Queen in Waiting: (Georgian Series) (43 page)

George Augustus had little time for the writers. He despised
what he called ‘boetry’. He even remonstrated with Lord Hervey for writing it.

‘Vot for you vant to write this boetry?’ he demanded. ‘That is for little Mr Pope and his kind… not for a noble lord.’

But he indulged his wife. ‘If you like these men, my tear, then haf them… but they are only boets and vill not help us fight my father.’

Caroline’s reply was that she believed there was more strength in the pen than anything else; and these people delighted her with their clever use of words.

‘You vere alvays von governess,’ said the Prince affectionately.

And the writers continued to come.

Caroline knew that in time it would be the turn of the important politicians.

Caroline was not surprised when Sir Spencer Compton came to Leicester House with a message from the King, and she and the Prince received him in the latter’s apartment.

His Majesty, explained Sir Spencer, deplored the differences which existed between him and his son.

George Augustus retorted that if that were so his father only had to behave like any rational father and he and the Princess would be happy to forget those differences.

‘This,’ said Sir Spencer, ‘is exactly what His Majesty wishes to do, and if Your Highness will abide by certain rules this unfortunate trouble should be over.’

‘Can you tell me vat these rules are?’

‘I can, for it is for the purpose of laying them before you that I have come here.’

‘Pray proceed.’

‘His Majesty requires you to pay for your children’s households – that of your daughters in St James’s and your son in Hanover.’

‘If my father vill allow my son to come to England and be under my direction I shall have the greatest pleasure in paying for his establishment over here.’

‘It is the King’s wish that he remains in Hanover.’

George Augustus’s face was purple with anger. ‘Then it shall be the King’s privilege to provide for him there.’

‘Is that Your Highness’s final answer on that point?’

The Prince rapped his fist on the table. ‘That is my final answer.’

‘And your daughter’s household?’

‘If the King vill have charge of them he must pay for them.’

‘Then I will continue with the conditions which the King has asked me to put before you. You are to fill no places in your household without the King’s pleasure, and to retain in your service no one disagreeable to His Majesty.’

‘That vould doubtless mean ridding ourselves of some of those who are dearest to us,’ said Caroline quickly.

‘It is a condition His Majesty has imposed.’

Caroline looked at the Prince and shook her head; she had no need. He was growing angrier every minute.

‘Vat else?’ he asked.

‘It would be necessary for you to sever relations with any whom the King declared was disagreeable to him and to treat the King’s servants in a civil manner.’

‘I can scarcely believe that is all His Majesty demands!’ said George Augustus with heavy sarcasm.

‘And the children?’ cried Caroline hastily. ‘If ve did these things should ve be allowed to have our children back?’

‘There is one other condition, Your Highnesses.’

‘Yes?’

‘You would be obliged to acquiesce in the King’s right to the guardianship of his grandchildren.’

‘No,’ cried Caroline.

‘No, no,
no!
’ echoed the Prince.

Caroline smiled at him. ‘Ve are better as ve are. I know the Prince is too vise and shrewd and also too proud to give vay to such conditions.’

‘That is true,’ said the Prince.

So Sir Spencer Compton went away; and the quarrel persisted, as fierce as ever.

‘He is the von who vill be sorry,’ Caroline told the Prince, though in her heart she would have been ready to agree to any condition which brought back her children to her, and the King knew it. It was for this reason that he had struck her in such a way that she should suffer most.

Very well. It was open warfare. If the King wanted battle between himself and his son and daughter-in-law, he should have it.

She was strong enough to make her own the winning side.

And when Robert Walpole became a visitor to Leicester House she believed she was going to succeed.

The Prince had never despaired of winning Mary Bellenden, and sought every opportunity of making her aware of his intentions, although she continually evaded him, sometimes pretending that she did not understand what he meant.

Because he liked to share confidences he told Henrietta about his feelings. In fact Henrietta could not have been ignorant of them, as no one else at court was; but it did not occur to him to think it strange that he should confide his desire to make a woman his mistress to one who already was.

He was the Prince and above reproach; moreover, being as virile as he would have everyone believe him to be, it was not to be suspected that he could be satisfied with one mistress and one wife.

