Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean - Страница 25

"Wouldn't she? When the King of Spain is after her?"

"The King of Spain! "

"Well, he's not King yet, I know. He's got to end this war by winning it first. But at least he's a son of the Imperial House. So if Caroline is good enough for him, don't you think she's good enough for you?"

"But if he's asked for her, she'll take him. She'd be a fool not to."

"You can never tell. Still what's good enough for the King of Spain would be good enough for you eh? And if she refused the King of Spain and accepted the Electoral Prince of Hanover well... that would be a triumph, wouldn't it?"

George Augustus was looking in the mirror adjusting his wig, and Sophia Dorothea burst out laughing.

"I see the King of Spain is making Caroline a very acceptable bride," she said.

George Lewis had paid more attention to his mother's suggestion than she had lealized. It was time George Augustus was married, he was thinking. He was twenty-one and while he was

begetting illegitimate sons he might as well produce one or two who were legitimate. He would have to be allowed to go to war sooner or later and there was always a risk of death. He himself never shielded himself—half the fun of war would be lost if he did—and although he despised this son of his, George Lewis had no reason to believe he was a coward. George Augustus had petitioned again and again to be given a command in the army.

Yes, it was time he was married.

And Caroline of Ansbach? He had heard good reports of her. His sister had brought her up and had had a very high opinion of her; she would live in harmony with his mother, and she was apparently a healthy young girl.

He himself had only two children which he admitted was a pity. If he had had a normal married life like his mother and father he would have a brood of children now—always a wise thing for a ruler. But he hadn't seen his wife for eleven years when she had been caught in adultery, divorced and sent away from Hanover to spend the rest of her life in prison. He had no intention of seeing her now, nor allowing her to have her freedom; and he felt no remorse. But he did realize that it would not be a good thing for George Augustus to make such a disastrous marriage.

His own marriage had been arranged by his parents and those of his wife—their fathers were brothers; and the marriage had been part of a grand reconciliation between them. He had not wanted marriage with the pretty silly creature; nor had she wanted marriage with him, who, she considered, was gross, crude, coarse and ever)'thing she had been brought up to dislike.

If they had been allowed to have any say in the matter that marriage would never have taken place and it might have been that a family of healthy boys would now be his.

He disliked his son but for the good of Hanover, for which he cared more than anything else, he did not want him to make a marriage similar to that of his parents. He should not be hustled into marriage as they had been. He should have a chance to see his bride, to approve of her, to be sure that he could live in reasonable harmony with her. He should not be

forced into marriage ... at least not if he was prepared to make a reasonable choice.

George Lewis walked through the old Leine Schloss. He did not avoid those apartments which had belonged to his wife. Usually he passed through them without thinking; but in view of the recent interview with his mother and this talk of marriage, Sophia Dorothea was in his thoughts.

Here she had received Konigsmarck on that fateful night; and after he left her he would have had to cross this large apartment which was known as the Ritter Hall where, hidden by the enormous stove which looked like a mausoleum, guards had been waiting for him.

Here, thought George Lewis, if the stories he had heard were correct, his wife's lover had been stabbed to death and his body dragged outside the castle and buried in quicklime.

Ancient history! Konigsmarck was long since dead; only the captive of Ahlden lived on to repent her sins and doubtless to curse the man who had treated her with such ruthlessness.

He had no regrets. She had deceived him; she had bickered with him continually; she had shown her contempt; she had sneered at his mistresses; well now she could sneer to her heart's content within the walls of Ahlden. And he continued to enjoy those mistresses and all knew what happened to those who defied George Lewis, Elector of Hanover.

All the same, George Augustus must avoid such a disastrous marriage if possible and perhaps some immunity might be secured by letting him have a say in the choosing of his own wife.

George Lewis would call one or two of his trusted ministers together and they would discuss this matter and the best way of tackling it.

He first sent for Count von Platen, his Prime Minister. Platen was a good minister, docile, ready to obey without question. He had climbed to his present position, it was true, through his wife who had been the notorious mistress of George Lewis's father; but having attained his position he was able to maintain it.

"I've been thinking," said George Lewis, "that it's time the Prince was married. I want him to pay a visit to Ansbach to look at the Princess Caroline at present staying with her brother the Margrave. If he likes her, we can make an offer."

"Yes, Highness. Who shall travel with him?"

"He will go incognito. This is a matter of secrecy, Platen. If she refuses him I don't want any one to know it. The Archduke Charles has offered for her and she is considering. She's got an appreciation of her own value clearly. That might not be a bad thing. If the King of Prussia knows what we're after he'll thwart us because he wants her for Charles. Therefore no one must know of this but ourselves, the Prince, and who ever accompanies him."

"And the Elcctrcss Sophia?"

"Let's keep women out of this, Platen. I don't trust their tattling tongues. Even my mother. She can't resist writing to that niece of hers, the Duchess of Orleans ... She's the biggest scandalmonger in France and if she had an inkling of this it would soon reach the Prussian King's ears. So we'll have no women in this secret, Platen. Not even my mother."

"Very good, Your Highness."

"Who's the best man to accompany him?"

"I should say the Baron von Eltz. He was his governor and he's a good minister. He'd be discreet and see that the Prince was."

"Then that's settled. And one valet de chamhre, no more. He'll be a nobleman travelling for his amusement. We'd better send for him and tell him."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Father and son regard each other with mutual dislike.

If she won't take the Archduke she'll not fancy this prancing boy! thought George Lewis, scowling.

He's quite crude, thought George Augustus. Who would believe that he was the Elector! When I'm in his shoes I shall be different.

"It's time you were married," George Lewis said. "You might fancy the Princess of Ansbach. You can go to Ansbach and take

a look at her. If you like what you see we'll offer for her."

As though, thought George Augustus, she were a horse they were going to buy. What did Platen think of this crude boor? What did the elegant Baron von Eltz?

But the prospect of going to Ansbach to see Caroline pleased him, particularly as he could decide whether or not he would have her. That appealed to his conceit which ever since he had realized what a little man he was had grown out of all proportion to his accomplishments.

"You'll pose as a nobleman travelling for pleasure," said George Lewis. "You'll call at the Ansbach Court with letters from Platen. See to that. Platen."