sure though, given the other visit he had received.

"Jacqueline dear," the Queen said, intruding on the quiet of the moment. "I believe the Contessa di Napoli was looking for you this afternoon. Did she find you?"

"Yes Your Majesty, she did. Jacqueline cast her mind back to the meeting with Angel. It was just after she had returned to the palace from the gardens, just after she had left Antoine. Her head had been so full of him she could not possibly concentrate on anything Angel was saying.
Angel had not stayed long and Jacqueline was beginning to worry that she had offended her. For now though, she just wanted to think about what had happened that afternoon.

For a while after the proposal, Jacqueline's whole body was numb. All of her dreams were coming true at once and her body could not handle it. The two of them had sat down together below the bare boughs of the great tree in silence. Neither of them quite knew what to say. Jacqueline therefore decided that it was best not to try to express her feelings in words. They simply sat and kissed, occasionally whispering words of love in each others ear until darkness began to descend.

Before he left Antoine had begged her to give him something with which he could keep her close to him. After much consideration she removed one of the pearl earrings which had been given to her by her cousin Lionel and she had been hiding from her mother since the family left Ghent. She kissed him lightly on the lips as she pressed it into his palm. In return he gave her a handkerchief embroidered with his family's crest, to remind her that soon it would be her family crest.

Since then she had been wandering around the palace in a daze. What was happening really was unbelievable. After a while she went to her room so that she could be happy without getting strange looks from guards and courtiers. When in her room she had just sat at her desk or on her bed, thinking about those magical hours where it had just been her and her love. The moment that he told her he loved her had been played in her mind over and over again until she was sent for to join the family for dinner.

"Did you see that?" Danielle whispered to Henry.

"See what my love?" He asked squeezing her hand under the table.

"That smile on Jacqueline's face. Something definitely happened today. Laurent must have found her this afternoon." Henry did not answer. "If not I can't think what happened."

The party was very quiet until the King took his last mouthful and the dinner things were taken away. They all stood and began to walk out of the room. As they moved towards the drawing room Henry noticed something fall from the pocket in Jacqueline's sleeve. He stepped forward and picked it up. It was a handkerchief with a crest embroidered on it. He quickly studied it and it answered all of his questions. This was the crest of the Duc de Polignac.

"Jacqueline," Henry said. She turned around to face him. "You dropped this." He handed her the piece of white linen, letting her see that he had noticed the crest. She bit her lip and blushed. Nothing more was said at this point but she knew that far from being over this was just beginning.

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Henry had been unable to concentrate on anything since dinner. His sense of responsibility towards Jacqueline had grown greatly over the past few days. He felt as if her happiness was his personal obligation. His entire brain was focused on this issue. His father had given up trying to speak with him about the university. The Queen recognised immediately that he was in a pensive mood and shouldn't be disturbed. She therefore distracted Danielle for most of the evening.

Now Henry and Danielle were in their chambers alone. This was usually an occasion on which Henry could think only of her, but not even that could distract him from the thought of Jacqueline and Polignac together.

"When do you think Jacqueline and Marc will announce their engagement?" Danielle said. This made Henry break out of his silence.

"I beg your pardon my love?"

"Jacqueline and Captain Laurent, they surely cannot keep it a secret for long."

"Keep what a secret?"

"Their engagement of course!"

"You think that they are engaged? this is a very sudden development."

"You saw the change in her countenance at dinner. Given your exchange with the captain this afternoon I have drawn the only logical conclusion."

"I'm not so sure that this is the case at all. Anything could have changed her mood."

"But Henry my darling, you seem to forget that I have more experience of what it is like to be proposed to than you. I don't believe that you have ever experienced that." Henry's mind momentarily flicked to a moment several years ago when he was sorely tempted by such an offer, but soon he was back to Jacqueline.

"We can't expect anything, we just need to wait and see what happens."

"You are being over cautious my love. I intend to continue to expect this and when it happens I can say I always knew it."

"Will you excuse me for a while dear? there is some very particular business I must attend to."

"Now! At this time of night! What sort of business cannot wait until morning?"

"This shouldn't take too long my love. I just want to see to this as soon as possible." he kissed her hand and left the room.

He made his way purposefully along the corridors towards the East Wing of the castle, where the guest quarters were situated. He quickly found which one Jacqueline was in and made his way there quietly. Goodness knows what sort of scandal it would cause if it were known he was calling on his incredibly beautiful and sought after sister-in-law at this hour.

He gently tapped on the door. He heard footsteps and the rustle of a gown. The door opened slightly and Jacqueline's face appeared in the crack. Her eyes grew wide when she saw who it was.

"Y...Y...Your Highness," she stammered. "I did not expect you."

"I did not expect to be here myself," he said, looking around for any courtiers who might get the wrong idea. "May I come in?"

"Certainly Your Highness." She opened the door wide and he quickly entered.

"Jacqueline I am come to talk to you on a very delicate matter."

"You want to know why I carry Antoine's handkerchief in my sleeve pocket."

"No, I think I know why. Captain Polignac came to see me this afternoon."

"Really," Jacqueline swallowed hard. "What did he have to say?"

"He asked my permission to marry. More specifically he asked so that he might marry you." Henry noticed a little smile creep across her face. "Has he proposed?" He already knew that answer to this question.

"Yes Your Highness, he has."

"And you have accepted him."

"Yes I have."

"I thought so. I came here to make sure that this it what you really want. As a brother I feel that it is my responsibility to ensure that you are happy in all aspects of your life and that includes your marriage partner."

"Your Highness I..."

"Please, my name is Henry." Jacqueline smiled.

"Henry. I appreciate your concern greatly. I cannot remember when anyone has been so kind to me and worried about my well being."

"You are a part of our family. Of course we care for your well being, but I cannot fully give my blessing to the union until I am convinced that this is truly what you want."

"I can assure you that your concerns are appreciated but ill founded. I can imagine nothing better that to be married."

"What I mean Jacqueline is do you love him? Danielle would be devastated if you were to marry for anything less that real love."

"Do not fret about that milord. I am very much in love with him, and I am sure that he feels the same for me."

"I do believe he does. He is very lucky that you share his feelings." Just hearing this reassurance from Jacqueline made him feel infinitely more easy. "I can do nothing now but wish you as much joy in marriage as I have experienced myself and as a member of your family I give you my blessing."

Jacqueline could not stop herself from flinging her arms around him. "Thank you Henry," she whispered. "You have no idea how much that means to me." She pulled away from him.

"Where is the ceremony to take place?" Henry asked, taking a seat.

"We do not know, all we are sure of is that we want it to be soon. However now that I have your blessing I have something I wish to ask you. I have no real blood kin, my cousin Lionel is the closest relative I have and I have not seen him in over ten years. You are my closest male
relative, indeed you mean more to me than a brother ever could. I would be very pleased if you would give me away."

Now it was Henry's turn to fling his arms around Jacqueline. This was without a doubt one of the nicest things anyone had ever asked him. "I can't think of anything I would rather do."

The two of them sat and talked for another hour, confident that Jacqueline had solved her dilemma and forgetting for that time, that things were not always plain sailing.