The Prince and the Quakeress: (Georgian Series) (26 page)

In her heart she always believed that one day some great opportunity would come along. She intended to be a Duchess at least and when that opportunity came she did not wish to be hampered by a marriage to a nobody, which was all Augustus was at the time. Augustus did not seem to mind the secrecy as long as he was not excluded from her bed when he desired to be there. That had to be accepted and was no hardship, he being a personable young man; but there followed the inevitable result which caused her a great deal of trouble. In spite of voluminous skirts these predicaments have a way of showing themselves and it soon became clear to Elizabeth that she would have to stage a little act. She would have to leave Court to take the air, she announced; there were smiles behind fans and whispers in corridors; much Elizabeth cared. She left Court and gave birth to a boy – christened Henry Augustus – and she put him out with a suitable family to be cared for. He did not live long, poor child, and she had soon forgotten him. She returned to Court, where acquaintances were inclined to make too tender enquiries after her health.

One pert young woman, and this in the presence of Lord Chesterfield, murmured that she had heard rumours and some had dared suggest that she had had twins. Elizabeth had turned to Chesterfield and demanded to know if he could believe such a thing.

Chesterfield who prided himself on being a wit replied: ‘I never believe more than half I hear, Miss Chudleigh.’ Which remark was noted down and reported and repeated throughout the Court as an illustration of the wit of the Earl of Chesterfield and the scandalous behaviour of Miss Chudleigh.

But she cared nothing for gossip and scandal. Let them chatter to their hearts’ content. She was safe. No one knew she
was married to Hervey – nor would they ever be sure of it, because even if he declared they were married she could deny it, for she had taken the precaution of forcing the parson to give her access to the register and had destroyed the certificate of marriage and torn the page from the register on which Mr Annis, who had married them, had recorded the event.

Now the position had changed. The Earl of Bristol was very ill and Augustus was next in the line of succession to the Earldom. The Countess of Bristol was a very worthy title and she was wishing now that she had not destroyed the evidence of the marriage.

There was nothing to be done, she decided, but to go to Larnston and stay with her aunt and uncle, and when there she would bully little Mr Annis into giving her another marriage certificate and rewriting the page in the register. It was a very simple matter.

So Miss Chudleigh had left Court ‘to take a little country air,’ and in due course arrived at Winchester and from thence went to the home of her uncle and aunt in Larnston.

They were delighted to see their flamboyant relative from Court who was so beautiful, so dazzling, that everyone for miles round would envy them.

Miss Chudleigh accepted their homage and was graciously charming, explained that she wished to see Mr Annis without delay for she had important business to discuss with him.

Oh dear, this was a sorry business. Mr Annis was dangerously ill.

‘All the more reason why I should see him without delay.’

‘But the poor man is on his death-bed.’

‘Then I certainly must see him before he expires.’

‘In fact, his doctor has said he is to see no one.’

Miss Chudleigh smiled. She was not no one. Aunt and Uncle Merrill, country-folk though they were, should know that.

So into the death-chamber strode Elizabeth, vital, determined, in great contrast to the sick man on the bed. She must speak with him alone; everyone must leave her; it was of the utmost importance to the saving of his soul.

‘Mr Annis, can you hear me Mr Annis?’ His eyes were glassy, but he must live until he had done his task. ‘Mr Annis, it was a wicked thing you did to destroy that page from the church
register. How can you face your Maker, Mr Annis, with such a sin on your conscience? I have come to save you. You must put back that page before you die.’

Mr Annis remembered her. Who would ever forget her?

Often he remembered what he had allowed her to do. It was an offence, was it not, a criminal offence to destroy part of the church register.

‘I heard how ill you were and I could not allow you to go before your Maker until you had put this matter right. Do you hear me, Mr Annis?’

He did hear. He did remember his sin.

‘Now you must give me the keys which open the cupboard or wherever it is the books and certificates are kept. You married me to the Honourable Augustus John Hervey, did you not? Then you must write me another certificate and you must put that page back in the register… somehow. It is the only way to salvation, Mr Annis.’

