The Princess of Celle: (Georgian Series) (38 page)

‘He was so handsome tonight. He is surely the most handsome man in Hanover.’

‘And like as not he knows it,’ retorted Sophia Dorothea.

‘He would be a fool if he did not, and would you want a fool for a lover?’

‘A lover! Don’t use that word.’ Sophia Dorothea looked over her shoulder. ‘How do we know who listens?’

Eléonore blew with her lips to denote contempt for the suggestion. ‘Everyone in Hanover is too concerned with their own affairs to bother with ours.’

‘I wish I could be sure of that.’

‘And if you were … would you say yes to Königsmarck?’

‘Yes … to what?’

‘Oh, come, Your Highness is coy. He is in love with you … and you …’

‘You talk nonsense,’ said Sophia Dorothea.

‘Why should it be nonsense for you to enjoy your life when others so blatantly do all about you?’

‘I have taken my marriage vows to George Lewis.’

‘And he to you. But he does not remember them, so …’

‘Eléonore von Knesebeck! You forget to whom you speak.’

Eléonore leapt up, knelt at the feet of Sophia Dorothea, took her hand and kissed it. ‘Your Highness,’ she murmured, raising her eyes in mock supplication.

‘Get up and don’t be foolish,’ said Sophia Dorothea with a laugh. They had been children together so how could she be taken seriously if she tried to play the haughty princess now? But Knesebeck did talk too much; and she was afraid. Afraid of herself?

She sat down suddenly and said in a melancholy voice: ‘I have never been happy since my sixteenth birthday.’

Eléonore von Knesebeck nodded.

‘And now?’ she asked.

‘I am still married to George Lewis.’

‘You must enjoy life as he does. You could be happy again. Why not? Should you be expected to shut yourself away … to look on at him and that Schulenburg woman …’

‘Hush.’

‘And why? The handsomest man in Hanover is in love with you. Why should you turn from him for the sake of that …’

‘You will be in trouble one day, Eléonore von Knesebeck, if you do not guard your tongue. I am the Crown Princess of Hanover. I have a son and a daughter. He can have as many mistresses as he likes. They say that is unimportant. But if I took a lover, what a scandal there would be! They would suspect the paternity of a child who might be the heir of Hanover.’

‘You have the heir to Hanover and none can doubt his parentage.’

‘If I took a lover the parentage of
all
my children would be suspected. They would say, “If she sins now why not before?”’

‘They would not dare.’

‘Are you urging me to take a lover? You are a wicked woman, Knesebeck.’

‘I’m a proud one and I hate to see you treated as you have
been. Do you know that since Königsmarck came to Hanover you have been different … younger … more beautiful? I wonder everyone does not notice.’

‘I must not see him. It is too dangerous. I must make him understand that there can be nothing but friendship between us.’

‘You would be denying the truth.’

Sophia Dorothea gave her friend a little push. ‘I understand you. You want to be a go-between, to carry the notes between us, to arrange the clandestine meetings, to live in danger and fear of discovery. You would enjoy that, Knesebeck. You are bored and long for excitement. Well, you are not going to have your excitement over this.’

Eléonore von Knesebeck lowered her eyes but her lips were smiling. She was not so sure.

In his lodgings Königsmarck was thinking of Sophia Dorothea, and he could not resist talking of her to his secretary Hildebrand.

‘How strange it is that she is not appreciated here, Hildebrand. When I see the Crown Prince with that stupid looking girl I wonder whether he is in fact blind. Surely he must be.’

‘He has none of your finer feelings, my lord Count.’

‘And to think that they married
her
to him. I knew her, Hildebrand, when she was a child … a dainty fairy of a child. I never forgot her.’

‘No, my lord.’

‘Hildebrand, you are looking worried.’

‘There would be trouble, my lord. The wife of the Crown Prince …’

‘This is different, Hildebrand. There is more to this than the act of making love.’

He was silent. He wanted to rescue her from her miserable life, make her gay, glad to be alive.

But Hildebrand was right, of course. This was no ordinary love affair to be entered into with a light heart. Carl John had always said that love to be most enjoyed should be a lighthearted
affair. ‘Never become too deeply engaged, brother. Savour the joys, not the sorrows of love.’

