Abigail's Cousin

by Ron Pearse

  "My dear Mrs Freeman! So good of you to come to see me." The two friends quickly went from clasping hands to fulsome hugs while Abigail, also invited far enough inside to allow Mrs Danvers to close the door, retiring into an ante-room, stood on the threshold of the saloon.

  Sarah broke away from the princess to exclaim: "Your royal highness. It is so good to be here, at last. Let me look upon my dear Mrs Morley." Upon which survey the princess shyly looked down and then up again spotting the figure of Abigail standing there. Sarah also noticed saying:

  "Allow me to present my cousin, Mistress Abigail Hill." At the finish of which Abigail curtsied but otherwise said nothing upon which the princess spoke to her:

  "Come round to ye light, Mistress Hill. Let me look at you." After a few moments of appraisal, the princess said: "Your cousin, her ladyship, has spoken highly of you. Are you prepared for ye onerous duties of ye bedchamber?"

  "I believe so, your royal highness," was her response and the princess smiled warmly saying: "We start very early of a morning. Are you used to getting up at an early hour?"

  It was Sarah who answered: "Lord, ma'am. She be up sooner than anybody else. There be the cows to milk for one thing. In the country; we all do keep very early hours. Why it'll be like a holyday for my cousin in the city."

  The princess looked astonished saying:

  "Gracious me, Lady Marlborough. Do draw up a chair! Danvers, have we a chair for Mistress Hill, as well?" There was an awkward pause as Sarah did not expect her cousin to be asked but, as Danvers found the chair for Abigail, the princess seemed unaware of it, saying:

  "Your cousin tells me you are musical, mistress Hill." Abigail thanking Mrs Danvers for the chair did not reply to the princess looking to Sarah perhaps to elucidate, who happily took the cue:

  "She plays the harpsichord, right well, your highness." At which the princess clapped her hands, clearly delighted crying out:

  "Ye harpsichord! Indeed!" Then without pause turned to Sarah: "Have you seen Vanbrugh's latest play, Lady Marlborough?"

  "Lord, no, ma'am! How should I get to see such things? Perhaps, when his lordship resumes residence in Kensington?" At the same time Sarah gave her friend, the princess, a knowing glance upon which the latter cried out:

  "You'll have a great deal to catch up on." Then turning again to Abigail, she mused: "So you play ye harpsichord. We have an instrument somewhere in my rooms though my present family seems little musical."

  Sarah did not forgo the opportunity to take credit, deserved or not, for any foresightedness on her part, saying to Abigail:

  "Her royal highness sets great store by the happiness of her family servants, and" glancing at the princess, added: "mistress Hill's musical accomplishments will be very welcome."

  "Did you see ye keeper of ye portal. That is to let my George, I mean, his royal highness, feel more at home. Denmark is so far away and he does miss his home so."

  Sarah played up her friend's idea with some obsequious flattery belying the amusement she felt earlier: "I thought I espied a little bit of home-making," wagging her finger in mock admonishment, adding: "You spoil his royal highness. With such consideration he won't want to return to Denmark, even for a holyday."

  Abigail could hardly believe what she was hearing and wondered whether the princess discerned any flattery giving her an occasional glance to appraise her reaction. It was the princess, who reminded Sarah of another objective, saying:

  "My dear Mrs Freeman, I nearly forgot. You mentioned in your letter about your cousin's near relation."

  Sarah smiled warmly at the princess: "That is just like Mrs Morley always thinking of others." Whilst Sarah was talking the princess pulled a length of material which Abigail noticed was attached to a rope running across the ceiling which the princess confirmed, telling Sarah:

  "I've rung for Mrs Danvers," then turning to Abigail, confided:

  "His highness the prince has kindly consented to your seeing your brother before you leave." Soon another voice was heard at the door:

  "You wang, ma'am!" It was Mrs Danvers.

  Sarah stood up a little prematurely, and Abigail perforce had to follow her cousin, listening to Anne's instructions:

  "Ah, Danvers! Pray take her ladyship and Mistress Hill to ye prince's rooms." Then, turning again to Abigail, said kindly: "Well, Mistress Hill, it was good of you to come all this way to see us. Mayhap we'll soon see more of you."

