Jacqueline's Dilemma - Part Twenty Five A - The Preparation.
Jacqueline stared up at the ceiling above her bed. A million thoughts were buzzing through her head at that moment. Most of them related to the moment later that day when she would promise to love, honour and obey Antoine for the rest of her life. The nerves had been rapidly building up all
night. Danielle had gotten so irritated by her nervous fidgeting that she had sent her to bed to get some rest while she, Hélène, Juliette and the Queen got everything ready.
She hadn't been able to sleep though. She had spent all night just staring at the ceiling, listening to the excited gossip coming from the next room. At times she thought that Danielle and the Queen were more excited than she was. As usual Hélène said nothing that betrayed her cool exterior. Hélène was somebody who puzzled Jacqueline, she was somebody who was as cold and closed as any courtier, but Jacqueline felt nothing but warmth towards her. Perhaps it was knowing what she had been through in the name of love.
As daybreak approached and thin slivers of light began to slip through the drawn drapes, Jacqueline's thought turned to memories of her past that today she would have to confront. She began to think of her father. Her perfect, wonderful papa. He was only twenty nine when he died. Jacqueline had not known him long enough for him ever to disappoint her. In her mind he was faultless and he would always remain that way. She would have risked knowing his faults though had she been able to have more time with him. She would give anything for him to be there giving
her away. She dearly loved Henry, but he was not her Papa, nobody could ever take that place.
She was to see her cousin Lionel for the first time in over ten years that afternoon. She had received a letter from him earlier in the week, accepting her invitation and promising to bring his wife and children into France to celebrate with her. He would be in his late twenties now, a similar age to her Papa when he died. He had always looked like his Uncle even as a teenage boy. Jacqueline was not sure how she would be able to handle it if he appeared and looked as much like her father now as he did then. Her last memories of her father were of him laid out in the parlour of their home, waiting to be buried. She did not want to see that expressionless face in her mind again. Not today.
However much trepidation she felt at the thought of seeing Lionel again, it did not compare to that which she felt on seeing other members of her family. She had felt compelled to invite her Uncle and Aunt the Compt and Comtesse la Martine, whose daughter had been condemned to death
when Jacqueline had revealed her treachery. When she had been instructing the Queen who she would like to invite, she had agonised over whether it would be proper to invite them after what she had done to their family. In the end she had decided that it would be worse not to send the
invitation and she did not expect them to accept. After all their daughter had been executed for treason just months before. The shame would keep most people away let alone the sorrow they must be feeling. The charming letter of acceptance she had received had unnerved her greatly.
Suddenly the door opened and Danielle entered with Hélène. They were carrying a silver tray covered in fresh flowers and food. Jacqueline sat up as Hélène placed the candelabra down beside the bed and Danielle put the tray on her lap. Jacqueline looked down with a puzzled expression on her face. Surely it was the wrong time of year for these flowers.
"Did you sleep well?" Danielle asked as she took a seat on the bed beside her sister.
"Not a wink. My mind wouldn't shut off for long enough." Danielle smiled, the nerves she had felt just prior to her own wedding had been similar.
"Don't worry," she said. Everything is going to be wonderful. Juliette has gone to fetch gowns for myself and Hélène and she will bring the seamstress and your dress with her. Mother has gone to the kitchens with Avis to check that preparations are going well for the Wedding Breakfast."
"Thank you Danielle. I couldn't have gotten through all of this without you." Tears were forming in her eyes. The emotion that had been welling up within her was now threatening to burst out in a torrent of tears. Hélène took a handkerchief from her sleeve and proceeded to wipe the tears away
from Jacqueline's face.
"The bride should cry on her wedding day," Hélène said softly. "There is no better way of expressing your happiness than to shed tears of joy." Jacqueline smiled at her. "Now you have to eat. It will be several hours before you will have another chance and we don't want you collapsing
at the alter."
Jacqueline looked down at the plate of eggs and meat and bread. She did not feel that she could eat a bite. However, Hélène and Danielle had obviously gone to some trouble to arrange this breakfast so she started to tentatively eat what was in front of her.
"Where did you get the flowers from?" Jacqueline asked.
