Love and Apollo (3 page)

“I understand, ma'am,” the Duke continued, “from Lord Rosebery that Your Majesty is generous enough to send us in a battleship to Larissa.”

“I think that is important,” the Queen replied.  “It will make the Russians, who I understand are infiltrating into Larissa, aware we mean business if they try to force the King to abdicate and take over the country.”

“I doubt after the way they behaved in Bulgaria to Prince Alexander of Battenburg, that they would go so far now as they did then.  At the same time, just by infiltrating amongst the people they can ferment riots and strikes.  In fact they can make it impossible for the King to rule.”

The Queen nodded.

“I am very aware of the situation in the Balkans and that is why I want your sister's marriage to take place as quickly as possible.”

“We have been delayed, ma'am, by the sad death of Lady Sarah Warren, who was to become my sister's Lady in-Waiting.  I thought it would be a splendid idea, if Your Majesty will approve, to appoint the daughter of Princess Louise of Piracus, who is willing to take her place.”

The Duke saw the surprise in the Queen's eyes and there was a pause before she replied, as she had obviously forgotten all about the very existence of Princess Louise.

The Queen possessed a very quick brain and where her orders were concerned, she made as few difficulties as possible.

“I congratulate you, Your Grace, I did not think that Princess Louise's daughter was old enough for such a task.  But if, as you say, she is ready to travel to Larissa, I am delighted to give my approval for her to be your sister's Lady-in-Waiting.”

“Your Majesty is most gracious and my sister and I would be most grateful if Your Majesty would consider the appointment of the Marquis of Dorsham to represent Your Majesty at the wedding.”

“The Marquis of Dorsham?” the Queen queried at once with a faint note of surprise in her voice.

Then she remembered that he was a close friend of the Duke.

“I see no reason, Your Grace, why he could not go.  I believe he was very capable when he looked after one of my granddaughters a year ago.”

“I am sure he will be the same in Larissa, ma'am.  Once again I must thank Your Majesty on behalf of my sister and my whole family.”

He bowed and kissed the Queen's hand and backed his way slowly from the room.

Once outside he thought with some satisfaction that he had carried off what could have been a rather difficult situation.

Rose had won her own way.

But it was more than that which pleased him as he left Windsor Castle.

It was obvious that the Queen had no idea of what his sister and the Marquis felt for each other.

She could not have heard even a whisper that they were interested in each other, let alone in love.

If she had heard anything she would undoubtedly never have agreed to the Marquis travelling with them to represent her at Larissa.

Her Majesty would have then produced an elderly, tiresome and garrulous courtier.

And Rose would have been even more upset than she was already.

‘We are lucky in that if in nothing else,' the Duke ruminated as he drove down to Hampton Court.

He had believed it a mistake to ask Princess Louise first if her daughter could go to Larissa, as he did not want to raise their hopes just in case the Queen had refused point blank to appoint anyone so young.

Now the Duke thought of it, Her Majesty had not asked Valona's age.

Had it been because she had forgotten all about the existence of her mother?

‘That is yet another point on which we were very lucky,' the Duke mused to himself with a smile.

He knocked gently at the door and entered the small Grace and Favour house where Princess Louise lived.

He realised at first glance that she was very poor.

Her husband, His Royal Highness Prince Hermes of Piracas had been thrown off his throne by a revolutionary coup and had only escaped to England by the skin of his teeth.

He had, however, been badly wounded in the leg in the fighting which had taken place in his Palace and had died soon after his arrival in England.

The Royal couple and their child had come away in a wild hurry with no money and had thrown themselves at the mercy of the Queen.

She had given them a Grace and Favour house and a very small pension.

Then, as the Duke had found out, had forgotten all about them, but he could hardly accuse the Queen of being slightly inhuman to them.

He and his family had behaved no better.

Princess Louise had been busy nursing her husband when they had arrived in England, and the Duke's father, with whom she was distantly connected as well as with the Queen had shown very little interest in her.

The Duke looked round the poorly furnished room and he thought that in making Valona a Lady-in-Waiting to his sister, he would be doing them a good turn.

It might make up in a small way for all the years of neglect.

The Princess came into the room and was surprised to see him.

“How very kind of you to call on me,” she greeted him. “It was delightful to see you at the funeral and I did hope for Valona's sake that we might have the chance of meeting you again.”

“It is Valona I have come to see you about.”

The Duke came straight to the point and Princess Louise invited him to sit down.

When he was seated he told her that his sister Rose was shortly going to Larissa to marry King Phidias and that Sarah, whose funeral they had both attended yesterday, had been intending to travel with his sister as Lady-in-Waiting.

Princess Louise was listening to him intently as he continued,

“As Valona is only a year or two younger than my sister, I thought that it would be very nice for them to be together.  Her Majesty has given her permission for me to invite Valona to be Rose's Lady-in-Waiting.”

Princess Louise looked astonished.

“It has never entered my mind that such a thing was possible!” she exclaimed.

“We will all be travelling in a battleship,” the Duke told her, “and I promise you we will look after Valona very carefully and if after some months in Larissa she wishes to return, I will make every effort to find someone else to take her place.

“Naturally you will understand that it would be far more satisfactory for Rose and myself to have a relative in such a position of trust rather than a stranger.”

“I understand,” replied Princess Louise in her soft voice.  “And I am so very grateful to you for having even thought of Valona.  Shall I call her down and see what she thinks about your proposition?”

“Please do.”

He stood up as the Princess rose and when she had left the room, he looked around.

He was thinking that as a family they had been very remiss in not taking more trouble over Princess Louise.

