Page 16 of The English Queen

“Do you need me to come with you?”

She knew she couldn’t ask him to attend. “No. I will handle this and report back.”

“Are you ready to see the cardinal?” Louis changed the subject, sensing she didn’t want to ruminate on this.

Beth was relieved for the distraction.

“As ever,” Beth sighed. “Religious figures make me nervous.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Beth knew avoiding the cardinal was pointless. She tried to assemble her most virginal veneer, but that was downright impossible. Beth was so bad at faking her way through things. Joseph Van Dyke was a strange, round man. He was completely bald and had a nervous disposition. If Beth described him as a literary character, she would have called him Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice. How he ascended to the role of bishop despite this baffled Beth.

“So, I would just like to ask you, Your Royal Highness, what your concern is about conversion? It is strange to ask me to marry you without your conversion,” the cardinal explained.

Beth spent days mentally preparing her answer. “It’s as simple as this… I am Anglican. I was born and raised this way. It is what I recognise as my religious and cultural tradition. While I understand I will learn more over time about yours and our children will be raised in the Catholic Church, I find it disingenuous and insulting just to convert quickly so I can marry Louis. If I want to convert in the future, I can.”

The cardinal took a moment. “Your logic makes sense. You have thought about this, yes?”

“A great deal. It took soul-searching. My mother is the head of the Church of England. It would take a lot of practice and thoughtful changes for me to change. You respect my decision?”

“I can, yes, ma’am. I am comfortable with a mixed-denominational ceremony. There will be no eucharist or full mass. I see no reason we cannot do so. And I did reach out to your Archbishop.”

“Oh?” Beth said, worried suddenly.

He chuckled. “Do not look so scared. He had nothing but wonderful things to say. They will send over your records from your baptism, your confirmation, and all else. You have done a great service to your church, Princess. He said you play beautiful organ music.”

“I compose beautiful organ music, too. Yes, I play a lot of sacred works. I want to keep music history alive.” Beth was surprised this was going splendidly.

“Well, we can always find a place for you to share that gift, ma’am. If His Majesty is not opposed to having you play a time or two?”

“I would relish seeing her do it,” Louis answered. “Music makes her happiest.”

“I also have a great deal of formal training in the harpsichord. I do a lot. I enjoy playing so much.”

“Well, we can certainly involve you. It would be wonderful. We’ve never had an English Queen. We’ve also never had a Queen playing sacred works on the organ.”

“Well, I will be a Belgian citizen soon. I won’t be The English Queen, will I?”

“Well, it will take some time for the Belgians to see you as Belgian. Speaking of which, how is your Flemish coming?”

“I study about four hours a day–every day,” Beth replied.

“She is doing well.” Louis was quite proud of Beth’s shaky Flemish and downright dreadful German.

“It is easier to learn than Parisian French, I swear I am trying. I will be able to do our vows in Flemish, French, and I will try to do them in German.”

“Good, good.” Cardinal Van Dyke was satisfied with these answers. “Now, we will have marital counselling for the next few months at times which are best for you. The main points we will discuss are things like married life, the sacrament, and your feelings on children and parenting.”

Beth and Louis nodded. Oh joy. It was ironic to have a supposedly celibate man in his sixties advising them married life and having children. This was one thing Beth would lie about tooth and nail. She suspected the conversation would involve a demand for boatloads of children. The old man could take her birth control out of her cold, dead hands.

“And you two do plan on having children?” There it was.

“Yes, sir,” Louis answered.

“Of course.”

“And will you begin having children… soon? Is this something you’ve discussed?”

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