Free Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughters of James II by Jean Plaidy

went smoothly. Anne’s great regret was that she would not be able to attend for she was expecting her child to be born any day.
    James had found time to visit her at the Cockpit in spite of all his new duties. He embraced her with great tenderness and told her that she should rejoice to have a King for a father.
    “Rest assured,” he said, “that I shall see benefits flow to my beloved daughter.”
    That was comforting.
    “Dear Father, but look at the size of your daughter! Delighted as I am by my state I am irked that I shall not be able to see you crowned.”
    James smiled secretly and later Anne learned that he had ordered that a special closed box be erected in the Abbey from which she should watch the ceremony in the company of her husband.
    “You do not imagine,” he said, “that I could allow my dear daughter to be absent on this great day!”
    So Anne was in the box with George while the ceremony took place and afterward Mary Beatrice, the new Queen, made a point of visiting her stepdaughter there.
    “What do you think of my dress?” asked Mary Beatrice, her lovely dark eyes shining; she was always happy on such occasions because she liked to see honor bestowed on her husband.
    “Worthy of a Queen,” declared Anne. “Tell me, how do you feel … now that you are a queen?”
    Mary Beatrice looked a little sad. “I should feel happier if I were in your condition.”
    “You will be … ere long,” said Anne.
    Ten days later Anne’s daughter was born. She seemed healthy and although Anne and her husband had longed for a boy they now declared themselves to be completely delighted.
    “Soon she shall have a brother,” George promised Anne; and she was sure he would be proved right.
    “I shall call her Mary after my dearest sister,” said Anne. “Poor Mary. I feel so guilty to be happy here in England while she must remain in Holland with Caliban.”

    John had returned from a mission to France whither he had gone ostensibly to tell Louis of James’s accession, but actually to attempt to obtain further loans from Louis. This he failed to do, but when he returned there was an opportunity of spending a few weeks with Sarah in the house he had built on the site of that old one near St. Albans where Sarah had spent part of her childhood.
    Then came the news that Monmouth had landed in England. And John knew he must return to Court without delay.
    “So,” said Sarah, “you will fight for the Catholic against the Protestant?”
    John smiled. “This is the King against the bastard,” he said. “Until James changes the religion of this country he is still the King as far as I am concerned.”
    Sarah agreed that this must be so.
    “We should never bow to Monmouth,” she said. “You will defeat him, John.”
    “Feversham will be in command,” John replied sardonically, “and I see that the trouble will be mine but the honor will be his.”
    “It shall not always be so,” declared Sarah firmly.
    The defeat of Monmouth was due to Churchill, for when the battle of Sedgemoor began Feversham was in bed, having, with many of his cronies, drunk rather heavily, and the command was left to John Churchill who started a strong offensive and secured victory for the King’s men.
    Monmouth was discovered in a ditch and brought as prisoner to London. There followed his trial, death on Tower Hill, and the great scandal of Judge Jeffrey’s Bloody Assizes.
    That affair was ended and James II was firmly on the throne.

    Everyone in England seemed aware of the King’s unpopularity except himself. Like a true Stuart James had an inherent belief in the Divine Right of Kings and it was inconceivable to him that his throne could be threatened by the people. He had had two enemies in his nephew Monmouth and his son-in-law William; now Monmouth was dead and only William remained. He had always disliked William and had never ceased to deplore the fact that his beloved daughter Mary had married him. He himself had been