Thy Name Is Love (The Yorkist Saga) (21 page)

"So he has just been turned down by another monarch?"
"He has my heartfelt prayers, but I cannot back them up with gold.
I could not begin to fit him with a fleet of ships; I have my own
navy to build."
"Oh, I do wish we could help him. There are lands beyond the ocean
that need exploring."
"And there is a land beyond this chamber that needs governing. So
to work I must return." And with that he was out the door, his
cloak trailing behind him.
She sat and thought for a long while, slowly sipping the wondrous
ambrosia brought to her lips from so far away.
The explorer was given a mixed reception at court. The King was as
gracious a host as ever, seating Colombo on the dais at his side,
assigning ushers to give him grand tours of the palace and
Westminster Abbey, and inviting him on a hunting expedition which
he declined, knowing nothing of the sport. But others were not so
accommodating, notably the skeptics who saw him as a romantic
adventurer too outlandish for their pragmatic minds.
Valentine renewed his acquaintanceship with the captain cordially
enough, but he and his fellow councillors weren't above sharing a
taunt or two when the explorer was out of earshot. "Don't imbibe
that Scio plonk, Richard," she heard her husband warn the King
between mouthfuls of roast swan. "I heard the English translation
for mastic is willie-wilt." And she watched as the King's amused
grin slowly unfolded into a burst of hearty laughter. He brought
his hand to his face, shaking his head, casting a sideways glance
at his guest of honor, who was enjoying the lavish feast,
oblivious to the bawdy humor charging the air.
"I have invited Cristoforo for a visit, Valentine," Denys said
toward the end of the Genoese's week-long visit. "We are going to
look at maps together and I am going to sing for him."
"That should send him bounding across the ocean faster than the
Woodville fleet disbursed," Valentine quipped, not looking up from
his mound of paperwork. "I am in no mood for feebly attempted
witticisms, Valentine. I am serious."
"Aye, too serious." He finally put his pen down and approached
her, gathering her in his arms. "Trying to find your family is a
lofty enough enterprise and it would have shattered the very heart
of a lesser person in half the time you've devoted to it. Now you
want to help explore unknown lands across the Ocean Sea!"
"Sweet Jesu, Valentine, I don't intend to accompany him! I enjoy
listening to him. His ideas baffle me, and yet they inspire me."
She lowered her voice to a throaty whisper. "His maritime acumen
nearly matches the political genius of the Chancellor of England,"
she cooed, tracing his jawline with her fingertip.
"Why, thank you, my dear, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten
you had one." His lips descended upon hers and her eyelids
fluttered, shutting out all but the intoxicating aura of the man
she loved. No mastic or Oriental spice, however mystical, could
match the magic that existed between them.
Their usher entered, clearing his throat, and they jumped apart.
"Cristoforo Colombo is here, my Lord and Lady." He presented them
both with gold pendants from the city of Elmina, where he'd
voyaged the year before. He promised to show her Elmina on the map
as she fingered the delicate piece in the shape of a cross with
rounded edges.
She noticed a spark of inquisitiveness in her husband's eyes as
Colombo hinted at the possibility of more gold there, but she cast
Valentine a warning glare, for she had no intention of exploiting
the man's talents and bravery to acquire more riches.
After a traditional English meal of roast boar, roast swan in full
feather and the lampreys in galytyne that she'd proudly prepared
herself, Denys and Valentine escorted their guests into the solar.
Colombo brought his maps, one of which he unrolled flat on her
writing table.
"I thought the world was round," quipped Valentine, but she
ignored him, too fascinated with the jagged seacoasts and the grid
that marked the degrees of latitude and longitude. Colombo located
England and where Cipango and Cathay lay in the Orient. He showed
them Elmina, where the gold came from. The vastness of the Ocean
Sea entranced her. There had to be more to the world than what
they knew! "And what lies to the west is what I intend to find
out," he said, nodding as Silvio spoke, conviction deeply etched
into the sharp blue eyes.
