Read Online Bride to the King by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Barbara Cartland
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Sándor is clever,’ she thought, ‘clever and well read. At least he will be there for me to talk to.’
Then she wondered what happened when a Regent relinquished his post.
Did he retire into obscurity or was another position found for him in the Government?
It was a question to which she did not know the answer and she had a feeling it would be difficult to know who to ask.
The King was looking sulky and bored all the way to the Guildhall where they were to be entertained.
He made no effort to speak either to the Queen Mother or to anyone else and Zosina, waving to the crowds who were obviously excited by her appearance, told herself that the only thing to do was to ignore him.
‘He puts a damper on everything!’ she thought. ‘I cannot think, as this is his own country, why he does not enjoy seeing his people so pleased and excited.’
To her relief, when she reached the Guildhall, she found that she was not sitting beside the King, but had the Prime Minister on her left and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on her right.
She found the ‘thumbnail sketches’ which the Regent had given her the night before, very helpful, although they seemed surprised that she should know how many children they had and, in the Prime Minister’s case, that his wife was French.
They were soon talking animatedly and answering Zosina’s questions about Dórsia in a manner that told her they were extremely gratified by her interest.
“Thank you very, very much!” she enthused, as she said goodbye to the Prime Minister. “It has been the most thrilling luncheon I have ever attended and I shall never forget it.”
“You have made it a memorable occasion for me, Your Royal Highness,” the Prime Minister replied, “and I can only assure you that you will find Dórsian hospitality is as boundless as our affection.”
He spoke with an obvious pride in his voice and, as Zosina smiled at him, he told himself that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.
When he said goodbye to the Regent, he added,
“I can only thank you as well as congratulate you, Sire, on your choice. You were far wiser than I was. I am therefore prepared in the circumstances never again to doubt your judgement, especially when it concerns women!”
The Regent’s eyes twinkled.
“Shall I say I am thankful not to have made a fundamental mistake in this particular instance?”
“That I can now say categorically is an impossibility,” the Prime Minister replied.
The Regent was still smiling as he hurried down the steps to take his place in the Royal carriage.
When they arrived back at the Palace, the Queen Mother announced that she was going to her private apartments.
“I hope, Gyórgy, you will join me,” she said to the King. “We have had no chance to talk intimately with each other since I arrived, so this is a welcome opportunity.”
Zosina thought the King looked as if it was not a very welcome one to him, but it was obvious that there was nothing he could do but agree.
Having taken off her bonnet, Zosina went to the Queen Mother’s sitting room to find her grandmother waiting for her and seated beside her, looking very sulky, was the King.
Zosina curtseyed and when she had done so, the Queen Mother said,
“I am going to do something very unconventional, but I feel, as no one will know about it except ourselves, we can forget protocol for a moment. I want you two young people to get to know each other and so I am going to leave you alone without being watched by curious eyes and listened to by inquisitive ears.”
She gave the King and Zosina her famous smile before, with a quickness of movement which belied her years, she went from the sitting room, closing the door behind her.
Zosina, realising that the King had said nothing, looked at him nervously.
He rose and walked across the room to stand at the window looking out and there was an awkward silence until she said,
“Grandmama – always tries to make
Then she wondered what happened when a Regent relinquished his post.
Did he retire into obscurity or was another position found for him in the Government?
It was a question to which she did not know the answer and she had a feeling it would be difficult to know who to ask.
The King was looking sulky and bored all the way to the Guildhall where they were to be entertained.
He made no effort to speak either to the Queen Mother or to anyone else and Zosina, waving to the crowds who were obviously excited by her appearance, told herself that the only thing to do was to ignore him.
‘He puts a damper on everything!’ she thought. ‘I cannot think, as this is his own country, why he does not enjoy seeing his people so pleased and excited.’
To her relief, when she reached the Guildhall, she found that she was not sitting beside the King, but had the Prime Minister on her left and the Chancellor of the Exchequer on her right.
She found the ‘thumbnail sketches’ which the Regent had given her the night before, very helpful, although they seemed surprised that she should know how many children they had and, in the Prime Minister’s case, that his wife was French.
They were soon talking animatedly and answering Zosina’s questions about Dórsia in a manner that told her they were extremely gratified by her interest.
“Thank you very, very much!” she enthused, as she said goodbye to the Prime Minister. “It has been the most thrilling luncheon I have ever attended and I shall never forget it.”
“You have made it a memorable occasion for me, Your Royal Highness,” the Prime Minister replied, “and I can only assure you that you will find Dórsian hospitality is as boundless as our affection.”
He spoke with an obvious pride in his voice and, as Zosina smiled at him, he told himself that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life.
When he said goodbye to the Regent, he added,
“I can only thank you as well as congratulate you, Sire, on your choice. You were far wiser than I was. I am therefore prepared in the circumstances never again to doubt your judgement, especially when it concerns women!”
The Regent’s eyes twinkled.
“Shall I say I am thankful not to have made a fundamental mistake in this particular instance?”
“That I can now say categorically is an impossibility,” the Prime Minister replied.
The Regent was still smiling as he hurried down the steps to take his place in the Royal carriage.
When they arrived back at the Palace, the Queen Mother announced that she was going to her private apartments.
“I hope, Gyórgy, you will join me,” she said to the King. “We have had no chance to talk intimately with each other since I arrived, so this is a welcome opportunity.”
Zosina thought the King looked as if it was not a very welcome one to him, but it was obvious that there was nothing he could do but agree.
Having taken off her bonnet, Zosina went to the Queen Mother’s sitting room to find her grandmother waiting for her and seated beside her, looking very sulky, was the King.
Zosina curtseyed and when she had done so, the Queen Mother said,
“I am going to do something very unconventional, but I feel, as no one will know about it except ourselves, we can forget protocol for a moment. I want you two young people to get to know each other and so I am going to leave you alone without being watched by curious eyes and listened to by inquisitive ears.”
She gave the King and Zosina her famous smile before, with a quickness of movement which belied her years, she went from the sitting room, closing the door behind her.
Zosina, realising that the King had said nothing, looked at him nervously.
He rose and walked across the room to stand at the window looking out and there was an awkward silence until she said,
“Grandmama – always tries to make
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