Florence Love -part 3 JA Skehan
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Florence love- part 4- An heir
1790 -Florence
In light of the dispute with the archbishop the council urged Ferdinand to consider taking a wife and securing the dynasty by production of an heir, something I could not give him. He surprised them, and me, by announcing that he had sent a personal envoy to the Duke of Modena to ascertain if a marriage to the duke¡¯s younger daughter was possible. At first I was hurt but later that night he explained his motive. Yes, he needed a heir to reduce the chance that any faction in the city would attempt to overthrow him. Modena would be a strong ally and defender of his son¡¯s rights. He also confided that the young lady in question would not interfere with our relationship. He had many reports that her main interests were increasing her wardrobe and her jewel collection. As the younger daughter she would view her elevation to Grand Duchess as a high honor and not bother her husband unduly. Then Ferdinand pressed another jeweled silver ring into my hand as a sign of his love.
The news of his intention to marry spread through the city, as he expected. The case brought by the archbishop disappeared. The negotiations were conducted smoothly and the wedding date set. My own position was further elevated when it was announced that I would be the second chamberlain of the household. I was moved into a set of rooms adjoining those of the Grand Duke. There was a secret door connecting them to allow me to perform my ¡°duties¡± .
As the day of his wedding fast approached, Ferdinand took to visiting my sleeping chamber three and sometimes four times a day. He expected me to share his bed each night. He did not appoint another body servant, letting the grooming tasks fall to his footman. I was assigned a young boy to maintain my own chambers as well as a personal body guard.
The wedding celebrations occupied two days. The bride arrived with a retinue of her own servants and ladies -in-waiting. She was given a wing of the palace to accommodate such a large number of people. Finally, on the wedding night the couple were escorted to an elaborately decorated room to consummate their union under the watchful eye of a small group of noble matrons. The new Grand Duchess was indeed fertile, producing a male heir within a year. This required only a few visits from her husband. Within four years of the marriage she had produced 2 sons and a daughter for her husband.
I adored the children because they were produced from the seed of Ferdinand, my lover. As was the custom, their mother left the upbringing of her children to wet nurses and governesses. When they were of age to begin an education, the Grand Duchess asked if I would supervise the education of the two boys. I consulted with scholars at the university to find suitable tutors. I provided the household with a set of male tutors, as was the custom, for the boys. They were identical images of their father.
By 1795 the revolution in France had spawned discontent in the rest of Europe. The great powers seeking to protect their own exalted positions had allied themselves against the upstart regime. The regime had dared to execute the monarch, many nobles, and many high clergy. As in the past, religion began to play a key role in the struggle. The revolutionaries has replaced the catholic religion with one of their own invention. The ideas of the revolution had spread across the border into Italy, causing discontent among the people and fear among the ruling classes.
The French army had been placed in the hands of a young Corsican officer, Bonaparte. He had quick victories over the squabbling armies of the allies. His armies moved quickly into Italy. One by one the small, independent states fell. Ferdinand, seeing their advance, made hurried preparations for the defense of the grand duchy. He also saw that his family must be protected and sent them to the safety of his relations in Hapsburg domains. I supervised the preparations for their departure. The household servants, officials of the state, important state documents and treasures were loaded onto carts and barges to be sent away for safe keeping. The last to leave were the immediate family of the Grand Duke. It was a sad farewell for me also. I had grown very fond of the family, even of the Grand Duchess. She had accepted my position in the household and heart of her husband. Over the years we had become friends. I chose to stay with Ferdinand as he prepared to defend his city-state.
Ok folks, here we begin to bump into the real events of a history too well known for fiction. There will be one or maybe 2 more parts that will carry the story to an end.