o b464705202491194

by Cheyenne

to amuse the child; she showered affection on her and it was returned and

  meanwhile she knew that the Prince was making all sorts of plans to keep them

  apart and that but for the intervention of the King he would have done so.

  She discovered a gift for modelling in clay and her first effort was to make a

  head of her daughter.

  ‘To remind me of you, my angel,’ she said, ‘when you are not with me.’

  Charlotte was intrigued and sat as still as she could while her mother worked;

  then when the sitting was over they would play rough games— for Charlotte was

  a tomboy— until it was time for the little Princess to go back to Carlton House.

  So, thought Caroline, deprived of my own child for long periods, I must have my adopted family to keep me from grieving.

  Because she thought that the sea would provide her boys with a career she

  made the acquaintance of Admiral Samuel Hood who was the Governor of

  Greenwich, Hospital; and through him she met a man who was to have an

  important effect on her life. This was the dashing sailor, Sir William Sydney

  Smith, always known as Sir Sydney, a man who immediately attracted Caroline

  because he had the manner of an adventurer and was indeed one. He had fought

  many a sea battle and could tell a stirring story, so he was cordially welcomed to Montague House.

  Caroline was entranced and made no secret of her interest in the sailor. He

  must come again to Montague House, she told him, when he was in the

  neighbourhood.

  ‘That, Your Highness,’ he replied, ‘could be any time you invite me, because

  I am staying for a while in the house of my friend Sir John Douglas.’

  ‘And that is nearby?’ Caroline wanted to know.

  ‘Very close to Montague House. Your Highness has doubtless seen the house

  on your trips around. In fact, it is the nearest to Montague House. You should

  meet the Douglases; they are an amusing pair. John Douglas was with me at Saint

  Jean d’Acre. That was when I was taking care of the defences. Those were

  stirring days. I could tell you some tales. It was just before I took over command of Alexandria. I remember the news coming in that Bonaparte had stormed Jaffa.’

  The Princess’s eyes shone with excitement. If she could not have a large

  family of children to care for she would like to travel about the world, see strange places, enjoy the company of exotic men and women.

  ‘Well, my friend Douglas was with me. And now I’m ashore for awhile, I’m

  staying with them. Lady Douglas is an enchanting creature. She has recently had

  the most delightful child.’

  ‘A child.’

  ‘A baby daughter. A pretty and engaging creature I do assure you. Your

  Highness would enjoy meeting the mother and child.’

  ‘That I should,’ said Caroline, ‘and doubtless I will as they are such near

  neighbours.’

  ————————

  Such a cold day, thought Caroline. How she wished that she was in one of those hot and sunny spots which dear Sir Sydney talked about with such

  enthusiasm. Still, her destiny lay here. She had come to England to be a Princess of Wales, one day a queen— though she trusted that would be a long time hence,

  since it could only be on the death of the King.

  She felt restless so she sent for Miss Hayman and told her she was going to

  walk.

  ‘Alone, Your Highness?’

  ‘Yes, dear Hayman, alone.’

  It amused her to see the shocked look in dear Hayman’s eyes. They should be

  used to her by now. She was not treated like a Princess; she was not allowed to

  live in Carlton House; therefore she would behave like a country lady and go

  walking alone if she wished.

  In her mauve satin cloak and yellow half boots she looked very colourful.

  Would Maria Fitzherbert say she looked a little too flamboyant? Well, Maria my love, I am the Princess not you!

  ‘Now, my love, bring my sable cap and I’ll be off.’ When the cap was brought

  she set it jauntily on her head. ‘There, my dear, the Princess of Wales takes the air

  — unescorted— but not desolate. Because it is as she wishes and as she

  commands.’

  ‘Your Highness—’

  ‘No, my dear, I do not need your company. I am going alone.’

  She left Montague House smiling as she went. She knew exactly where she

  was going. She would call on Lady Douglas and see the enchanting child and

  perhaps Sir Sydney Smith if he were there.

  She found the house he had described. How did one call? Did one walk

  straight up to the door and knock? That was what she had done in Brunswick

  when she had wished to call on humble folk. But this was not Brunswick; and

  there she had merely been the Princess Caroline, daughter of a small ducal house.

  Perhaps the Princess of Wales should have a different approach.

  She put her hand on the gate and hesitated; then she stopped and walked up

  and down along by the iron railings. What does it matter how I get in? It only matters that I do.

  An attractive young woman had come out of the house and approached

  Caroline. Opening the gate, she asked: ‘Do you want something? Can I help you?’

  ‘Are you Lady Douglas?’

  ‘Yes, I am.’

  ‘I thought you must be. I hear you are the mother of a very beautiful little girl.

  May I see her? I love children.’

  ‘Madam—’ began the startled woman.

  ‘Sir Sydney told me about her. Sir Sydney Smith. He was at Montague House,

  you see.’

  ‘Montague House— but that is—’

  Caroline nodded. ‘Yes, of course. I am the Princess Caroline— Princess of

  Wales.’

  ‘Your Highness!’

  ‘There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Ask me in, please.’