  To Sarah: "I needs must have some discourse with my dear Mrs Freeman before you leave ye Palace."

  Waiting patiently until the princess finished and the two women joined her outside, closing the door of the princess's room, Mrs Danvers spoke:

  "Pway, ladies. Step this way!"

  Abigail was quick to follow Mrs Danvers though her cousin made no effort to comply compelling the servant to wait for her ladyship. Mrs Danvers fidgeted waiting for Sarah, and nervously repeated her invitation, by saying:

  "Pway, ladies. It is not far along the corridor." She turned to the left and then to the right, and after walking for a few minutes emerged into a large well-lit open area. They were on the south side of the palace and the architects had capitalised on its situation by the erection of a dome. Light onto the floor below was via rectangular windows, called lunettes, around its circumference, and though gloomy by 21st century standards was, in contrast to Princess Anne's quarters, a centre of illumination.

  Sarah, in particular, appreciated its luminosity as her finery was shown to its best advantage and even more so as Mrs Danvers had accosted a young page enquiring something of him. Both ladies had the time and leisure to examine him, rather his uniform, of blue velvet coat generously cut with silver buttons running from collar to hem which finished at the knee.

  Abigail looked at his pockets which were more like horizontal slashes with similar buttons beneath and solitary one just above at the end; there were also motifs of a tree-like shape stitched just above the slash discovering later it was the motif of Mary, King William's queen and Anne's sister. However further examination of the page had to be postponed as he was on his way leading Mrs Danvers and her charges away from the annexe towards Prince George's quarters.

  Arriving at the door to the prince's quarters, Abigail was slightly surprised that there was no palaver of scratching as occurred earlier, but the page in military style brought the party to a halt by himself smartly halting, clicking his heels and opening a door to the left. He addressed Mrs Danvers by name, including Abigail with his 'ladies' but singling out Sarah with his invitation to follow where his hand pointed, with:

  "Please, your ladyship. I am honoured to direct you to his royal highness's quarters."

  To Abigail's surprise, Sarah seemed to know him, replying:

  "As smart as ever, mister Masham, I daresay you be practising for a call to the colours."

  She had stopped and Abigail could once again look closely at the page and especially the wide sleeves turned generously back decorated with more silver buttons. But it was his smile which attracted her though it impressed Sarah less as she added, what she thought was, a barb to her flattery, smiling, as she said:

  "The smartest page in the palace in the business of opening doors, are you not?" Yet Masham's smile did not depart; he simply said: At your service, your ladyship."

  Complying with the invitation both ladies found themselves in rooms markedly different to the, by comparison, cluttered rooms of the princess. In contrast the prince seemed to worship light as the walls were reflective without any hanging tapestries which, Abigail recalled, were of the princess’ favourite biblical scenes.

  Furnishings, floor coverings and lighting all seemed to contribute to a feeling of spaciousness. As Abigail waited for Masham to notify someone of their arrival, she felt preference for the princess's choices as the lighting seemed harsh almost hurting her eyes.

  Suddenly her brother was greeting her: "Sis!" and hugging her as though they had not seen each other for years, not months, and she wondered whet
her for the first time, he was experiencing the loneliness that she had long ago come to expect as part of her way of life.

  Leaving her suddenly, he might even have hugged Sarah, but contented himself with taking both her hands in his in a generous gesture of warmth though without the ceremony of rank. As a final gesture he ostentatiously raised her left hand to his lips, with a cheerful call and glance at his fellow page:

  "I'll leave the polite civilities to mister Masham, ma'am, if you do not mind."

  Sarah was quick to riposte: "Mind or not young man, you know how to take liberties. But I'll not hold it against you." laughing with him as Jack confides to her: "Always good to see you, ma'am. Believe me!" And Sarah did believe him giving his hand a playful squeeze. Then noticing Danvers still standing there, addressed Abigail and Jack:

  "I'll see you later, cousins. I must return to the princess. Will you see me back, Danvers!"

  The woman understandably winced as Sarah omitted her title, not in a gesture of offensiveness, but a lack of consideration for other people's feelings. At once Masham who had been hovering in the background observing Abigail, sprang to attention and walking smartly to the door in order to forestall Danvers, opened it, intoning:

  "This way ladies!"

