The Queen's Favourites aka Courting Her Highness (v5) (34 page)

Anxiety—mainly about
this appointment of Sunderland’s—seemed to increase the gout. Anne, her feet bound up with poultices, her face red and spotty, her gown unbuttoned, would lie back in her chair and find comfort in little but the presence of Abigail. She was scarcely recognizable as the dazzlingly clad Queen of her public appearances. She was becoming one of the most important sovereigns in Europe and was well aware that she owed this in a large measure to the Duke of Marlborough.

This was enhanced when Colonel Richards, the Duke’s aide, brought her news of the great victory of Ramillies.

Marlborough wrote that he wished the Queen to know the truth of his heart and that the greatest pleasure he had in this success was that it might be a great service in her affairs, for he was sincerely sensible of all her goodness to him and his.

Anne read this with tears in her eyes. Dear Mr. Freeman! Had she allowed herself to become irritated by all the importunings for that man whose temper she did not like? Such a pity of course that Anne Churchill had married him.

Sarah came to see her, beaming with delight.

“Why, Mrs. Morley, do you realize what this means. It is the greatest victory since that of Blenheim which Mr. Freeman won for you. This is going to make a difference to the whole course of the war. I have heard that Louis is desolate … quite desolate. I can assure you that the enemy trembles … yes, trembles at the very mention of Marlborough’s name.”

“It is indeed a great victory, Mrs. Freeman, and I shall never, never forget the genius of Mr. Freeman.”

“It would give him great pleasure to see Sunderland’s appointment.”

Even on such an occasion Anne retained her stubbornness.

She turned her head away. “Dear Mr. Freeman will have much to occupy him on the Continent. There must be a thanksgiving service for this victory. I will speak to my Lord Godolphin of my wishes in this matter.”

Sarah did not pursue the subject of Sunderland which was a great relief to the Queen. In fact Sarah was a little subdued which, in the circumstances was surprising, but when she told Anne the reason, Anne was full of sympathy and understanding.

“It might easily have been the end of Mr. Freeman,” Sarah burst out. “I can scarcely bear to think of it, for when I do I must remind myself that every hour he spends over there he is in danger. It was so nearly the end at Ramillies.”

“My poor, poor Mrs. Freeman!”

“He was leaping across a ditch when his horse was shot from under him; he fell. If his aide, Captain Molesworth, had not been there to give him his horse, the Duke might have fallen to the enemy. I shudder to think of it.”

In a moment of rare introspection Sarah saw life without Marlborough. She could not have endured it. She almost wanted to throw away ambition, to have him safe with her at Holywell House, home and safe.

“That’s not all,” she said grimly. “While his equerry, Colonel Bringfield was helping him to mount, a cannon ball struck the Colonel and took his head right off. It might so easily have been …”

“It was Providence, dearest Mrs. Freeman,” soothed Anne.

“I have been to see the Colonel’s widow,” went on Sarah. “Poor creature. She is nigh on demented. I comforted her and told her what a great service her husband had done to his country and that you would not wish to let it go unrewarded. I promised her a pension, knowing my dear Mrs. Morley’s generosity, I was sure it was what she would have wished.”

“Certainly she must have a pension. Oh, this terrible war! I shall give such heartfelt thanks, Mrs. Freeman, not only for this glorious victory, but for the preservation of dear Mr. Freeman’s life.”

Godolphin sat beside
the Queen and told her what this would mean.

“The King of France lost one of his finest armies at the Battle of Blenheim, Madam, besides all the country between the Danube and the Rhine. But with his defeat at Ramillies he has lost all Flanders.”

“The Duke is a genius,” replied Anne.

“It will be said of him that he helped to make England great, Madam.”

“News has reached me that the French are desolate … quite desolate.”

“In a panic, I should say Madam. Marshall Villeroy was afraid to acquaint his master with the disaster and remained shut in his tent for five days.”

“Poor old man,” said the Queen. “I hear he is turned sixty.”

“Louis himself is almost seventy.”

“It is a pity that old men, so near the end, should be concerned with killing others. But that is war, Mr. Montgomery.”

Godolphin was pleased that the Queen should have slipped back to the familiar name with which she had endowed him. Since she knew that he supported Sarah in her demands for Sunderland she had dropped the pet name and referred to him formally as my Lord Godolphin. Ramillies, he realized, had made her see what she owed to the Churchill family; and as a member of it, by marriage, he shared in the glory.

“Well,” went on the Queen, “let us hope that the end of war is in sight … a victorious end. For I would rather see money spent on improving the lot of my people than in killing them.”

“There is no doubt, Madam, that the Duke’s victories in France are improving the lot of your subjects.”

“You are right, Mr. Montgomery, and we must have a thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s to remind them of all they owe to God for this great victory.”

“And to the great Duke,” Godolphin reminded her.

