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Authors: Jean Plaidy
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compared with our loss. I believe George will have something very serious to say to you.’
‘I have something very serious to say to you, Mamma. And that is why I have come here to see you.’
‘What is this?’
‘You have always told me that I should marry.’
‘It was your duty to have done so years ago. If you had and those children of yours were legitimate Parliament and the people would be better pleased with the family.’
‘My son George would make a fine King.’
‘The son of an actress! Don’t be ridiculous. The illegitimate son at that!’
William flushed a little. ‘Your Majesty would find it hard to name a more handsome fellow and better soldier.’
‘I’ve no doubt the young man is admirable, but he happens to be your bastard son and his mother was a play actress.’
The Queen looked coldly at her son. William had always been such a fool. He was a little abashed at the reference to Dorothy. It was not that he wanted to forget her; he merely wanted to forget his treatment of her. He wished that he had waited a little until she had died naturally; then there would have been nothing with which to reproach himself.
But he had good news to tell his mother so he said: ‘I am engaged to be married.’
‘What did you say?’ said the Queen.
‘That I have decided to marry. I have chosen my bride.’
‘Then the Regent has spoken to you?’
‘I have not yet told him of my decision.’
‘I did not know that the arrangements had gone so far. So you are pleased with the prospect.’
‘It delights me. I shall go ahead with arrangements as quickly as possible.’
‘It is my fervent hope – and the Regent’s – that you will.’
‘Have no fear. We’ll have the child before the year’s out.’
He really was a little crude. The rough sailor attitude could be carried too far. She wondered what Adelaide was like. But German princesses were brought up to be docile.
‘It should not take long to make the arrangements. I am sure the Duke will have no objection. I believe he would have welcomed the suggestion before.’
‘The Duke?’ asked William bewildered.
‘Adelaide’s father, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.’
‘Adelaide!’
‘The lady’s name.’
‘I don’t understand, Your Majesty. Miss Wykeham’s name is not Adelaide.’
‘And who is Miss Wykeham?’
‘The lady I have asked to marry me and who has accepted me.’
‘William, are you mad?’ In spite of her agitation she wished she had not used that word which was one she rarely allowed to intrude into her vocabulary. It was a constant fear of hers that one of her sons should have inherited his father’s illness.
‘Mad! Indeed not. It is to tell you of this that I called here today. I have asked Miss Wykeham to marry me and she has accepted me, and I see no reason why the marriage should be delayed. Can Your Majesty name one?’
‘I can name several; but I will content myself with giving you one why it should not take place at all.’
‘Not … take … place!’
‘You are going to marry Adelaide, the daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Envoys are being sent to the Duke now. Who is this woman with the ridiculous name?’
‘If you mean Miss Wykeham, I must protest. Her name is not ridiculous and she happens to be a considerable heiress. I gather that is not considered to be an obstacle.’
‘We know your debts are shamefully large; but the possession of wealth does not qualify a commoner to become the mother of a future King of England.’
‘If she has a child she nevertheless will be, for I am going to marry her.’
‘That is where you are mistaken.’
‘I have offered marriage and been accepted. I cannot step out of it now.’
‘You can and you will, for the simple reason that you are going to marry the Princess Adelaide.’
‘I am sorry to disagree with Your Majesty, but I have given my word.’
‘Have you forgotten the Royal Marriage Act, which makes it alaw that a member of the family
‘I have something very serious to say to you, Mamma. And that is why I have come here to see you.’
‘What is this?’
‘You have always told me that I should marry.’
‘It was your duty to have done so years ago. If you had and those children of yours were legitimate Parliament and the people would be better pleased with the family.’
‘My son George would make a fine King.’
‘The son of an actress! Don’t be ridiculous. The illegitimate son at that!’
William flushed a little. ‘Your Majesty would find it hard to name a more handsome fellow and better soldier.’
‘I’ve no doubt the young man is admirable, but he happens to be your bastard son and his mother was a play actress.’
The Queen looked coldly at her son. William had always been such a fool. He was a little abashed at the reference to Dorothy. It was not that he wanted to forget her; he merely wanted to forget his treatment of her. He wished that he had waited a little until she had died naturally; then there would have been nothing with which to reproach himself.
But he had good news to tell his mother so he said: ‘I am engaged to be married.’
‘What did you say?’ said the Queen.
‘That I have decided to marry. I have chosen my bride.’
‘Then the Regent has spoken to you?’
‘I have not yet told him of my decision.’
‘I did not know that the arrangements had gone so far. So you are pleased with the prospect.’
‘It delights me. I shall go ahead with arrangements as quickly as possible.’
‘It is my fervent hope – and the Regent’s – that you will.’
‘Have no fear. We’ll have the child before the year’s out.’
He really was a little crude. The rough sailor attitude could be carried too far. She wondered what Adelaide was like. But German princesses were brought up to be docile.
‘It should not take long to make the arrangements. I am sure the Duke will have no objection. I believe he would have welcomed the suggestion before.’
‘The Duke?’ asked William bewildered.
‘Adelaide’s father, the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen.’
‘Adelaide!’
‘The lady’s name.’
‘I don’t understand, Your Majesty. Miss Wykeham’s name is not Adelaide.’
‘And who is Miss Wykeham?’
‘The lady I have asked to marry me and who has accepted me.’
‘William, are you mad?’ In spite of her agitation she wished she had not used that word which was one she rarely allowed to intrude into her vocabulary. It was a constant fear of hers that one of her sons should have inherited his father’s illness.
‘Mad! Indeed not. It is to tell you of this that I called here today. I have asked Miss Wykeham to marry me and she has accepted me, and I see no reason why the marriage should be delayed. Can Your Majesty name one?’
‘I can name several; but I will content myself with giving you one why it should not take place at all.’
‘Not … take … place!’
‘You are going to marry Adelaide, the daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Meiningen. Envoys are being sent to the Duke now. Who is this woman with the ridiculous name?’
‘If you mean Miss Wykeham, I must protest. Her name is not ridiculous and she happens to be a considerable heiress. I gather that is not considered to be an obstacle.’
‘We know your debts are shamefully large; but the possession of wealth does not qualify a commoner to become the mother of a future King of England.’
‘If she has a child she nevertheless will be, for I am going to marry her.’
‘That is where you are mistaken.’
‘I have offered marriage and been accepted. I cannot step out of it now.’
‘You can and you will, for the simple reason that you are going to marry the Princess Adelaide.’
‘I am sorry to disagree with Your Majesty, but I have given my word.’
‘Have you forgotten the Royal Marriage Act, which makes it alaw that a member of the family
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