Carl John was right. Perhaps he should go away.

He was there that night after supper to pay court to her in the great hall. She looked so radiant that surely everyone must notice the change in her; he had seen her before she had seen him, when he had first arrived. Beautiful, graceful but listless. Now the listlessness had disappeared and to the discerning that could be significant. He knew when she lifted her eyes to his that he excited her as she did him.

In such moments he was all for reckless action. He thought of riding away with her far from Hanover. To Saxony? To France? He would not look beyond the first exciting days. And would he have anything to fear from lethargic George Lewis? They were mad dreams. She had her children and when she had spoken of them he had sensed what they meant to her.

It was a foolish dream. Here in the great hall, he knew it. There could only be a clandestine love affair – notes smuggled to the Princess, secret meetings; continual fear of discovery.

They danced together and she had an opportunity of speaking to him.

‘I love you,’ he told her, ‘and would serve you with my life.’

‘I think people watch us,’ she answered.

‘What are we going to do?’

‘You must leave Hanover. Quickly … quickly… .’

She caught her breath as she said that, and he knew how deeply affected she was.

‘I cannot leave you … now.’

‘To stay would mean … disaster.’

‘If you returned a little of the devotion I would offer you I should care nothing for disaster.’

Spoken like a reckless lover! But she smiled sadly.

‘You should go away,’ she reiterated.

‘I could never leave you,’ he answered firmly.

But she shook her head. Then the dance was over and he could not hope for more private conversation.

The feelings they aroused in each other could not be kept under control. Every time she entered the great hall, every time she walked in the gardens, she looked for him. And he was never far away … always seeking the opportunity to be beside her.

Eléonore von Knesebeck told herself it could not be long now. They would be lovers and it was right that Sophia Dorothea should enjoy a little happiness, that she should repay her husband in some small measure for all the pain and indignity he had heaped upon her. Königsmarck’s friends warned caution, but what gallant lover was ever cautious?

To Königsmarck’s friends it was as though fate had decided to step in and save him from disaster when the news of the death of his uncle, Count Otho William, occurred in Italy. The presence of the young Count of Königsmarck was needed there.

He left and tension relaxed.

Without him Sophia Dorothea was desolate yet she was more conscious than any that the danger had passed.

Life was a thousand times more wretched without him. True, there was no fear of what recklessness might possess them both; but how she longed for that fear to return. Without Königsmarck life was dull, dreary and not worth living. Her only hope of happiness was in her children.

She stayed late in bed; she took rides in her carriage and often the children accompanied her. All her pleasure was in them; she read a great deal; she did fine needlework for pleasure and coarser for duty; and after supper she ignored George Lewis and his friends, Clara von Platen and hers, and was surrounded by her own little court, playing cards now and then, or dancing.

To this little court came her brothers-in-law. They had always been fond of her and as they disliked George Lewis, were jealous of him, and were in constant fear that their small inheritances would go to him when their father died, they were his natural enemies. But because he was crude and coarse, because he preferred the flaccid and plump Ermengarda von Schulenburg to the dainty and charming Sophia Dorothea, they disliked him more than ever.

Charles in particular was fond of her and showed her quite
clearly that he was on her side. He was charming and gay and even the Duchess Sophia was charmed by him and secretly admitted that he was her favourite son. She was not displeased that he defended Sophia Dorothea; George Lewis was an oaf and she heartily wished that Charles had been the elder.

Charles often came to Sophia Dorothea’s apartments accompanied by one of his brothers and their friends. There they would discuss the gossip of the day and provide some diversion for Sophia Dorothea.

A few months after Königsmarck’s departure Charles came in full of excitement.

‘Such news,’ he cried. ‘A friend of mine and yours has returned to Hanover.’

‘A friend?’ said Sophia Dorothea slowly.

‘Count Königsmarck.’

Sophia Dorothea felt lightheaded; she knew there was a fixed smile on her face.

‘He arrived today. His first question was about you. Were you well? he wanted to know.’

‘It was kind of him.’ Her voice sounded far off, as though it belonged to someone else.

