The Queen and Lord M (34 page)

The rest of the day passed slowly. She and Lord Melbourne had another chat during which she reiterated her determination not to be hurried into marriage and they agreed on the desirability of waiting for a few years.

At six o’clock, Lehzen helped her dress.

‘They will be here soon, Lehzen.’

‘You should look upon them just as another pair of cousins.’

‘They will have to learn that I am the Queen and that I am the one who shall decide.’

‘You will see that they learn that fast enough,’ said Lehzen.

Seven o’clock. She went up to one of the towers and looked out. There was no sign of the arrival yet.

Should she send for dear Lord M and beguile the time in pleasant chat? No, she did not even want to be with him.

She went to her own room and thought of other delightful Coburg cousins who had visited her.

I shall give a ball for them, she told herself; but even the prospect of a ball gave her little pleasure.

Lehzen came in. It was nearly seven-thirty.

‘They are approaching the castle now,’ she said.

She had planned how she would receive him. She would stand at the top of the staircase and watch them ascend. She wondered whether she would know the difference between Ernest and Albert.

She rose slowly; she was in a regal mood. Albert must understand from the first that she was the Queen.

At the top of the stairs she waited. There were the two young men. Her heart began to beat so fiercely that the lace on her gown quivered.

He was mounting the stairs. She knew him at once. This was Albert. He was the most beautiful being she had ever beheld.

‘Albert!’ she said and held out her hands. And as soon as he touched her hand and lifted those beautiful blue eyes to hers she knew.

Ernest was there too but she did not see him. She saw only Albert, dear, beautiful Albert. There was no one else in the world.

She was quivering with excitement. Every little bit of resentment had disappeared. She was wildly, incredibly happy.

Nothing else mattered in the world but that Albert was here.

The Queen had fallen in love.

Chapter XIII

VICTORIA IN LOVE

W
hat an evening! There had never been one like it. How amusing, how delightful to get to know these
fascinating
cousins. Or should she say
cousin
? She had to admit that she, who usually noticed so much, was scarcely aware of Ernest. He was quite handsome, she believed; his eyes were very dark and he was pale. He was so different from Albert that one could scarcely believe they were brothers. But Albert … Albert was divine. She could scarcely wait to get to her Journal to record what she saw.

He was beautiful as an angel and yet every inch a man. And his greyhound was delightful.

‘How thoughtful of you, Cousin Albert, to bring him,’ she cried. ‘You must know how I
love
dogs. I am sure he and Dashy will be friends on sight. Islay is not nearly so good-tempered as Dashy. Do you think dear Eös will let me feed him? Oh, what a dear,
docile
creature.’

Albert did not speak much and they conversed in German which was easier for him and no trouble to her. Of course Albert spoke English. Uncle Leopold had insisted that he learn. Oh wise, wise Uncle Leopold!

Albert, it transpired, loved music.

‘How very exciting. Do you sing, cousin Albert?’

Yes, he sang.

‘Perhaps we can sing together … duets.’

Ernest said that Albert had composed some songs.

She clasped her hands together. ‘But that is so exciting. You must sing them to me, Cousin Albert. Perhaps we can sing them together.’

‘There will be time to do that,’ said Ernest.

Oh, what a happy,
happy
evening.

When she retired to her room that night she wrote in her Journal:

‘It was with some emotion that I beheld Albert, who is
beautiful
.’

She wanted to be alone to think about this wonderful meeting. She wanted neither Lehzen’s motherly fussing, nor Lord Melbourne’s tender cynicism.

She knew something tremendous had happened and she wanted to be alone to consider it.

Another ecstatic day!

They had ridden together, Albert on one side of her and Ernest on the other. Lord Melbourne was just a little behind. There had never been such a ride. Her face was flushed with excitement, her little top hat rather jauntily askew with the veil flowing; her black velvet habit was becoming and she looked very pretty. She knew that she was always at her best on horseback and she was delighted that Albert should see her thus. He told her about the schloss in Coburg and she said that it was all
quite
fascinating. It was odd, she said, that he had no mother and she had no father; and they had been born in the same year. And all the time she was marvelling at his good looks. No man was ever quite so handsome, she was sure.

That evening they danced together. Albert was not so happy in the ballroom as he was out of doors. He was so manly, she supposed. That was the reason. But how she enjoyed dancing with him and when their hands touched a thrill ran through her. She hoped he felt the same.

