Sweet Lass of Richmond Hill - Plaidy Jean - Страница 72

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Mr. Pitt travelled down to Windsor. The Prince, who had returned from Bagshot, declined to see him, and Mr. Pitt therefore asked for an audience with the Queen.

Charlotte received him gratefully. It was the first time she had been included in any State matter and she was appreciative of Mr. Pitt's obvious respect for her.

He asked her questions about the King's condition and she answered as frankly as she could, for there was no possibility now of hiding the fact that the King was mad.

'Your Majesty.' said Mr. Pitt, 'the possibilities are that Parliament will decide that a Regency is necessary and the Prince of Wales will expect to be the Regent.'

'That, Mr. Pitt,' said the Queen firmly, 'is scarcely a state of affairs which would please me...' She amended that immediately to, 'which would please us.'

Mr. Pitt admitted this. 'I doubt that I should remain long in office.'

'And it is essential that you should, Mr. Pitt.'

The Prime Minister bowed his head. It was an acknowledgment that he and the Queen were allies and he decided to take the Queen into his confidence. 'If His Highness should attain the Regency,' he said, 'it will be necessary to restrict his power wherever possible.'

The Queen agreed that this was so.

4 I had been thinking of a joint Regency ... with perhaps Your Majesty as one of its members.'

The Queen's sallow face flushed a little. This was triumph such as she had never dreamed of. But she was not a fool. She did not believe for one moment that she would be allowed by Mr. Pitt or the Prince of Wales to exert her power over Parliament. But there was one way in which she could have perhaps as much influence as any; that was if she had the care of the King. Suppose this bout was like that other—as temporary as that. Why not! It was not impossible.

'I believe, Mr. Pitt,' she said, 'that it is better for me to take no part in politics but to devote myself to His Majesty. If I were his sole guardian for as long as this unhappy malady continues, I believe I could be of the greatest service.'

Mr. Pitt was pleased. The Queen was a woman of sound good sense. They could indeed be allies.

The Queen was frightened. She was never quite sure what the King would do. He terrified her because he called for her constantly. She had moved into a bedroom which was next to his and he seemed to have an obsession that his enemies were trying to separate him from her. All night long she would hear his rambling conversations, shouting at first, and then as his voice began to fail him growing hoarser and hoarser until just a vague whispering came from the other side of the wall. She would not forget that dreadful night when he had attempted to murder the Prince of Wales. He had always been a kindly man but there had been murder in his face that night, and after witnessing that violent scene she could no longer feel safe. What if he were to turn against her} That very night he had escaped from his equerries and come into the room she occupied and, holding a lighted candle in his hand, had drawn the bed curtains and stood there looking down at her. She had feared that he had come to set the curtains alight as he cried: 'Yes, you are still here. I see you are still here. I thought the Queen would be here. I know she would not desert me.' And then seeing the frightened face of Miss Goldsworthy who had come hurrying in from the adjoining chamber: 'Ah, my honest Gooley, you will take care of the Queen.' And he had taken Goolcy's arm and paced up and down the room talking, talking, talking, until she had thought he would drive her mad too. It had seemed so frighteningly long before they took him away.

Now his illness was accepted and the Prince was trying to take over his father's authority.

She could not understand her emotions. She hated the Prince. It was incredible. This was her son, the boy whom she had loved more than all the rest of the children put together. What had come over her?

It is because I longed for his love, she told herself, and all Julias done is to despise me.

But she would not allow herself to think such a thing. She was against him because he wished to usurp his father's powci.

Miss Burney came in and, standing before her, burst into tears. The Queen stared at this unusual maid of honour, and suddenly they were crying together.

'Your pardon, Madam.'

'There is no need to ask it, Miss Burney. I thank you. You have made me weep ... and I think it is what I needed.'

So they sat side by side and wiped their eyes and the Queen felt comforted.

* # *

'Mamma,' said the Princess Royal, 'Dr. Warren is here.'

'Dr. Warren. I have not sent for him.'

'So I thought, Mamma. But he has come and he is being most arrogant and Sir George Baker is not very pleased for he says that he is in charge of His Majesty.'

Tray send someone to this Dr. Warren and tell him that I wish to see him without delay.'

The Princess Royal did as she was bid and came back to the Queen to present Her Majesty with her snuff box. Absent-mindedly the Queen took a pinch; but there was no comfort in anything these days.

One of the pages scratched at the door and the Princess Royal bade him enter.

'Your Majesty,' said the boy, bowing low, 'Dr. Warren sends his compliments but regrets he is too busily engaged with his duties at this moment to wait on Your Majesty. He will do so at his earliest convenience.'

The page bowed low and obviously after having delivered such a message was glad to escape. The Queen's mouth tightened and she said: 'I can scarcely believe that I have heard aright.'

'Oh, Mamma,' cried the Princess, 'they arc saying that Dr. Warren is the choice of the Prince of Wales and that he is here to serve the Prince ... that he has the Prince's authority for all he does ...'

'Insulting the Queen, I daresay,' said the Queen grimly.

The Princess Royal sat on the footstool at her mother's feet and looked up at her anxiously. She too was remembering that dreadful scene at the dinner table when her father had attempted to murder her brother.

What will become of us all?' she asked. God alone knows,' answered the Queen.

Dr. Warren and the Prince had decided that the King should go to Kew.

'There,' said the Prince, 'lie will be restful. He was always fond of Kew. As for my mother,' he went on, 'I believe she should go to Buckingham House or perhaps stay at Windsor. The King is so clouded in his mind that he will be much better alone with the doctors.'

His brother Frederick agreed with him, and when his uncles Gloucester and Cumberland called they made it clear that they already regarded the Prince of Wales as the ruler.

He was gratified. No more would that mad old man dictate to him. No one should dictate to him; that was why he was going to teach the Queen a lesson for he was sure she still saw him as a little boy to be guided by his parents.

It was the Princess Royal once more who brought the news to her mother.

'I have heard them discussing it, Mamma,' she said. 'They are going to take the King away from us.'

'Indeed they are not.'

'Oh yes, Mamma, they are. George has given orders that they are to prepare for the journey to Kew.'

'I will see the Prince of Wales,' said the Queen.

She went to his apartments where he received her coldly.

'What is this I hear about His Majesty's going to Kew?' she demanded.

'I and his doctors think it best.'

And I am not to be consulted?'

'No, Madam.'

'I think you forget that I am the Queen.'

'It is perhaps Your Majesty who is forgetful of my position.'

He was looking at her with the cold eyes of contempt. If only he had smiled at her even then, had asked for her help, her sympathy, she would have weakened. But of course he did nothing of the sort. He just stood regarding her arrogantly,

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