Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean. Страница 88

"You think it might help?" asked Caroline piteously.

"I do, Madam."

So she went to Ermengarda, Duchess of Kendal, told her how she longed for her children and asked her to imagine what it meant to be separated from three little girls wliom she was only allowed to see now and then, as though she were a stranger.

The Duchess wept with her.

"It is very sad," she said.

"The King does not seem to understand."

"So many state matters occupy his mind," said the Duchess.

"If you could explain to him...."

"I! " The Duchess was alarmed.

"I know of your devotion to each other."

"But I would never presume to advise the King."

Caroline looked at her sadly and thought No, I suppose that is why you have held your place so long.

She had humbled herself unnecessarily.

Walpole was in a quandary. The King would not give up his guardianship of his granddaughters. He would grant concessions, yes; but the grandchildren should remain under his roof.

The Princess was in despair.

"It's no jesting matter to me," she told Walpole. "I shall not give in. I shall continue to complain until I have my children.'*

Yet the reconciliation must be made. He had determined on it. His own reputation depended on its success for he had sworn that he would bring it about. Moreover it was creating bad feeling abroad. Not only Walpole but England needed it.

The Prince was his hope. George Augustus had debts to the amount of about one hundred thousand pounds. He needed money badly. The Prince, Walpole believed, would be ready to give way if he received in return certain honours and money. The King would not be prepared to pay his debts but Walpole knew of a way of making money through the South Seas venture and if he could do this for the Prince, if he could bring him those concessions which his vanity craved, George Augustus would be ready to give in.

It was only Caroline who insisted on having the children.

As Walpole had predicted the Prince was delighted to have money; he wanted his beefeaters and his guards; he wanted to be treated as the Prince of Wales.

For this he would write the letter, the draft of which Walpole had sent him; and having received it the King, for he must take the advice of his ministers, would, if a little ungraciously, receive the Prince.

Therefore the matter could be concluded without the Princess.

Walpole regretted this for he respected the Princess and was eager for her goodwill; but when she insisted on having her children back under her care she was clinging to the one condition to which the King would not agree.

News came from the Palace of St. James's both for the Prince and Princess. To the Prince came a command from his father. For the first time since the quarrel he was prepared to see him. For the Princess was a letter from Lady Portland who wrote that Anne was sick and the smallpox was feared.

The Prince had reached St. James's by the time Caroline's

letter was brought to her. There the King received his son with some embarrassment.

George Augustus knew that he had to be humble. Walpole had made that clear; and for the sake of the bribe and the glory of having guards again and being treated as Prince of Wales he was ready to be so.

"I liave come to express my grief in causing Your Majesty displeasure," he said, "and with all my heart I thank you for giving me leave to wait upon you. It is my sincere hope that during the rest of my life I shall give Your Majesty nothing of which to complain."

The King muttered that it was his son's conduct "Your

conduct..." he repeated.

Little more was said but the King made it clear that if the Prince was ready to behave in a seemly manner he would be treated as the Prince of Wales.

When he left the King—and they were only five minutes together—he went to see his children. Anne was well enough to see him and he was told that she was not as sick as had been feared.

News of the interview had crept out and people were congregating outside the palace to see the Prince emerge from the Palace. As his chair was carried through the streets it was accompanied by guards and beefeaters and although he had arrived like a private person in a Sedan chair he made the return journey like a Prince.

Cheers filled the air. Everyone was tired of the quarrel which had been so diverting in the first place.

En route he met the Princess in her chair on her way to the Palace to see Anne.

When Caroline saw his chair she called to her chairmen to halt. For a few terrible seconds she thought that he had been summoned to the Palace because Anne was worse.

She alighted; so did the Prince.

"All's veil," he cried. "The King and I are friends again."

"And Anne...."

"I have seen her. I have seen the children. They are veil ... and Anne is not so ill as they thought. All is veil now, my tear."

He embraced her to the cheers of the people.

The following day Caroline went along to St. James's to make her peace with the King and was granted an interview. Before seeing the King she went to Anne who was well enough to be overjoyed by her mother's presence.

**Good news, my darling," said Caroline. "Your father and the King are now friends and we are all to be together again."

Anne clung to her mother's hand and her expression betrayed how happy she was.

After that Caroline went to Amelia and Caroline and taking Caroline on to her lap while she held Amelia in the crook of her arm she explained to them that the trouble was over, their father and grandfather were now good friends, and as a result they would live together under one roof and as one family.

"Now," said Amelia, "we shall no longer live like charity girls."

Caroline kissed them tenderly; and went along to the King's apartments for the promised interview.

George received her coldly—but she had not expected anything else.

He told her that he was glad George Augustus had come to his senses and that he would never have had any quarrel with her if she had not supported her husband.

"I am sure Your Majesty would not have expected anything else from a good wife."

"No, but I expect a gocd subject to obey her King."

"So would I do in all things," she answered, "but in disobeying the wishes of my husband."

George grunted.

"Well now you can please us both, for your husband repents of his conduct and has regained his status."

"I rejoice in Your Majesty's good favour."

He grunted again.

"I have told the children," she said. "They love you but they will naturally be pleased to be back with their parents."

The King looked startled. "That matter remains as before."

Caroline was astounded. "I do not understand, Your Majesty."

He looked at her grimly. "There is to be no change," he said. "My grandchildren stay under my care."

"No..." she began.

He had turned away but she saw the triumph in his eyes and the grim determination of his lips.

"Frederick is to remain in Hanover," she began indignantly. "The girls..."

"Frederick to remain in Hanover," he said, "and the girls will continue as before."

"I understood ..."

"You misunderstood," said the King.

She was crying; she could not stop the tears, crying with frustration, rage and an infmite sorrow.

She had been cheated. The Prince and Walpole had gone behind her back. They had settled without her; and the one condition she had insisted on had been thrust aside.