‘He has implored me to present him to you this evening. May I?’

She was silent.

‘Don’t say you have forgotten him?’

‘No … no. I have not forgotten him. Yes, please bring him. I … I shall be pleased to see him.’

Pleased! A strangely mild word to express her feelings. She already felt alive again. The hatred of Hanover; the disillusion of Celle seemed trivial now.

Here was a chance to feel alive again.

Why refuse it? Why should Sophia Dorothea not discover some joy in life?

On invitation from Ernest Augustus George William came to Hanover. The brothers embraced warmly; they both enjoyed their meetings. Ernest Augustus because he could congratulate himself that he, the younger, was in command; George William
because he had always had a sentimental attachment to the brother who, in their youth, had adored him. They were happy together because Ernest Augustus was so deeply aware of the change in their relationship and George William either unaware or deliberately blind to it.

Ernest Augustus had arranged that they should be alone, but he thought ruefully to himself that Clara would quickly discover the reason for the encounter. She had her spies everywhere; and he himself was indiscreet where she was concerned. She had a way of worming secrets out of him when he was half asleep. Oh well, a man’s mistress of long standing must necessarily be in his confidence. This happened with the Grand Monarque himself; and as every Prince in Europe modelled himself on the master of Versailles, what could be expected?

‘Well, my dear brother, it does me good to see you.’

‘You grow more energetic with the years, Ernest Augustus.’

‘Oh you, my dear fellow, have found life too easy in your cosy castle. It’s time I prodded you to ambition. I trust your Duchess is well?’

George William’s expression was a little uneasy. ‘She is anxious about our daughter.’

‘You spoilt the child – you and your Duchess between you. A pity you only had the one. She is settling down. Soon we shall hear that there is another little one on the way, I doubt not.’

‘Poor child. I should not want to think that she is unhappy.’

‘She’ll settle, never fear. I have my eye on her. I am very fond of your daughter … my daughter now, George William. What a good thing we made that marriage. And that brings me to the point. We have to stand by the Emperor now and if we do, he will show us proper appreciation.’

George William nodded as he seated himself in the chair set for him and regarded his brother. How different now from the old days when he used to say: I am going to Italy! and Ernest Augustus used to implore to be taken with him, and listened wide-eyed to his elder brother’s adventures. Now it was George William who waited on the words of Ernest Augustus.

‘Louis has to be vanquished. The Emperor Leopold will never
forgive him for invading the Palatinate and destroying Heidelberg and Mannheim.’

‘Nor should we,’ retorted George William. ‘I am sure the Duchess Sophia will never forget what they have done to her family.’

Ernest Augustus hid his impatience. George William was sentimental. Had he not learned yet that wise rulers did not go to war for the sake of sentiment but for material gain, and Ernest Augustus had decided that more could be gained by supporting the Emperor Leopold than remaining outside the conflict, and it was for this reason that he had invited his brother to Hanover.

He said: ‘The Emperor is very eager for our help.’

‘We are so small, compared with himself and the French and all the allies.’

‘Small but strategic, my dear brother. And are we even so small? Hanover and Celle combined could give a good account of themselves.’

‘So we should be together.’

‘Certainly. We are closer than ever now since my son married your daughter. Our soldiers have distinguished themselves in battle, and Leopold wants us to set an example to the other small German states. If we come in they will follow us. If we remain aloof, so will they. My wife is determined that we shall join the allies. You know why.’

‘She wants to be on the side of William of Orange. We know of her fondness for the English.’

‘She is not blind to her advantages, either. If we support William, she will ask that he does his utmost to bring in an Act of Settlement which will exclude James’s son from the throne. You know what that means.’

George William nodded. ‘But it is hardly likely that both William and Mary
and
Anne will have no children.’

‘It is not a very remote possibility. Sophia finds out all she can about the health of those three and it is not good. After Anne – provided William kept his promise and brought in an act to exclude the Stuart – Sophia could be Queen of England. You know what that means, George William. Your daughter –
through her marriage with George Lewis – could in time be Queen of England. A little different, eh, from the Duchess of a small German state.’