Lord Rakehell (18 page)

“Her Highness hasn't tried on the veil,” Mrs. Bale pointed out.

“The floor-length veil depicting English roses is exquisite, but it is quite spoiled by this crown of wax orange blossoms. I'll speak with the florist who is providing the wedding bouquet and have them design a coronet that you can attach to the veil.” Anne smiled. “You've all been so helpful. We'll be back tomorrow for the final fittings.”

•   •   •

“My mother has decreed that I must have no contact with Alexandra until the wedding. She's like a fire-breathing dragon. I have no say in anything,” Prince Teddy complained.

James Hamilton smiled. “In my experience, no male ever has any say when it comes to his wedding. Females take over and immerse themselves in all the details as if they were planning a military campaign. I feel sorry for Alexandra; she's also been excluded from the plans.”

“We haven't exchanged more than a few words since she arrived.”

“Why don't you write her a letter, and I'll deliver it for you? Females put great store in such things.”

“Never wrote a letter in my life. I'm no good at such things,” the prince declared.

“I'll write one if you like, and you can sign it,” James offered.

“An excellent suggestion. What the devil would I do without you?”

James sat down immediately and put pen to paper.

My Dearest Alix,

Though tradition prevents us from being together before we meet in the chapel for our wedding ceremony, it cannot keep my thoughts from you. I even dreamed of you last night. Only a short time remains to keep us apart and I am counting the hours.

I often feel constrained by the royal court and look forward to escaping with you to the Isle of Wight. I am honored that you have consented to become my wife and the future Princess of Wales.

Fondest love,

Prince Teddy

James took the love letter to the other side of Windsor Castle, where Princess Alexandra and her family were staying. A servant directed him to her chamber, and he knocked on the door lightly.

Anne opened it, expecting to see the florist who had been commissioned to do all the flowers for the royal wedding. When she saw James standing before her, she was taken off guard. “Lord Hamilton! I wasn't expecting you.”

“Nor I you, Lady Anne.” His warm eyes kindled. “This is such a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?”

“I'm acting as lady-in-waiting to Her Highness Princess Alexandra. There is so much to be done, and so little time. . . . I've been asked to help.”

James held up the envelope. “The Prince of Wales regrets that he must keep apart from his lovely bride until Tuesday, so he has done the next best thing and written her a letter. Would you see that she gets it?”

“What a lovely thing to do. The prince is extremely thoughtful. I know it will please the princess.” Anne hesitated for a moment, then plunged in. “We have a problem that perhaps you can help to solve, Lord Hamilton.”

His eyes drank in her beauty. “I will try my utmost.”

“Princess Alexandra has no jewelry. She needs a pearl necklace. A wide one like a collar, if possible. Do you suppose the Prince of Wales can supply one in time for the wedding ceremony?”

His mouth curved into a smile. “You may count upon it, Lady Anne.”

She returned his smile. “Thank you, James.”

•   •   •

Anne handed Alexandra the envelope. “Lord Hamilton, an attendant of the Prince of Wales, brought this letter for you.”

“I am acquainted with Lord Hamilton, and like him very much. He insists that I call him James.” The princess tore open the envelope, read the brief letter, and blushed. “The prince writes about escaping to the Isle of Wight.”

“I've never been there, but I hear that Osborne House is lovely, and the gardens will be ablaze with spring flowers. The estate is comprised of three hundred and fifty acres. You will be able to ride and the prince will be able to hunt.”

“Lady Anne, I'd like you to come with me. You won't abandon me, will you?”

“I would be honored to attend you on your wedding journey to the Isle of Wight.”

Anne suddenly felt a wave of excitement sweep over her.
James will be attending Prince Teddy! Too bad the trip is only for three weeks.

“You will need riding habits. I'll go to the fitting room and bring a couple back for you to try on. If you don't like them, I can lend you my new habit. We are the same size.”

“Thank you so much, Lady Anne.”

“Please call me Anne.”

