The Queen and Lord M (22 page)

‘I have to speak to you, Lord Melbourne,’ she began, ‘on a very delicate matter.’

He waited.

‘It concerns Lady Flora Hastings.’

‘Yes?’

‘I have reason to believe that she is in a certain condition.’

‘What reason is this, Lady Tavistock?’

‘Well, it is becoming rather obvious and she has visited Sir James Clark.’

‘You have spoken to Sir James Clark?’

‘Yes, and he tells me that she would seem to be pregnant.’

‘He is not sure?’

‘He has not examined her fully.’

‘And she has made no suggestion that she should leave Court?’

‘She is one of the Duchess’s ladies, but I am sure that had she intended to leave someone would have made me aware of it by now. If she is indeed in this condition I cannot have her here contaminating the young ladies of the Palace.’

‘Quite so,’ said Lord Melbourne gravely.

‘I would like your advice as to what action should be taken.’

‘Well, as you are not entirely sure that the lady is pregnant I cannot see that you can take any action. On the other hand if it is indeed so, time will soon make this plain. So all I can suggest is that you wait and see.’

Before leaving the Palace Lord Melbourne went to see Sir James Clark.

‘I want you to tell me,’ he said, ‘what you think of your patient, Lady Flora Hastings?’

‘I think that she may be pregnant.’

‘Are you treating her for anything?’

‘I am giving her a few pills and ointments.’

‘What is the ointment for?’

‘For a swelling of the body.’

‘In a significant place, I presume.’

‘Most significant.’

‘But you are not sure what ails her?’

‘I have not made a proper examination but all the signs are that she is pregnant. She appears to be nervous and a little afraid, but that could be accounted for by the fact that she is an unmarried woman.’

‘Precisely,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘Well, we can wait and see.’

When he left the doctor he called on the Queen and told her that he had spoken both with Lady Tavistock and Sir James Clark.

‘There doesn’t seem to be any doubt as to what ails the lady.’

‘It is scandalous.’

‘It’s the last thing I would have expected to have happened to her. She is such a plain, disagreeable woman.’

‘And wicked too.’

Lord Melbourne was inclined to be lenient towards her frailty, and Victoria went on: ‘I can guess who is responsible. He is a monster.’

‘I believe the Duchess to be already very jealous,’ added Lord Melbourne.

‘It is disgraceful.’

‘He is very popular with the ladies … your monster. Even your Aunt Sophia delights in him. So that is three ladies we know of who find him irresistible. Your Aunt Sophia was quite a character in her youth. There was a scandal about her. She fell in love with one of your grandfather’s equerries and rumour has it that there was a child. Sophia was smuggled out of the Palace from under Queen Charlotte’s nose and had the boy and came back as demure as ever.’

‘It is hard to believe that of Aunt Sophia. She always gives me the impression of knowing so little of the world.’

‘It is often hard to imagine that the lean and slippered pantaloon was the gay young rip of thirty years before. And it’s not always easy for any of us.’

‘Poor Aunt Sophia! It must have been very dull living with my Grandmother Charlotte. But she was discreet and slipped away to have the child … if she did. This brazen Flora Hastings stays at Court and as for that monster … I daresay he is laughing about it.’

‘The only thing we can do is wait and see,’ said Lord Melbourne. He was a great believer in allowing events to take their course.

The days passed and Lady Flora looked pale and clearly ill but she made no attempt to remove herself. The ladies in the Duchess’s household were whispering about her now, for the rumours were spreading. She was noticeably larger and she certainly did look quite ill at times.

They discussed what they had heard of pregnancy symptoms and assured themselves that these were exactly those from which Lady Flora was suffering.

But why did she not slip discreetly away? She was not the first lady of the Court who had found herself in such a situation. Perhaps she thought that as Sir John Conroy was involved it was not necessary to do this. He was such a power in the Duchess’s household that Flora had no need to feel the qualms which would beset a woman with a less powerful lover.

Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman were constantly talking of what should be done.

Lady Tavistock said: ‘I don’t like it. I am after all in charge of these young girls. I can’t have that woman here, getting larger every day and brazenly showing us all that she has no shame.’

‘Something ought to be done,’ agreed Lady Portman. ‘Do you think you should speak to the Queen?’

‘I might approach the Baroness again.’

‘I think you should do that.’

‘Lord Melbourne said wait and see.’

‘Meanwhile she is walking around in this disgusting state!’

‘I’ll see if the Baroness is in her rooms. Come with me.’

The Baroness was and she was not averse to discussing the shocking affair of the woman who had so long taunted her.

‘There can be no doubt,’ she said. ‘No doubt at all.’

‘Then why does she not go away?’ demanded Lady Tavistock.

‘She feels that with the support of Conroy she can snap her fingers at us all.’

‘
I
feel that she should be made to know that we are aware of her condition.’

‘Yes,’ the Baroness’s eyes were gleaming, ‘I should like to be there when she is told that.’

