The Prince and the Quakeress: (Georgian Series) (18 page)

‘Your Highness’s birthday is a day we should all celebrate and there will be many to come and wish you well. You will find some of the loveliest ladies in England at the ball, Your Highness.’

His expression was a little prim. Oh dear, thought Elizabeth, he’s still enamoured of the little Quaker.

‘How I wish,’ she went on quickly, ‘that I could invite the most beautiful of them all. I often think of Your Highness’s happiness and rejoice in it. I would wish you to know if at any time you need my help…’ She paused and added ‘again’, for there was no harm in reminding him how useful she had once been to him… ‘you should not hesitate to ask me.’

His expression had changed. How easy he was to read! ‘I shall never forget your kindness to me at a time… at a time when I most needed it.’

‘I count myself fortunate to have been of service to Your Highness.’

‘And to possess such good friends.’

It was very agreeable. She could be sure that if any fresh contretemps arose she could count on his keeping her informed.

‘May I ask a special favour?’

‘I beg you to.’

‘Will you give her my respects when you next see her. Tell her I think of her often and rejoice in her happiness.’

‘I will. I will.’ Face flushed with emotion; eyes alight with sentimentality.

So matters have not changed at Tottenham for our little Prince, thought Elizabeth.

*

That was clear at the ball. There were many young ladies who had come in the highest hope. The Prince was eighteen years old – time he began to amuse himself – and any week now might see him King. Could the old man go on much longer? King’s mistress. What an enviable position! And with such a King as George – a simple boy, weak, malleable – great power would be in the hands of his mistress.

All eyes were on him. He was really a very handsome young man. Hanoverian, of course. German to the fingertips, but not as
unpleasantly
German as his forebears. He was very tall for one thing. How different from dapper little George II! And charming, modest. Different in that way too. His eyes were blue and clear; there was nothing debauched about this one; he seemed gentle, eager to be on good terms with everyone.

He danced, not exactly with grace but not unskilfully. His mother and Lord Bute were watchful; and it was not difficult to guess what they were thinking. His indifference to any particular
young lady seemed to affect them deeply. Did they want him to take a mistress? Or was there something in that rumour about a woman he kept at Tottenham.

However, one fact was made apparent at Miss Chudleigh’s ball: the Prince of Wales was not very interested in young women, and it seemed hardly likely that he would take a mistress at Court.

*

The King could not ignore his grandson’s coming of age and sent for him.

George obeyed the summons reluctantly. Ever since his grandfather had struck him he had not wanted to go near him. The King had forgotten the incident. His temper went as quickly as it arose and as he forgot it he expected everyone else to do the same.

This grandson of his was a bit of a ninny, he was thinking, but after all he was his grandson. The boy would be King one day and it was time he started to learn something about kingship. They should be together more. The Prince of Wales might
not
take after his father; and the King guessed that that mother. of his and her lover, that insufferable Scotsman, were trying to poison the boy’s mind against him. It was time he put a stop to that, and the best way to do it was to have the young fellow under his roof. They could take walks together; they could discuss affairs together; in fact, he could prime his grandson so that he would be ready to take his place when the time came.

‘Well,’ the King looked almost benignly at young George, ‘so you’re of age now.’

‘I came of age on the fourth of June, Sire.’

‘Yes, yes, well so you did. And you’re a man now, eh? Time you broke away from your mother’s apron strings.’

‘I do not understand, Sire…’

‘You don’t understand much, do you, George? Time you stood on your own. Not a baby any more, you know. Why, when I was your age… Now listen. I’m going to be generous. I’m going to make you an allowance, £40,000 a year, and you shall have your own apartments in St James’s Palace. How’s that.’

‘I thank Your Majesty. The income will be most welcome. My mother was saying I should need to enlarge my household now that I am of age. But I am happy where I am…’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I… enjoy being with my mother and my brothers and sisters…’

‘Enjoy! You can come to St James’s and enjoy, boy. You shall have your own apartments here, and I’ll have time to see you now and then.’

‘Sire… I have no…’

‘That’s all right. No need to splutter your thanks. You can go now.’