“I will if you'll call me Alix.”

“I can only do that in private. If I addressed you as Alix in public, I would soon be dismissed from being your lady-in-waiting.”

Alexandra's eyes kindled. “Once I am the Princess of Wales, I will decide these things for myself, Anne.”

Ah-ha! I believe there is a free spirit waiting to be released, and I am more than ready to aid and abet it.

•
   •   •

Monday proved to be an extremely busy day. The bride took Anne to her parents' suite and introduced her. She warned her that her mother, Louise, was stone deaf, and Anne felt sad because she realized Alexandra had inherited her deafness, which would likely get worse in years to come.

Anne had breakfast with the Danish royal family; then it was back to the fitting room to make sure the bridal finery fit to perfection, and to choose which outfits must be packed for the honeymoon on the Isle of Wight.

At lunch the princess was introduced to the eight young girls from prominent noble families who had been chosen by Queen Victoria to be her bridesmaids and carry her train. Anne knew most of them personally, but when Lady Frances Hamilton curtsied before the princess, Anne told Alexandra that Frances was her best friend. “If you need another lady-in-waiting, Your Highness, I can highly recommend her.”

“Hamilton? Is James your brother?” Alix asked.

“He is, Your Highness.”

“Lord Hamilton is such a fine gentleman. I would be honored if you would consent to be one of my ladies-in-waiting.”

“The honor is mine, Your Highness.”

“Thank you, Lady Frances. When the prince and I return from our wedding trip, we will be moving into Marlborough House.” The princess looked from Frances to Anne. “Will that be convenient, ladies?”

As Frances replied to the princess, Anne's heart began to beat wildly.
It never occurred to me until this moment. . . . James and I will both be living at Marlborough House!

•   •   •

After lunch with the bridesmaids, Princess Alexandra returned to her chamber and within five minutes Princess Vicky opened the door and stepped inside.

“Vicky, I'm so pleased to see you. Did you only just arrive?” Alix asked.

“I arrived two days ago, but I've been throwing up since crossing the Channel. It had better be seasickness. If I'm off again, my temper will be in shreds. Baby Henry is only six months old!”

“I hope it was just
mal de mer
,” Alix said. “Has your sickness abated?”

“Slightly. I didn't eat breakfast—I didn't want to take the chance.”

“I'd like you to meet Lady Anne Howe. My very first lady-in-waiting.”

Anne curtsied to the Crown Princess of Prussia. “Your Royal Highness.”

“Howe? You cannot possibly be the sister of Emily, my mother's lady-in-waiting. Emily's coloring is as dark as mine.”

Anne tried not to stare. Princess Vicky was short, and thick as a glass jam jar. She made Alix look like a piece of delicate crystal. “Emily is my half sister, Your Highness.”

“Ah, yes. Different mothers. Men invariably wear out their first wives with childbearing. Take heed, Alix, and don't let that happen to you.”

Princess Alexandra blushed, and Anne could not help but think that the queen's daughter was rather coarse.

“If you don't need me for anything at the moment, I will go to my room and give you some privacy to visit with Princess Victoria.”

Just then a knock came on the door. “See who it is, please, Lady Anne.”

When she opened the door, Anne was once again pleasantly surprised to see James Hamilton. He was holding a blue velvet jewel case tied with silver ribbon.

“I have been entrusted to present Princess Alexandra with the Prince of Wales's wedding gift.”

“I'd know that voice anywhere,” Princess Vicky declared huskily as she advanced to the door. “James! It's been a year and a half since Strelitz. Do come in.”

“Your Royal Highness.” James bowed his head and proceeded into the room.

“Such formality, James. I won't have it.”

Good God, Princess Vicky has gone all kittenish at the sight of him.
Anne spoke to Alix. “Lord Hamilton has brought the groom's wedding present to his bride.”