Why had he not come before! She was appalled to think of all the time they had wasted; but what did it matter? Here he was at last and her mind was quite made up. There was none of the soul searching which she had expected. She only had to stand at the top of a staircase and look at him and she
knew
.

What joy! She wrote in her Journal:

‘Albert has such beautiful blue eyes, an exquisite nose and such a pretty mouth with delicate moustachios and slight – but very slight – whiskers; a beautiful figure broad in the shoulder and a fine waist.’

She smiled as she wrote, visualising his perfections.

His voice was rather high pitched and not the sort of voice one would expect such a young man to have. Perhaps it was not the sort of voice a lot of people would admire – although they would all have to admit that his face was beautiful – but it was
his
voice and therefore to her the most pleasant in the world.

There had to be a session in the blue closet. Poor Lord Melbourne, he looked rather old and
tired
. Perhaps, she thought, that was because she was comparing his with Albert’s dear
young
face.

‘Dear Lord Melbourne.’ She felt very tender towards him.

‘I see that your cousins do not displease you,’ said Lord Melbourne.

‘Tell me do you think Albert beautiful?’

‘I would say that he is very good-looking.’

‘
I
think he is beautiful.’

‘So I had observed.’

‘Of course he’s much cleverer than Ernest.’

‘I would not say that,’ replied Lord Melbourne.

‘You can’t mean that you think Ernest has the better brain?’

‘Yes, the better brain I should say.’

The Queen was angry with Lord Melbourne. ‘That is nonsense,’ she cried imperiously. ‘Albert has by far the better brain. He is of course under a certain amount of strain at the moment.’

‘Very naturally,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘I see that you no longer have the same aversion to the married state.’

‘No, I have felt different about marriage since the arrival of my cousins.’

‘Well, you have time to make up your mind completely. Perhaps in a week’s time …’

She was not listening. She was so happy. She started to talk about Albert, his love of music, his handsome greyhound, his cleverness and above all his appearance.

‘I have never seen such a
beautiful
young man,’ she said.

All that day Victoria lived in an ecstatic dream. She wrote to Uncle Leopold:

‘Ernest is grown quite handsome; Albert’s
beauty
is
most striking
, and he is so amiable and unaffected – in short very
fascinating
.’

She listened with delight to the brothers’ playing. What a musician Albert was! She told him that the special treats of her childhood had been concerts and the opera, and that one of her birthday presents had been a concert at Kensington Palace and how she had learned Italian quickly because it was so useful for understanding the arias. Albert thought that very commendable.

Before the day was out she sent for Lord Melbourne.

‘Lord Melbourne,’ she said, ‘I have made up my mind about marrying Albert.’

‘Ah,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘When will the marriage take place?’

‘You do not doubt that I have decided in his favour?’

‘I have no doubts on the matter whatsoever,’ said Lord Melbourne with a smile. ‘The question now is when will the marriage take place?’

‘Not for a year perhaps.’

‘That is too long,’ replied Lord Melbourne.

She was pleased. ‘Yes, it is far too long.’

‘Once it is announced it should be fairly soon.’

‘Yes,’ she agreed.

‘I believe it will be well received.’

‘The people are being difficult at the moment. Remember they threw those stones only a few nights ago.’

‘The people are easily swayed and there is nothing to sway them so quickly as a wedding. Give them a lavish ceremony, a young Queen-Bride and they’ll love you for a while.’

‘They are so
fickle
.’

‘But they’ll be faithful for a few weeks for a wedding, never fear. And after you will have the Prince to stand by you. You’ll be in a much more comfortable position then. A woman can’t stand alone for long.’

‘Queen Elizabeth stood alone.’

‘And I have no doubt that you would if the situation demanded you do so. But it doesn’t. You approve of the Prince and you have made your decision.’

‘Yes,’ said Victoria softly, ‘I have made my decision. Lord Melbourne do you think we are alike – Prince Albert and I?’

‘Yes, there is a resemblance. I noticed it at once.’

‘I am flattered. We shall be betrothed very soon.’

‘Is he going to ask you to marry him?’

‘There is a difficulty. Can he ask me … the Queen? It is a very awkward situation for him.’

Lord Melbourne smiled. ‘I daresay you will know how to handle such a situation.’

‘Oh, I shall find a way.’

Lord Melbourne looked at her rather sadly, but her thoughts were too full of Albert for her to notice.