‘Sire, I wish…’

‘All right. I know. You’re grateful, but you’re the Prince and these things are expected.’ The King had turned away, leaving his grandson to stare helplessly at his back.

*

‘£40,000 a year!’ cried Augusta in anger. ‘How dare he! Why the Prince of Wales should have £100,000 from the King’s income. It is a custom. The government voted the King £800,000, and £100,000 of that was for the Prince of Wales.’

‘Worse than that,’ pointed out Bute, ‘he wants George under his roof. You can guess what that means. He is going to take him away from us.’

‘We shall never allow it. We had better send for George.’

‘Do you think it would be better if I spoke to him alone?’

Augusta was thoughtful.

‘Let us speak to him separately,’ suggested Bute, ‘and perhaps our arguments will have a double impact. He may be forced to accept the £40,000 a year, but I am convinced that he should never agree to live under the same roof as the King when this means that he is away from us.’

‘Let us do this,’ said Augusta.

George listened to Bute’s account of the schemes of those who were seeking to separate them. They knew that the Prince’s only true friends were his mother and Lord Bute, which was why they could not bear for them to live together.

If the Prince really loved his mother, if he had any feeling for Lord Bute, he would decline the King’s offer of apartments at St James’s; he would insist on living under the same roof as his mother.

‘I see you are right,’ agreed George. ‘On no account must we be separated.’

‘You should, of course, increase your household and should live in the state of a Prince of Wales. You will need a Groom of the Stole. Shall I tell you something? It is a position I covet. If it were mine I should always be near you. We should have opportunities which we have so far lacked. I was wondering how Your Highness felt about granting me this favour.’

‘I desire it more than you do. It shall be yours.’

‘Unfortunately it will be necessary to get the King’s consent.’

‘I will ask it.’

‘At the same time as you decline his offer of accommodation at St James’s. I fear he will be a little displeased. But before you make any decision consult your mother. We will abide by her decision. I beg of you listen to her. Take her advice. Remember that she – and I – are the only two people here who have your real interest at heart. I beg of you ask her whether she thinks I should have the post of Groom of the Stole. If she feels it would be unwise, think no more of it.’

‘My dear friend, I am certain that she will wish it, even as I do.’

‘Speak to her and when you have done so, write to the King. That would be better than asking for an audience. Write and tell him that you accept the income – it should be more but this is not the time to ask for it – but that you cannot consider leaving your mother. Then you might suggest that you wish to appoint a Groom of the Stole…’

*

The King raged up and down his apartment.

He’ll have a stroke if he doesn’t take care, thought Waldegrave.

‘This letter from that impudent puppy! I know who has put him up to this. It’s that mother of his. Sly-faced cow. And that Scottish stallion. A pox on the pair of them. He will take the money. By God, he will. But he prefers to live with his mother. Baby! Cannot leave Mamma! You know why? Tied to her apron strings, that’s why. And Bute has tied the knots. Never trust a Scotsman, Waldegrave. They’re the ones to make trouble. All the trouble starts across the Border and this fool of a daughter-in-law of mine has to keep a warm place for one in her bed. Here’s a nice state of affairs. I’m flouted in my own Court. He’ll take the money but he’ll stay with Mamma. By
God, he won’t. If he stays with Mamma he gets no money from me. If his grandmother were alive…’ Sentimental tears in the blazing blue eyes, incongruous when his anger blazed in his purple cheeks and the veins were knotted in that dangerous way at his temples. ‘No, I’m glad she’s not aliye. That’s how I feel sometimes, Waldegrave. I’m glad she’s not alive to see what an ungrateful puppy she’d have for a grandson. A Prince of Wales! A ninny who can’t leave Mamma. And this is the whelp who asks me for £40,000 a year and he’ll graciously accept it as long as we don’t untie the leading rein Mamma and Mamma’s bedfellow have tied about his silly neck. I tell you this, Waldegrave: If he does not come here he’ll get no money and that’s my word on it.’

Waldegrave waited a few seconds for the worst of the anger to subside a little.

Then he said mildly: ‘It may well be that Your Majesty’s ministers will think that the allowance is the Prince s due.’