"Aye, if the world is round, there has to be another side!" Denys
exclaimed, and Colombo's eyes lit up as Silvio relayed her
statement to him. They talked about the stars, and how he used
them to navigate, which interested Valentine and led to an
astronomical discussion. They exchanged stories of the maps they'd
seen of the flat earth bordered by dragons, of sailors swallowed
up by what Colombo referred to as ‘the abyss,' what common folk
believed was the edge of the earth. But he assured them he shared
the convictions of learned scholars in Florence and other
progressively minded cities that Asia indeed lay beyond the Ocean
Sea.
Denys took Colombo and Silvio for a walk through her orchard, of
which she was particularly proud. She plucked an apple from one of
the trees she'd lovingly cultivated.
"These are
deliziosi,
cara
, fit to be grown on Scio!" As she laughed, beaming
with pride, he munched away delightedly. "And are all apples of
England this succulent, this sweet?" he asked, bending over to
swipe one that had fallen to the ground, polishing it on his
cloak.
"Oh, there are divers kinds of apples," she replied, "but these
are grown with my tender loving care. I sing to my trees all the
time." Smiling at his amazed expression when Silvio relayed her
words to him, she explained. "I always believed that plant life
thrives on nurturing just like humans, and I do not mean simply
food and water. They crave attention and companionship. Just like
people, they have the need to be praised. So I come out here every
day and sing to them, dance around them, stroke their leaves and
tell them how lovely they look.
"In summer I tell them ‘You're going to bring forth many lovely
fruits!' and at harvest time, I praise their abundant yields. This
orchard and my gardens are my pride and joy. I grow all the herbs
we had at supper, and many of the vegetables. My garden at our
home in the north is just as extensive, but alas, we are there so
seldom, since Valentine needs to be at the King's side. But this
orchard is my little patch of Yorkshire right here in London." She
beamed proudly as they strolled between the rows of apple, pear
and plum trees through the walled orchard that gently sloped down
to the river.
To his delight, she filled several baskets of fruit for him to
take back with him.
"Take back! They will be eaten so fast, all I will return with
will be empty baskets!"
"Come back here for apples anytime, Cristoforo," she said as they
faced the river and he took deep breaths of what was the closest
to sea air at the moment. "Even after you've discovered lands on
the other side of the world and found the most exotic delicacies,
you can always come back to my home-grown apples." Upon leaving he
took Denys' hand and gave it a gentlemanly kiss. "
Buona notte, cara
,"
he whispered, touching her cheek.
Valentine had already bade his farewells and was back at work.
"When will you return to England?" she asked eagerly.
"I know not, but I pray soon," he said through Silvio.
"King Richard and his council do not hold much belief in my
expedition."
"Oh, ‘tis not so, Cristoforo," she replied, as they'd reached a
first-name basis almost immediately. "They are very supportive!
They just have so much more on their minds, we are in an ever so
vulnerable position currently, with imminent invasions, restless
factions and rebels, King Richard's mind as well as his treasury
are quite overburdened.
But I believe in you. I do not have the royal treasure at my
disposal, but you have our prayers and beliefs, especially mine,
for I, too, am on a quest and have suffered similar heartache and
frustration."
"Your goodwill is deeply appreciated, Lady Denys, but I would need
vast resources. That is why I appealed to the crown of Portugal,
and now here. But I shall not stop here.
Even if the journey to seek help takes longer than the journey for
which I seek the help."
"I know you won't stop here. I can see it in your eyes. I can see
right through to your soul, a restless inquiring soul that hungers
for what is out there but which you cannot readily see. It is
called faith, and one must be daring and brave beyond human
endurance to ever possess it."
"And how do you know all this, from a few brief meetings?" he
replied, barely concealing his intrigue with her keen insight.
"Because I am on a mission of my own, Cristoforo. I too seek a
world, if you will. But it is not of the magnitude of the world
you seek. ‘Tis on a much more personal level.
‘Tis my world." Silvio translated her words and Colombo, with his
buoyant hand gestures, eagerly prompted her to continue. "You see,
I know not who I am. I was adopted at birth and I want to find my
true family. I do not intend to give up until I find them. Like
you, I believe they are out there, just waiting to be claimed, as
are the lands that lie beyond the sea. Our missions parallel each
other very closely in that regard."
