Victoria in the Wings: (Georgian Series) (8 page)

‘This cannot be allowed. Leave me now. You have upset me very much.’

William bowed. ‘I am sorry for that,’ he said, ‘but it does not alter the fact that I intend to keep my word to Miss Wykeham.’

When William had left the Queen summoned the Princesses Elizabeth and Sophia.

‘My snuff-box,’ she commanded; and Elizabeth immediately brought it.

Having taken a comforting pinch the Queen said: ‘I am most distressed. It is William again. What a fool your brother is! When I think of his behaviour from the time he was a young man, I cannot remember one occasion when he has acted with the slightest wisdom. He was constantly promising marriage to this one and that. Miss Fortescue, Miss Somebody else … I’ve forgotten the names; and then of course he settled down with that actress and produced all those children. And after that we had to watch his ridiculous efforts to get married. Now he has proposed and been accepted by a Miss Wykeham.’

‘She is a very considerable heiress, Mamma,’ said Elizabeth.

‘So she may be, but she is not going to be William’s wife. 1 must write to the Regent immediately. I can see that we are going to have trouble with William. Bring my writing materials and call the messenger. He should take my note to Carlton House immediately.’

The Regent had asked the Duke of Kent to visit him at Carlton House. Edward was not one of his favourite brothers; they were so different. Edward was too serious; George was prepared to admit that he was a good soldier, but he had never really forgiven
him after the Mary Anne Clarke scandal, and he had been secretly pleased that the post of Commander-in-Chief to the Army, which Edward had hoped would be his when Frederick was forced to resign, had not fallen to his lot.

But the Regent had no desire to quarrel with any of his brothers. He liked to be outwardly at least on good terms; so now he received Edward with a show of affection and when the greetings were over he allowed a mask of concern to fall over his face. It was not entirely false; he was thinking of Madame de St Laurent, a charming woman, who had been Edward’s faithful mistress – for twenty-seven years was it? He disliked hurting charming women; but Madame de St Laurent, he was sure, was a sensible woman, as Dorothy Jordan – another of his favourites – had been. She would have to understand.

‘Well, Edward,’ he said, ‘I’ll swear you know why I’ve sent for you.’

‘Does it concern marriage plan?’

The Regent nodded. ‘The Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg … Leopold’s widowed sister. She is young, good looking and by all accounts very charming.’

‘I see,’ said Edward gravely.

‘I can guess your thoughts, Edward. You are thinking of your … commitments. Poor Julie! But she is a brave and clever woman. I am sure she will understand.’

George always made other people’s troubles seem so light, thought Edward resentfully; but the smallest cloud in his own blue sky was a matter for great tribulation in which everyone was expected to participate. Edward asked himself as he had many times before why a grudging fate had not made him the eldest son.

‘It will be a great blow to her.’

‘I know, Edward, but she must already be aware …’

Edward thought of Julie at the breakfast table. Poor sad Julie! She was going to be broken-hearted. But he must do his duty. There was no evading it.

He said: ‘Has the Princess Victoria made her willingness known?’

‘No. That’s the point. You should visit her at Wald-Leiningen and persuade her how advantageous it will be to become the
Duchess of Kent. The fact is it is not easy to find Protestant princesses who would make suitable wives. We have fortunately found two.’

‘And the other?’

‘Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen.’

‘Should I not be allowed to select one of the two?’

‘One is for William. He would doubtless say that he should have first choice. The fact is, Edward, Victoria must be wooed and we don’t trust William as a wooer. That is why Adelaide is for William. We fear that if he went to court Victoria, the courtship would end in failure. You’ll make a better job of it.’

The Regent watched his brother covertly. Edward was rising to the flattery.

‘What do you know of Victoria?’

‘That she is delightful – beautiful and intelligent.’

‘All marriageable princesses are.’

‘You have become cynical, Edward. I daresay Victoria is as attractive as most young women. She will not be stupid either for she is a mother and has two charming children, so I hear.’

‘So I am to have a ready-made family?’