“And to the Duke,” echoed Anne.

There was consternation
throughout the Court. Sarah was ill.

Her servants had gone to her room and found her lying on the floor in a fit.

As the news spread there was more excitement than there had been over the news of the victory at Ramillies. Sarah dead! What would happen at Court then? Who would take her place?

Never had Abigail found it so difficult to cloak her feelings. The feared and hated rival gone. To what glory might
she
not come? The battle would be over; Abigail had no fears as to who would step into Sarah’s place. She wondered what
he
was thinking and could guess. This would make a difference to everything.

But when she saw how distressed the Queen was she felt uneasy.

“Hill, Hill. Have you heard the news? Oh, my poor dearest Mrs. Freeman. What should I do if I lost her? I have suffered many tragedies in my life, Hill, and among them the greatest a mother can endure! The loss of my boy. But if Mrs. Freeman should die … if she should leave me …”

“Madam, you must not distress yourself,” said Abigail, interrupting for once. But Anne did not notice this; she allowed Hill to put an arm round her and hold her against her breast.

“Oh, Hill, Hill she has been so close to me … for so many years.”

Abigail looked down at the red, flabby face, wet with tears, and understood the repulsion Sarah did not trouble to disguise.

How could Anne be so besottedly fond of that woman who would never have bothered to speak to her if she had not been Queen. One thing was clear: Anne could not escape from the spell of Sarah Churchill. Abigail thought of these last months when Anne had been perpetually bullied over this matter of Sunderland and she could not understand the Queen’s sincere grief.

“My doctors must be sent to her at once, Hill.”

“Yes, Madam. I will pass on your orders.”

“Thank you, Hill. I don’t know what I should do without you. And even you … I owe to her.”

Yes, thought Abigail, that was the irony of the situation. The more devoted Anne became to Abigail, the more grateful she must be to Sarah.

Before the thanksgiving
service Sarah had recovered. She came to the Court, only a little paler than usual and certainly not in the least subdued.

The Queen embraced her warmly. “My dearest,
dearest
Mrs. Freeman, what anxieties I have suffered on your behalf.”

“I am recovered now. You did not think I would stay away from the thanksgiving to Marlborough, did you?”

Anne did not remind her that it was a thanksgiving to God; Sarah could not see it that way; and in any case she was really quite irreligious.

“I am so happy to see you here,” said Anne sincerely.

“I must of course decide what jewels you will wear.”

“Hill has already put them ready. We thought to save you trouble, Mrs. Freeman.”

“A chambermaid putting out your jewels! What do you expect her to choose? No, Mrs. Morley, that will not do. Those rubies. Ridiculous! They shall all be taken away and I shall make up my mind what will best become the occasion.”

“I thought Hill made a good choice.”

Sarah blew her lips, dismissing Hill and her choice. She was smiling. “I have written to Mr. Freeman. Poor man, they had told him of my illness. I would not have had him disturbed. He threatens to leave everything and come back to me.”

“Such a devoted husband! How fortunate we are … both of us. Not many women have husbands like ours.”

Sarah’s lips curled in disdain. This comparing of fat stupid George with Marl was more than she could stomach.

She went on: “I told him I should soon be well. It was the anxiety of the battle and then of course this affair at Ramillies when I might so easily have lost him. There are so many anxieties at home. I am not sure that Vanbrugh is the man for Blenheim. I don’t get on with him at all. Then of course those from whom I would expect friendship will not listen to my advice.”

Anne’s lips set sternly. In a moment, Sarah thought, she will be telling me that she can’t endure his temper and won’t have a good relationship with him. In which case I shall scream to her to stop or she’ll send me into another fit.

Sunderland shall most certainly have the post but this is perhaps not the time.

So Sarah busied herself with choosing the Queen’s jewels while Anne told her how worried she was about George’s asthma which was undoubtedly getting worse.

“He is so bad during the night, Mrs. Freeman, it breaks my heart to watch him. He worries about me. He says it is too much for me to help him, but I remind him that he is my very dear husband and that it is my privilege.”

“You should have one of his pages sleep on a pallet in the room while you have a chamber to yourself and get your rest.”

“We have shared the same bed for so many years, and he admits that he would not rest without me beside him. And nor should I without him. But do not concern yourself, dearest Mrs. Freeman. Your unfortunate Morley is well served. I have Hill sleep on a pallet in the antechamber so that I can call her at a moment’s notice. She is such a good creature. I never have to call her twice. There she is … so ready … so willing. Neither the Prince nor I know what we should do without her. And I always remember I have to thank
you
for her.”

“I took her from a broom, as you know, and she is eager to show me her gratitude. I have told her that she can best please me by pleasing you.”

“Dearest Mrs. Freeman, how can I ever repay you?”

Sunderland? thought Sarah. No perhaps not yet. After the ceremony. That would be the time.