Free Courting Her Highness by Jean Plaidy

of Sarah’s power. This happened one day when a message was brought to her that Lady Marlborough wished to speak to her without delay.
    Abigail went at once to Sarah’s apartment which was connected with the Princess’s by a staircase; and there Sarah was impatiently waiting her.
    “Ah, Abigail Hill.”
    Yes, she was magnificent; her handsome looks, her vitality, her strident voice; her laughter sudden and coarse; her presence commanding.
    “You sent for me, Lady Marlborough?”
    Sarah nodded. “I have good news for you. You have done well at your post and I am going to see that you are rewarded.”
    “Your ladyship is good to me.” Abigail gave no indication of her apprehension. What would be her reward? Not to return to St. Albans!
    “I know that I can trust you. I am going to put you closer to the Princess.”
    “I … I see.” Abigail’s face had become faintly pink; it would show, shewas aware, in her nose and she would look even more unattractive than usual.
    “Yes,” went on Sarah, “I know that you are well aware how to be
discreet
. You will be a chambermaid and you will do small tasks for the Princess … fetching and carrying when necessary. It is a pleasant post; in fact it is close to my own. You will not only be near the Princess but near
me
.”
    “I don’t know how to thank you, Lady Marlborough.”
    “You will please me if you do your work
well
. The Princess needs you to bring what she wants without her asking. You must anticipate her needs. See that her dish of sweetmeats is replenished, that her cards are always at hand and that none is lost and that they are replaced when necessary; you will see that her clothes are in order, that when she needs gloves you have them. At the same time you must behave as though you are not there. Her Highness would not wish you to
intrude
. Do you understand?”
    “Yes, Lady Marlborough.”
    “I am glad. You will take over tasks which I once performed and for which I now have not the time. Your duty in fact is to let it seem that
I
am there when I am not. Speak only to the Princess when spoken to. I doubt she will speak to you. You will discover what is needed of you as time goes on. I am going to take you to Her Highness now and explain that you will be there to perform the more menial tasks of the bedchamber. Don’t forget. Don’t speak unless you are spoken to. You will have to remember that you are in the presence of Royalty. Do you think you can?”
    “Yes, I think so.”
    “Very good. Then come with me.”
    Sarah swept imperiously into the Princess’s apartments where Anne was at her table writing a letter.
    “My dear, dear Mrs. Freeman,” she said, looking up and smiling. She peered past Abigail as though she were not there. “How pleasant it is to see you. You can seal this letter for me.”
    “Abigail Hill will do it, Mrs. Morley. I have brought her along that she may be of use to you.”
    “Abigail Hill,” murmured the Princess.
    “The poor relation I told you about. She is the one who is going to have the bedchamber post. You’ll find her a good modest creature.”
    “I am so glad, dear Mrs. Freeman.”
    “I have schooled her thoroughly so you will not have any trouble
there
. She will seal your letters. She will make herself useful without disturbing you in the least. That is what I have trained her to do.”
    “How good of you, my dear.”
    “As Mrs. Morley knows, she can always rely on Mrs. Freeman to look to her comfort.”
    “I know, I know.”
    Sarah signed to Abigail to seal the letter. Abigail’s fingers felt wooden; then she realized that neither Sarah nor the Princess were aware of her. How strange, thought Abigail, the letter was addressed to the King. She, homely Abigail Hill, was sealing a letter from the Princess to the King; and what was said in that letter could possibly have a bearing on history. She had never felt quite so important in the whole of her life as she did at that moment.
    Sarah was telling