In The King's Presence Chamber | 28/12, early afternoon- Xmas 1677

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia was a bit confused about whose house was whose, but it didn't really matter. No matter if they met at one their homes or somewhere in the palace, she wanted to see both Francis' mother and grandmother again.

 

“I have seen other married ladies by themselves. Or at least I think they were. Everyone needs a bit of solitude now and then.” She wondered if he planned to marry soon. He had never spoken of having a wife before. “I would not mind having a few female companions to go places with. My lord husband has a large family. I would think he has quite a few unmarried cousins, but they live in Spain and probably want to marry Spaniards."

 

She rather doubted that Englishwomen would be interested in attending her. They would be more likely to find husbands if they attached themselves to other Englishwomen. Spain was not looked upon favorably at the moment. If that perception ever changed, perhaps the wife of its Ambassador would be able to provide enterprising ladies with the opportunities they sought.

 

The petite blonde was too young to see being followed everywhere as a sign of status. She saw it as a sign that her husband didn't trust her. To her, status was linked to freedom. The higher one was in the social hierarchy, the more freedom they had.

 

“So it is acceptable to act in a libertine fashion around Christmas? Even for the most proper people at court? No one will look down on them if they participate in Mademoiselle Vauquelin's shenanigans?” English customs still mystified her. If she was right, she would tell Esteban that a bit of mischief would not dishonor him this season. Although he had been at the English court much longer, he was not very social and might be unfamiliar with such practices as well.

 

Sophia listened carefully to Francis' suggestions about the opera house and his cousin. She supposed that winter was not the best time to begin new projects on a grand scale. Italians might need to be called in for advice on the design, and opera companies could be contracted to put on the first few shows while training English singers in proper operatic techniques.

 

She knew that she would never be able to perform with them, but attending operas was enjoyable too. And if the genre became popular among the nobility as it was in several other countries, the King might commission more operas just for courtiers. She would be able to sing in those.

 

“I should wait until spring to bring it up? I promise I shall speak of it to no one else from now on. He really is my first choice, but I have not had much contact with him. Will you let me know when the time is right and assist me in finding a way to speak to him?”

 

As to singing for other men: “My lord husband told me yesterday that I should use my talents to benefit himself, his master, and Spain. Would it not help his cause if I were to sing for powerful and influential gentlemen? I do not think he would forbid me to do it if it would bring him to the attention of other lords."

 

A soft blush blossomed across her cheeks. “I do not want to sing for Lord Buckingham alone. That would be inappropriate. Remember my concert for the King? There were many others present. He could invite guests to listen with him or I could sing at a party or celebration.”

[Francis Kirke]

Francis said little more about the habits of noble ladies. He had no idea how they did such things in Spain. Nor would he have the first clue of what her husband wished.

 

So it was little surprise that his brow furrowed some at her question.

 

"It is never truly acceptable for a lady who wishes to be part of the proper sorts to act in a libertine fashion. Nor would I think your husband would appreciate such things, but you would have to ask him. It is not my honour you would offend by your behavior now." It felt like dangerous territory to be involved in such discussions. It was not truly his business nor did he know the Spaniard enough to offer advice that was useful.

 

"Nor do I know the customs of this tradition. The King's wedding was after Christmastide." So Francis had never seen an actual court season over Christmas. He had no idea how things were supposed to be.

 

"Of course I will let you know when the time is right and aid in securing a meeting." The Duke was fickle, even about activities he likes. It would be best to catch him when arts was at the forefront of his mind.

 

As she spoke of her singing, he raised a brow. Did she truly not understand precisely what sort of political moves could be made of her singing for someone?

 

"You do know that you are attempting to influence English gentlemen for a foreign power for him with your voice, correct? I should hate to think you do not wholly know the use of your voice in such endeavors." It was not because she was bringing them social engagements or fun...

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia certainly didn't want to disgrace her husband. She knew how important his honor was to him. But if everyone else at court lowered their inhibitions around Christmas, why couldn't she? Since Esteban always accompanied her to court events, there was no need to discuss the custom beforehand. If there was something she wished to participate in, she could ask for his permission then. He would be more likely to grant it if courtiers he respected were also involved in the mischief.

 

“I suppose I shall play it by ear, then. I do not know what Mademoiselle Vauquelin has planned. It may be harmless fun that my lord husband will not object to.”

 

Her pensive mood lightened considerably when Francis promised to help her gain an audience with his cousin when the time was right. She barely resisted the impulse to throw her arms around his neck and kiss his cheek. Though it would have been an innocent gesture of gratitude, some of the courtiers in the room might believe them to be overly fond of each other. Sophia didn't want to be the subject of gossip again, nor did she want rumors spread about him either. A love affair between a former guardian and ward could be talked about for months, even if there was no truth to it at all.

 

“In the meantime, I shall practice what to say to him. Will you help me? Not now, but after he agrees to see me. You know him so well that perhaps you can coach me on how to get him to come up with the idea for building an opera house himself instead of asking him directly. Do you think that is even possible?”