“Oh, it's a jewel case,” Alix gasped. She took the blue velvet box and with trembling fingers undid the silver ribbon. She opened the hinged case to reveal a pearl collar necklace, with matching earrings and brooch. “Ah, how exquisite. These are my very first jewels. James, please tell the Prince of Wales that I thank him with all my heart.”

“I'm sure these jewels will be the first of many, Your Highness.”

“James, you are a silver-tongued devil!” Vicky gave him a coy, sidewise glance.

Well, I'll be damned. . . . She's slavering over him!

S
he's late! What on earth could have happened?
Anne Howe stood with her parents and her brother Montagu in St. George's Chapel at Windsor. The pews were filled with waiting, invited guests. The court officials and the heralds were all in place. The Prince of Wales, wearing the uniform of a general along
with the Garter Robes, stood waiting at the altar with the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Longley.

People began to clear their throats, and a few coughs penetrated the awkward silence.

John Claud Hamilton moved into the pew beside Anne. “You look lovely, though your gown isn't a muted shade,” he whispered.

She glanced down with amused eyes at her seafoam green silk. “It's muted for me.”

“You flaunt the rules.”

“Always.”
I spent over an hour placing the fresh flowers in her coronet, and making sure her veil was in place. When I left them, the bridesmaids were all holding her train in readiness—don't tell me Alix is having a nervous panic. I should have stayed with her until she started to move down the aisle.
Anne glanced up toward Queen Katherine's Closet.
Victoria will be incensed that the princess is late and keeping everyone waiting!

After an interval of ten minutes that seemed more like an hour, the trumpets sounded and Prince Christian of Denmark led his daughter, swathed in white silk and silver lace, down the nave of the chapel toward the altar and her waiting groom.

James Hamilton, sitting in the second pew behind the Prince of Wales's royal siblings, turned to watch the bride approach. She was completely hidden inside her cocoon of silk and lace, and his eyes strayed to the guests, searching for a certain female.

He found her easily, but disappointment clouded his eager mood of anticipation when he saw that John Claud was her escort. It was so easy to forget that his brother was courting Anne, but seeing them together as a couple was a sobering reminder that the lady was out of bounds to him.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy Matrimony—”

The words of the archbishop, echoing in the vaulted chapel, brought James out of his reverie. He had attended many weddings, including those of three of his sisters, and the Solemnization of Matrimony was familiar.

“Albert Edward, wilt thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall live?”

At that precise moment a ray of sunlight shone through the eastern stained-glass window and enveloped Queen Katherine's Closet in a halo of light. Prince Edward was so awed by Queen Victoria's power that he was unable to answer the archbishop. He swallowed hard and nodded his assent.

The archbishop of Canterbury, the only person in the chapel not overawed by the queen's authority, charged the princess with the same question.

“I will,” Alexandra answered in a clear, sweet voice.

“Who giveth this woman to be married to this man?” the archbishop demanded.

Prince Christian placed his daughter's hand in Longley's and stepped back to stand beside his wife.

Find your voice quickly, Teddy. You must pledge your vows, like it or not.

The archbishop placed the bride's hand in her groom's right hand. “Repeat after me: I, Albert Edward, take thee, Alexandra Caroline, to my wedded wife . . .”

After a moment's hesitation, the Prince of Wales found his lost voice, and James Hamilton, along with the entire congregation, heaved a silent sigh of relief.

After the royal couple exchanged all their vows, Canterbury addressed the congregation. “Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder. For as much as Albert Edward and Alexandra Caroline have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of a ring, and by joining of hands; I pronounce that they be man and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

The archbishop read two psalms and some traditional prayers, and finally the Anthem was sung by Jenny Lind, who truly had the voice of a nightingale. Her performance was marred by loud sobs from Queen Victoria. The Anthem had been written by her late, beloved Albert, and she lost her composure and broke down.

Good God, here come the waterworks,
James lamented. When many of the guests followed the queen's lead, James knew how uncomfortable the Prince of Wales must feel.

It's mass hysteria. Heaven be praised we are at the end of this ceremonial circus!