Poor Mr Annis! The sheer will to save his soul kept him alive. In the death-chamber he listened to Elizabeth; he gave her the keys and it was she who guided his hand.

And when he had done as she asked, he lay back on his pillows and died.

An example she told herself of what can be achieved if one only has the will to do it.

Poor old Annis! Let him rest in peace. He had done his duty; and now if the old Earl of Bristol died tomorrow no one could deny that Elizabeth Chudleigh was the Countess.

*

The Earl stubbornly and most unaccommodatingly clung to life and Elizabeth returned to Court so that she might be close at hand to hear of his demise when it occurred. In the meantime she had to make the facts of her marriage known and the first person she must tell should be the Dowager Princess.

She would have to break the news gently, for Augusta would not be pleased with a maid of honour who married without her consent and kept the marriage secret for some years. It was most unconventional behaviour and Elizabeth had already offended the Dowager Princess with her manners.

Not that the Princess cared to reprimand her. Elizabeth was aware of matters which she would rather not have mentioned.
Of course Elizabeth must never forget that although the Princess might not want to offend her she was the most powerful member of her own Court and she could take action which might be inconvenient to Elizabeth. She might even call her bluff and let her do her worst, which could be inconvenient. Now, if there was a little blackmail going on between them it was pleasant courtly blackmail; and that was really how Elizabeth wanted it to remain.

So she must act with care.

By good fortune – for her – she encountered the Prince of Wales when he was alone and was immediately struck by the change in him.

Our Prince has turned into a very serious young man, she thought. Something has happened.

Elizabeth must naturally find out what without delay.

She dropped a charming curtsy.

‘What pleasure to see Your Highness looking so well. It is long since that pleasure was mine.’

‘You have been away from Court, I believe, Miss Chudleigh?’

‘Yes, I had to pay a duty call on my aunt and uncle in the country and I used that opportunity to take a little air.’

‘You are looking well for the change.’

‘How gracious is Your Highness.’ She took a step nearer. ‘Oh, this is presumptuous of me… but it is out of my deep regard for Your Highness. I… I trust all is well?’

‘All is well, Miss Chudleigh.’

‘I was thinking of… that dear friend of us both.’

The Prince coloured. ‘She… she is better, thank you.’

‘So she has been ill?’

He looked at her steadily for a few moments; her lovely face was suffused with tender affection. Much as he loved Hannah he could always be deeply affected by a beautiful woman, and there was something motherly about Elizabeth at that moment.

He longed to confide in someone; he was deeply worried. He had done something which he knew his mother would consider disastrous. Only that day she and Lord Bute had talked about the day he would marry; they had talked complacently as though they were looking forward to it. He had made an effort to tell them, but he could not bring himself to do it. Lord Bute had been saying that people might like their King to have an English
bride, but his mother said that he must have a royal Queen and that his ancestors had always taken their wives from Germany.

It was painful to listen to such talk and yet he could not bring himself to stop them, to explain to them. He had wanted to, but he knew – and he was realizing this more and more every day – what a shock it would be to them when they heard of his marriage to Hannah.

Therefore it would be comforting to explain to someone who would be sympathetic and he knew she would because she always had been.

‘Miss Chudleigh,’ he said quietly, ‘I wish to confide in you.’

‘Yes, Your Highness.’ She tried not to sound too eager.

‘You were so kind to me… and to Hannah.’

‘Your Highness, it is my duty to serve you with any power I have. As to Hannah… I look upon her as a very dear friend. If I could do anything… just anything… to make you two happier, I beg of you, I implore you, to let me know what it is.’

‘Miss Chudleigh, I have married Hannah.’

She caught her breath. It was incredible. Fresh from her own adventure with the church register of Larnston it still seemed fantastic. The future King of England married to a little Quaker girl – the niece of a linen-draper! Oh no. It couldn’t be true. It simply could not.

He was watching her eagerly, so she forced her features into an expression of deepest sympathy.

‘It seemed to me the only possible action, Miss Chudleigh.’

‘I understand.’

‘I knew you would. Oh… I knew you would. So you are not shocked.’

‘I think you have done a brave and noble thing.’ She forced the tears into her eyes; it was not easy, but she had taught herself this trick and in any case she was so surprised that it was not so difficult as usual.

