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He was longing to be back; and he hoped before very long he would be. Why

should he be exiled from home just because the King thought that a Guelph

should take his training in a German army? But one must be fair to the old man.

There was fighting on the Continent and that gave him a chance to take part in a

real battle. But oh, how he longed to go home and talk to his brother George and

find out what he was doing now. For of one thing he could be sure, the Prince of

Wales would be doing something exciting

How much truth was there in this rumour that he had married a Mrs.

Fitzherbert? If he had— by God, there would be trouble. But there always would

be trouble around George. That was the one thing he could be sure of. Oh, indeed, what joy to be home, to share his brother’s adventures, to be on those old terms of intimacy. For George was his friend as no one else ever could be.

Arid now here he was at the Court of Brunswick. Aunt Augusta was not in the

least like her brother. In fact, Frederick was sure his father would heartily

disapprove of his sister. He always had; but at the same time the King felt that his niece, the Princess Caroline, should be the wife of one of his sons.

Not this one,
thought Frederick.
I should soon tire of Madame Caroline. And
she would never make a docile wife.
Still, it amused him to ride with her, talk with her, dance with her— in fact behave towards her as a very good cousin.

She wanted to hear about England; and as they rode out with a party he would

bring her horse close to his and talk to her.

Did they ride much in England? she wanted to know.

‘All the time. I reckon we have some of the finest horses in the world.’

Trust them, thought Caroline. They had the finest everything.

‘And your brothers and sisters, they enjoy riding.’

‘My brother, the Prince of Wales, is devoted to the exercise. Not only does he

ride, but he drives his own phaeton and carriages. He is said to be one of the best horsemen in the country.’

‘People will pay royalty such compliments.’

‘What do you mean, cousin?’

‘That princes and princesses are always the best this and that. They only have

to have one good feature and they are beautiful. Take me, for instance. I have

been called the beautiful Princess of Brunswick. What do you think of that?’

‘That it is not untrue.’

‘Courtier!’ she laughed. ‘You don’t mean it! You think I am just tolerable as a

cousin. Oh, do not think, Master York, that I am inviting flirtation. I am not. If I wished to flirt, there are many ready to oblige.’

‘I am sure of that.’

‘And I should not wish to bother my lord Duke, and even if he felt so

disposed I might discourage him.’

‘How unkind!’

She laughed aloud. ‘Very glib. And I have no more desire to marry you than

you have to marry me. So set yourself at ease on that score.’

‘Marriage?’ gasped the Duke.

‘Let us be honest. Whenever the son of a king visits a princess the intention is

always there. Your visit, sir, is in the nature of an inspection. I am not asking you to deny this. I am only putting your mind at rest.’

She whipped up her horse and rode on; the Duke stared after her. What a

strange creature! What did she mean? Was she coquettish? Was she chiding him

for not making advances or warning him off lest he did? He attempted to follow

her; then he saw her making for a tall soldier on horseback.

She joined him; she threw a glance over her shoulder at the Duke. Nothing

could have told him more clearly that she had no wish for him to join them.

The Duke fell back and rode with the rest of the party.

Life was conducted in a very strange manner at the Court of Brunswick, he

thought, and the strangest part of it was the behaviour of the Princess Caroline.

————————

A messenger arrived from England with letters and a package for the Duke of

York and to his astonishment, when he opened the packet, he found a necklace

and earrings set with splendid diamonds.

The Duke read the letter which accompanied them and which was signed by

his father.

The King thought that the Duke of York might wish to make a present to his

cousin Caroline and for this purpose he had sent him the diamonds.

The Duke looked at them speculatively for some minutes.

He took out the necklace and examined the stones. To give them to Caroline

would be tantamount to making her an offer of marriage. So that was clearly what

the old man had in mind. It was quite out of the question. He had no desire to

marry her. Moreover, he might well be refused and that would not please the

King. Would she be allowed to refuse an offer from England? She had hinted in

one or two of the conversations that her father had told her she should never be

forced into marriage.

He shook his head, put the necklace back into its case and carefully rewrapped

the package.

He sat down and thought of returning home and the kind of woman to whom

he would present the necklace. He fancied she would be rather like Mrs.

Robinson; and she would be English.

————————

The Duke of York had left the Court of Brunswick. Many shook their heads.

Was Caroline going to reject all her hopes of marriage? What a strange girl she

was! It seemed very likely that she would never marry at all.

Caroline knew they whispered of her. ‘Let him go,’ she said to the Baroness

de Bode. ‘He’s a pleasant enough young man but not for me.’

The Baroness said: ‘He is the son of the King of England.’

Caroline pouted. ‘The second son.’

‘Good Heavens, is Your Highness hoping for the Prince of Wales?’

Caroline turned away with a laugh. Let them think so. Let them imagine her to

be ambitious. She was ambitious— for a home with the man she loved and a large

family of happy children.

And she was in love.

Under cover of dusk she slipped out to meet her Major. He was a little

alarmed— for her, of course. He had declared frequently that he did not care what happened to him.

‘Silly man,’ she cried fondly. ‘My father understands me. He knows he could

never force me into marriage. He will let me marry where I will.’

Then if this was so why not disclose their plans to the Duke? That was what

Caroline thought; but Major von Töbingen begged her to keep their secret a little longer.

She gave way.
But,
she warned him,
not for long.

He was there waiting in the shadows— tall, mysterious in his long cloak.

She threw herself into his arms and hugged him in the unrestrained manner

which while it delighted him alarmed him too.

‘I have a present for you, my dearest,’ she said. ‘It’s a token.’