  ‘My— my humble house is at Your Highness’s service.’

  ‘Well, come and show me your little daughter.’

  So that was the beginning and Sir Sydney was right. The child was

  enchanting. As for Sir John and Lady Douglas, they were delighted to have the

  honour of entertaining Her Royal Highness. And while they gave her refreshment

  Sir Sidney arrived; and then there was a joyful encounter between him and the

  Princess

  It was a very entertaining visit and Sir Sidney begged leave to escort her back

  to Montague House, which permission she willingly gave.

  The Douglases were hopeful, they told her, that they might again have the

  pleasure of Her Highness’s company and that they hoped that next time she came

  she would give them warning so that they might have the opportunity of

  entertaining her in a fitting manner.

  ‘Nonsense!’ cried Caroline. ‘I’ve been most fittingly entertained! I want no

  ceremony— you shall come to my next Party at Montague House and certainly I

  shall come again. We are neighbours.’

  ————————

  When Caroline had left with Sir Sydney the Douglases looked at each other in

  astonishment.

  ‘I feel I’ve dreamed the last two hours,’ said Lady Douglas.

  ‘I always heard she was eccentric.’

  ‘Who would have believed that she— that woman— was our future Queen!’

  ‘The stories we’ve heard must have been true.’

  ‘What an adventure!’ said Lady Douglas. She looked at her husband. He was

  a brave man and had not done b
adly; he had been given a pension after the part he had taken with Sir Sydney in the defence of Saint Jean d’Acre; but she was the

  strong one; she had always led the way and he had always followed.

  When she had suggested that the gay bachelor, Sir Sydney Smith, should live

  in their house when he was ashore, he had raised no objection and if he knew of

  the relationship between herself and Sir Sydney he raised no objection to that

  either. He was no raiser of objections and that suited Lady Douglas and Sir

  Sydney very well indeed.

  But the Princess of Wales— to call on them like some humble village woman!

  ‘I hear you have a beautiful daughter!’ mimicked Lady Douglas in a thick

  guttural accent. ‘What an extraordinary thing!’

  ‘You found her— attractive?’ asked Sir John.

  ‘I would say she is an attractive proposition rather than an attractive woman,’

  said Lady Douglas with a smirk.

  ‘You think this could bring good fortune to us?’

  ‘I intend to see that it does. Good Heavens, can’t you imagine what it could

  mean to us? Friends in high places! My dear friend and neighbour is Madame

  Caroline. She’s crazy; she’s wild; she behaves in the oddest way— I grant you

  that. But she is still the Princess of Wales.’

  ‘Sydney seemed taken with her.’

  Lady Douglas turned away to hide the frown.

  ‘He would have to be taken with the Princess of Wales, wouldn’t he? So have

  you to be— and I. So have we all, if we’re wise.’

  Lady Douglas left her husband and went to her room as she said to think of

  what could come out of this.

  From her window she watched for the return of Sir Sydney and when he came

  back and up to the rooms which had been set aside for him, she was waiting for

  him in his bedroom.

  ‘Well?’ she demanded.

  ‘It’s a fantastic thing. I can scarcely believe it.’

  ‘She’s a fantastic thing, you mean.’

  ‘Tut tut, Lottie. You’re talking of the Princess of Wales. Remember that.’

  ‘I trust you remembered it.’

  ‘Now what does that mean?’

  She threw herself against him and put her arms about his neck. ‘You know

  full well.’

  He laughed.

  ‘Myself— and the Princess of Wales! Come, Lottie, you’re letting your

  imagination run away with you.’

  ‘Mind you don’t let yours run away with you where that woman’s concerned.’

  He laughed again and embraced her.

  ‘Your spare time is for me,’ she told him. ‘Remember it.’

  ‘As if you’d let me forget!’

  ‘I shan’t. But if you did by any chance there’d be trouble. You know that.’

  ‘I know my Lottie,’ he said.

  ————————

  The friendship with the Douglases flourished. Lady Douglas, Caroline

  believed, was a very exciting personality. She was full of fun, ready for the

  wildest games Caroline arranged for her parties; and there was the delightful little daughter of hers who had been christened Charlotte Sydney.

  It made a bond between them that they both had a daughter named Charlotte;

  and Caroline was constantly bestowing gifts on the adorable little creature.

  How pleased she was that she had called on the Douglases that day!

  There was a great deal of entertaining and Sir Sydney was in good form at

  Parties; he had a talent for devising all sorts of games and they were usually

  games with forfeits. And the price he always demanded from the ladies was a

  kiss. This caused great merriment. And when Caroline had to pay her forfeit, Sir

  Sydney did not alter his terms and Caroline was very prepared to kiss him

  heartily. He was her dear friend who had helped to make her life so much more

  exciting.

  Captain Manley came to Montague House a great deal too. He was very

  interested in her boys and told her that the sea would be a fine career for any of them who were suited to it.

  ‘Why, you are like a father to my darlings,’ she cried in her impulsive way,

  and once when he took his leave she kissed him heartily to show him how grateful

  she was.