  Sarah was irritated and after inviting Danvers to precede her, turned to Masham, voicing her irritation, thus:

  "You must come to Holywell House, sir."

  Masham unaware of her mood, responds almost gaily:

  "I should like that, your ladyship." And to his credit his face does not change when she adds caustically: "Lord! Indeed you should. We have many doors there; inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs. Opening and closing them will keep you occupied all day long."

  Masham's face changes as he takes in the snub, but merely says:

  "As your ladyship, pleases." whereupon Sarah triumphantly commands her guide: "Come Danvers! Let us to her highness."

  As Danvers and Lady Marlborough proceeded down the passageway, Masham watched his erstwhile tormentor particularly. He observed her proud bearing until she had gone around the corner, her rustling bustle disappearing at last and he reflected upon his latest encounter with a lady whom he had set out to like. His aim had been frustrated by the lady herself.

  Whether he was aware of it, someone had reminded those rising in the world to be kind to people on the way up as they might be met with on the way down. Lady Marlborough might well have heeded the advice for the day would come when her star was dimmed and when Masham would have been the one person to help her.

  Standing there, bemused by her disdain, Masham could not know that paradoxically her negative attitude was to lead the way to his future happiness.

  As he retreated to resume his duties in the prince's quarters, both ladies had arrived back at the princess's door, Danvers excusing herself to other duties, Sarah must perforce scratch the panel and enter upon the princess's invitation. On entering she complained:

  "My dear Mrs Morley has so few staff to attend her. Mrs Danvers left me at the door.

  "That be one reason why Mistress Hill will be so welcome, my dear Mrs Freeman." To which Sarah replied:

  "I hope my cousin is pleasing to her royal highness."

  Now both alone and all polite pretensions suspended, the princess declared roughly:

  "She will do. I daresay. Poor thing! Was it ye small pocks that caused those ugly blotches on her face? It gives her a very red complexion."

  "Nothing passes by my dear Mrs Morley." responded Sarah ever obsequious towards her royal friend, adding: "It mayhaps be also that Hill's overly red complexion comes from her wilful exposure in the sun. She does so like gardening. Indeed at Lady Ferrers, they gave her her own garden. She seems to be convalescent to so many plants."

  Anne smiled at her friend's faux pas having heard so many which had endeared her to her commoner friend. She said:

  "I can pity her, dear Mrs Freeman, since I too am marked by ye pocks, but," she paused laying both hands upon the surprised Sarah's arm, then saying in mock reproof:

  "But Mrs Freeman! Seven whole days and not a sight of you. Very remiss."

  "Lord!" exclaimed Sarah, "My dear Mister Freeman insists on taking the carriage, but this time, I withheld the services of Tom, my servant on whom he depends to take him around London."

  "I do understand, Mrs Freeman." agreed the princess, "His lordship has so many duties. What is he doing today?"

  "If it is not the House of Lords, he has urgent business at the bank. He says he must pay a call upon Mr Godolphin. Oh, and I must not forget his interview with Caliban."

  "With the king! I wonder why William wants to see him. I hope not to place dear Mr Freeman in the Tower, again."

  "Oh no, Mrs Morley," said Sarah, "all that unpleasantness is in the past. They are very good friends now."

  "And I do hope Mr Freeman stays very good friends with Mr Godolphin. He is such a good man." The princess smiled warmly in talking of Godolphin and Sarah braced herself for an oft repeated story. The princess liked to recount the sayings of Charles II, and Sarah winced inwardly as the princess spoke it:

  "Our late, lamented monarch once said of Sidney that he was never in the way and never out of the way."

  Sarah commented dryly: "Yes, he does have a way with him." And the princess confided: "And he does play a very good game of Ombre."

  In mock reproof, Sarah said: "And when does Mrs Morley have time for cards?" To which Anne gave a wistful look at her friend reminding her:

  "D'you remember how we used to play through the night? Ombre, basset, faro."

  "Lord me!" replied Sarah laughing: "The night I lost four hundred."