‘My dear Edward, the only family you have to concern yourself with is the child the Duke and Duchess of Kent will have. You should be grateful that Victoria has already proved her ability to bear children. How frustrated you would feel if you discovered after marriage – as William may well do – that he has married a barren woman.’

‘And I am to visit this Victoria?’

‘As soon as possible.’

‘And what am I to tell Madame de St Laurent?’

‘I should tell her nothing as yet. It is possible that the Princess Victoria will reject you. She is able to make her own choice. As I told you that is the reason why we have decided on her for you. She will find you irresistible I am sure, Edward, but in case she should not, you will not want to lose Julie before you have gained Victoria.’

‘You make it sound so unromantic.’

‘The marriages of princes always are. It is the extra-marital
affairs which bring such joy. No, do not worry Julie. Tell her that you are going on a mission for me to Leopold’s family. I think that would be the best. And then … if things went wrong she need not know. There is no need to alarm her before it is necessary.’

‘Thank you, George,’ said Edward. ‘And when shall I leave?’

‘At once. Don’t lose any time. An attractive young woman like Victoria will doubtless be much sought after. Go at once.’

‘I will,’ said Edward.

As soon as he had left a messenger arrived with a letter from the Queen. The Regent read it and frowned. William was being difficult. He had proposed marriage to and been accepted by a Miss Wykeham. If he could not get royal assent, he was going to Parliament.

The Regent passed his hand across his brow.

If only Charlotte had lived! It was odd that at the time of her birth she had been so important because her coming had meant that he need never go near her mother again; and now her death had thrown them all into this state of panic. Her birth and her death had been so important; it was only during her lifetime that they had been able to ignore her.

William was a fool. Of course he could not marry his Miss Wykeham. How fortunate that the decision did not rest with him. He would tell his ministers that the marriage between the Duke of Clarence and Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen must be brought to its satisfactory conclusion no matter what objections were made by the Duke of Clarence.

Julie was delighted to see Edward back.

As they went together into the house and she showed him the new improvements which had been completed since his absence, she clung to his arm.

‘Edward,’ she whispered, ‘is all well?’

‘Er … yes, yes. All is well.’

‘I thought you would come back and tell me that a marriage had been arranged for you.’

‘No … no, no.’ It was true. Nothing had been arranged yet.

‘I suppose they just wished you to be there because of Charlotte’s death.’

‘Because of that,’ he said.

‘I have so missed you.’

‘And I you, my darling.’

‘I’ve been longing for a game of chess, of all things. That seems so trivial … and yet …’

‘I know,’ he said. ‘I know. I have in fact been sent on a mission … for George.’

‘A mission?’

‘Yes, to Germany.’

‘I see.’ She did not ask what. She was discreet enough for that. A mission could be anything. She would not associate it with courtship. He should tell her, but he could not. The words would not come. He who could face the most barbarous enemy could not face her. It was cruel but he must do his duty.

‘And you will be away long?’

‘Oh, I don’t suppose so.’

‘Then you’ll come back to Brussels, I suppose.’

‘I shall have to report to London first.’

‘Just briefly,’ she said. ‘And then you’ll be back.’

He had to let it rest there. He could not be so brutal. Besides, this Victoria might refuse him. They might not be able to find a bride for him.

He had asked George to keep the matter secret so that she did not hear through the press. George would do what he could. He was always gallant to women and it would grieve him to make Julie suffer more than was necessary.

He would stay here for two days before going on to Wald-Leiningen, and who knew perhaps he would never have to tell her how near he had come to deserting her.

The Princess Victoria was thoughtful. She had always known that she was too young to remain unmarried for the rest of her life, for she was only thirty-one years of age. She had two delightful children, healthy and good looking; it was natural that there should be suitors.

Her brother Leopold, now mourning the Princess Charlotte at Claremont, had written to her. He believed that nothing could be more suitable than a marriage with the Duke of Kent. He
desired it and he hoped that as his dear sister had done him the honour in other important matters of taking his advice, she would in this one.

