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pardon, I am sure the Princess is in no doubt as to the cause of the trouble. Would you yourself, sir, not want an explanation if this had been sent to a lady of your acquaintance when that lady had a husband who was your greatest friend?’

The Duke of Kent stared at the piece of paper which Sir Sydney Smith had

laid before him. It was an obscene drawing of Sir Sydney Smith and a woman

(Lady Douglas, Sir Sydney explained) in a compromising position.

‘This is— disgusting!’ cried the Duke of Kent.

‘So think I, sir, and so thinks Lady Douglas. Why, it is enough to set Sir John

and me at each other’s throats.’

‘And this— is the work of the Princess of Wales. It came, sir, with this letter

which although unsigned, I am assured is in Her Highness’s handwriting.’

It did not occur to the Duke of Kent to doubt that the letter and drawing were

the work of Caroline. Her eccentric behaviour was well known. The point was

that however innocent she might be, it was not inconceivable that she might be

guilty of the charges brought against her.

‘And what do you propose to do?’ asked the Duke of Kent.

‘This is an attack as Your Highness will see on my honour and that of Lady

and Sir John Douglas. I do not think Sir John is a man who will lightly allow such an insult to pass.’

‘It is a shocking affair. You know the precarious state of the King’s health.

This would have a disastrous effect on him if it came to his ears. You will

appreciate this, Sir Sydney, and I am sure that such a loyal subject as yourself

would not wish to increase his difficulties.’

Sir Sydney agreed that he was indeed a loyal subject and if he could persuade

Sir John to drop the matter, he himself would be prepared to do so. But of course the Princess of Wales must understand that there must be no more such attacks.

‘I can assure you of this,’ replied the Duke of Kent.

‘Then, sir, leave it to me to persuade Sir John. I am sure I can do it.’

The Duke grasped Sir Sydney’s hand. He believed he had settled, with the

utmost tact, a matter which might have raised a big scandal in the family.

A few days later Sir Sydney called on him and told him that Sir John had

promised that the matter should go no further.

The Duke of Kent wrote to the Princess to tell her that the unfortunate matter

was at an end but she should have no more correspondence with the Douglases.

The fact was: that he had been disgusted by the drawing and had readily believed

that it was the work of the Princess.

He shivered, pitied his brother for being married to such a wife, congratulated

himself on having skilfully handled a delicate situation, and put the matter out of his mind.

————————

Lady Douglas was incensed. Her little plot had failed. And it was due to

Caroline’s having called in her brother-in-law. Who would have thought she

would have had the sense!

And now Sydney, out of deference to a royal Duke, had made them all agree

that the matter was at an end.

Was there to be no revenge then? Was she to be insulted by Caroline?

She would not accept that. But she would have to wait awhile. After all there

was the affair of Willikin, which was far more serious than an anonymous letter

and a disgustmg picture.

For some months Lady Douglas waited impatiently, but her desire for revenge

grew rather than diminished. She was a vindictive woman, and she had hoped for

great benefits through her association with the Princess of Wales. They would

never be hers now since the odious woman refused to receive her. But she was

going to regret that

It seemed the greatest fortune when Sir John was given a post in the

household of Augustus, Duke of Sussex The Duke of Sussex, fourth brother of the

Prince of Wales, had had rather startling adventures in matrimony himself when

at the age of twenty he had married Augusta Murray without the consent of his

father. His marriage had later been declared null and void since it contravened the Royal Marriage Act but the Duke had snapped his fingers at the law and set up

house with the lady he and his brothers acknowledged as his wife.

Lady Douglas saw the opportunity she needed in this appointment and

badgered her husband to tell the Duke that Willikin was the Princess’s own child.

‘But my dear,’ protested Sir John, ‘this could make the most violent

upheaval.’

‘That’s what I want.’

‘You want it? But it would be trouble— terrible trouble.’

‘For them that deserve it.’

‘I think we should keep out of it. You know what happened about the letter.’

‘Oh yes, yes, His Majesty’s health is so precarious that he must not be

disturbed. In the meantime that scandalous woman can foist her illegitimate

offspring on the nation.’

‘But she is not foisting William Austin on anybody.’

‘William Austin! He’s no more Austin than I am. That’s her story. And how

do you know that she won’t try to foist the little brat on the nation? Why, don’t you see, that boy could be our future king.’

‘Oh no, that’s going too far.’

‘I will decide what is going too far. It’s your duty, John Douglas, to see that

what is going on reaches the right quarters.’

‘And what do you mean by the right quarters?’

‘Surely you know. The Prince of Wales should hear of this.’

‘You’re not suggesting that I go to the Prince of Wales?’

‘What I’m suggesting is that you tell his brother. That’s not so difficult, is it?

You are after all a member of his household. Tell him, and let him carry on from

there.’

‘I don’t think you understand what a storm you could be raising.’

‘That’s exactly what I do understand. And I’m waiting for that storm. It’s our

duty. Are you going to stand by and see a little bastard king of this realm? Are

you going to see him snatch it from our dear Princess Charlotte?’

‘I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.’

‘Oh, but you’re going to, John Douglas.’

A few days later Sir John came to his wife; he was pale and trembling.

‘I have spoken to him,’ he said.

‘Yes— yes, and what did he say?’

‘He said that he thought this matter should be brought to the notice of the

Prince of Wales.’

Lady Douglas clasped her hands together in joy.