 

Sophia frowned when he spoke of singing for political gain. “I do not seek to influence anyone in any way. I only want to bring others pleasure with my music. If they choose to aid my lord husband because my singing has pleased them, the decision will be theirs. My voice might just bring him to their attention.

 

“Or will my performances be seen differently now that I am married to the Ambassador of Spain?”

[Francis Kirke]

He seemed to please her by saying that he would help her, but it was not a large matter to him. His family had ties to hers, a responsibility of honor for her father having helped them during the interregnum, and Buckingham was the head of his family; the Duke enjoyed throwing around his largesse stylishly and brandishing the idea of noblesse oblige with grandeur. At least when it suited him. What concerned Francis now concerned the Duke to a degree. Not that such a thing meant he would wish to build an opera house! He might be persuaded to build an opera company and stage small things elsewhere as they had already done. Being that Buckingham was a prolific writer and loved theater and he had not yet built one of those, led Francis to believe the idea of an opera-house far-fetched.

 

"Of course," he replied, with a smile. "But I would not attempt to play a master player, Sophia. He will see through you and think you are treating him like some novice. I doubt he would wish to build an opera house, but you might persuade him to keep a company in employ."

 

He and the Duke had connections in Italy that she would have a harder time using with her history there. Francis could yet ask Signora Grimani whose family was intimately connected with such things.

 

"Everything you do will always be seen differently now that you are the wife of an ambassador to a foreign country," Francis replied, raising a brow in surprise that she did not realize that. He would have thought Lord Toledo might have said something to that impact. "But anyone who would wish you to sing will be presumed to have a relationship to your husband or else why would your husband allow it? That is now a complication that was not there when His Majesty asked you to sing." Wives were possessions, favoured possessions; one did not lend even his favourite rapier to a stranger or acquaintance!

[Sophia de la Cerda]

When she had suggested persuading the Duke that he had come up with the idea himself, Sophia had been remembering what Nicolette had said during the carriage ride to the curiosity shop. But perhaps it would not work on somebody like Lord Buckingham. “Then I shall not try. I do not wish to anger him. See? You know him so well. When we practice, you can pretend to be him and teach me how to charm him.”

 

She grinned. “Maybe he has never thought of it before. There is a reason to build one now that opera has been introduced to London. I may be able to convince him, and if not, perhaps he will sponsor another opera for the nobility that I can sing in. I have so many ideas. Maybe one of them will inspire him.”

 

Her grin faded as Francis explained how her singing would be perceived now that she had married Esteban. “I do not understand. When I sing, I do not represent Spain but music itself. Music is universal and is enjoyed by everyone, regardless of nationality. My lord husband wants me to sing for others, to enchant them with my voice. One does not have to be his friend, or even partial to Spain, to find joy in my music.

 

“Are you saying that I must give up singing because I married the Spanish Ambassador? That no one wants to hear me anymore? Not even Their Majesties?” There was a note of lament in her lyrical voice. Music was her life. If she was forced to give it up, the overly dramatic young girl was certain she would die. “I thought that the King would want me to entertain his foreign guests. Would it not show his consideration for those from other countries to have another foreigner sing for him?”

[Francis Kirke]

Francis could not help but sputter with amusement at her request to imitate his uncle. "Without problem, I shall do so," he promised, omitting the reason for his amusement was that Buckingham had pretended to be the King for him so that he could learn what he need learn before becoming one of the King's Gentlemen. It was such a funny happenstance that he could not help but agree.

 

"We shall see," the blond baron replied, although he would never claim to be able to anticipate Buckingham's whims fully. His only advantage in understanding was in sharing blood; he and Buckingham had lived rather dissimilar lives.

 

Sighing about her response about music, he steeled himself to try to explain this better. "What your intentions are matters little. Your actions are Spain's interests to courtiers, that is the way that things operate. Favors equal return favors, actions require equal actions, association is friendship, and friendship is alliance. Perhaps he speaks to singing for people at events he hosts at your house? Or for personages like the King or Queen?" Francis found the sheer depth of her naivete about court rather disconcerting, but it was more her husband's role than his now. "Nothing is ever as simple as it seems."

 

That something that had been advise of Buckingham, although not in those very same words, perhaps. The sentiment was the same.

 

"I am not saying that you need to stop singing or won't be able to sing, but you sing as Spain now, not as Sophia Albrecht. As for His Majesty, I can not speak for him and especially not from a perspective of State; but foreign dignitaries are oft in competition with each other, so why would you think it a favor or good thing of some sort for His Majesty to have the wife of another foreign ambassador sing for them?" He shook his head and said, "That would be seen as a mark of the King's favour for Spain not for this other foreigner or for you alone."

 

His duties never ended. Such were the obligations of honour, though, but he did not have very much more time. It was growing later and he had duties before returning back to the Duke's.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Francis readily agreed to pretend to be his cousin. In fact, the notion seemed to amuse him. Sophia knew how much he admired Lord Buckingham. Helping her to learn how to convey her ideas to the Duke gave him an opportunity to step into his shoes for a time. There was, she believed, an actor in the soul of every man.