Victoria considered.

There were certain things a widow must give up if she married again. Freedom was rather pleasant and so rarely enjoyed by German princesses; but since the death of her husband, Prince Emich Charles, she had enjoyed it; merely in her household of course, but the castle of Wald-Leiningen was her little world and she was complete mistress of it.

There were the children to consider. Charles and Feodore. She adored them and they her, in spite of this discipline she enforced. She was a woman who liked to have her own way, but, she always reminded herself, it was for the
good
of others.

Leopold was her favourite brother, although younger than she was. There had been great rejoicing in the family when he had married Princess Charlotte, heir to the throne of England. Young Charlotte had loved him passionately, which was small wonder for Leopold was handsome and attractive in every way, although very serious; but that in the Princess Victoria’s eyes was a virtue. The Princess Charlotte must have thought so too for by all accounts Leopold was the only one who could subdue her – and she loved him for it.

And then the bitter tragedy! The death of Charlotte in childbirth and the misery of poor dear Leopold who had loved his wife so tenderly and had believed that he was to be the father of a future King of England.

And it was due to Charlotte’s death that she was facing her present problem now. The loss of Charlotte meant an imperative need to marry and produce an heir quickly among the King’s sons; and the Duke of Kent was one of them.

She heard the sound of children’s voices and looking from her window she saw Charles and Feodore riding into the court-yard with their grooms. Little Feodore was ten years old and was going to be a beauty, and Charles was a boy to be proud of. He was now waving the groom aside and helping Feodore out of the saddle. He was very courteous, her young Charles. They would change from their riding habits and present themselves in her
drawing-room, for the Duke of Kent was due within the next hour and she wished him to see the children before he committed himself.

Victoria turned away from the window and sat down looking into the fire.

He will have to take a widow and two children, she thought. And I shall have to take a reluctant man of fifty.

Reluctant? Well, of course he would be reluctant. She had asked Leopold for all details of the Duke of Kent and he had not spared her.

‘He has been living for the last twenty-five years or so with Madame de St Laurent, a woman to whom he is devoted. She was received by the Prince of Wales who is notoriously lax where his brothers’ indiscretions are concerned.’ (Dear Leopold,
he
would never be lax over such matters!) ‘But of course it was a relationship of the left hand and she was not received at Court. Recently they went to live in Brussels where they intended to settle, until my dearest Charlotte died and so changed all our lives.’

She could imagine it well. The Duke’s being forced to abandon the mistress whom he would regard as his wife and marry a strange young woman who could not speak English – although he could speak German she supposed; and in any case his mother Queen Charlotte could not speak English when she first arrived in England.

The language presented no difficulty. It was Madame de St Laurent. But she would be old compared with herself, and she who was plump and handsome was attractive to men, she was fully aware. If she did not take the Duke of Kent there would be other offers.

‘The Duke of Clarence is older than the Duke of Kent, but he has made himself rather ridiculous lately,’ wrote Leopold. ‘First by deserting the actress with whom he lived for twenty years and by whom he had ten children, who live with him in his house at Bushy. Then by proposing marriage to several people, some most unsuitable, and being rejected by them. At first I was put out that you were not to be offered Clarence because any children he had would come before any you might have. But it is almost certain that you would prefer the Duke of Kent, who is more
serious-minded and in every way more suited to become the father of the heir to the throne.’

One could always trust Leopold. He had the family welfare so much at heart.

There was a knock at the door and the children came in. Feodore curtsied; Charles bowed. Her expression softened. How delightful they were! If they should have a stepbrother who was Prince of Wales brilliant marriages would be arranged for them.

‘Did you enjoy your ride, my children?’

‘Yes, Mamma, thank you,’ said Charles.

‘We rode so far we could see Amorbach in the distance.’

‘That was quite a distance. I am expecting a visitor, from England.’

‘From Uncle Leopold, Mamma?’ asked Charles.

‘No, not exactly; but he would be a friend of Uncle Leopold.’