‘But he says we should prepare a document which he can show his brother—

setting down all the facts. Put it, in writing.’

She nodded and he cried in dismay: ‘Don’t you realize what this means. It’s

all very well to say these things but to put them into writing I don’t know what

this could bring us to.’

‘Chicken heart,’ she mocked. ‘Leave it to me.’

————————

How exciting it was, going back over those meetings, colouring them up,

putting constructions on them which would add conviction to her story. For

instance had not the Princess said ‘I am going to have a baby.’ Had she not shown inordinate interest in Lady Douglas’s own pregnancy?

It was easy to adjust a word here and there. It was dangerous when a

Princess of Wales lived an immoral life because of the succession. Lady Douglas

wrote that she had reminded the Princess of this and that Her Highness had

replied that if she were caught she could put it on to the Prince of Wales because she had slept a few nights at Carlton House and he was often so drunk that he

could not account for his actions. Then there was the story of Lady Douglas’s

calling at Montague House and seeing the baby for the first time. There was Mrs,

Fitzgerald’s hasty explanation that he was William Austin and that the Princess

had adopted him

Oh yes, she had a very plausible story to tell.

————————

The King was surprised to receive a call from his sons, the Prince of Wales

and the Duke of Sussex; and as soon as he saw them he knew that something

extraordinary had happened.

Not family trouble again, he hoped. There was no end to it. Both of them were

offenders. Sussex marrying that woman when he had no right to and having a

court case about it and then its being decided that he wasn’t married. Not that he cared. They had no morals these sons of his. There he was living like a

respectable married man with the woman he called his wife and he had a family

too. As for the Prince of Wales with his Mrs. Fitzherbert and all that scandal—

well, it was better not to think about that!

‘An unexpected pleasure, eh, what?’ he said grimly.

The Prince of Wales felt a momentary wave of pity for his father. How he had

aged in the last few years! Those white eyebrows jutting out from the far too red face and the protuberant blue eyes gave him a look of madness. Surely it couldn’t be long before he broke down again. And this matter was not going to help him.

But it had to be done and while King clung to his rank he would have to accept it.

Better, thought the Prince, for him to retire gracefully, to abdicate perhaps. And then
he
would take charge. He admitted to himself that the prospect of power pleased him.

Should he have kept quiet about this matter? Certainly he could not! It was of

the utmost importance to the Crown and at the back of his mind was a solution

which pleased him as much as the thought of wearing that crown: to rid of

Caroline.

‘A very serious matter has come to light,’ he said, ‘and Augustus and I

thought you should immediately be acquainted with it.’

Alarm shot up in the King’s eyes which seemed to become a shade more

prominent.

‘Your Majesty,’ went on the Prince, with the utmost solemnity, I have here a

grave charge against the morality of the Princess of Wales.’

‘Eh? What’s this? Eh, what? Caroline you mean? What this? Grave charge,

eh?’

‘I think that Your Majesty might read this accusation which has been written

by Sir John and Lady Douglas. It seems that the Princess of Wales is the mother

of an illegitimate child— a son— a boy who now lives with her at Montague

House.’

‘What? Eh? What’s this? Don’t believe it. Impossible. A boy? Eh? What’s

this, eh, eh, eh?’

‘If Your Majesty would read this charge.’

The King took the Douglases’ statement and stared at it. His eyes boggled as

he read.

He stuttered, ‘But this is impossible.’

‘Unfortunately, Sire, it appears to be true.’ The Prince then went on to explain

that his brother, the Duke of Kent, had been shown a disgusting drawing which

Caroline had done of a neighbour Lady Douglas and Sir Sydney Smith. His

Majesty would remember the well-known sailor who had served country with

such zeal. Sir Sydney had wanted to take action but had been dissuaded from

doing so to a scandal.

‘Disgusting drawing! What? A
drawing
you say. What drawing?’

‘Of Sir Sydney and Lady Douglas.’ The Prince put his handkerchief to his

eyes. ‘Too disgusting, sir, to be talked of, and but Your Majesty may well

imagine—’

He could imagine. Sometimes when he was in one of his lost moods pictures

came into his head. Pictures, he thought. Disgusting pictures. They’d have to put a stop to it.

‘This matter,’ said the Prince of Wales, ‘is too grave to be dismissed. If it is

true that the Princess of Wales has an illegitimate son, some action must be taken

— and taken promptly.’

‘There must be an enquiry,’ said the King.

————————

Spencer Perceval rode over to Montague House. ‘I have heard some very

grave news,’ he said. ‘There is to be an enquiry into your actions with regard to the boy William Austin.’

‘But why should that be grave?’ enquired the Princess. ‘There is nothing

wrong with Willikin.’

‘The implication is that he is your I own son.’

‘I regard him as such.’

Perceval was faintly exasperated. ‘Your Highness must realize the gravity of

this charge. It is being said that he is the result of an indiscretion on your part and that you gave birth to him.’

‘That’s a lie, of course.’

‘I know it, Your Highness, but we have to convince others. I suggest that

Your Highness engages me to work on your behalf.’

She smiled at him tenderly. ‘Oh, you dear good man.’

He said gruffly ‘I am a friend and a neighbour. Naturally I wish to do all in

my power to refute this wicked slander. I rejoice in my position for as such I can do good service to Your Highness.’

She would have embraced him but he held her off.
The most indiscreet

woman in the world!
he thought.
And even now she does not realize that it is her
indiscretions which have led her into this dangerous position.