The Prince and the Quakeress: (Georgian Series) (30 page)

A complication had arisen from another direction. A certain gentleman had been casting his eyes on her and she had no doubt that he was becoming definitely dazzled. This was amazing, for he was not young and was scholarly, not the kind to indulge in riotous living; yet he was definitely interested in her – and she in him… he because she was one of the most unusual women at Court, one of the most beautiful – most people would admit that – and one of the most outrageous. And she because of his exciting title. He was Evelyn Pierrepont, Duke of Kingston.

But she had told the Princess Dowager of her marriage to Hervey. She had gone to Larnston and forged the certificate and made that old man Annis reinstate that page in the register. What bad luck. If only the Duke of Kingston had come into her life before she had done that.

Now what? Old Bristol clinging tenaciously to life and seeming to be good for years yet; and on the horizon the most glittering prize – the Duchess of Kingston.

She admired her bold adventuring spirit, but she had always admitted that there was one quality which had brought her trouble more than once: her impulsiveness.

She must curb that. Then she would not mention her marriage to anyone else. She would imply to the Princess Dowager that she wished it kept a secret; and that lady must obey because she, clever Elizabeth Chudleigh, knew so much that the Princess
would not wish to be brought to light. Then she would very gradually enslave the Duke of Kingston – being reluctant at first, but not too reluctant – leading him on, yet holding him off. She had summed him up. He was not accustomed to women – not women such as herself, in any case. Perhaps she would become his mistress… in due course. And once she had done that she would make herself so necessary to him that he would wish for marriage.

The Duchess of Kingston! It was a pleasant title. She preferred it to the Countess of Bristol. It would have to be fought for, but then, she had always enjoyed a fight. And the dear silly young Prince had put all the trump cards into her hand, so she had all the advantages. All she had to do was curb her recklessness and the game was hers.

*

September had come. George was at Kew a great deal in the company of Lord Bute; they rode together and constantly they talked of the future. In this way, contemplating his great destiny, George thought less of Hannah. He was beginning to realize, although he would not admit this even to himself, that Elizabeth was right when she had said that Hannah would not have been happy at Court. More and more he understood that. When he considered how much he had to learn – he who had lived all his life at Court – he saw at once that Hannah would never have fitted in.

But he could not bring himself to admit that everything had turned out in the best way possible. Bute had hinted at it once or twice.

‘There will always be Jacobites,’ he had said, on one occasion. ‘One of the most dangerous blows that can be struck at a crown is to have more than one claimant. And if a family divides as yours did when James II was turned from the throne by his nephew William of Orange and his daughter Mary, there is sure to be trouble. Remember the’45. It is not so far back. Then your grandfather might so easily have had to retire to Hanover, leaving England in the hands of the Stuart.’

‘James II deserved his fate, I believe. He would not conform to the wishes of the people.’

‘Ah, I see Your Highness has learned his lessons. One must strive to keep the goodwill of the people. One must never put
oneself in the position of earning their disapproval. It is so easily done. One false step…’

George flushed and patted his horse’s head. He knew what Lord Bute meant. The marriage with Hannah could have been as fatal to the crown as James II’s religion. One had to be careful.

He wanted to be a good King. It was strange how accustomed to the idea of kingship he had grown. At one time the prospect had terrified him. He had even wished he had been born a younger brother… or perhaps of another branch of the family… perhaps not royal at all. Lord Bute’s son. That would have been pleasant. But then, Lord Bute spent more time with him than he did with any of his own family.

Now, however, with every day he was becoming more and more accustomed to the prospect of ascending the throne. And during that summer and early autumn he found that he was dedicating himself to an ideal; it gave a new meaning to life. It was the best possible means of forgetting Hannah.

*

A message was brought to him that his sister Elizabeth wished to see him without delay.

He hurried to her and found her in bed, wan, frail and in pain.

‘My dearest sister, what is wrong?’

‘Oh, George, how glad I am that you have come. I am in great pain… and I believe I am about to die.’

‘This is nonsense. Where are the doctors?’

‘They are in the anteroom. I told everyone that I wished to be alone with you.’

