Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean. Страница 87

He pointed out to Stanhope that this quarrel in the royal family was undermining the country's prestige abroad. Time which should have been given to serious matters was taken up in petty spite and pinpricks.

"If there is a reconciliation between the King and the Prince I should come back into the government ... not otherwise," he declared. And when Stanhope asked if he could bring about that reconciliation, he said he would try to.

*'So you will approach the Prince?"

Walpole laughed. "Oh no," he replied. "The Princess."

Lady Cowper grumbled to Mrs. Clayton that that fellow Walpole monopolized the Princess. "At every gathering," she complained, "he's at her side. Everyone is noticing it."

"They know, of course," replied Mrs. Clayton, "that he is trying to bring about a reconciliation. If anyone can do it ... he can."

"I don't trust him. Out for himself is Master Walpole."

But Caroline trusted him; and now her great desire was to have her children back. Every time she saw them it was becoming increasingly hard to say goodbye. They noticed her sadness and told her that although they were separated from her they thought of her every day and longed for the next meeting as much as she did.

But they never saw their father. That was forbidden.

And what were they hearing of him> wondered Caroline. She knew that at St. James's and Hampton they could not be unaware of the criticism ... no, it was worse than that ... ridicule.

And how easy it was to ridicule the Prince I

She was deeply touched when they gathered a basket of cherries which they sent to him.

"Tell Papa that we gathered these ourselves/'

She had told them he would be so delighted that he would want to keep them for ever.

"That," replied Anne, "would not be a very clever thing to do for they would soon be unfit for anything."

What do they hear of him? wondered Caroline. I must have them back. This is the time when we should all be living a happy family life.

She told Walpole: "I must have the children back. I know this stupid quarrel is no good to us ... no good to the family. But give me my children back and I shall accept anything the King likes to impose on us."

"Madam, would you approach the Prince? Will you discover whether he would be willing to write a conciliatory note to His Majesty? If he would do this ... we might begin negotiations."

"I vill talk to the Prince," promised Caroline.

It was not easy.

"A letter to that old rascal! This I vill not do. It is that von who should send me a letter."

"It is the only vay. If ve are to have the children . . ,"

"He is von scoundrel. To take our children..."

"And ve must get them back. It is a matter on vich ve agree. If he vill give them back to us..."

"Yes, he must give them back. But he must pay my debts too

and all my servants I vill vant And to be kept from the

royal palaces ... that is von scandal."

"But to have our children back ... living under the same roof ... that is the first thing. Ve agree on that."

"That ve must have," said the Prince.

The King said: "It is not for him to make conditions. He has behaved atrociously. He wants a reconciliation, but I am not sure that I am prepared to give it."

Walpole reminded him that the quarrel was having bad effects on foreign policy.

"The Prince is of no account," said the King. "He has no effect whatsoever."

"The stories of the quarrel are exaggerated by our enemies, sir. I think the Spanish would not have attempted to help the Stuart if they did not think we were a house divided against itself. The quarrel is ridiculed by our writers. There are lampoons and ballads distributed all over the country."

"And so my son is a buffoon to amuse the people! They like to be amused."

"They like to be amused, yes, sir. But they ridicule the royal family and this is never good. There will be trouble if a reconciliation does not occur soon."

"And you are on the side of the Prince?"

"I am on the side of the House of Hanover and my country."

George looked shrewdly at Walpole. This was a good man; he had been sorry when he had left his government. It was men such as this one that they needed.

He grudgingly admitted that he would consider the matter.

Walpole brought a letter he had drafted to Caroline.

"The Prince should copy this and send it to the King," he said. "The first move must come from him."

"And if he signs it?"

"The King will then be prepared for a reconciliation."

"And my children?"

Walpole hesitated. The Princess was obsessed by one thing. He was not at all certain that the King would relinquish the little girls but he knew that Caroline would not move until she had an assurance that he would.

Walpole was a politician and politicians sometimes had to take risks.

"Let the Prince sign this and you will have your children."

Caroline took the paper, and went away to begin the difficult task of persuading the Prince to humble his pride.

George said: No. He would not give up the little girls. It gave him pleasure to have them in the palace. They amused him. It was true he did not see a great deal of them; but they were his grandchildren and he was the King. It was fitting that he should have control of them and keep them living under his roof.

Walpole pointed out that their mother would be prepared to accept anything if they could but be returned to her.

"It is not for the Princess to make terms," said the King coldly.

Here was trouble, thought Walpole. The King was ready to return the Prince's guards to him; to allow him to live in the royal palaces and take back the honours due to the Prince of Wales. There was only one condition he would not accept and that was the return of the children.

It was difficult to face the Princess and tell her this. She would immediately tell the Prince that they must not give way, and as the Prince would as usual be made to see her point, the reconciliation would not take place; the quarrel would continue, probably more bitter than before; and Walpole would have failed. The last was inconceivable. But how get the King to relent? How get Caroline to forego her children? The King was the most obstinate and vindictive man on earth; and Caroline was a woman crying out for her children.

He would try first to persuade the King; and if that failed he did not know what he would do, but of course he would find a way.

He presented himself to Caroline.

"The King is not prepared to part with the children ... yet," he began cautiously.

Her face grew stony. "Then the quarrel goes on."

"It should not go on. If it does there will be more Jacobite risings. They might not always fail."

"I vant my children," she said stubbornly.

"It has occurred to me the Duchess of Kendal might help."

"That... woman! "

"She has a good heart. She also has a daughter of her own."

"Whom she calls her niece and whom we all know is the King's daughter."

"She would understand a mother's feelings perhaps, and might be on your side in this matter."

"Vat do you suggest?"

"That you speak to her ... explain "

"That I humble myself to the King's harlot?"

"He regards the Duchess as his wife. They have been together for nearly tliirty years. She is a kind woman "