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‘We all know of your goodness, Madam. And I can only say we know too

you’ll keep your word. This was a lucky day for me.’

Caroline went on her way but she could not stop thinking of the coming child.

Poor mite, to come into the world unwanted. If only she was the mother— if she

could only have a child which would be all her own and not taken away from her,

how happy she would be!

She could not get the Austins out of her mind; and next day she was at the

cottage with blankets and food; and it soon became clear that although she was

interested in all the children and pregnant mothers of the neighbourhood, she had a very special feeling for the Austin family.

————————

‘Mrs. Austin’s child will be born in two months’ time,’ she told Lady Douglas

when she called. ‘I wonder whether it will be a boy or a girl.’

‘I doubt she minds much.’

‘She said she had had too many. Poor dear soul! As if one could have too

many. It’s strange that some feel this to be so and others would give years of their lives to have one.’

‘Your Highness loves children so much. Perhaps other women are less

motherly.’

Caroline held her arms as though she cradled a baby. She began to laugh

suddenly. ‘Do you know I feel as though I am pregnant.’

Lady Douglas looked at the strange creature sharply. Could it be? Was she?

Sydney would think it all a great joke.

I believe it is so,
thought Lady Douglas.
There is a look about her. She’s
excited. I could almost be sure of it.

————————

When Lady Douglas had gone, Caroline called for her pelisse and cap. She

had not told Lady Douglas yet. No, it was a secret so far. It might not happen and she had first to consult Mrs. Austin, who at the moment did not want the child but women did change when their children were born. It was natural enough and God

forbid that she should take a child from its mother.

Ms. Austin was at the cottage door when Caroline arrived, she invited her in.

Small and dark and insanitary, she noted. The idea of this new and precious life

starting in such place!

Mrs Austin dusted a chair for the Princess.

‘Thank you, Mrs Austin I have come to speak to you of a very— delicate

matter.’

‘Oh— Madam—’

‘Don’t be frightened. If you say no, I shall understand. It’s that when the baby

is born will you— could you bear give it to me?’

‘To give it to you, Madam! You mean you want to take it?’

‘That’s what I mean, Mrs Austin. I have a daughter, my— little Charlotte, but

I am not allowed to have her with me all the time. I want a baby of my very own

— to care for— to have with me. You said you had too many. I am asking you to

give me this one.’

‘Do you mean, Madam, that you’d take the baby— Like one of those you

have in your school and look after it like, and feed and learn it things.’

‘I didn’t mean quite that. I want to have this baby as soon as its born. I want to care for it myself. I want to adopt it.’

‘Then you will.’

Caroline came out of the cottage, her eyes glowing. In two months’ time she

would have her own little baby, to care for, to bring up, one who would not be

snatched from her.

She came running into Montague House. Some of the servants were within

earshot.

‘My, dear Fitz— Lisle, my love, something wonderful has happened. I’m

going to have a baby.’

————————

Spencer Perceval, who had now become the Attorney General, often called at

Montague House. Caroline knew he was a friend whom she could trust and was

delighted with his growing success. She knew too that he was brilliantly clever;

his conversation was a delight, spattered with epigrams as it was; and she had

heard it said that he was an unusual man, for not only had he won the approval of Pitt, who had once said that Perceval could be a future Prime Minister, but Fox

and Sheridan had also expressed their admiration for him.

It was gratifying therefore that he should call on her, and she knew that when

such men showed their friendship for her. It caused a great deal of chagrin to the Prince of Wales.

This in itself would have made it worthwhile her receiving such men‚ but she

liked Perceval for himself and was delighted to have him as her friend.

She confided in him a great deal— what comfort to confide in a clever man

He knew about her school and the children she cared for and he applauded her for

doing this social work. So now she felt she could talk to him of the Austins, but as yet she had decided to be unusually discreet and say nothing of her plan for

adopting the child. This she supposed was due not so much to discretion but the

fear that if she talked too much of the project something might go wrong with it.

She could never understand a mother’s parting with her child and was therefore

haunted by the thought that when the time came Mrs. Austin would not let it go;

moreover there was the dangerous affair of birth itself. If this one were lost in the process she would be heartbroken. So therefore she had a superstitious feeling

that she would not speak of it until the child was actually in her hands. But she was anxious about the poverty of the Austins.

‘I have discovered a very poor family living near here,’ she told Perceval. ‘I

know you understand my concern for these people.’

He did indeed. He wished that others of her rank shared her conscience.

‘Then I know you’ll help me. The father of this family is a good respectable

man who had work in the dockyards until he lost it. There are several children and I have done what I could, but I think that if the father could earn money himself they would all be happier for this. They do not want to live off charity. I can

recommend Samuel Austin as a good respectable man. Can you do something for

him?’

Perceval said that he would do his utmost and he had little doubt that he could

find some form of employment for a good and honest man who was a protégé of

the Princess, in a week or, so later Caroline was able to carry the good news to the Austins that there was a job waiting for Samuel in the dockyards.

‘You’re our good angel, Madam,’ said Mrs. Austin.

‘And you haven’t changed your mind about the baby?’

‘Why, Madam, do you take me for a fool.? This baby’s going to be the

luckiest in Blackheath!’

‘I’ll try to make it so,’ said Caroline.

————————

Lady Douglas had had another daughter. Caroline went over to their house as

soon as she heard the news, taking with her lavish presents for mother and baby.

‘My dear,’ she cried as she sat down heavily on the bed, 'you must be the

happiest woman alive.’