‘Then we will be together, but do not talk of dying because that is something I cannot endure.’

‘We have always been good friends, have we not, George?’

‘The best. You are going to be well. I shall see that you are. I shall be with you… night and day. Nothing will induce me to leave you.’

‘My dearest of brothers, my greatest regret is to leave
you
.’

‘Stop! You are not leaving me.’

‘I am in such pain, George. They say it is an inflammation of the bowels… but I do not know.’

‘Can they do nothing?’

She shook her head. ‘I believe they have given me up.’

‘This cannot be. Not you… too… Elizabeth.’

‘You still mourn for her, George?’

He nodded.

‘Please, try not to be too sad, brother. Life is too short for sadness. Mine was. I am eighteen and you are three years older. It is young to die… but I am not sorry to go. It was a poor body, mine. It gave me no pleasure to look at it. My soul is glad to leave it. Poor humped miserable flesh and bone.’

‘Do not talk so, Elizabeth.’

‘I wish to cheer you, brother. I want you to know that nothing is entirely bad. I am leaving this life, but although I shall be lost to those I love – and particularly you, George, I leave this malformed body of mine. I shall be free. I shall be as a bird which has just found her wings. Think of that, George, and do not be too sad. You have a great destiny before you. You will be King of England. And you will be a good king because you are a good man. Perhaps I shall be looking down on you from Heaven. Oh, George, if it were in my power to guide you, to help you… I should do it. Now you are weeping. You grieve to see me go. But do not grieve for me, George, and do not grieve for Hannah. It is for the best, I assure you it is for the best… everything that has happened.’

‘Do not talk. You tire yourself.’

‘I
must
talk, George. There is little time left. Promise me that there shall be no autopsy on my body. When I am gone let it rest in peace.’

‘I promise,’ said George.

‘Our mother may wish it… but I have your promise and you will not allow it.’

‘I swear it, dearest Elizabeth.’

‘Now give me your hand, George. Know this: I die happy. There is only one thing I regret, brother, which is that I shall not live to see you King. One more promise. Promise to be happy. Promise to put the past behind you. Marry, George. Raise a family. Have no secrets from the nation. Oh, George, if only I could be with you…’

He sat by the bed. Why should this happen? Why should
she, who was only eighteen years old, be chosen to die? Why had he lost Hannah?

Why… why? There seemed no justice in life. The young to die so early . . the aged to go on and on wishing for death which eluded them like a mischievous child they were trying to catch.

The tears silently fell from his eyes and when Lord Bute came into the room he found him sitting thus beside the body of his dead sister.

*

‘An autopsy?’ said the Princess Dowager. ‘Of course there must be an autopsy. Elizabeth died so suddenly. Three days ago she was well… as well as she normally was, that is. There must be an autopsy.’

‘It was her wish that there should not be,’ said George.

‘Nonsense,’ retorted his mother. ‘She was too ill to be reasonable. It is expected.’

The Prince glanced at Lord Bute. ‘I promised my sister,’ he said. ‘I shall keep my promise. She did not wish it.’

‘And the King?’ asked his mother. ‘Is he going to allow this… this… lapse?’

Lord Bute said: ‘The King is getting too old to concern himself with such matters.’ He smiled at George. ‘It is the Prince’s wish that he should keep his word to his sister and I am sure, Madam, that when you escape a little from your grief you will agree with His Highness that the Princess Elizabeth’s wishes should be respected in this matter.’

How wonderful he was! thought George. So good, so kind. Did a man ever have such a friend! His mother shrugged her shoulders.

‘I suppose you are right…’

How easily she accepted Lord Bute’s decisions, although she still treated him, the Prince of Wales, as a child.

When I am King it will be different, thought George. And everything will be all right if Lord Bute is beside me when I ascend the throne.

Later he thanked his friend for his assistance.

‘I had promised her. I was determined to see that her wishes were carried out, no matter what the objection.’

‘I could see it. And I was determined to do all I could to
see that your wishes – and those of the Princess – were respected.’

A stubborn streak in our George, Bute was thinking. I must warn Augusta.

‘Our mother bears our common loss surprisingly well,’ said George.