She gave him the large amethyst pin which she had had made for him from

one of her rings.

‘I shall expect you to wear it— always,’ she told him.

She began to talk rapidly of the future. She would speak to her father and they

would be married.

‘It will never be,’ he told her in despair. ‘They will never allow a princess to

marry a mere soldier!’

‘A mere soldier! You— a mere soldier! There is nothing mere about you. I

love you, do you hear. I love you. That means that my father will give his

consent.’

He whispered that they must speak quietly or they would be overheard.

‘Let them hear!’ Her voice rang out. ‘What does it matter? I want the whole

Court to know. Why should they not?
I
have made up my mind.’

She was exuberant and impatient. Marriage with her Major would be perfect

bliss, she told him.

‘Children— do you want children? But of course you do. Dear little children.

All our own. Every time, I go to the village to see my adopted ones I say to

myself:
They are lovely. I adore them. But soon I shall have little ones of my own.

I cannot wait. Why should I? I am no longer a child. I must speak to my father— I must— I must— I
will!
’

But he begged her to wait a little longer and because she loved him she

agreed.

————————

Major von Töbingen was seen to wear a big amethyst pin. Sometimes his

fingers would stray to it and linger there lovingly. The Princess Caroline

constantly contrived to be where he was; and her eyes were seen to rest on the

pin. It was her gift to him, was the general comment.

It was impossible not to be aware of the Princess’s emotions. She had never

been one to hide them at any time; and Caroline in love was at her most emotional row like the Princess to reject the Princes of Orange and Prussia and to show the Duke of York quite clearly that she had no wish to marry him— and then to fall

besottedly in love with a major in the Army.

The rumours grew fast. She was already with child, it was whispered. Well, it

wouldn’t be the first time. That other occasion was recalled when during a ball an
accoucheur
had to be called to the palace.

A fresh scandal was about to break.

Madame de Hertzfeldt consulted with the Duke and as a result one day not

very long after she had presented him with the amethyst pin, Caroline went to

their usual trysting place where she waited in vain for her Major.

————————

He had gone, and when she had demanded of his fellow officers where he was

they could not tell her. He had been there one morning and by afternoon had

disappeared. There was simply no trace of him.

She had stamped her foot; she had raged. ‘Where? Where? Where?’ she had

cried

But they could not help her.

One of them suggested that her father the Duke might be able to explain.

She went to her father’s apartments, Madame de Hertzfeldt was with him, and

they were expecting her.

‘My dear child—’ began her father and would have put his arms about her but

she cried out―

‘Where is Major von Töbingen?’

‘Major von Töbingen’s duties have taken him away,’ said the Duke gently,

‘What duties? Where?’

The Duke looked surprised. Even his dear daughter could not speak to him in

that manner.

‘Suffice it that he is no longer with us.’

‘No longer with us! I tell you I shall not be satisfied with that. I want to know where he is. I want him brought back. I am going to marry him. Nothing—

nothing— nothing— is going to stop me.’

The Duke looked at Madame de Hertzfeldt who said gently: ‘Caroline, you

must realize that a princess cannot marry without the approval of her family.’

‘I know nothing of other princesses. I only know what I myself will do. I will

marry Major von Töbingen.’

The Duke said: ‘No, my dear, you will not.’

She turned on him. ‘You said that I should not be forced to marry against my

will.’

‘I did; and you shall not be. But I did not give you permission to marry

without my consent.’

‘So you have sent him away.’

‘Caroline,’ said Madame de Hertzfeldt, ‘it was the only thing we could do.’

‘The only thing
you
could do. And who are you, Madam, to govern me? Be

silent! If I have to listen to my father, I will not to you. I shall not stay here.’ She began to pace the room.

She was like a tigress, thought Madame de Hertzfeldt.
How peaceful we

should be if she would marry and go away from the Court!

The Duke was about to protest when Madame de Hertzfeldt signed to him not

to do so on her account. She was sure that they must try to reason with Caroline

gently. She was always afraid on occasions like this that Caroline’s delicately-

poised mind would over-balance and she knew what great grief this would bring

to the Duke.

The Duke said: ‘You must have realized the unsuitability of such a match.’

‘It is suitable because we love each other. What more suitable? Would you

have me make a marriage such as yours? Would you give me a mate whom I must

despise as you do yours?’

The Duke clenched his hands. She was shouting and he knew that her words

would be overheard.

‘Don’t try to silence me. You have taken my lover from me. He is good and

kind and handsome but that would not do. You would marry me to some ill-

formed monstrosity just because he is a royal. That would be suitable— suitable

— suitable―’

Madame de Hertzfeldt had slipped out of the room. The Duke guessed that it

was to take some action. In the meantime he tried to quiet his daughter.

‘Caroline, I will not have you shout in this manner. I will have you remember

your place here. If I cared, I could arrange a marriage for you entirely of my

choosing. Do not imagine that because I have so far been lenient with you, I shall continue to be so. So much depends on your own conduct.’

That quieted her. It was true she was a little afraid of him. She did realize that she owed her free way of life to him‚ that she was not treated as so many

princesses in her position would have been.

‘Papa,’ she said, ‘I love him!’

‘I know, my dear, but it could not be. You must realize that.’

‘Why not? It seems so senseless! Why should we have to be made unhappy

when we could be happy, when we could have healthy children and bring them up

in a happy home.’

‘It is the penalty of royalty.’

‘But we ourselves make those penalties! Why? Why? Why cannot we be free?

Why do we pen ourselves in with our misery merely to preserve our silly

royalty?’