Free Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy

anyone,” she advised.
    “Why not?
I
think it is true.”
    “Dear little sister, you talk too frankly, you know.”
    “You sound just like Mama.”
    “Oh no… please not.”
    Then we laughed again and it was like the old days again.
    We went to the Cupola Room. Through the windows as we passed along I saw the crowds outside the Palace.
    “They love a royal wedding,” said Lehzen.
    The bells were ringing and everyone seemed very happy. The only regret was that Augustus was not the bridegroom. Well, I thought, one cannot expect everything—although of course the bridegroom
was
rather an important part of the ceremony.
    I looked around for the King as I entered the Cupola Room. He was not there, but Uncle Clarence was. Mama hated Uncle Clarence just as much as she hated the King. I quite liked him. He was so jolly and I think he would have liked to be friendly with us, but Mama would not have it, of course. He always smiled very kindly at me and I was really fond of Aunt Adelaide. She kissed me and asked after the dolls and talked about them just as though they were real people, which made me like her even more. I told her the Big Doll fit in very well. She was bigger than the others and her clothes were just as splendid, although they were merely a court lady's dress. “I think she looks quite as grand as Queen Elizabeth,” I said.
    “Oh dear,” said Aunt Adelaide. “Queen Elizabeth will not like that!” which made me laugh. Aunt Adelaide joined in and Mama noticing, frowned. I was not supposed to be on terms of levity with Aunt Adelaide.
    I realized then that there was a growing uneasiness in the room. Where was the King? He was supposed to be present to take an important part in the ceremony and they could not proceed without him.
    Uncle Clarence said in a loud voice, “The King is clearly not coming. No need to delay further. I'll take his role.”
    My mother would have protested but I knew she was undecided whether to wait a little longer for the King and allow herself to be further humiliated, or to ask Uncle Clarence to carry on. It must have been galling to see her daughter given away by a duke when she had been expecting a king to do so.
    But it did seem as though the King would not come, so Clarence went on to take his part, and I stepped into my place as bridesmaid.
    And so my sister Feodore became the wife of Count HohenloheLangenburg.
    Mama had had the idea that I should go among the guests with a basket that contained little gifts for them, and everyone applauded when I presented them.
    Then the bride and groom went to Claremont and we went back to our apartments in the Palace. How Mama raged against the King and all her husband's family. They were crude, ill-mannered; they were against a lonely widow. They did all they could to humiliate her and they hated tosee her daughter marrying the Count; and they were jealous of her younger daughter who was in such good health.
    The King would soon be dead and that pineapple-headed oaf would take his place. He was incapable of getting an heir…he was incapable of anything except stepping into the grave.
    She was really angry and I heard her in the room where I sat with Lehzen and Spath. Spath was wide-eyed and seemed rather excited by it, but Lehzen was terrified that I should hear something that was not for my ears.
    I heard Sir John Conroy's hated voice, calming her, soothing her, as he often did.
    Spath was nodding as though she had secret thoughts, and Lehzen had that tight look about her mouth as she always did when Sir John was near. I was gratified that Lehzen felt the same about Sir John as I did.
    A G REAT DEAL was going on of which I knew nothing and only learned later, and piecing little bits of evidence together found out what it was all about.
    Uncle Cumberland was suspect. People saw him as the ogre. He really wanted the throne for his son George—such a nice boy whom I had met once or twice—and he did actually want me out of the way.