‘This girl vants to be chased,’ he told Henrietta. ‘She is enjoying this courtship, but it goes on too long. Vat can I do?’

The meek Henrietta said that he might tell her of his intentions outright.

‘She never gives me the chance. She laughs too much. Then she vill pretend she cannot understand vat I say… like that rascal Newcastle. Then she talks so fast that I cannot understand her. She is von naughty girl… though very pretty. I think, Henrietta, that she is the prettiest girl in my tear wife’s household.’

‘Either Mary or Molly Lepel is according to the poets,’ admitted Henrietta.

‘Oh boets. Don’t talk to me of boets. The Princess thinks so highly of them she believes all they say. Mary is prettier than Molly and I have had this fancy for her. Invite her to your rooms tonight, Henrietta, and I vill speak to her.’

Henrietta, always docile, agreed to do so. For one thing she knew very well that Mary would not accept the Prince, and for another she knew that if she did, it would make no difference
to her own position. For all his talk of being English the Prince was completely German – certainly in his attitude to women. He would be like his father who had been faithful to Ermengarda Schulemburg for more than twenty years, no matter how many mistresses he had in addition.

So Henrietta told Mary Bellenden that she was expected to attend her apartment that night on orders of the Prince.

Mary looked glum when she received the command.

‘I can’t come,’ she declared.

‘The Prince’s orders.’

‘You must say I’m ill.’

‘If you say that there’ll be another time. You can’t be ill forever.’

‘What am I to do?’

‘Tell him the truth.’

Mary turned away; but even she dared not disobey the Prince’s command and at nine o’clock that evening she went along to Henrietta’s apartment. Precisely at nine – not a second before and not one after, for the Prince prided himself on his respect for time – George Augustus arrived at Henrietta’s apartment, beaming with pleasure at the joyful anticipation of Mary’s surrender.

He found the girl there with Henrietta who, on the pleas of Mary, remained as chaperon.

Strangely enough George Augustus did not seem to object to her presence and sat down immediately next to Mary and drew a table towards him.

‘You are von very pretty
Fräulein
,’ he told her.

‘Your Highness is gracious,’ Mary replied uneasily.

‘I vould be very gracious… if you are von sensible girl.’

‘
I
think I am sensible, Your Highness,’ replied Mary who could never resist a certain pertness.

‘Ven vat are ve vaiting for?’

‘Your Highness wished a game of cards perhaps? Mrs Howard will doubtless summon others to join us.’

‘Not that game,’ said the Prince. ‘Our game shall be a game for two.’

‘I don’t know that game, Your Highness, so you must excuse me.’

She had half risen but he put out a hand to detain her.

‘Von moment. You are a pretty girl. You spend much money, eh? On pretty clothes perhaps… on powder and patches, on ribbons and laces?’

‘Alas, how Your Highness understands!’

‘You vill find me most understanding. Vill she not, Henrietta?’

‘I am sure if she is truthful to Your Highness she will find you most… accommodating.’

‘There, so you see.’

He took out his purse and upset the contents on to the table. The guineas rolled over the surface and some fell on to the floor.

‘Vot beautiful golden guineas! They vill buy much.’

‘I am sure they will,’ said Mary. She was flushing hotly for so many times he had shown her money. It would have been ludicrous if it had not been insulting, and suddenly Mary, impulsive by nature, lost her temper and swept all the guineas on to the floor.

The Prince stared at her in dismay. ‘Vy you do that?’

‘Because, Your Highness, I do not want your money. It makes no difference to me how many guineas you have in your purse. If you show me them again I… I shall run away. I don’t want to see them.’

‘You don’t vant guineas?’

‘No, Your Highness.’

‘But they buy such pretty things.’

‘They can’t buy me.’

Mary had stood up, her eyes blazing; the Prince had risen too; Henrietta was looking on in dismay. Had Mary gone mad? Didn’t she know that one didn’t speak to the Prince of Wales like that?

Henrietta spoke softly: ‘I’m sure Mrs Bellenden is overwrought.’

There was a short silence. Then Mary recovered herself and looked alarmed by what she had done; and seeing her thus the Prince knew how he could act. Henrietta’s tact had saved his dignity.

