The Regent's Daughter: (Georgian Series) (41 page)

Charlotte was not listening. She was thinking of the meeting with Hesse which had given her such pleasure. Innocent meetings when she had felt herself to be living dangerously. They had been alone together so often in her mother’s house; and there had been that occasion when her mother had locked them in the bedroom.

What had brought this home to her with such a shock was the thought of her father’s hearing of this. He would be disgusted. He would find her as vulgar as he found her mother.

She shivered.

‘It is better to forget that,’ she said.

‘Forget your romances? Why they’re the best things in life, my angel. Ask your father. The scandals about him. Have you ever heard of Perdita Robinson? Ha! What a scandal. And then there is the biggest and best of all: Maria Fitzherbert. Did he or did he not marry her? He should not be the one to deny us a little fun, eh? But he would. He would be the first.’

Charlotte wanted to shut her ears.

Her mother, her arm about her, led her to the table. They must eat, she said, before that Leeds woman poked her sly nose in and said it was time for Charlotte to leave.

‘Silly old fool,’ cried the Princess of Wales. ‘She likes shower baths, I hear.’ Her contempt for anyone taking baths frequently was great. ‘I hope she does not try to persuade you to bathe too often, Charlotte. That could be injurious to the health.’

Charlotte did not answer that regular baths were a rule of the household and she knew that one of the reasons why her father had been so disgusted with her mother was due to her dislike of washing herself. ‘And I hear she’s no horsewoman,’ went on the Princess of Wales. ‘Chooses the quietest horse to amble along on. What a woman! And she is given to you in place of your mother!’

Willie joined them and sat under the doting eye of the Princess Caroline. She does in fact prefer him to me, thought Charlotte jealously. She looks on him as her very own. Is he? She shivered. These investigations had not proved that he was Caroline’s son, but they had left some very unpleasant doubts in everyone’s mind.

While they ate Charlotte was thinking of past visits, of her mother smiling secretively when Captain Hesse was announced, as though she were a conjuror who had brought forth a very pleasant gift for her daughter.

What an inflammable situation existed in this house – and she, Charlotte, when she had paid those lighthearted visits and had been so charmed with the company of Captain Hesse, had been playing with fire among the gunpowder.

Yet her mother had allowed it. Why? Because she was sorry for her daughter. Because she wanted to make her happy and give her some pleasure in life.

And she had. Charlotte was not going to deny that – dangerous pleasure though it might have been.

Willie was guzzling as usual. He was not the least bit impressed that the Princess Charlotte was seated at the table and that she was the future Queen of England … unless her father succeeded in divorcing her mother, marrying again and having a son.

And suppose he were in truth married to Maria Fitzherbert and his marriage to Caroline had been no true marriage, then she herself had no more claim to the throne than guzzling Willie.

What a strange household this was.

Caroline was drinking freely and her laughter was becoming louder.

‘Oh, Mamma,’ said Charlotte, ‘how I wish that there need not be this conflict in the family! How I wish that you and my father could be friends.’

Caroline looked at her daughter as though she suspected her sanity.

‘What! Me be friends with that man?’ She picked up her glass of wine and threw it across the table. Charlotte stared at the pools of red liquid staining the white cloth. ‘You may as well attempt to put that wine back in its bottle as stop my fury against people who have so maliciously used me.’

And there it was … the stained cloth, her mother laughing immoderately, Willie putting his finger into a nearby pool of wine and conveying it to his mouth, and the servants not in the least disturbed because they were so accustomed to the wild behaviour of the Princess of Wales.

Going back in the carriage Charlotte was thinking: If he knew about my friendship with Captain Hesse, what would he say? What would the people say? She thought of the things they had said because she had not appeared in public for a while.

Growing up was sometimes alarming.

Slender Billy

WILLIAM, HEREDITARY PRINCE OF HOLLAND,
was on his way to London. He travelled with little enthusiasm for he was fully aware of the reason for his journey. His father, the Stadholder, was in England at this time ‘on a mission’; and young William could guess what that mission was.