‘Oh, Miss Chudleigh, I feel much better having confided in you.’

‘I am glad Your Highness so honoured me. Have you… told any others?’

‘Only my sister Elizabeth and Edward… my brother. Edward was our witness.’

‘And who married you?’

‘Dr Wilmot. I commanded it. They cannot blame him.’

‘Your Highness is your own master and will ere long, I doubt not, be the master of us all. So… no one else knows.’

He shook his head. ‘It is a great relief, Miss Chudleigh, to share this burden. I want to explain. Hannah is ill… she fears she may not live. It was necessary, you see. She could not die with this sin… on her soul. I had to do this, Miss Chudleigh. It was the only way.’

‘I understand. I am sure you were right. It was good and noble. I am sure of it. And Mr Axford… ?’

‘The marriage to Mr Axford was no real marriage. It took place at the marriage mill, which is illegal. Mr Axford himself believes this, for he has recently married a Miss Bartlett. Dr Wilmot helped me discover the truth of this and there is no doubt of it.’

‘So… there is a Princess of Wales,’ murmured Elizabeth.

‘I do not know whether Hannah would wish to be so described… nor that my grandfather…’

Elizabeth nodded. Here was excitement. This made her little adventure seem like a nursery prank. The Prince married – and the King in ignorance of it. And the Princess and old Bute… ! She wanted to laugh, but she smiled benignly, sympathetically and affectionately.

‘Your Highness, may I dare to advise you… ?’

‘Oh, Miss Chudleigh, please do.’

‘Say nothing of this to anyone… who does not know already.’

‘I certainly will not. And thank you for your kindness.’

‘Your Highness, you must not thank me. I have done nothing… though I wish you to know that I will do anything to serve you now and at any time.’

The Prince went to his apartments considerably comforted by the encounter; and Elizabeth went to hers in a state of great excitement.

*

Elizabeth presented herself to the Dowager Princess. Augusta forced herself to smile. She wished the woman had stayed in the country. There was something quite brazen about her; and when one thought how much she knew of that unfortunate
affair of George and the Quaker it was really quite disconcerting.

‘So you have returned,’ said Augusta.

Elizabeth swept a demure curtsy. ‘And have come to ask Your Highness’s pardon.’

The Princess raised her eyebrows.

‘Have I Your Highness’s permission to proceed?’

‘Pray do.’

‘I have to confess, Your Highness, that I am married.’

‘And when did this occur?’

‘Some years ago, Your Highness.’

‘I see, so you have been posing at my Court as a single woman.’

‘That is so, Your Highness.’

‘I find this distasteful.’

‘Your Highness, I fear there is much going on that is distasteful.’ The beautiful wide-open eyes met those of the Princess Dowager and the Princess felt her own colour rise. A reference to herself and Lord Bute. The insolence of the creature. She would not have her at the Court. Could this clandestine marriage be used as a means of getting rid of her?

‘The name of your husband?’

‘The Honourable Augustus John Hervey.’

‘Bristol’s grandson… and heir.’ Light was beginning to dawn on the Princess. Bristol was very ill, close to death, she had heard. Now she knew why Elizabeth Chudleigh was anxious to announce her marriage. She was looking forward to being Countess of Bristol. The woman was shameless, a schemer, unscrupulous.

Yes, in spite of Lord Bute’s warnings she was going to get rid of her.

‘I trust Your Highness is not displeased.’

‘I am very displeased. I do not care for this secrecy. I find it… discourteous. I trust you enjoyed your stay in the country. Where was it?’

‘Larnston, Your Highness, not far from Winchester.’

‘A pleasant part of the country, I believe. You should enjoy staying there.’

Elizabeth was startled. Was that a command?

‘Now you may leave me.’

Elizabeth was alarmed. She knew what would happen. She
had seen it before. She would retire to her apartments, and in a very short time a messenger would come to her with the news that there was no longer a place for her in the Princess’s household and she would be expected to leave within a few hours. And once out it would be hard to come back. The King? He was getting old and tired. He might have forgotten that he had once found her attractive.