  "I shall never forget that, because my dear Mrs Freeman," Anne looked at Sarah half reproachfully, almost not believing her recall: "threw ye cards at ye wall. I needs must gather them next day in case Mistress Bust saw them on ye floor."

  "And the one landing in the chamber-pot," recalled Sarah, don't forget that."

  The princess chuckled so much that she could scarcely blurt out its consequences, but finally got it out:

  "I never did explain away a certain stain upon ye two of diamonds." Then Anne was suddenly serious saying: "But the next day, Mrs Freeman won everything back."

  "And two hundred extra!" said Sarah triumphantly but she had said too much as her friend petulantly commented: “There be someone here with ye memory of ye elephant and, " Anne trumpeted at her friend, "did Mrs Morley fly into a tantrum by hurling ye cards everywhere?"

  Sarah with somewhat forced merriment commented: “Well, leastways, Mrs Morley need not pull cards from chamber pots or explain any funny stains."

  The princess's irritation was momentary for she rocked with laughter at Sarah's words and gestures one of which suggested the princess standing there with a card allowing liquid to drain before putting it hurriedly behind her at the sight of Mrs Bust.

  Anne managed to blurt out amidst bursts of laughter: "Mrs Morley hopes the new bedchamber woman won't be so frightening." Sarah knew this was a reference to her cousin, but said nothing to that effect and Anne herself changed the subject by referring back to their gambling:

  “We never did make that exchange, did we?" said Anne soberly: "Does Mrs Freeman still have my note?"

  Sarah hastened to reassure the princess: "Mrs Morley's IOU is more precious to me than gold itself. I'm going to keep it unless Mrs Morley insists on exchanging it."

  "Just when Mrs Morley had plucked up courage to beg Sir Benjamin for a promissory note, but at least you have spared me going to my escritoire."

  Princess Anne's gout often confined her to her day-bed for hours with little relief. Movement provoked the pain to surface and Sarah could sympathise with her friend and comfortingly, she assured her friend:

  "That settles it. Mrs Morley must not leave her seat " But Anne declared bravely: "I must pull ye cord for our tea." But Sarah performed that action and on the appearance of Mrs Danvers in answer to the ring, Sarah smiled at her q
uery:

  "Did her highness wing?" and upon her disappearance to carry out the princess's instructions, Anne chided Sarah about the mannerisms of staff telling her she could not afford to notice others' infirmities. It was the banter and badinage of old friends. Anne added finally:

  "Poor Mrs Danvers! She's missing some teeth, poor thing. We should not mock. How would Mrs Freeman sound with missing teeth."

  But to Sarah's suggestion she did not need to lose any teeth to mimic her performance, the princess called a halt, as laughter worsened her gout.

  Sarah was able to comfort her friend, saying: "My cousin has had dealings with a well known apothecary, Thomas Culpeper, and, hopefully, can prepare something to ease poor Mrs Morley's sufferings."

  "Whatever she hath cannot be worse than cochineal syrup. It tastes foul and makes not a jot of difference. But I needs must on account of Doctor Jennings. Mrs Morley doesn't like to hurt his feelings."

  There was the sound of the door to the ante-room opening and Mrs Danvers made her appearance carrying a tray setting it down on a small side table and at the sight of it, Anne clapped her hands, crying:

  "Sweet Mrs Danvers! How nice of you to bring marchpane cakes. Mrs Freeman was ever a lover of marchpane." And after Mrs Danvers had poured the tea into the cups handing them to the two women, the princess again remarked with enthusiasm:

  "Ye best China tea for Mrs Freeman." And as Danvers withdrew, she added: "Your cousin knows how to make ye tea, does she?" And Sarah made an unspoken resolution there and then to get Mrs Chudleigh to train her cousin. She smiled affirmatively to her friend and the two women ate their marchpane and sipped their tea, each absorbed in their own thoughts.

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  In the stables of St James Palace, Tom, Lady Churchill's coachman sees to the preparation of the carriage in readiness for the return journey and looking up from his task of removing the oatbags from around the horses' jowls, he observes her ladyship tripping down the backstairs of the Palace evidently on the lookout for him. It seems someone has sought a ride in her coach and is anxious for a particular reason to notify her servant.