They had chosen him to be the husband of the Princess Charlotte and although his father was delighted at the prospect, young William himself was not so sure. He was a good soldier; he had distinguished himself under Wellington but he wanted to carry on with his career, not settle down as the consort of an imperious young woman. He had heard reports of her – and she was certainly not the wife he would have chosen.

His father had written of his future as the husband of the heiress presumptive to England as though he were giving him a glimpse of paradise. Napoleon was on the point of defeat; and when that happy event took place, Holland would be returned to the Stadholder. As future ruler he would have to spend the greater part of his time there; but he would also be the consort of the Queen of England. He would realize the benefits of such
an alliance: the Dutch and the English joined in marriage – a William of Orange once more in control of England, for he would know how to handle Charlotte and although she would in name be Queen, he would be her husband. He would be a fool if he did not understand how very advantageous such a match would be.

Advantageous, yes. William was ready to concede that. But he would be Charlotte’s husband and by all accounts she was a handful.

He was too young, he reasoned with himself as he knew he would not dare reason with his father. He was by no means prepossessing and hardly the sort of young man to appeal to a high-spirited girl. He was too thin and his teeth were not good and he was nervous and shy.

No, the Hereditary Prince of Orange would have preferred to stay with the Army than to visit the English Court.

By God, thought the Regent, the young fellow can scarcely be called handsome. What’s Charlotte going to say to him?

He received young William graciously enough, hoping that his own natural elegance would set a good example.

He was delighted, he said, to welcome the Prince to England and he hoped that his stay would be a happy one.

William mumbled that His Highness was gracious and the Stadholder looked on, anxiously guessing the impression his son was making.

Gauche or not, the Regent was thinking, he would do for Charlotte who was scarcely a model of deportment herself. Married to this young man she would be obliged to spend months in Holland. What a pleasure to pass on the responsibility to a husband! At least one of the tiresome females who haunted his life would be removed from it. And yet … she was his daughter; and sometimes when he was with her his paternal feelings would arise and he would remember that he was fond of her. If she had had a different mother …

But this was repetition of a wearying and depressing theme. Charlotte unfortunately
was
Caroline’s daughter as well as his and it was something he could never entirely forgive her.

So … this thin boy with his gaucheries and not very good teeth (but perhaps these could be rectified?) would do very well for Charlotte. The boy was a Protestant and that would
please the people – indeed anything but a Protestant marriage was unthinkable. It was time she was married, and when she had children they would occupy her time and thoughts; and this marriage, while not a bad thing for England, would be a relief for the Prince Regent.

They chatted for a while of Wellington’s successes, and the boy became more attractive talking of soldiering. There was no doubt where his heart was.

The Regent remarked on this and added: ‘I have also been with Wellington … in spirit. I cannot tell you how bitterly I railed against the fate which denied me the right to serve my country. When I was your age I implored my father to allow me to join the Army. But I was forbidden. My position as Prince of Wales made it impossible. How fortunate you are to suffer no such bans. I trust you realize this.’

The Prince did realize it. The Regent questioned him and they talked of past battles in which the enemy had been routed. It surprised young William to find how knowledgeable the Regent was and how he could discuss an action as though he had actually taken part in it.

The Regent on his part exerted all the famous charm and before the interview was over William was thinking that if only the Princess Charlotte appealed to him half as much as her father did he would be happy enough to go on with this betrothal.

When he had gone the Regent discussed him with Eldon and Liverpool.

‘Hardly Adonis. I wonder what she will say when they meet. Frankly, I’m not looking forward to that meeting.’

‘If Your Highness makes known his wishes,’ said Eldon, ‘that will be enough.’

‘I know, I know,’ said the Regent testily. ‘It is my wish that this betrothal shall take place and if I say so, it shall. But she is my daughter, Eldon, and I should like her to be pleased with her future husband. Perhaps I’m too indulgent … but I shouldn’t want to see her forced into a marriage which displeased her.’

‘Your Highness, when the Stadholder is restored to Holland it will be a good match.’