‘Perhaps Sir James could tell her that it is no longer a secret.’

‘He is undoubtedly the one to do it. And then let her try to brazen it out with him!’

‘She is brazen,’ said Lady Portman. ‘We all agree to that.’

‘He could put it very discreetly,’ said the Baroness. ‘For instance he could say: “You must have been married for some little time, and have told your friends nothing about it” … or something like that.’

‘That’s an excellent idea.’

‘Do you think he will do it?’ asked Lady Portman.

‘Of course he will because he will know that we have the Baroness’s support when we ask him and that means that we have the Queen’s.’

Lehzen nodded. ‘I can give you authority to do this.’

‘Then I shall do it immediately,’ said Lady Tavistock, ‘because although it is all very well to wait and see, I feel I am failing in my duty towards the Queen’s young ladies in allowing this to go on.’

Sir James Clark had been very surprised when he had secured his position in the Queen’s household. His medical skill did not warrant this, as he was uneasily aware; he always said that he believed in simple remedies; he could be sure that while they might do no good (and on the other hand they might be effective) they could at least do no harm. Feeling insecure he had a great desire to ingratiate himself with the Queen and he knew that the best way he could do this was to win the good graces of the Baroness Lehzen.

He was well aware of the gossip concerning Lady Flora, that Sir John Conroy was suspected of being her lover and that the Queen hated Conroy who had made such extravagant demands as the price of his departure that it had been impossible to grant them. Therefore by declaring Lady Flora pregnant he would be condemning Sir John Conroy, and it was very likely that if Lady Flora retired in disgrace Sir John would be forced to go also. Thus he would be rendering a service to the Queen!

He had not examined Lady Flora but he had prodded her stomach over her gown and there was certainly a protuberance; she was undoubtedly unwell. Everything pointed to pregnancy.

So now he had the Queen’s instructions (for coming from Lady Tavistock that was what it meant) to tackle Lady Flora and get the truth from her.

He did not wait for her to come to see him but called on her.

She was alone in her apartments, looking very pale with dark shadows under her eyes; she was obviously worried and the swelling, he noticed with gratification, was obvious.

She showed some surprise that he should call on her so he said quickly: ‘I am anxious about your health, Lady Flora, and have come to enquire how you are.’

‘I still have the pain.’

‘Lady Flora, I think you must be secretly married.’

Lady Flora stared at him for a moment and then turned a fiery red.

‘I don’t grasp your meaning. Sir James.’

‘I think you do.’

‘Are you suggesting that I am … with child?’

‘It seems obvious.’

‘But surely you … a doctor …’

He looked steadily at her. ‘I have not examined you closely, but it would appear from all I have seen that you are going to have a child.’

‘That’s impossible.’ She put her hands on her swollen abdomen. ‘The swelling is not always the same. At times it is larger than at others.’

Sir James looked dubious.

‘You don’t believe me. I can show you dresses I have worn recently. I could wear one yesterday which a few days earlier I could not have got into because I was too large.’

Sir James said he was no dressmaker. ‘I think you should submit to a proper examination,’ he added. ‘You are either pregnant or have some very obscure illness.’

‘Then it is some obscure illness.’

‘You must submit to this examination.’

‘I will not,’ cried Lady Flora, clearly agitated at the prospect. ‘I think you are behaving in a most unprofessional manner. It is not your duty to insult ladies who come to consult you.’

‘You grow larger every day and the ladies of the Palace think so, too. They will only be satisfied with a medical examination.’

‘The ladies?’ demanded Lady Flora. ‘You mean the Duchess of Kent? She has said nothing to me.’

‘Lady Portman has spoken to me.’

Lady Flora said: ‘Oh … the
Queen
!’

Sir James nodded. ‘So you see that since Her Majesty is aware of your … plight … an examination is the only answer.’

‘You mean it is Her Majesty’s command that I submit to this disagreeable examination?’

‘Clearly it is Her Majesty’s wish.’

‘I need time to consider this.’

‘It is dangerous to delay.’

‘In what way dangerous?’

‘The rumours are growing. They have spread beyond the Palace.’

‘Very well,’ said Lady Flora. ‘But I insist that another doctor is present. I have known Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke all my life. If he will take part I will submit.’

Sir James was a little deflated, for while she was declaring she would stand out against the examination he believed her to be guilty. Now he was not so sure.

He could only agree at once that Sir Charles should be called in and went back to Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman to tell them what had happened.

‘With great reluctance she has agreed to the examination.’

They were all disappointed. They had been counting on a blank refusal which in their eyes would have confirmed her guilt.

They went to the Baroness who in her turn went to the Queen.

‘Lady Flora has most reluctantly agreed to an examination,’ said the Baroness. ‘Sir James had to force her to it.’

‘How … indelicate!’

‘She is brazening it out. She thinks she is clever enough to outwit us all.’