Read Online Victoria Confesses (9781442422469) by Carolyn Meyer - Free Book Online Page A

older children arrived from Germany. The younger ones had been left at home under the care of our dear Späth. The family planned to stay with us for nearly two months.
    My heart was full to bursting at the first sight of Fidi. More than six years had passed since I last saw her, a nervous young bride. Now the PERFECT MOTHER to four children, she had grown stout but looked very well. Prince Ernst beamed with pride as he escorted his family. Little Carl, four and half, was very tall with light blue eyes and fair hair, a nice-looking boy though not handsome (neither, of course, was his father, whom he favored), and a good-tempered little fellow. His sister Elise, a year younger, was a perfect beauty, with light brown hair and immense brown eyes just like her mamma’s. She was clever and amusing and spoke German and French very nicely. The children were the dearest little loves, not at all shy, and so VERY good!
    The first days of the visit were delightful, but I longed for time alone with Fidi and the chance to talk to her about SO MANY things. This proved difficult. Mamma naturally wanted to spend as much time as possible with my sister and had arranged dinners and entertainments nearly every day and evening for the adult visitors. To my extreme displeasure, and Fidi’s, too, Sir John and the rest of the Conroys were always included. Fearing that Feodore could exert undue influence over me, Sir John and Mamma no doubt conspired to ensure that I would not be alone with my sister as much as I wished.
    Only a fortnight earlier, just after my birthday, Mammahad appointed a new lady of the bedchamber, Lady Flora Hastings, and informed me that Lady Flora was to serve as my chaperone. I had not been consulted, I had not chosen her, and I was given nothing to say about it. I was fifteen years old, I would someday be queen, and still I was not allowed to choose my own ladies!
    I disliked Lady Flora from the start. Now at every moment she hovered somewhere close by, so that it was nearly impossible to be entirely alone with Fidi.
    â€œWho is this Lady Flora?” Fidi asked when at last we managed to escape. We were riding at an easy canter by the Serpentine in Kensington Gardens.
    â€œPerhaps you should ask Mamma,” I replied tartly. “All I know is that she is a great friend of the Conroys. That explains it all, doesn’t it?”
    â€œShe is very attractive,” Fidi said thoughtfully. “And in the brief conversation I had with her, she struck me as intelligent, even witty. What is it that you so dislike about her?”
    â€œShe adores Sir John excessively and looks up to him,” I explained. “I’m certain it was his idea entirely to assign her as my chaperone. Mamma goes along with whatever he says.”
    â€œSo that has not changed,” Fidi said. “Not that I expected it would.”
    â€œI think she’s a spy,” I added darkly.
    Fidi laughed. “But what is there to spy upon?”
    â€œOh, Fidi! Mamma and Sir John want to get rid of dearest Daisy, and they insist on finding fault with her! The duchess of Northumberland replaced her as my governess because Sir John insisted that I need someone who is English to make sure I always use the correct fork. I don’t dislike LadyCharlotte. She’s very kind and pleasant and honest and always takes dearest Daisy’s part. But it’s a different matter with Lady Flora, who makes clear her disdain for Lehzen. ‘Why is it you are so fond of caraway seeds, my dear baroness?’ Lady Flora asked haughtily last week at lunch. ‘You sprinkle them on your meat, your vegetables, your bread and butter. I should not be surprised if you put them on gooseberry fool.’”
    â€œPoor Daisy!” Fidi exclaimed. “What did she say?”
    â€œShe answered very mildly, ‘They are an aid to digestion. Perhaps you would also find them helpful.’ One can see that she distrusts Lady Flora,