‘I know. I’m not thinking of the match so much as the bridegroom. Not a romantic prince, you must admit. And
Charlotte can be perverse, as you well know. I have qualms, I must tell you. I am not at all sure how my daughter will like her Slender Billy.’

From that moment William, Hereditary Prince of Holland, had his nickname and was more often referred to as Slender Billy than by his own name.

‘I won’t have him,’ declared Charlotte. ‘Orange! I always hated what I heard of his family. And they tell me he is very unattractive … little and thin … with nothing to say for himself.’

‘You can always supply the conversation,’ Cornelia reminded her.

She laughed aloud. ‘I’m not having it, Notte. I will make it perfectly clear that I will not be forced to marry where I don’t wish to.’

‘Has your father talked to you of the Prince?’

‘No, and that is strange. I know why he’s here. It’s to win my approval. Yet I have not seen him … and I’m not going to if I can help it. And my father says nothing.’

‘I think he is trying to be kind to you.’

‘Do you really?’ asked Charlotte ecstatically.

‘I do indeed,’ replied Cornelia. ‘When he speaks to me of you he seems most earnest.’

Charlotte said suddenly: ‘Dear Notte, there is something very serious I have to say to you.’

Cornelia looked slightly alarmed at the seriousness of Charlotte’s voice and the Princess hurried on: ‘I was once friendly with Captain Hesse –
very
friendly.’

‘My dear Princess Charlotte, what do you mean?’

‘I mean that I had a … romantic attachment.’

‘My God!’ cried Cornelia.

‘Oh, you should not be alarmed. There was nothing wrong. And I see now that he behaved with great respect towards me. I was very young and foolish and inexperienced and because of this there might so easily have been … trouble. As a matter of fact there were letters.’

‘Letters!’

‘Don’t repeat me like that, dear Notte. It irritates me. As I said, we exchanged letters. I have destroyed his.’

‘But he still has yours?’

‘Unless he has destroyed them. I don’t feel very easy in my mind when I remember what I wrote.’

Cornelia was aghast. The fact that this correspondence had taken place before her appointment was the one bright spot in the affair as far as she was concerned. But it was alarming to think that that adventurer … for he might well be one … had letters … and knowing the Princess they were likely to be indiscreet letters … in his possession.

Cornelia thought quickly. ‘Have you mentioned this to Miss Elphinstone?’

‘No, but I shall when I see her. I did not want to write it. I don’t think it wise to write of such things.’

‘Then you have learned a lesson,’ said Cornelia rather sharply.

Dear Notte, thought Charlotte, she spoke so because she was anxious!

Cornelia was thoughtful. ‘When you tell Miss Elphinstone perhaps you will let her know that you have also spoken to me. It may well be that she will wish to consult with me. If so, tell her that I should welcome that.’

Charlotte put her arms round Cornelia and kissed her. In a crisis Cornelia wished to do what was best for Charlotte and could thrust aside petty differences with Mercer for the sake of her charge.

Cornelia was delighted when Mercer came to her room. She had expected it, for arrogant and self-sufficient as Mercer was, she was a true friend to the Princess.

‘She has told you,’ said Cornelia.

Mercer nodded. ‘It is alarming.’

‘There is obviously one thing that must be done.’

‘Obviously. We must get those letters back.’

‘In your position …’ began Cornelia.

‘Yes, in my position I could do a great deal. I suggest that we mention this to no one. I will get to work immediately. I know that Captain Hesse is on the Continent serving with the Army. My father will help me.’

‘I am so thankful that she has seen fit to confide in us.’

The two women looked at each other. They were far too sensible to wish to continue their feud – and too fond of Charlotte. The Princess needed their care and they could serve her
much better if they worked together than if they indulged in petty jealousies.

They were both relieved to have come to such an understanding. The immediate task was to get the letters back from Captain Hesse.

Charlotte was also relieved that those two in whom she had great trust were now aware of her folly. She could shelve the unfortunate matter of Captain Hesse and give all her thoughts to avoiding Orange.