Henrietta went on: ‘I think if Mrs Bellenden told Your
Highness what is in her mind… you might understand how disturbed she is and forgive her.’

The Prince turned to Mary who was looking down at the guineas.

‘Vell,’ he said. ‘Let us sit down and you shall tell me vot is wrong.’

Mary sat down. ‘I am in love,’ she blurted out. ‘I am going to be married.’

‘Who is this?’ demanded the Prince.

‘I would rather not say.’

‘She fears Your Highness’s displeasure,’ suggested Henrietta.

‘I am displeased,’ said the Prince, looking like a boy deprived of a treat to which he has long looked forward.

‘But Your Highness is gracious and will understand how it is with these young people.’

‘You may tell me,’ he said to Mary.

‘I am in love, Your Highness, and for me there can be no other than the man I am going to marry.’

‘What is his name?’

‘I cannot tell Your Highness.’

The Prince looked at Henrietta.

‘They have hoped to marry for a long time,’ she said, ‘perhaps before Mrs Bellenden knew of Your Highness’s interest she had already promised to be faithful and to marry.’ She lifted her shoulders.

‘I do not like it,’ said the Prince.

‘Mrs Bellenden will wish to ask Your Highness’s pardon.’

‘I ask Your Highness’s pardon,’ said Mary, as though repeating a lesson.

‘So you vill marry this man?’

‘Yes, Your Highness.’

‘And that vill make you happy?’

‘Yes, Your Highness.’

‘You must not marry without telling me. You understand that I vill vish to know.’

Mary stood silent and Henrietta said: ‘His Highness will give you leave to go now, I daresay.’

‘Yes, go,’ said the Prince.

When Mary had gone he sat down heavily and stared disconsolately at the table.

Henrietta silently picked up the guineas and put them into the purse.

‘Vy did she not tell me before?’ he cried suddenly, banging his fist on the table.

‘Doubtless she feared to.’

‘Am I such an ogre…?’

Henrietta smiled. ‘You are the Prince. None would care to displease you.’

He laughed, but was serious suddenly. ‘And you, Henrietta, you vould not care to displease me?’

‘I hope I never should, Your Highness.’

‘Henrietta,’ he said, ‘you are von good woman.’

‘I am glad Your Highness finds me so.’

‘I have enjoyed very much our… friendship.’ He looked at his watch. ‘It is time we make love,’ he said.

After she had left Henrietta Howard’s apartment, Mary went to find her lover. As he was in the Prince’s household this was not difficult, but she was anxious that no one should see them together for as one of the reigning beauties of the court she was also a favourite subject for the lampooners and she was watched closely. She was anxious that no one should discover that the man to whom she had betrothed herself was John Campbell and write a verse about it. She met Sophie Howe who, seeing her flushed cheeks and that she came from Henrietta Howard’s apartment, wanted to know what she had been doing.

‘I’ve just done a bold thing,’ she said.

Sophie laughed. ‘I’m always doing bold things. Don’t tell me you’ve taken Henrietta Howard’s place with His Highness.’

‘How dare you say such a thing! As if I ever would!’

‘Of course not. There’s dear John, I know.’

‘Don’t speak of it. If it got to his ears…’

‘Who? His Royal Highness’s? Oh he’d like as not be ready to give John a title and lands in exchange for his complaisance.’

‘Which John and I would not accept. Listen Sophie, there has just been such a
scene.
I knocked his guineas all over the floor.’

‘What! Did he offer those guineas again?’

‘Yet again! And this time I was so angry… besides I was there alone with him and Henrietta Howard and it seemed so horrible. So I told him to leave me alone because I was in love.’

‘Oh, Mary Bellenden!’

‘And now I’m afraid, and I want to see John and you must go and tell him.’

‘And why don’t you go?’

‘Because I don’t want anyone to see us together and make a noise about it so that it gets to his ears…’

‘I see.’

‘Please Sophie.’

‘Very well. I’ll go and see if I can find him.’

‘And bring him here… where we can talk in peace.’

‘And when I bring him would you like me to stay and chaperone you?’

‘It won’t be necessary.’

‘Guard your virtue, for what if you lost it? He might not be so eager to marry you if you did.’