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That sad and sordid union was to bear fruit.

She was going to have a child.

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They would go to Brighton, said the Prince. The air would be good for her

condition.

She had hoped that now he would show a little interest. It was true that he was

delighted He had done his distasteful duty and got the woman with child. Now he

was entitled to leave her alone. His spirits rose, although he was angry about the manner in which Parliament had decided his creditors should be appeased. He

always enjoyed being at Brighton; the people were so different from the

Londoners, they did not criticize him— at least not openly. Perhaps they would

always be grateful to him for bringing prosperity to their town.

So to Brighton where the inhabitants turned out in their thousands to welcome

them and to shout their loyal greetings, not only to the Prince but also to his

Princess. It was fitting that he should bring her down to Brighton. His chief

residence might be Carlton House but Brighton was his home, and the Princess

was pregnant so what better for her than the sunshine and the sea breezes?

It was rather a damp arrival, for the rain poured down on the Prince and his

wife, but Caroline cared little for that; she smiled and waved to the people in her free manner, and consequently, to the Prince’s chagrin, won their hearts.

But she was soon to discover that life could be as humiliating at Brighton as at

Kempshott and Carlton House. The Prince had no intention of spending any time

with her; he left her alone and devoted himself to his Brighton friends who

thought up all kinds of lavish entertainments for his pleasure.

Lady Jersey was constantly with the Prince and by an unfortunate irony was

also pregnant. This caused a great deal of amusement and even the loyal

inhabitants of Brighton— could not resist fabricating jokes and cartoons about the Prince’s virility. Lady Jersey was more unbearable than ever. She constantly took the place of honour and Caroline, often feeling sick and ill, spent a great deal of time alone in her apartments, sometimes going for walks with only Mrs. Harcourt

and a manservant in attendance.

Her greatest relaxation was writing home. She found that thus she could

relieve her feelings. If she told her mother how right she had been, how Queen

Charlotte was an ugly little woman who was determined to spoil her daughter-in-

law’s chances of living happily in England, she felt better. She would write cruel little descriptions of her new family; she could describe the foppish ways of her husband; the spitefulness of the Queen and the aloofness of her brood of silly

daughters.

And doing this and walking now and then and dreaming of the following year

when she would have her baby, she felt life was tolerable.

The Prince had left her in Brighton and gone to Carlton House. Lady Jersey

accompanied him and during her stay in London was summoned to audience with

the Queen, who wished for a detailed account of Caroline’s behaviour in

Brighton.

‘So she is with child,’ said the Queen. ‘It has not taken long, and I believe that the Prince has not been the most devoted of husbands.’

Lady Jersey smiled sycophantically. It was clear that she herself was

pregnant, and doubtless through the Prince. But Lady Jersey was a discreet

woman, and Lord Jersey would accept paternity, so there was no need for

propriety to be outraged.

‘I congratulate you on your own condition,’ went on the Queen.

Lady Jersey thanked Her Majesty and said she welcomed this addition to her

family.

‘I trust it will not mean too long an absence from your duties.’

‘I can assure Your Majesty that my desire to serve will not allow me to absent

myself for longer than is necessary.’

The Queen nodded. ‘And how does the Princess spend her time?’

‘She walks a little rides, and writes a great many letters home.’

‘Ah. Letters.’

‘Your Majesty, I am told that she sometimes laughs herself almost into

hysteria when writing letters to her family.’

The Queen s eyes narrowed. ‘It would doubtless be interesting to know what

those letters contain.’

Lady Jersey’s eyes sparkled with mischief. ‘If it were in my power to inform

Your Majesty of that, I should believe myself to have done my duty.’

It was a dangerous subject— one which should only referred to in the most

oblique terms.

But it was clear to Lady Jersey that this was a command from the Queen.

————————

It was Mrs Harcourt who called Caroline’s attention to the fact that Dr.

Randolph, a member of the household was shortly leaving for Germany.

‘It occurred to me that Your Highness might have some special commission

for him.’

Caroline declared that the doctor might carry some letters to her family. When

was he leaving?

In the next few days, was the answer.

Caroline sat down at her table and wrote home. This was her revenge. She

would tell her mother about Charlotte, the dumpy ugly Queen who reminded her

of an old duck waddling out with her ducklings following her in order of age. She told of the cool reception she had received at the Queen’s hand; and that the

Princesses, her sisters-in-law, were a spineless collection of old maids. They

hadn’t a will between them. Mamma said: Persecute George’s wife, so they did

their silly best to persecute.

As for the King he was kind and she liked him, though everyone said he was

mad. The Prince of Wales was a poor husband and they weren’t to believe the

stories they heard of his good looks. He was very fat and even the special corsets he wore couldn’t hide his paunch. She could tell them that the English branch’ of the family would do well in a circus;

She sealed the letters and sent for Dr. Randolph.

‘Dear Dr. Randolph.’ She smiled, Lord Malmesbury would reprimand her for

her freedom of address. ‘Dear Dr. Randolph,’ she went on, ‘I have heard you are

leaving for a journey and will be passing through Brunswick.’

‘It’s true, Your Highness.’

‘Then would you please take these letters to the Court there? They should be

delivered into the hands of the Duke and Duchess and Madame de Hertzfeldt.’

Dr. Randolph bowed, accepted the letters and told the Princess that she could

rest assured that they would be delivered with all speed.

————————

Lady Jersey smiled at the doctor in the slightly coquettish manner in which

she regarded all men.

‘Dr. Randolph,’ she said, ‘I hear that you are about to leave for Germany.’

‘It is true,’ replied the Doctor.

‘And the Princess has honoured you with a commission?’

