Secrets & Mysteries of the Sephardim - страница 9

“You are not jealous of that, are you?”

“Isabelle is so beautiful that any admirer of beauty would experience what you felt when talking with her,” answered Fernando. “I have nothing to be jealous of, Afonso, because she treats you as respectfully as she treats me.

“I must tell you, though,” he continued, “that Isabel ended up in the palace because of me. It was I who first noticed her on stage. And it was I who told Duchess Isabella who my choice was. Therefore, although you are older than me and will be higher in title when you are king, I have the right of superiority to close relations with Isabel.”

Afonso answered: “No one disputes that, Fernando. I only asked her to teach me a few lessons so I could get to know her. I am not interested in having a relationship with her like what you wrote about in your poetry.”

Afonso noticed the embarrassment on Fernando’s face and said: “I wish you success both in poetry and in love.”

At noon, Duke Pedro went to the royal residence immediately after a meeting on important matters of state, intending to find the duchess in the audience chamber. At the door of the meeting hall, Pedro ran into Afonso. He looked unusually happy and cheerful. Afonso greeted his uncle in a pleasant singsongy voice and respectfully stood aside to let him enter. The duchess was sitting on her throne. Seeing Pedro enter, she stood up and approached him.

“You don’t have any more appointments?” Pedro asked.

“No, dear.”

“Then would you release the servants so you and I can discuss something privately?”

Isabella waved her fan to her ladies-in-waiting, and after bowing, they left.

“My dear, I have good news,” Pedro said. “The council has discussed your proposal for a marriage alliance between Prince Afonso and infanta Isabella. And all members unanimously approved the enterprise. There was one condition, however. They would like the engagement to be announced before the coronation and the wedding to be after the coronation.

“So, my dear, since you want to play Cupid, nothing is preventing you from thinking about ways to make our daughter and our nephew fall in love,” the duke continued, laughing.

“Oh, Pedro, you are so witty,” Isabella answered with a smile. “However, I have some unpleasant news that concerns this conversation. And it could complicate our plans.”

“What is this unpleasant news?” Pedro asked.

“Afonso had come to see me before you came in. Guess what he asked me? He said he wanted to continue his dance training with Isabel Zarco. He said he thought her teaching methods were more progressive than that of our chief royal dance master.”

“Oh!” exclaimed Pedro. “Perhaps Afonso is right. I also noticed the head dance master is a great dancer and skilled teacher, but he is very conservative and doesn’t know any of the modern dances or movements.”

“Perhaps you are right, Pedro, but I’m not talking about that,” Isabella said. “It seems to me your nephew is very interested in this dancer.”

Pedro said, “It looks like you might be right, my dear. I just ran into him at the door. I have never seen him so excited before. It was like he was falling in love.

“And I agree with you that this may complicate the situation,” he said. “As long as Isabel Zarco is here, he will not pay attention to our Isabella.

“What should we do?” he asked Isabella.

“We have some options,” Isabella said. “We could grant Senhorita Zarco’s request to teach only at the art school because of her workload. But this may make Afonso suspicious. We can try this scenario later if needed.”