A reproach. Augusta would have to be a little more careful. George was a man of twenty-one and surely he had shown them how he could act on his own initiative in that disastrous affair of the Quakeress. Pray God they have heard the last of it. But Bute was not altogether certain of that.

What they
had
learned was that they must keep a closer watch on the Prince of Wales – and without appearing to do so. Yes, he must warn Augusta to remember constantly that they were no longer dealing with a child. And when they had a King to consider, the dangers would be greater.

‘Thank you… thank you once again,’ George was saying. ‘I know you understand. I cannot stop thinking of her. I have been trying to read this morning and find it impossible. She meant a great deal to me and we always planned we should be together for the rest of our lives. You see, she always said no one would wish to marry her and she counted that a blessing because it meant she would stay at home with me. And now she is gone.’

Bute nodded.

‘I understand your sorrow, but I tell you now as I did on that other recent and so sad occasion, it is your preoccupation with your destiny which will place you above these earthly sorrows.’

‘You will always be beside me… to help me?’

‘As long as you need me… so help me God.’

George smiled. He had lost Hannah; he had lost Elizabeth; but he still had his dear friend, Lord Bute.

George, the King

ONE COULD NOT
mourn for ever, particularly if one were a Prince, continually in the public eye. Elizabeth had not been a well-known figure at Court because her physical disability had kept her to her own apartments; therefore her passing was scarcely noticed. The Princess agreed that there should be no autopsy and as the King was scarcely aware of the death in the family, George had no difficulty in seeing that his sister’s wishes were respected.

The Prince must attend levees and banquets which, Lord Bute was the first to point out to him, were actually given in his honour and if he failed to attend, those who had gone to such trouble to prepare such entertainments would consider their efforts wasted. So sighing George allowed himself to be dressed in his rich garments and he appeared at these functions where everyone was ready to pay him homage; for not only was he Prince of Wales, but he was young, and the people adored him and believed it would be a great day for England when he ascended the throne. He was not ill-tempered like his grandfather; he spoke English like a native; he was gracious, even modest, and with his fair skin and blue eyes was almost handsome, for when he smiled the heavy sullen Hanoverian jaw was scarcely
visible and as his expression was invariably pleasant he was voted a veritable Prince Charming.

Life was becoming tolerable. Occasionally he visited the children, but those visits were becoming more rare. As Bute pointed out it was not wise to venture into Surrey too often because he was under continual surveillance. It might be discovered where he went and he must realize that the affair of the Quakeress had come to an end. It was a true marriage and he would never love anyone as he loved Hannah – that was understood – but as a man of the world he would understand that it was best to behave as though it never happened.

But he would never forget, George reiterated.

In time! Bute promised him. And Bute – that oracle of wisdom – was always right.

George knew that his mother and Lord Bute were concerned to find a bride for him. Perhaps that would be as well. He would marry and have children… it would be pleasant to have a family which he did not have to hide away.

His friend Elizabeth Chudleigh was giving lavish parties and she always declared that, for her at least, they were spoilt unless he attended. She would throw him languishing glances and he would find her invitations irresistible. The rather solemn old Duke of Kingston was her very good friend and they were always seen together. Many said that she was his mistress, but there were always people to whisper unkind things about Elizabeth. He knew her for a kind and sympathetic friend. And she was so beautiful. He was discovering how much he liked beautiful women.

When he thought of women now he no longer saw Hannah’s lovely but rather melancholy face. He saw brilliant Elizabeth Chudleigh’s or that other Elizabeth who was the Countess of Pembroke. Her husband, the tenth Earl, was his groom of the Bedchamber and had been for some years, which meant that George was able to see a great deal of the Countess. There was a woman he could have been very fond of. She was older than he was, but so had Hannah been and he liked older women. The Countess had recently given birth to a son and he had been congratulating them warmly. But sometimes the Countess was a little sad. He hoped the Earl was kind to her; he was not sure that he was. There were rumours that he was unfaithful. Poor
Elizabeth Pembroke! He would be ready to comfort her if she needed his comfort. In fact, he often thought of himself comforting lovely Elizabeth Pembroke. It was a pleasant reverie.