Lady Douglas asked the nurse to bring the child and it was laid in the

Princess’s arms. Caroline was rapturous. ‘What a little darling! I adore her. I

would envy you except for the fact— but it’s a secret. You will know in due

course.’

Lady Douglas clenched her hands beneath the bedclothes and thought:
Can

she mean she is pregnant! Is it possible! Oh, the traitor. It is so. I’m sure of it.

She said sweetly: ‘I am going to ask a great favour of you. May I?’

‘Please do. I am sure it will be granted.’

‘Would you act as sponsor to my new daughter?’

‘Nothing would please me more.’

‘And have I your Highness’s permission to name her after you? Sir John and I

would like to call her Caroline Sydney.’

‘I cannot think of a happier combination,’ smiled the Princess.

————————

As the birth of Mrs. Austin’s child became imminent, Caroline arranged for

her to go into the Brownlow Street Hospital and in due course a boy was born.

When Mrs. Austin came home, Caroline went to the cottage and saw the child in

his shabby cradle. She took him up in her arms but Mrs. Austin said that she

would have to keep him with her for a week or two.

‘You are not going against your word?’ cried Caroline.

‘Lord love you, Madam, it’s us that’s frightened you’ll go against yours.’

‘Never,’ said Caroline, hanging over the cradle, ‘Have you named him?’

‘We thought of William, Madam.’

‘It’s a good name,’ replied Caroline. ‘Little William— my little Will. Yes, he

shall be William. When am I going to have him?’

‘In three weeks from now?’

‘I wait with great impatience.’

————————

As was promised, the baby boy was delivered to Montague House where

Caroline had already prepared a luxurious nursery for him. She covered his face

with kisses; she was going to look after him herself. He was hers as darling

Charlotte could never be. Her little Willie.

‘My Willie,’ she cooed. ‘My little Willikin.’

And that made him seem like hers. From henceforth he was Willikin.

Lady Douglas was away for a few weeks and Caroline was longing for her to

come back so that she could show her the baby. When she eventually did she

immediately came to call and was shown into the Princess’s drawing room by

Mrs. Fitzgerald, Caroline had thrown a light piece of cloth over the child so that it was not immediately visible.

‘I have a surprise for you,’ she cried excitedly. ‘Turn your back or shut your

eyes. No— turn your back. I want you to have a really big surprise.’

Lady Douglas did so and when Caroline gave her permission to turn, saw the

child lying on the sofa.

‘Your Highness!’ cried Lady Douglas.

‘Ha. I told you I was going to have a baby, did I not?’

‘You did, Your Highness, but—’

Mrs. Fitzgerald who had remained in the room said quickly: ‘Her Highness

adopted the child. He is the son of a Sophia Austin, the wife of a dock labourer.

You should have seen him when he arrived.’

Caroline had snatched up the child and was kissing him frantically, ‘He has

changed has he not, Fitz? Is he not now the most beautiful baby in England?’

‘He should be, Madam, with all the care you give him.’

‘So Your Highness is looking after him yourself?’ asked Lady Douglas.

‘Of course, my dear. Why else should I want a baby? To give to others to care

for! You shall see how I look after him. think it is his feeding time, is it not, Fitz?

I shall feed him myself. Only the best for my darling Willikin. Send in all I shall need and I shall show my dear friend Lady Douglas how I care for my child.’

Lady Douglas watched incredulously while the Princess superintended the

feeding of the child and herself changed his napkin.

It’s a nightmare!
thought Lady Douglas and all the time she watched Willikin to see if there was some resemblance to Sir Sydney. But, she thought, a little

mollified, it could be Manley or even Lawrence.

What a fool she is! And she, the Princess of Wales! Is it possible that she

can’t see what trouble she might be making for herself?
Lady Douglas felt very excited. What a scandal this could be. She felt suddenly powerful, which was a

very comforting feeling, suspecting as she did that her lover had found

satisfaction with another woman.

But it could only be because she is Princess of Wales, Lady Douglas soothed

herself.
If I knew it were true, I’d make her wish she’d never set eyes on him.

————————

Not long after the arrival of Willikin, Lady, Douglas came to tell the Princess

that she and Sir John would be going away, perhaps for some years. They were

going to Devonshire in the company of Sir Sydney Smith, both the men being

called away to duty.

The Princess took an affectionate farewell of her friend and a rather tearful

one of her little godchild; but there was Willikin to comfort her.

No sooner had the Douglases left than Mrs. Fitzgerald told the Princess that

she wished to speak to her on a rather delicate matter.

It had come to Mrs. Fitzgerald’s ears that Lady Douglas had spoken very

disrespectfully of the Princess in the hearing of her servants, some of whom had

reported this to the servants at Montague House.

‘And what was this?’ asked Caroline.

‘She spoke slightingly of Your Highness’s morals and said that William

Austin was in fact your own child.’

‘My little Willikin! How I wish he were! But he is, you know, my dear. He is

my own.’

‘But, Your Highness, Lady Douglas hinted that he was the result of an

adulterous intrigue and that you had actually given birth to him in secret.’

The Princess was silent. ‘I think they would call that treason,’ she said.

‘They would indeed, Your Highness. That is why I think you should know

that Lady Douglas was a false friend.’

‘She must have been if she spread tales like that.’

‘She did, Madam, I assure you. Heaven knows what could result if she talked

too freely in some circles.’

The Princess was thoughtful. Then she brightened. ‘Well, she has gone, my

dear.’

‘She may come back. If she does—’