  She did not realize that her behaviour was noticed and commented on not only

  among her friends but among her servants. Nor did she know that some of the

  latter had be placed in her household on the orders of the Prince of Wales that her conduct might be observed and reported.

  ‘Dear, dear Captain Manley,’ she would say. ‘What wonderful man he is! And

  so kind.’

  As for dear Sir Sydney, she had a great affection for him too. He was the life

  and soul of any party and she enjoyed his high spirits and those occasions when

  he would hold the all entranced with some tale of the sea in which Sir Sydney

  always played the part of dashing hero.

  Since she had come to Montague House she certainly was building up a little

  coterie around herself which was making life very agreeable.

  The King called with presents for herself and little Charlotte. She was sad

  because she saw that his health was deteriorating. He spoke in that rapid manner

  which was so alarming and he was a trifle incoherent.

  ‘Well, well, well, so you are settled here, eh? It’s wrong you know, wrong,

  wrong, wrong. Ought to be at Carlton House. And little Charlotte? How is the

  child? Are you seeing her? Glad of that, glad of that. Should be there, though.

  Don’t like trouble in the family. My father quarrelled with his father— his father quarrelled with his father— and now my son— Who would have sons, eh? Lucky

  to have a daughter. Worried about Amelia, though. Do you never see the

  Princesses?’

  ‘I never see them, Uncle dear. I think they may have had orders to stay away.’

  ‘Don’t like it. All wrong— wrong— should all be friends. Like to see you

  back with the Prince.’

  ‘He’d never have me, Your Majesty, and I don’t think I’d want to go. I’m

  happy here. If I could have little Charlotte here I’d want nothing else—’

  ‘Happy, eh? Like it here? Not suitable really for Princess of Wales. Should be

  at Carlton House. Don’t like it.’ He looked at her in an oddly appreciative way.

  He said: ‘Pretty woman— fine bosom— should be painted. Should have your

  portrait painted. Has it been done since you came? Should have it done, I’ll send a man to do it. You’d like that, eh, what?’

  ‘Why yes, Your Majesty. I’d be delighted.’

  ‘Leave it to me. Only right. I’ll send a man, eh, what?’

  Poor, poor Uncle George, thought Caroline when he had left. One of these days he will go completely mad.

  She believed that he would forget the promise to have her portrait painted and

  expected to hear no more, so she was surprised when Sir Thomas Lawrence, R.A.,

  arrived at Montague House.

  Caroline was delighted with the painter from the beginning. He was

  handsome, in his early thirties and had an extremely gallant manner. She was

  discovering that she liked to be surrounded by admiring men; their attentions and compliments helped her to forget the insults of the Prince of Wales, for although she pretended that she did not care and that she was no more attracted to him than he to her, her pride had been deeply wounded; and men such as Captain Manley

  and Sir Sydney Smith, with their perpetual gallantries and air of ‘Ah, if I
but

  dared’ were a comfort to her. And now to their number was added the handsome

  young painter.

  How should she be painted? Let them decide together. She had seen some of

  his portraits. Would he make her as handsome as some of his other sitters?’

  ‘If I tell the truth Your Highness will be more beautiful than them all.’

  She laughed aloud; she slipped her arm through his. He was a little astonished

  at the familiarity but like everyone else, he had heard of the eccentric behaviour of the Princess of Wales.

  So there was the additional pleasure of sitting to Sir Thomas who had taken

  up residence at Montague House.

  ‘I shall be sitting with Sir Thomas for the next two hours,’ she would tell her

  servants. ‘See that we are not disturbed.’

  There were sly nods and winks below-stairs.

  ‘We see life,’ they said to each other, ‘serving such a mistress.’

  She was ‘a one’ for the men. As if Sir Sydney and Captain Manley were not

  enough— now they had Sir Thomas Lawrence as well.

  ————————

  One morning Mrs. Fitzgerald came to tell Caroline that there had been an

  accident. Mrs. Lisle, one of her ladies, had fallen and hurt her foot.

  Caroline was immediately sympathetic. She ran into Mrs. Lisle’s room and

  found her lying on her bed, her ankle very painful and swollen.

  ‘Oh my dear, my love, does it hurt? We must call the doctor at once, Fitz dear,

  will you see that they send for him. Oh, my poor, poor Lisle! Now be perfectly

  still and don’t move.’

  She asked questions about the ankle, how it had happened, how painful was it.

  And she would be very, very angry with her dear Lisle if she got up from that bed before the doctor had given his verdict.

  Mrs. Lisle thought how endearing the Princess was. It was true she behaved in

  a manner most unsuited to a Princess, but who else would be so concerned about

  a sprained ankle— or whatever ailed her. At times like this one loved the

  Princess.

  The doctor came and diagnosed a bad twist to the ankle. Her foot was also

  damaged. He said she must certainly not stand on her feet more than was

  absolutely necessary for at least a fortnight.

  ‘I have my duties,’ began Mrs. Lisle.

  Caroline, who had insisted on being present, cried: ‘What nonsense! Of

  course she shall stay in bed. I myself will see to it, Doctor.’