James should have known there was worse to come. A temporary banquet hall had been erected, opening out of the west door of the chapel, and as the multitude of invited guests followed the bridal party into the huge tentlike chamber, the pecking order was called into question. Members of the government vied with the nobility, who in turn took umbrage that foreign royals were shown precedence over British peers. Sarcastic comments, bruised feelings, and outright hostilities pervaded the air. Order and manners fell by the wayside as pushing and shoving became prevalent. The size of the fortune spent on this royal wedding should have guaranteed an atmosphere of love and joy; instead, it produced the opposite.

John Claud found seats for Anne, Montagu, and their parents. “I brought my carriage. I'll give you a ride home, Lord Howe. The train from Windsor back to London this evening will be a mad scramble for seats.”

“Very kind of you, my boy, but we also brought our carriage. Montagu and I are off to Leicestershire this evening. We're going to Gopsall Hall for the lambing.”

John Claud nodded his understanding; he knew that Montagu had joined the Rifle Brigade and would soon be called up. He smiled at Anne. “It would make me happy if you would allow me to drive you back to London.”

“I'm sorry, John Claud, but Princess Alexandra has asked me to accompany her to the Isle of Wight.”

“On her honeymoon? Surely that's highly irregular?”

“I think she invited me because she feels she needs an ally. She's chosen me as one of her ladies-in-waiting, and when we return to London, your sister Frances will be joining us at Marlborough House.”

John Claud frowned. “You won't be living there full-time, will you?”

“I imagine I will spend certain days of the week there, and some at home. Just as your sister Jane, Countess of Dalkeith, spends certain days at Buckingham Palace in her capacity as lady-in-waiting to the queen, and then returns home for part of the week. It will be up to the Princess of Wales to decide our schedule.”

His brow was still furrowed with disapproval. “I would appreciate it if you would let me know when you will next be at home, Anne. I'm trying to court you, but it's proving rather difficult.”

Anne's eyes filled with amusement. “Poor John Claud, first it's Fitz Kerry, now it's the Princess of Wales. Rivals are the very devil.”

“Those aren't the rivals I worry about,” he said dryly.

Though his brother's name had not been mentioned, Anne knew he was thinking of James. Her pulse quickened.
We'll be together at Osborne House and then at Marlborough House.
Anne blushed as she recalled that she had tossed her violets into Lord Hamilton's carriage.
From now on I must treat James with cool indifference, or he will assume I am throwing myself at him, like the voluptuous Princess Vicky . . . and all the other females who lay eyes on him.

•   •   •

Anne bade good-bye to her parents when they decided to leave the reception early without waiting for the wedding cake. She kissed her father. “Have a safe trip to Leicestershire.”

John Claud shook hands with her father and kissed her mother's hand. He knew they approved of him as a suitor to their daughter and he intended to keep it that way. After they left, he turned his attention to the guests who were members of Parliament. “Did you see the look Lady Churchill gave Disraeli's wife? I thought she was going to have hysterics when she saw that she was an invited guest.”

“The duchess thinks she's superior to the rest of the nobility, so it doesn't surprise me she's outraged that people who aren't in the peerage have been invited.”

“MPs in my humble opinion are far more important than aging aristocrats.”

Anne's eyes sparkled. “You have no
humble
opinions, John Claud.”

“I'm off to Ireland soon to run for the Londonderry seat. When I return, the youngest member of Parliament will have a proposal to put to you.”

“You take it for granted you'll win the seat.”

“Absolutely!”

“And you take it for granted that I'll say yes, you cocky devil. I'm afraid you are in for a rude awakening, John Claud.”

They both looked up as James Hamilton approached. Anne caught her breath.

James greeted his brother, then turned to Anne. “Her Majesty has commanded that the newlyweds join her in the royal apartments to have their photographs taken with her and a bust of Prince Albert.”

“How . . . inventive,” Anne murmured.