‘So my ministers are on his side, eh? My ministers will work for the puppy against me?’

‘I can only suggest that this may be so, Your Majesty.’

‘We’ll see. If my ministers cannot serve me, Waldegrave, they can get out.’

Waldegrave was silent. The King would doubtless have to give way. He must remember how unpopular his own father had become when he quarrelled with his Prince of Wales, George II himself. Did the old King know how unpopular he was and how the people were all waiting for this blue-eyed boy to step up to the throne.

Perhaps he did. Perhaps he gave way to these spasms of rage out of habit. He had always been a man of habit.

‘And there’s something else, Waldegrave, something which makes me wish I had that puppy here so that I could kick him round this room till he yelped to be let free. There’s something else.’

‘Your Majesty?’

‘He asks a favour for Bute. “Groom of the Stole,” he says. “I know of no one who could better fill the role, nor one whom it would please me better to have about me.” No, I’m sure he doesn’t. Who’s put him up to that, do you think? Mamma! Let’s have him Groom of the Stole to the Prince as well as
Stallion in Chief to the Princess. This is my witless nincompoop of a grandson, Waldegrave.’

‘Sire, I doubt not your ministers would decide the Prince should choose the members of his own household.’

‘But he has to come to me for the key, eh. He has, in fact, to have my assent. I’ll tell you this, Waldegrave, I’d meant this office for you. You’ve done good service and it was to be your reward.’

‘Sire, I shall be happy indeed to retire from the Prince’s household.’

‘Well, that’s what it will mean, Waldegrave, that’s what it will mean. He’s of age now. No place for a tutor. He’s a man at last… so they tell me. But I fail to see it.’

‘Your Majesty, I beg of you have no regrets on my account, for I shall retire from the Prince’s household with none.’

‘I know well your opinion of the boy.’

‘He is not a bad boy, Your Majesty, but by no means bright. He is not ill-natured; he simply cannot apply himself.’

‘In other words, he’s a fool. Don’t mince your words, Waldegrave. He’s my grandson, but he takes after his father. Fred was the biggest fool in Christendom and a rogue into the bargain. This young whelp is not that… yet. But, believe me, that mother of his and her Scot will make him so. Depend upon it. Depend upon it.’ The King looked at the watch which was hanging on his coat. ‘In five minutes I must call on the Countess of Yarmouth. Never fear, though. I shall have something to say to young George.’

Waldegrave took his leave. Still making love by the clock. Those rages of his were alarming. One of these days… thought Waldegrave, and surely that day not far distant… then young George!

Not a very hopeful prospect, thought Waldegrave; but he must be thankful that at last he was free of his duties with the Prince. He had never wanted them; and was delighted to find they were at an end.

Groom of the Stole indeed! Let Bute have it. His own idea was to put as big a distance as possible between himself and that uninteresting young man.

*

The King was angry. Newcastle and Henry Fox had just left
him. He must, they had told him, respect the wishes of the Prince of Wales, and if the young man decided he preferred to live with his mother, then he should do so. The people would not be pleased if the King tried to interfere with his grandson’s domestic arrangements.

‘And
I
am not pleased that he defies my wishes.’

‘Your Majesty will remember your own case, and the feelings of the people. They were with you against your father. They would be with the Prince of Wales now.’

‘If he can’t be gracious enough to accept my offer of apartments he can forget about his allowance.’

‘It is a matter for the government, Your Majesty.’

‘A pox on the government!’

Silence for the outburst to subside.

‘So I am to have that puppy dictate to me?’

‘It would be the wish of the people and Your Majesty’s government. The custom is that when the Prince of Wales comes of age his allowance is increased. The sum has been set aside…’

‘So he is to dictate to us, is he?’

‘It is the custom, Your Majesty.’

‘So be it, then. Give him the money. Let him go his own way. I hear he’s an ignorant young fool and knows nothing. I was giving him a chance to learn… a chance to acquire an understanding of state matters…’

The ministers were silent. The King faced them, his rage subsiding suddenly; his voice breaking with emotion.

‘I thank God his grandmother is not here to see this day.’

*

The King summoned the Duke of Grafton.