Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill - Plaidy Jean. Страница 44

'But why not. It's reasonably habitable.'

She threw back her head and laughed. The most musical laugh in the world, he thought, raising his head to kiss her throat before settling down once more on that magnificent bosom.

'Well?' he said.

'Far, far too expensive for me. It would cost all of three thousand a year to maintain it.'

'That does not sound a very large sum.'

'Not to you, my extravagant Prince. To me it is one thousand more than my income.'

'Your Prince is not without intelligence, you know.'

'Indeed I know that he possesses that very useful asset in abundance/

'Then...'

'Then what, my dearest?'

'Supposing you to have an income of six thousand a year, that intelligence tells me that you would not then find Ux-bridge's place too expensive.'

'The logical answer to that is that I have not an income of six thousand a year.'

'And the logical answer to that is that you shall have.'

'Listen to me. I have no intention of taking an income from you/

'Why not?'

'It is unnecessary. I have consideted myself very comfortably placed. I have two fine houses ... well, fine enough for me ... but then I do not judge them by royal standards/

'But you now have raised your standards, my love ... my queen ...'

She smiled tenderly. 'Fine houses ... jewellery ... these gifts which you are constantly trying to bestow on me are of no importance. What matters is that we are together, not where.

'I know it. I know it. But I wish you to have everything that is worthy of you and that is the best in the world. I want you to have Uxbridge's House. I will pay the rent and with your six thousand a year you will, I know, keep the creditors at bay/

'Six thousand!' she cried. 'But my dearest, what of your creditors.'

'Money! Other things are far more important. Don't you agree?'

'Yes, that is why I suggest that I continue as I am here in Park Street and that no new expenses are incurred on my account.'

But the Prince was determined. 'This house,' he said, 'was Mr. Fitzherbert's. Is he to be allowed to present you with a house and I not?'

That was a different argument and Maria was perplexed. After that it took very little persuasion to make her agree.

'The truth is,' said the Prince roguishly, 'I have already told Uxbridge that we are taking it.'

'Of course the Prince married her,' said some of the gossips. 'She would never have succumbed otherwise.'

'He can't have married her,' said others. 'It would be illegal. What of the Marriage Act? She is his mistress. She was only holding out to make him the more eager.'

Whichever theory was supported there was no doubt that the Prince and Mrs. Fitzherbert were lovers; and everyone watched them with interest.

The gossip reached Windsor. Madam von Schwellenburg who considered herself head of the Queen's household—and was in fact the most disliked member of it—muttered to herself as she went about her apartments feeding the toads which she kept in cages about her room. Her little pets she called them; and she was far more gracious to them than she was to the maids of honour who were under her sway.

'Herr Prince vos up to no goot,' she told the toads. She had come to England with the Queen twenty-six years before but had never bothered to learn English properly. She despised the English, hated their country, so she said; and was furious when attempts had been made to send her back to Germany. 'Dis is vere I lifs,' she had said, 'and dis is vere I stays. Novon villen me move.' But she showed her dislike for the country, to which she

tlung, in every way and it was apparent in her atrocious rendering of the language.

She disliked everyone except the Queen, whom she looked upon as her charge. Charlotte herself did not like the woman but kept her with her from habit. In the first place, when her mother-in-law, Augusta the Dowager Princess of Wales, had tried to get rid of Schwellenburg soon after Charlotte's arrival, she had clung to the woman on a matter of principle. But there were times when she wished her back in Germany.

So Schwellenburg had grown old in the Queen's service and none the more attractive for that. She disliked the King and the Queen's children; she disliked everyone and everything except herself, the Queen and her toads. She delighted in the misdeeds of the Princes and the gossip concerning the Prince of Wales was in particular a great joy to her.

'Herr Prince von bad vicked,' she told her favourite toad, the one who croaked the loudest when she tapped his cage with her snuff box. 'Has vedded von bad voman.'

She had seen that the cartoons in the papers were brought to the Queen's attention by setting them out with the appropriate pages in evidence on the royal dressing table. She had tried to tell the Queen about the rumours, but the Queen had shrugged them aside.

'There are always these stories about royal people, Schwellenburg.'

'Of veddings?' asked Schwellenburg maliciously. 'Dis vomen ist von Cadolic. Von bad ding.'

'It is of no importance, Schwellenburg. I have heard that the lady whose name is being coupled with the Prince's is a very virtuous one. I am sure it is quite a pleasant relationship.'

'Like Vilhelm vis Portsmod Sarah.'

Really the woman was intolerable. 'Go and attend to your toads, Schwellenburg. I no longer need your services/

The very mention of her toads made Schwellenburg forget everything else, and the Queen was delighted to be alone.

It was a different matter when Lady Harcourt spoke to her. Lady Harcourt was a trusted friend. Charlotte was very fond of the Harcourt family, for it was Lord Harcourt, the present Lady Harcourt's father-in-law, who had come to Strelitz all

those years ago to arrange for her marriage to George, who was then the Prince of Wales. She could trust Lady Harcourt and had only a year or so before appointed her a Lady of the Bedchamber. To Lady Harcourt as to no other could she confide her innermost thoughts; it was a great comfort to have such a friend.

Lady Harcourt said, when they were sitting together with their knotting in their hands: 'Your Majesty, I am distressed about the rumours ... and I have hesitated whether or not I should speak to you about them.'

'My dear, you know you may speak to me on any subject you think fit.'

'But I did not wish to add to your anxieties.'

'Have you heard something dreadful?'

'It is alarming.'

'About William? That was a distressing affair. I do hope he is behaving sensibly. The King has sent him to Plymouth, but he may well take it into his reckless head to go back to Portsmouth. What a trial one's children are.'

'I was not thinking of His Highness Prince William but ... of the Prince of Wales.'

The Queen's fingers faltered on her knotting.

'You have heard something ... fresh?'

'I do not think it is fresh, but it is so ... persistent. I greatly fear that there may be some truth in the rumour.'

'What is the rumour?'

'That he is married to this woman, Mrs. Fitzherbert.'

'I have heard that rumour. It is simply not possible. How could he be married to her? It is against the law. The Royal Marriage Act forbids any member of the family to marry without the King's consent.'

'But, Your Majesty, that need not prevent the Prince's doing so.'

The Queen said piteously: 'Oh, my dear Lady Harcourt, what have we done—the King and I—to be so plagued by our sons.'

'They are young men, Your Majesty ... lusty young men. They wish for independence.'

'He is the heir to the throne. He could not be so foolish.'

'He is undoubtedly in love with this woman, and the Prince when he does anything does it wholeheartedly. He is, I have heard, wholeheartedly in love with Mrs. Fitzherbert.'