‘She wishes me to carry some letters to her family.’

‘I see.’ Lady Jersey’s smile widened. ‘A very important Person is interested in

those letters.’

Dr. Randolph said: ‘Madam, they have been entrusted to my care. I could not

lightly hand them over to any— person.’

‘Not lightly, Dr. Randolph. But there might be a perfectly reasonable way in

which this would come about.’

‘I cannot see how this could be.’

‘It is for you to decide. The personage who wishes to see the letters is of the

greatest influence. She has the power to bestow rank on those who wish for it,

preferment— honours of all kinds.’

‘Preferment?’A Bishopric dangled before Dr. Randolph’s imaginative mental

eye. Preferment indeed! For handing over a packet of letters. The important

personage was of course the Queen. One had to obey the Queen. There was not

only the hope of preferment if one did, but the fear of reprisals if one did not. The Queen, who for so many years had been a nonentity had now become a power in

the land, and she was a vindictive woman who would be implacable in her

revenge.

If Lady Jersey— and everyone knew on what terms that woman was with Her

Majesty— went to the Queen and told her that Dr. Randolph could have put the

letters into her hands and failed to do so, that would be the end of Dr. Randolph’s hopes of advancement. Who knew, it might be the end of Dr. Randolph’s career.

‘So—’ said Lady Jersey opening her beautiful eyes provocatively.

‘Madam, you who are in the service of the great will doubtless have some

suggestion to offer.’

Lady Jersey was only too willing to explain.

————————

As the post chaise carried him out of London on the way to Yarmouth Dr.

Randolph was thinking of his Bishopric.

It was really a very simple matter. He only had to obey instructions. His great

fear was that something would go wrong. Caroline did not notice that the letters

were not returned to her.

No. Lady Jersey was very efficient where her own advancement was

concerned; and as this was his too, so mu he be. She left Brighton for Carlton

House, there to await the birth of her child; and so eager was she for this event that she had little thought for anything else.

He alighted at the inn and there was the messenger waiting for him as had

been arranged.

When Lady Jersey gave birth to a boy she laughed. Let her! She had already

had a brood of children. What was one more? Caroline was not vindictive and if

Lady Jersey had been ready to be her friend, she would have forgotten everything

that had gone before and have settled down to cosy chats about babies.

‘Sir, there is disturbing news. Mrs. Randolph has been taken ill and the

doctor believes it to be very grave.’

But Lady Jersey was determined not to be friendly. She was eager, as she

said, to keep the Princess in her place. Lady Jersey had the approval of the Queen who recognized her as a good servant; the manner in which she had diverted

Caroline’s letters into the Queen’s hands was an example of her good service.

And reading those letters was not likely to make Her Majesty feel any more

friendly towards her daughter-in-law.

Low, vulgar creature!
thought the Queen.
What folly ever to have let her
come into the country!
Everything should be done to make her as uncomfortable as possible. As for the Prince he could scarcely bear to hear her spoken of. The

Queen laughed grimly; their mutual dislike of his wife had made a new bond

between them. They were almost allies.

Dr. Randolph took the letter which was handed to him. He had rehearsed the

scene during the journey to the inn. He put his hand to his forehead and said: ‘My God, what shall I do? What can I do? There is nothing to be done but return

home.’

‘Your Highness seems to be carrying a girl,’ Lady Jersey told Caroline.

‘While the horses are being prepared I will write a letter and I wish you to

take it with all speed to Lady Jersey in Brighton.’

‘You would know,’ retorted the Princess, ‘being so clever.’

‘It is the method of carrying the child.’

His hands were trembling a little as he wrote the note. N had had grave news

of his wife’s illness and was returning home at once. He must therefore postpone

his visit to Germany. Lady Jersey would remember that he had been entrusted

with a packet of letters by the Princess of Wales. He was wondering now whether

he should entrust them to another traveller, who should be chosen by the Princess, or return them to Lady Jersey to hand to the Princess, and was now leaving for

London where he would await Lady Jersey’s instructions. He trusted there would

be no delay as he was anxious to return home to his sick wife.

‘Well, it is to the grandmothers we must turn to learn of these things,’ replied

Caroline.

Lady Jersey saw that there was as little delay as possible.
Grandmother

indeed!
thought Lady Jersey. At least she could be more proud of her appearance than Caroline could of hers.

She had spoken to the Princess of Wales who wished that the letters be

returned to her. Dr. Randolph should therefore return the packet addressed to

Lady Jersey at the Pavilion. They could be sent from London to Brighton on the

post coach which set out from the Golden Cross Inn, Charing Cross.

‘Experience is always so valuable,’ said Lady Jersey; and while Caroline was

thinking up a suitable retort, asked leave to retire.

Dr. Randolph sighed with relief, put the packet on the coach-post and returned

home to his wife who was spending a few days in bed which she would have

found a little irksome but for the promise of future glory as wife to the Bishop.

————————

When she was alone, Caroline thought of the baby.

‘Girl or boy,’ she murmured. ‘What do I care? It’ll be my very own child.

And when it comes— perhaps even these last months will have seemed

worthwhile.’

————————

Caroline lay in her bed. Her time had almost come.
Soon now,
she thought,
I
shall have my very own baby.

She had longed for this all her life. When she had visited the homes of

humble people and delighted in their children, she had dreamed of the day when

she would have her own. And now it was to happen. But she was in an foreign

land. She had a husband who did not care for her.

She laughed at the expression. Did not care for her! He
loathed
her. He could not bear to look at her. As for her mother-in-law, she would be delighted to see

Caroline sent back to Brunswick. She was alone in a foreign land, without friends, for there was no one here whom she could trust the King perhaps— but he was a