 

“Splendid!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I can hardly wait until he agrees to see me. Then we can get together and practice.” In the meantime, she would practice different ways to approach him in front of her mirror just in case she ran into him at a court event. She would not ask him about the opera house, but she could plant some playful seeds in his mind.

 

Sophia was still young enough to look at the world through rose-colored glasses. Sometimes she only saw what she wanted to see. Francis' explanation felt like icy water thrown in her face. She did not want to be the voice of Spain, not exclusively. Why couldn't courtiers enjoy her music without considering the political implications? Her goal was pure … to bring glory to God through her voice and joy to the people of court, regardless of nationality, alliance, influence, or anything else.

 

Perhaps she should ask to sing solos at church. Then maybe everyone would know that she wished to use the gift that God had given her impartially and they would not automatically assume she was working for Spanish interests when she sang. Singing at charities would help as well.

 

She would never be content just performing for her husband's guests at their home.

 

Her jubilant mood seemed to deflate for an instant, and then she raised her chin defiantly. “If the King asks me to sing, it will show his good taste, not his favoritism to Spain. I was singing at court long before I married and my voice is well-known and admired. Maybe there are more obstacles in my path now, but I will overcome them. You shall see.

 

“Maybe I can give another concert, like I did at Windsor. Will that not show that I only wish to entertain and not make political statements?”

 

Remembering why she had wished to see him, Sophia reached into the pocket of her petticoat and withdrew a thick letter wrapped in a golden ribbon. “This is for Master Greyson. I wrote him about the opera. He told me that you would know where to find him. Can you send it to him for me?”

[Francis Kirke]

"It is not you that creates the image," Francis replied. "It is who your husband is and that you cannot change. A wife represents her husband, and your husband represents Spain. I do not think that an association you can undo. You can surely try, though."

 

He simply thought her too young and too female to understand, so it seemed simpler just to agree with her. It did not mean people would not enjoy her singing, it merely meant more would be assumed from it than what she thought existed.

 

"Ah, yes, Greyson. I can make sure that it gets to him. When the duke next corresponds with him, I will make sure it is added to the packet," he agreed, holding out his hand.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

“I do not want to undo my association with Spain.” Don Juan was Spain and she was proud to represent him in England along with her husband. “But I do not wish my music to be defined by that association. Music is an entity in itself and should stand on its own. It is that goal I will work toward.”

 

Sophia sighed. “I am just not sure how to go about it.” Although she thrived in social situations, she was still very young and naïve, as well as inexperienced in the art of gentle persuasion. Maybe she would ask Nicolette about it. Her friend had the most amazing ideas and she had already learned a lot from her.

 

She smiled engagingly when Francis assured her that her letter would reach Master Greyson. “Thank you so much!” She handed the bound sheaf of papers to him. “Have you heard anything from him? I hope he returns soon. He has a bright future here in England.”

 

Sophia couldn't tell him how much she missed the playwright. All of the mischief they had gotten into together before she married Esteban would not please her former guardian.

[Francis Kirke]

Francis accepted the rather large parcel of papers with slightly large eyes. She surely wrote prolifically.

 

"He sends updates to His Grace, and I hear that he is enjoying all the very many things he has seen and experienced. I am not sure when he is to return back. Likely not for some time. THere are many places for him to travel, and it is advantageous for the duke to have gentlemen in other courts and countries to send news and the like." Spying in its most innocuous sense. Updates from other courts gave on an advantage in international affairs, and Buckingham had close associations in a wide variety of places.

 

"When he returns, I am certain he shall make an even further impression upon court. I think it likely he will send some works back to here as well."

 

Francis tried to judge the amount of time that they had been speaking together. He had wished to speak to the duke before going to Gresham.

 

"Now, I fear I must take my leave. I have an engagement in the early evening tonight and need to speak with my cousin beforehand. It has been very pleasant to catch up, and I am certain we will see each other again soon." His cloak and other winterwear were yet beyond the door he had emerged from in one of the rooms the King's gentlemen had for their use in attending.

[Sophia de la Cerda]

Sophia still had a bit of trouble with the English language and it had taken her several days to finish the letter. She had spared no details, attempting to convey a picture with her words, so that Master Greyson would feel like he had been there when he read it. She had also urged him to write her back, which she hoped that he would.

 

“He is so lucky. I wish I could take a tour like that.” For a sixteen-year-old girl, she was very well-traveled. Most ladies never left the country of their birth. She considered herself fortunate to have married another foreigner who preferred to return home when court was not in session. If she had wed an Englishman, she would have been stuck on this little island forever.

 

The blonde Baroness did not miss Francis' implication. Master Greyson was serving as a spy for Lord Buckingham. How exciting that must be! “Oh, I hope he does send some of his works to the Duke. Italy is full of inspiration and he will finally get to experience opera at its finest. Maybe he will write another libretto.” One, hopefully, that she could perform in.

 

Sophia wasn't surprised that he needed to leave. “I am sorry I took up so much of your time, but it was indeed a pleasure to speak with you again." She smiled engagingly. "I miss you sometimes. Will you be attending the banquet at the Embassy? If so, we shall see each other then, if not before.”