Read Online The Third George: (Georgian Series) by Jean Plaidy - Free Book Online
Authors: Jean Plaidy
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their countries, where their fathers or brothers decided they should. And they had decided that she should be a queen as readily and as ruthlessly as they had decided Christina should lose her hopes of happiness.
She lay on the sofa and the coverlet was placed over her. Beneath the coverlet she must expose her right leg; it was all part of the proxy ceremony.
Mr Drummond, the Englishman, removed his boot and thrust his leg, bare to the knee under the covers. When his flesh touched hers she tried to stop her teeth from chattering.
Now the symbol had been expressed, Mr Drummond removed his leg and replaced his boot, while beneath the coverlet she arranged her robe to cover her own bare leg and rose from the couch.
The ceremony was over.
Her brother, all tenderness and affection, embraced her.
She was a very important person now. He called her Your Majesty.
*
‘Preparations for the journey must not be delayed.’ The Duke was giving his orders throughout the schloss. ‘We must think of Her Majesty’s coronation. There is very little time.’
There were only two days left to her in Mecklenburg and these were to be spent in ceremonies. No longer did she eat her meals in the schoolroom under the scrutiny of Madame de Grabow. Now she dined in public. It was her very first experience of such ceremony.
She must sit at a separate table at the banquet which followed the proxy ceremony and beside her sat Christina, pale and sombre, looking as though she would never smile again, while since her mother could not be there her place was taken by the girls’ great aunt, the Princess Schwartzenburg. All the time the Princess talked of the great honour which had come to Charlotte and how proud they were, and how she must do her duty and be a docile wife and bear her husband many children. Christinasaid little; she ate scarcely anything. Poor sad Christina!
Charlotte began to feel that she would not be sorry to leave home … in the circumstances.
In the great salon her brother was seated with the English envoy Lord Harcourt, Mr Drummond, and members of the English embassy; there were one hundred and fifty guests in all, and through the windows Charlotte could see the gardens lighted by forty thousand lamps.
All in honour of my marriage, she thought. I have become very important here.
But soon she would be on her way to her new country.
*
When she reached her bedroom she found her new dressers, Madame Haggerdorn and Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg, waiting for her. Everything was going to be so much more ceremonious from now on.
Though these two ladies had been chosen to accompany her to England, there had been some controversy about their coming, for. it seemed that the King would have wished her to come without attendants and on her arrival choose English ones – or have them chosen for her. But she had pleaded that she be allowed at least two of her own countrywomen. ‘For I do not speak the language,’ she had explained. She spoke French tolerably well, her brother told her, and German would be understood; so she need have no fears; but the English envoy had agreed that two female attendants, provided they were well chosen, might accompany her. She was also allowed to bring Albert, her hairdresser.
As the new dressers – and it was clear that Madame Haggerdorn was in awe of Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg right from the start – helped her to prepare for bed, Charlotte thought nostalgically of Ida and the lack of ceremony of the old days.
Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg, putting herself in charge, made it clear that she intended to extract the utmost ceremony from the occasion. She signed for Madame Haggerdorn to hand the nightgown and she herself slipped it over Charlotte’s head.
‘I trust there is nothing Your Majesty needs.’
‘No thank you,’ answered Charlotte.
‘Then we beg Your Majesty’s leave to retire.’
Yes, thought Charlotte, retire and leave me alone.
So they left her and she lay in her bed
She lay on the sofa and the coverlet was placed over her. Beneath the coverlet she must expose her right leg; it was all part of the proxy ceremony.
Mr Drummond, the Englishman, removed his boot and thrust his leg, bare to the knee under the covers. When his flesh touched hers she tried to stop her teeth from chattering.
Now the symbol had been expressed, Mr Drummond removed his leg and replaced his boot, while beneath the coverlet she arranged her robe to cover her own bare leg and rose from the couch.
The ceremony was over.
Her brother, all tenderness and affection, embraced her.
She was a very important person now. He called her Your Majesty.
*
‘Preparations for the journey must not be delayed.’ The Duke was giving his orders throughout the schloss. ‘We must think of Her Majesty’s coronation. There is very little time.’
There were only two days left to her in Mecklenburg and these were to be spent in ceremonies. No longer did she eat her meals in the schoolroom under the scrutiny of Madame de Grabow. Now she dined in public. It was her very first experience of such ceremony.
She must sit at a separate table at the banquet which followed the proxy ceremony and beside her sat Christina, pale and sombre, looking as though she would never smile again, while since her mother could not be there her place was taken by the girls’ great aunt, the Princess Schwartzenburg. All the time the Princess talked of the great honour which had come to Charlotte and how proud they were, and how she must do her duty and be a docile wife and bear her husband many children. Christinasaid little; she ate scarcely anything. Poor sad Christina!
Charlotte began to feel that she would not be sorry to leave home … in the circumstances.
In the great salon her brother was seated with the English envoy Lord Harcourt, Mr Drummond, and members of the English embassy; there were one hundred and fifty guests in all, and through the windows Charlotte could see the gardens lighted by forty thousand lamps.
All in honour of my marriage, she thought. I have become very important here.
But soon she would be on her way to her new country.
*
When she reached her bedroom she found her new dressers, Madame Haggerdorn and Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg, waiting for her. Everything was going to be so much more ceremonious from now on.
Though these two ladies had been chosen to accompany her to England, there had been some controversy about their coming, for. it seemed that the King would have wished her to come without attendants and on her arrival choose English ones – or have them chosen for her. But she had pleaded that she be allowed at least two of her own countrywomen. ‘For I do not speak the language,’ she had explained. She spoke French tolerably well, her brother told her, and German would be understood; so she need have no fears; but the English envoy had agreed that two female attendants, provided they were well chosen, might accompany her. She was also allowed to bring Albert, her hairdresser.
As the new dressers – and it was clear that Madame Haggerdorn was in awe of Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg right from the start – helped her to prepare for bed, Charlotte thought nostalgically of Ida and the lack of ceremony of the old days.
Mademoiselle von Schwellenburg, putting herself in charge, made it clear that she intended to extract the utmost ceremony from the occasion. She signed for Madame Haggerdorn to hand the nightgown and she herself slipped it over Charlotte’s head.
‘I trust there is nothing Your Majesty needs.’
‘No thank you,’ answered Charlotte.
‘Then we beg Your Majesty’s leave to retire.’
Yes, thought Charlotte, retire and leave me alone.
So they left her and she lay in her bed
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