The room was most sparsely furnished and in fact its only real ornamentation was the number of books in it not only on shelves but on tables and some were even piled on the floor as if there was no other place for them.

The Duke wondered if it was the Princess who was such an avid reader or her daughter.

The door now opened and the Princess entered with Valona beside her.

He had only had a quick glance at her yesterday at the funeral, but now he realised she was very pretty and if she was better dressed, she would undoubtedly be hailed as a beauty.

Valona was fair whilst her mother was dark and her eyes seemed to portray a touch of her Greek blood, which made them large and there was something definitely mystic about them.

The Duke felt that could be expected in a Goddess who came from Olympus.

Valona walked quickly over to him with her hand outstretched.

He realised that she was not the least shy.

“How lovely it is to see you again,” she exclaimed.  “When I saw you at the funeral I was thinking how proud we should be, Mama and I, to have such distinguished relatives.”

The Duke laughed.

“And I was thinking the same about
you
!”

“I don't believe it for a moment, but I like to hear you say it.”

They both sat down and the Duke explained exactly what he wanted Valona to do.

She was completely incredulous at the idea.

He knew it had never crossed her mind that he or his family could ever be interested in her.

“I would just love to be a Lady-in-Waiting to your sister, but perhaps I will not be very efficient.”

“You will find plenty of people to tell you what to do when you reach Larissa, but you will undoubtedly find, Valona, just as I have, that protocol and all that bowing and scraping becomes very monotonous after a while.”

“To me it will be something so new and thrilling,” enthused Valona.  “And, of course, I would love to go on a battleship.  I adore being at sea.”

“You are not seasick?”

“I do hope not.  Mama said I was not sick when we came to England, but I was only ten at the time.”

“Now you have to tell us,” Princess Louise came in, “what clothes Valona will require.  To be very frank, we have very little money.”

“As Valona is one of the family,” replied the Duke, “and I am the head of it, I think that I should be responsible for her.  She must represent England in a way which will delight all the people of Larissa and make them even more impressed by the Union Jack than they are already.”

Princess Louise drew in her breath.

He could tell how worried she had been, wondering how Valona could possibly appear in public in the clothes she owned at the moment.

“I want you to be very sensible about it,” the Duke went on, “and to spend however much is necessary to make Valona look smart and as beautiful as I know she will be if she has the right frame for her loveliness.”

Valona clasped her hands together and exclaimed,

“That is the nicest and most exciting thing that has ever been said to me!  Oh, thank you, thank you, Cousin Arthur, as Mama wishes me to call you.  I think you are the kindest man who ever existed!”

“The only snag to all this is that you will have to work very quickly.  My sister is leaving in nine days time.”

Princess Louise gave a cry of horror.

“How can we do it?”

“Quite easily,” he responded, “if you go to the best shops in Bond Street, I will give you their names.”

He thought it very unlikely that the Princess had the slightest idea which they were.

He therefore wrote down the names of the shops his sister and also a very attractive actress in whom he was interested, patronised.

He had bought her several gowns and had felt the money was well spent as she looked so lovely in them.

He gave the names to the Princess as well as a note saying the bills were to be sent to him.

“Show this note to the shops and you will have no difficulties.  And you must not be offended if I give you some money now to hire a carriage to take you from here into London.”

Thinking that the Princess was about to protest, he added quickly,

“If you are too proud to accept money, I shall have to send one of my own carriages and my coachman to take you out shopping.  That, quite frankly, would be slightly inconvenient as my sister is using it at present to finish buying her trousseau.”

Tears were sparkling in Princess Louise's eyes as she thanked him.

Then as he rose to depart, she remarked,

“I am just a little bit worried about your sister as I remember being told by one of the old Ambassadors living here who knows Larissa well that King Phidias has been ill for some time.”

“We are only hoping that he will be well enough to enjoy his wedding, but as you must be aware, the Russians will be waiting for him to die and will then try to take over the country before he is replaced on the throne.”

The Princess nodded.

“I was afraid that would be the situation.”

“And that is why it means we must waste no time and be prepared to leave in nine days time.”

“I will be ready, I promise you that I will be ready,” exclaimed Valona.  “And thank you so very much, Cousin Arthur, for being so kind.  It will be so fantastic for me to have some really wonderful clothes.  Mama finds it very hard to make all the dresses I need.”

“I think that your mother has been very brave,” the Duke told her.  “And as soon as you have left for Larissa, I am going to suggest she comes to stay for a little while at Combe Hall in Norfolk.  There are a number of my relatives there who will want to welcome her back into the family.”

“It will be a great pleasure to meet them,” said the Princess gratefully.

Her voice was a little unsteady and the Duke knew she was near to tears.

He expressed his goodbyes and kissed Valona.

“You are going to be my prettiest relative, Valona, and I am determined that all the family will admire you.  They may have to wait until you come back from Larissa, but in the meantime you will be upholding the Union Jack and we shall be very proud of you.”

Valona gave a little laugh and he noticed that she had dimples in both of her cheeks.

“I only hope that I shall understand such delightful compliments even if they are said in another language.  I don't want to miss even one of them!”

“That is up to you.  Since I am sure that you speak Greek, my sister is relying on you to teach her a few words which the people she will rule over will understand.”

“I will do that!  I promise you I will do that!”

The Duke climbed back into his carriage.

Valona and her mother waved him goodbye until he was out of sight.

The Duke leant back on the comfortable seat with a sigh of satisfaction.

He had been so afraid that his sister would refuse to go and then that the Queen would not allow the Marquis to represent her and travel with them.

And finally that he would be unable to find another Lady-in-Waiting.

Now all these difficulties had been solved.