"I don't really know, Leonardo got them for us. I expect they're from one of his experiments," Danielle said. They exchanged pleasantries like this until Jacqueline had eaten enough and then she was helped put of bed and led into her dressing room where all of the preparations were going to take place.
A servant had filled a tub with hot water so that Jacqueline could bathe. The others left her alone for a moment so that she could undress and get into the water without everyone gawking at her. She took this time alone as a chance to look around at all of the careful planning that everyone
had put into this wedding. Jewels and hair ornaments were laid out on the table, ready to be chosen. A bottle of scent had been placed beside the bath, for her to use if she wanted it. Most importantly of all though, her wedding dress hung from a hook in the centre of the room. It was
beautiful. It was made gold cloth in the tradition of most French bridal gowns.
Suddenly the butterflies in her stomach became worse. She eased herself into the bath, hoping that the hot water would relax her and make her feel better. If anything she felt worse. It was just as she had called Danielle and Hélène back that she quickly leaned over the side of the tub, grabbed the empty water jug and was sick. Hélène rushed forward and grabbed Jacqueline's hair, gently holding it back.
When she was finished, Danielle took the jug from her sister and asked a servant to take it away and bring a fresh one.
"I can't do this Danielle," Jacqueline moaned softly, tears flowing from her eyes. "I don't deserve him." Danielle took her sisters hands away from her face and looked directly into her eyes.
"Don't you ever say that you don't deserve what you want. I have never met anyone as good as you. You are entitled to all the very best things and that includes Antoine. Now come on, you have a wedding to get ready for. I'm going to make you the most beautiful bride imaginable."
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Arnaud de Limoges cheerfully made his way down the passageways of Hautefort towards his cousins chambers. He had been given the unhappy task of making sure that Antoine was ready and made it to the cathedral on time. Usually this would not be a task which would fill him with such dread, but this was Antoine de Polignac he was talking about. Lord knows what he would find in that room. The last time a guard was to marry he had been found tied to a post in the middle of a field, drunk as a lord singing a song about a happy pig. (A bit of Blackadder humour for all you fans out there)
He tapped on the door gently. Antoine was very likely to be hung over and would not welcome any loud noises. The man to shout near him that morning would be a man who would lose many teeth. Arnaud went to take hold of the door handle when suddenly the door flew open and his cousin strode out looking large as life. Arnaud was amazed at this. Antoine had obviously been able to resist the temptations his fellow captains would undoubtedly have put in front of him.
"Cousin, you look remarkably well considering the festivities last night," Arnaud said, looking for any signs of the drink on him.
"How could anything about today possibly be ill?" Antoine replied expressively. "The day is bright, I am alive and in a few hours Jacqueline de Ghent will be my wife, even the ale could not dull my spirits today."
"Well I've been commissioned to take you down to the mess hall where the rest of the captains wait to take one last mug of ale with the condemned man." Antoine laughed and allowed his cousin to lead him to his final drink.
On the way they met up with Captain Renault who was, like them, heading for the mess hall. "Glad to see you up and about Polignac. I'd have thought after last night you would have been dead to the world this morning."
"I'm perfectly well Renault."
"That surprises me after last night. I don't think I've seen anyone so out of his wits through drink. But I suppose you've got bigger things to worry about than a trifling hang over."
Suddenly Antoine felt somebody grabbing his arm and a female voice saying his name. He turned and saw a lady who he half recognised from court. "Yes?" He said, a little annoyed that he had been stopped.
"Antoine where are you going?" She asked.
"We're off for a drink," Renault said. "The Captain's getting married today. Surely you must know that, everyone else does."
"Married," the lady replied. "You told me last night that you were going to call it off."
"Last night!" Arnaud said, very worried about where this conversation was going. "Antoine, what is she talking about?"
"I have no idea." Just then, as if to add to the awkwardness of the moment, Prince Henry and Laurent appeared from nowhere."
"So here's the groom to be," Henry said, clapping him on the back. Antoine was too distracted however.
"What do you mean you have no idea?" The lady said. "How could you be so cruel?"
"What's happening here?" Henry demanded, sensing that this was not a happy event for such an auspicious day.
"You can't be getting married. What about last night?"
"What about last night?" Antoine replied coldly.
"Antoine, surely you must remember, why I only left two hours ago. You spent last night with me."
