Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean. Страница 90

James across the water was a menace and always would be. Particularly now that he had married and produced a son, Charles Edward—so that now the line would continue and this boy could well grow up to harry them, though doubtless that would be in the days of George Augustus, his foolish son.

Well, at least he would have a clever wife to help him.

She hated her father-in-law of course. She'd never forgive him for keeping Frederick at Hanover and the girls under his control.

Well, she was pregnant again; and he would put no restrictions on this child. If it lived she should keep this one. That might make her a little more affectionate towards her father-in-law.

Mary Bellenden had given little attention to what was happening, being absorbed by her own affairs. She was wondering what would happen when she betrayed her secret; and she would have to sooner or later. The Prince still eyed her lasciviously although he had taken several mistresses recently.

He had changed—everybody was changing.

We're growing older, thought Mary. It was true; she was no longer the frivolous young girl she had been; nor was Molly Lepel; not even Sophie.

That reminded her. She had meant to speak to Molly about Sophie who had changed more than any of them. A short while ago she had been so frivolous that they had all scolded her. She seemed not to have a serious thought in her head. Lately she had been very quiet. What was on her mind?

She found Molly Lepel putting the Princess's clothes away.

"I should be helping you," said Mary. "I quite forgot."

Molly murmured something; and that was not like her usual talkative self.

"Is anything wrong?"

"Well... hardly that. Mary ... I'm married."

"You... too!''

"You mean ..."

Mary nodded; and they both began to laugh.

"I might have known/' said Molly at length. "How long "

"Too long to keep it secret. I thought we'd better when the Prince was getting more of a nuisance than ever. And you?"

"Lord Hervey."

"Lord Hervey! Molly! Who would have thought..."

"That he would have a wife?"

Mary was silent. Molly and Hervey! It was incredible. What a handsome pair they would be and yet ... She could not imagine Hervey as a husband. Still, Molly looked happy.

"I want to retire to the country. I'm tired of Court life," said Molly. "And you?"

"John has to stay at Court so I shall, too. One in the Prince's household, one in that of the Princess. You must admit it's convenient. I wonder if Sophie's married too and that's why she's been so quiet lately."

"We must find out," said Molly.

"I know she has been meeting Anthony Lowther lately."

"We'll ask at the first opportunity. After all if we tell her our secret, she should tell us hers."

The opportunity came a few days later.

The three girls were alone together in the Princess's robing chamber when Mary said: "We want to tell you something, Sophie. Molly and I are married."

Sophie did not answer and as she lowered her head and her lip trembled Mary and Molly began to understand.

"Is it Tony Lowther?" asked Mary.

Sophie nodded.

"How long?"

"Three months."

"You will have to be married ... secretly as we were."

"But..."

"You mean he won't."

Sophie nodded. "What am I going to do?" she asked.

"Tony Lowther will have to marry you. That's the only answer."

But Sophie only shook her head.

The two girls did what they could to comfort her; but there was no comforting Sophie.

Caroline was sorry for the girl. Poor silly little Sophie! She was an example of the folly of acting without thought. It was no use speaking to Lowther; he had left court knowing that pressure might be brought to bear on him; and would it be wise to force marriage on him? Even Sophie did not wish that.

Margaret Meadows went about with lips pursed and an air of 'I told you so'.

Poor heartbroken little Sophie!

Caroline sent for the girl.

'^y poor child," she said, "I think you should leave the Court and go home."

**Yes, Your Highness."

**There at least you vill be far from gossip. I vill write to your family and tell them to be kind to you."

"Your Highness is good."

"I vish I could help you more. I suppose he promised to marry you?"

"Yes, Madam."

"You are not the first to be deceived by empty promises. Your ... indiscretion vill be a lesson to you. Take it to heart but try to make a new life for yourself. Profit from your misfortune, my tear, and try to be happy in the new life you vill surely make for yourself."

Sophie sank to her knees and kissed the Princess's hand.

A few days later she left court; and it was not long afterwards when Molly Lepel, her marriage no longer a secret, left the Princess's service to start a new life in the country.

My Court will not be the same without them, thought Caroline. And even Mary Bellenden has emerged as a married woman.

But she soon ceased to think about the affairs of her maids of honour for the time came for her child to be born and this time to her great joy it was a healthy boy whom she called William Augustus; and when she held him in her arms she

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believed that her ill luck had changed. This child would be her very own and no one would attempt to take him from her.

She was right. From the time of the child's birth she was happier. She would have more children and then it would seem as though she had another little family all her own. The King showed that he did not find her company distasteful. He would often sit dourly listening when she talked, but he seemed to enjoy her conversation as much as he enjoyed any.

When she heard from Lady Mary Wordey Montague that in Turkey smallpox was rendered harmless by making a small wound and infecting it with pus from a smallpox sore she was very interested. Lady Mary wrote that she had allowed her own son to be inoculated; and when her doctor, Charles Maitland, came to England Caroline sent for him and asked him to tell her more.

There was an outcry, for nothing the Princess did could pass unnoticed. Lady Mary was counted an unnatural mother; the doctors decried the practice as against God's Will.

Caroline pondered the matter. She was constantly afraid of the smallpox which had killed her mother; every other person in the street was marked by it; she herself had escaped lightly, through great good fortune; she learned that seventy-two people out of every thousand died of it.

She longed to make her own children secure against it but dared not take any risk.

She tried to talk to the Prince about it, but he was not really interested.

^'Imagine," she said, "the benefit to the nation ... if ve could vipe out this terrible scourge."

"It vould be goot... very goot "

He thinks of nothing but his own vanities, she thought a little contemptuously, a little indulgently. Strangely enough as the years passed she was discovering that she would not have had him otherwise.

At the King's reception one evening she had an opportunity

of speaking to the King. George was there. The Duchesses of Kendal and Darlington inevitably were in attendance, listening to music while some played cards.

Mary Bellenden was present with her husband and as they came in the Prince scowled at her and shook his finger; then he turned his back. It might have been comic but he was really angry with her for preferring his bedchamber groom to himself. Caroline was glad though that he had not dismissed John Campbell and confined his display of pique to a shake of the finger and a turn of the back.