Free The Captive of Kensington Palace by Jean Plaidy Page B

beautiful as the Big Doll which Aunt Adelaide had given her; in fact it bore some resemblance to it and would be a pleasant companion for the Big Doll. As soon as she had seen it she had wanted it. She had pointed it out to Lehzen in the shop window and Lehzen had reported her desire to the Duchess. Together they had decided that it was not good for Victoria to have all she wanted; she must therefore save up her pocket money until she had enough to buy the doll. It was six shillings – a high price for a doll, but then it was a very special one.
    ‘Is she not growing a little old for dolls?’ wondered the Duchess.
    Lehzen could not bear that she should, so she remarked that she thought there was no harm in her fondness for them … for a year or so. Many of the dolls represented historical characters and it was amazing how quickly she learned the history of those who were in the doll family.
    So it was decided that she should save for the doll and add this one to her collection. The owner of the shop, although he had left it in his window, had put a little notice on it to say Sold. Every time she passed Victoria gazed longingly at the doll and exulted over the little ticket; and gradually she was accumulating the money.
    ‘We will go now,’ said Lehzen, ‘and then we shall be back in time for Monsieur Grandineau’s French lesson.’
    They were talking of the doll as they came out of the apartment and there was Sir John Conroy smiling the smile which Victoria could not like.
    ‘Going to buy the doll?’ he asked. What a pity, thought Victoria, that he knew. It was a lesson not to talk too much in future. She sighed. There seemed to be lessons in everything. What tiresome things lessons could be! But perhaps Mamma had told him.
    Lehzen replied shortly that they were.
    ‘And the Princess saved her money for it,’ went on Sir John. ‘That is quite admirable. I know how careful she is with her money. She is getting more and more like her Grandmamma Queen Charlotte. She was very careful with money.’
    Victoria coloured hotly and pulled at Lehzen’s hand. I hate him, she thought. I wish he would go.
    Like Queen Charlotte! Queen Charlotte was ugly; she was unattractive. Nobody had liked her. Although poor Aunt Sophia and Augusta never actually said so, one could tell when they talked of their Mamma that they had not really loved her.
    ‘Am I like Queen Charlotte?’ she demanded as they walked through the gardens.
    ‘Not in the least,’ comforted Lehzen.
    ‘He once said I was like the Duke of Gloucester.’
    ‘I do not think,’ said Lehzen in a chilly tone, ‘that we should take any notice of what that man says.’
    Lehzen could not have told her more clearly that she disliked Sir John, and Victoria was comforted. If Lehzen disliked him, then she could do so and know that she was right to. Only Mamma did not dislike him. That was the odd thing. Mamma liked him in a strange sort of way.
    But they were getting near to the shop and the thought of clasping the doll in her arms at last, of seeing it in the nursery with Queen Elizabeth and the rest drove from her mind such unpleasant thoughts as those conjured up by brooding on Mamma’s relationship with Sir John.
    ‘I have the money,’ she told the man in the shop and he was so pleased, not she was sure because he wanted to sell the doll but because he knew how pleased she was to have her.
    She laid the money carefully on the counter and the doll was taken out of the window.
    Would the Princess like it wrapped, or would she carry it?
    Wrapped! She could not bear it to be wrapped. The doll was for her a living person. One did not wrap up people.
    ‘I will carry her,’ she said.
    And the doll was laid in her arms and Lehzen touched its face lovingly and said it was a very fine doll indeed, and compared favourably with the Big Doll.
    The man at the door opened it with a bow and Victoria holding the precious doll, smilingly happily, walked out. She was glad, she told