Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean - Страница 16

One day, thought Sophia Charlotte, Frederick William will be King of Prussia. My Caroline would be a Queen—and she is clever enough to handle him. What other girl could?

One day, thought the Electress Sophia, George Augustus could be King of England. Caroline would be a Queen ... and Queen of England. What higher goal than that in Germany ... or in the whole world.

The Electress Sophia talked to Caroline.

"My dear, do you speak English?"

"No," answered Caroline.

"Oh but that is shocking! You should, you know."

"There has never seemed any need."

"Never seemed any need! But it is the most important language in the world. What if you should ever go there? A fine ninny you would look not being able to understand what was said."

"I doubt if I should ever go there."

"Get that notion out of your head at once. Why, sometimes I think that all this talk of 'the why of the why' and 'where are we going' and 'leaps in the dark and what happens after death'

leaves you a little foolish about the everyday business of living/'

**But please tell me why you think I should go to England?'*

"Suppose I went to England and asked you to visit me."

"Are you thinking of going?"

"Does my daughter never talk to you of her family?"

"She has done so but..."

"Then surely you are not unaware of our most important connection."

"Perhaps you will please explain."

"My mother was Elizabeth Queen of Bohemia and her father was James the Sixth of Scotland and the First of England."

"Yes I did know that."

"Let me refresh your memory. His son Charles the First was a King of England. You know his tragic story."

"Yes. He was beheaded by order of the Parliament, and Oliver Cromwell set up a Commonwealth."

"But it didn't last. The English have too much sense. A Commonwealth I They soon had his son back and the second Charles showed the people how much better it is to be ruled by a King than a Parliament."

"They are a pleasure-loving people who turned against the puritan ways, so I've heard."

"You heard correctly. Charles' brother James followed him but he was a fool and became a Catholic so for that reason he was turned out in favour of William and Mary. They had no children so Anne, Mary's sister came to the throne. She sits on it now and ... she finds it hard to get a healthy son. If she fails in this, who will be the next sovereign of England?"

Caroline dared not let the old lady see her smile. This was her favourite hobby horse. Sophia Charlotte had discussed it with her. "My mother is the shrewdest calmest woman in the world, except for one thing. Over that she is fanatical. England —and her chances of becoming Queen of that country! They are remote enough, God knows, but there is a possibility. That possibility is the ruling passion of her life."

Caroline said gently: "The deposed King has a son who might be James the Third."

"They'll never tolerate him. He's a Catholic. The English turned out the father for that reason. They'll not have the son back for the same. Where would the sense be? And the English are the most sensible people in the world. Where will they turn then for a Protestant monarch. I'll tell you, Caroline. They'll turn to Hanover. For I am the next in the line of succession. If Anne doesn't have a son—and how can she, poor dropsical gouty lady—they must turn to me if they want the Protestant religion preserved; and they do. I should be Queen of England, Caroline. And if I were I should invite you to my Court. A fine figure you would cut—not being able to speak the language. Promise me that you will learn it."

"I promise," said Caroline.

The Electress Sophia sadly said farewell.

"Goodbye my dearest daughter, write to me often. You know what your letters mean to me."

"And yours to me, Mother. Let me know all that happens at Hanover."

"And goodbye, Caroline, my dear. I shall miss your bright company. I think perhaps I shall send someone over from Hanover to kidnap you and bring you to me."

Caroline glowed with pleasure. She would never completely forget the horror of Saxony even though it was difficult now to compare herself with that unwanted child who had been forced to keep out of everyone's way for fear she should be noticed.

Sophia Charlotte was delighted too.

"You have made a favourable impression on Mother," she said, as they watched the cavalcade ride away. "And that is something that is rarely done." She put her arm about her. "Don't imagine though that I should ever allow her to kidnap you. No one is going to do that."

Sophia Charlotte's eyes had rested uneasily on her son who, in the party assembled to say farewell to the departing guests, was looking almost amiable. She knew it was because he was glad to see the last of his grandmother for a while.

He had come back from Hanover as unattractive as he had been before he went.

It might be that marriage would improve him, Sophia Charlotte deceived herself into thinking.

After the departure of the Electress Sophia the old way of life was resumed at Liitzenburg and Sophia Charlotte tried to forget the unpleasant subject of Caroline's marriage.

Her husband had now become King of Prussia and in this important role was able to indulge his love of ceremony more than ever. Secretly Caroline would have liked to join in the ceremonies and could have found great pleasure in putting on dazzling garments and appearing at state banquets. She did not mention this for she knew it would mark a difference between her and Sophia Charlotte and disappoint the latter.

But because the days were so pleasant they slipped quickly away and Caroline was now approaching her twentieth birthday. It was being suggested that she was never to marry for surely if she had been intended to, a bridegroom would have been found for her by now. On the other hand was she waiting for the Crown Prince of Prussia to reach marriageable age?

Caroline was aware of these whispers and made uneasy by them. Whenever she thought of marriage she was reminded of her mother's unhappy experience and certainly she had no wish to change the existing state of affairs. To leave Liitzenburg! How could she ever be happy anywhere else? To stay and marry Frederick William? It was difficult to know which was the worst project—to leave Liitzenburg to go to an unknown husband or to stay and marry one whom she already disliked.

The Crown Prince himself was aware of the whispers; they made him laugh and plunge into profligacy which was even more shocking than that which he had practised before.

There was a change in the air.

The King of Prussia, when he had time from state matters, was beginning to regard Caroline speculatively, pondering on the fact that she might be a useful factor in some treaty which would bring advantage to Prussia.

Caroline had a return of the nightmares which had haunted her when she had feared for her mother and which had returned now and then after her death. It was like a recurring pattern.

Oh God, save me from marriage, she prayed.

Sophia Charlotte had come to a decision. She would not lose Caroline. Anything was preferable to that.

When she went to her husband's apartments to talk to him about Caroline, he was as affectionate as usual and expressed pleasure at the visit.

"Caroline is twenty years old," she said.

"No longer a girl," he commented. "She should have had a husband years ago and a family by now."