“Teddy's had enough domination to last him a lifetime,” James said quietly. “We are going to secretly smuggle the couple back to Marlborough House tonight. Sometime tomorrow we'll take the train from London to Portsmouth, then sail across the Solent to Osborne House. I'll give you a signal when we're ready to leave.”

Anne nodded. She agreed that Alexandra would be much happier once she was away from her new mother-in-law, Queen Victoria. “I'll be ready, Lord Hamilton.”

It was more than an hour later when James returned to the reception without the newlyweds and waved his hand. Anne bade good-bye to John Claud. “When I'm next at home, I will drop in at Hampden House. Thank you for your escort today.”
If I remind him that I did not seek his escort, it would hurt his feelings, but I truly wish he wasn't such a devoted swain.

•   •   •

When Anne arrived at Marlborough House, the chamberlain assigned her a chamber in the wing where Alexandra had her private quarters, which were apart from those the princess would share with the Prince of Wales. She did not see the newlyweds, who were already ensconced in the master suite.

Anne decided to leave her trunk unpacked, since she'd be leaving sometime tomorrow for the Isle of Wight. She opened the lid to get out a nightdress and realized she should have brought more clothes. Since the honeymoon would last for three weeks, she would be hard-pressed to find a different outfit each day.

I should have brought my sketching supplies so I could design some dresses for Alix. She really didn't care for many of the outfits that had been designed for her trousseau.

She heard a light tap on the door and was surprised when she opened it to find James Hamilton.

“We don't expect the newlyweds to emerge early, so I've arranged for us to depart on the afternoon train to Portsmouth.” He smiled. “No need for you to arise at dawn.”

An idea came into her head. “Do you suppose I would have time to go home in the morning and collect a few more things?”

“Of course, Lady Anne. I'll arrange a carriage for you at nine o'clock. Good night.”

•   •   •

Anne was an early riser and awoke at seven. Her chamber was elegantly furnished, and the deep-piled Turkish carpet was more costly than the one in her bedchamber at home. She was pleased with the flat-topped writing desk where she could work on her design sketches. She drew back the brocade drapes and was delighted with her view of St. James's Park.

When she answered a light tap on the door, there were two female servants, one with hot water and the other with her breakfast on a tray. “Thank you for the service. I wasn't expecting a tray.”

The maid bobbed a curtsy. “Lord Hamilton ordered it for you, my lady. He said you would be pressed for time this morning.”

How very thoughtful of him. I'll eat now before I get dressed.
She sat down and lifted the silver cover. There was a Dover sole with parsley and lemon.
Did he order this to remind me of the meal we shared at the hotel that day?
She saw the lily in the crystal vase, and smiled her secret smile.
He remembered every detail. I think I'll bring my lovely fur coat. We'll likely have some cool evenings on the Isle of Wight.

•   •   •

It was after ten o'clock when Anne stepped from the carriage, ran lightly up the steps to the Grosvenor Square house, and opened the door with her key. The house was quiet; there were no servants about, not even Jenkins, and she wondered if her mother had gone out.
I don't have much time, but it won't take long to get my sketchbook and pack a couple of outfits. I won't pack my fur coat, I'll wear it.

Upstairs, she opened her wardrobe and selected three outfits. One was cream brocade, whose bodice she'd embroidered with black and gold honeybees. Another was a mauve linen walking dress, and the third was a teal velvet riding habit. She folded them into an overnight bag and slipped on her fur coat. She glanced at the sketchbook on her desk, then heard her mother's laughter.

Anne went down the hall to her mother's dressing room, but when she recognized a man's voice, she stopped.
Father and Montagu have gone to Gopsall. Who could be in Mother's bedchamber?

“Leicester, darling, let's stay abed all day. I want to reward you for getting Montagu accepted into the prestigious Rifle Brigade.”

Anne's hand flew to her mouth. She'd suspected that her mother had been in love with Leicester before she'd been married, but was shocked to her bones that they were still lovers.