He looked into her eyes and they stood wordlessly for a long time,
not needing to converse, for such similar hearts needed no words.
They understood each other so well.
"I do wish I could find them for you, dear lady," he finally said.
"As I wish I could help you. But for now, all we can exchange are
our prayers. There are other crowns, Cristoforo," she assured him.
"Richard's is not the only one.
And although I have a quest of my own, I am too intrigued with
your past accomplishments and what you wish to accomplish in
future to forget you and your dream. You must secure the backing
of a European crown to launch your voyage west. Never, ever give
up."
"
Grazie
,
Denys, we part in French ship," Silvio said as Colombo kissed her
hand. She glanced at the interpreter.
"French? How long have the French been assisting you?" she asked,
her voice wavering in suspicion. After all they'd done for him, he
was already courting the blasted French.
"Not the French, French ship, French ship..." Silvio quickly
corrected her, shaking his head, gesturing wildly.
"Oh, friendship!" she exclaimed as the men nodded in unison. She
laughed, shaking her head in wonder at how badly they could
misinterpret each other. "So where are you off to now?" she asked
as they re-entered the house and Silvio gathered their maps.
"Back to Portugal to my young son who stays there."
"Have you a wife?" she asked, out of curiosity she hoped he didn't
take as anything else.
"I did, but Felipa, she is dead."
"I am so sorry," she replied, feeling immensely awkward at having
to convey a condolence through an interpreter.
"But she left me a precious gift, my son Diego. He is but five
years of age, but when he is older, he will be sharing my voyages
with me."
"Oh, how marvelous!" she exclaimed. "A father and son, discovering
new worlds together! Oh, you will certainly make history,
Cristoforo! Please, let us keep in touch.
"
Quando arrivi
scrivimi
," she said in his own language, which brought a
bright smile to his face.
"I shall,
bella
,"
he replied in halting English.
After they parted, she leaned on the door and gazed into the
torch's flame on the wall, flooded in wonder.
She jumped back with a start, for Valentine was standing not three
feet away from her, radiant in the torch lit hallway. He was
dressed even more magnificently than he had been as governor: his
purple pourpoint was trimmed in sable; round his neck hung a
glittering gold pendant, the white boar emblazoned on his chest, a
jeweled girdle cinching his waist.
"Valentine! You were so quiet."
"Aye, I couldn't help but pick up some charming traits from the
French court. But, alas, I'm still no match for King Louis' regal
and exclusive demeanor. Neither am I a fanciful Italian with an
agenda that can very well change the course of history...world
history, that is." His words carried a tone of joviality, so far
removed from his torment of the past when he hadn't yet captured
her heart. But she detected something buried deep within his words
that the twinkling in his eyes couldn't hide.
She wrapped her arms around her husband and held him tightly. His
hair brushed her cheek and she kissed the back of his neck.
"Valentine, he doesn't come close. For all his flair and sense of
adventure, he is just another man compared to you. You needn't
ever worry about my heart belonging to anyone but you." She turned
his face toward hers and could see the disturbance darkening his
eyes.
"So you do not find him at all attractive, Dove?"
"‘Tis his soul I find intriguing, not his person."
"I thought so, I was just checking to see how well I really knew
you," he said and she detected the relief he was trying to hide.
"I have found myself so closely empathizing with him. He wants to
embark on a quest, but runs up against endless frustrations, just
as I am in finding my true family. Mayhap that is why I am such a
champion of his cause. We are both in search of what we know is
out there, but we've yet to find the best way. With him it's the
stars and the currents and the winds. With me it's much more
elusive. I must depend on memories and names of those long dead. I
just wish you were a little more supportive of him."
"Dove, no one is more supportive of your quest to find your family
than I. You know what I have gone through and will continue to do
so until you find them. But the kingdom is a great weight we
carry. The unknown lands that lie west, or wherever he wants to
sojourn, we cannot fathom right now. I hope you understand that."
"Of course I do. But we are equally adamant about our quests.
Having one of my own, I know how important his is to him."