Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean - Страница 41
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"Well, you've a whole lifetime before you. We're good breeders. Not like poor Queen Anne ... fortunately." Sophia could be frank with Caroline who was so sensible and was already sharing Sophia's ambitions, for after all if Sophia was Queen of England it was certain that Caroline would be also one day.
Sophia was off on her favourite topic. "Imagine all those pregnancies ... all those miscarriages! Seventeen, so I've heard. Poor soul I And then when she did rear one boy, to lose him just when she thought at last she had given the nation its heir."
Sophia could not hide the satisfied smile.
"It means everything in the world to you," said Caroline.
"I've said it once and I'll say it again. I shall only die content if I die Queen of Great Britain and Ireland."
"It seems certain that you will."
"I've heard disturbing rumours. Anne is unpredictable. She's so sentimental and suffers from her conscience, I was told. She
thinks that if she puts her half-brother on the throne her sins will be forgiven."
"He's a Catholic. The English will never have him."
"There will be some who are ready to call him James III."
"Only the Catholics. And the English have already clearly shown that they'll have none of them. What would have been the point in turning James II from the throne if they were going to put his son there?"
"Perhaps it wasn't so much the people who made him into an exile as William of Orange. I remember him. He was half Stuart but you would never have known it. He had none of the grace nor the charm. I wish you could have known my mother. She was Stuart ... all Stuart. Orange was a man who knew what he wanted and wouldn't rest until he'd got it. He wanted the three crowns—England, Scotland and Ireland."
"And he won them. But the English would not have accepted him if they hadn't wanted him. They'll never have a Catholic. I think you will be Queen of England soon."
Young Fritzchen was listening intently, but Caroline knew he did not understand what they were saying. He liked to watch their lips moving. The little girls took their cue from Fritzchen and were silent too.
"Have you been telling Great Grandmamma how you enjoyed the sugar cake she sent you, Fritzchen?" asked his mother.
Fritzchen nodded happily and hopefully.
"If you are good and learn your lessons you may have some more," Sophia promised him. Then she turned to Caroline. "There is an interesting woman from England whom I want you to meet. Henrietta Howard. You'll know that the Norfolk Howards are one of England's premier families. She's married a third son and is a charming creature—pretty and intelligent. Come to my apartments and meet her. I thought you might have a place for her in your household."
Caroline promised; and that was how Henrietta achieved her goal; she had not expected to get so far in such a short time. It was a great honour to become one of the dames du palais in the household of the Princess Caroline.
Caroline liked Henrietta Howard and as a result Henrietta was often in attendance. An excellent conversationalist she was able to hide a certain lack of knowledge and could talk with apparent ease on many subjects. She was even at ease in the company of Leibniz who was writing a history of the Princes of Brunswick which had been commissioned by the Elector.
Henrietta had good reason to believe that she had shown great foresight in selling her hair.
To the Princess Caroline's apartments came George Augustus, the devoted husband, always interested in his wife's affairs. Henrietta noticed immediately how the Princess made certain that proper deference was paid to him and she realized that if she were to retain her place with the Princess, she must not displease the Prince. With that skill at which she was an expert, she conveyed her awe of the little man in such a way that he was immediately aware of it. He was delighted that this charming English woman should notice him.
At this time the biggest court scandal was that created by the Countess von Platen and a young Etiglishman named James Craggs, and because of the antagonism between the courts of the Elector and his son it was discussed with gleeful malice in the presence of George Augustus.
Since the Countess, the youngest and most beautiful of his father's three mistresses, was deceiving him, this was considered highly amusing; and as the young man concerned was newly arrived from England, Henrietta was able to tell a story about him which had not been heard before.
Thus she entertained the company.
"He's a Whig," she explained, "and he's ambitious like his father. He has come to Hanover because he knows the Queen cannot last forever and he wants to find favour here."
"So he thinks to find favour with my father by seducing his mistress! " cried George Augustus.
"Why, Your Highness, I do not believe he seduced her; it was she who seduced him."
This was the sort of remark which seemed witty and highly entertaining to George Augustus. He looked afresh at the handsome young woman. She was so different from the Han-
over beauties who all somehow contrived to look the same. It was the fashion at the moment to die the hair black; so everywhere one looked one saw black hair; scarlet cheeks were considered fashionable with the new black hair, so everyone had scarlet cheeks. But Henrietta was different. Her thick lustrous hair fell to her shoulders in a fashion all her own. If others tried to copy it they could not do so for they lacked Henrietta's shining locks, which were the colour of honey and glistened so delightfully in the sunlight. George Augustus was charmed by her appearance.
"Well," said George Augustus, "this Craggs looks like a man of experience."
"To be sure he is. He has come far ... through experience."
George Augustus laughed. "Perhaps, Madam, you knew him in England?"
"I have no acquaintance with him, Your Highness, but I knew of him. A connection of mine, the Duchess of Norfolk, employed his father. He was very good in the capacity in which she engaged him."
"And what capacity was that?" asked George Augustus, prepared to be amused.
"The Ducliess was on terms of great friendship with the King. That was James II, Your Highnesses."
"I believe," said Caroline, "that many ladies were on terms of friendship with that King."
"He and his brother, King Charles ... were very friendly people."
Oh, she was amusing, thought George Augustus. She was witty. He looked at Caroline who seemed entertained too.
"This young Craggs' father was butler to the Duchess. He was very discreet in helping her in her negotiations with the King. Such servants are very necessary, as Your Highness knows, where such delicate operations are concerned."
"I know it well," replied George Augustus, fearful that she might have heard of his devotion to his wife and despise him for it. He was secretly more interested in Caroline than any other woman, but he had been wondering whether to be a faithful husband might not be a slur on his manhood. He was
years younger than his father who had three mistresses. George Augustus would not like it to be thought that he was not exceedingly virile.
"He proved himself to be such a good intriguer that when the Duchess no longer required his services in that direction she recommended him to the Duke of Marlborough who found him very useful for a different kind of intrigue. He amassed a fortune and entered Parliament, being a very ambitious man. I should say his son is also ambitious! "
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