‘He’d be a Whig just because the King is a Tory.’
‘I am not so sure. You can be certain that your brother Gloucester will step in if you don’t, and don’t forget he has the advantage. In spite of his marriage and the fact that his wife is not received at Court His Majesty is quite fond of him.’
‘More than he is of me,’ grimaced Cumberland.
‘So Your Highness will see that it is necessary for us to act promptly.’
‘Our little encounter in the Park didn’t do much good.’
‘I am forced to disagree with your Highness. I believe that the Prince was most touched and thought his uncle a charming fellow. He was more resentful against his father than ever for denying him the company of such fascinating relations. When he is free – and that may well be in a few months’ time – he will want to show his affection, I am sure of it. That is why we must be ready for him.’
‘Mr Fox is right,’ said the Duchess. ‘This must be the house which he must feel is a home to him.’
Fox threw her a grateful glance. Trust Madam Horton to see the advantage. She would deal with her less perceptive Duke.
‘Well?’ said Cumberland, deferring to the Duchess as always.
‘Mrs Robinson should be your guest.’
‘If I asked her she would suspect an attack on her precious virtue.’
‘Her Highness the Duchess would be her hostess.’
‘The lady shall come,’ promised the Duchess. ‘Why not with Sheridan?’
‘That is no hardship I do assure you.’
‘An entertaining fellow. He’ll bring a new shine to Cumberland House.’
‘And the lady should be persuaded to stop teasing the Prince.’
‘Why?’ demanded Cumberland.
‘Because, my lord Duke, if she does not, our Prince will grow so impatient that he will look elsewhere. We cannot expect a full-blooded young man as your nephew undoubtedly is to live on sighs. What if he chose a mistress in the Tory camp? It could be fatal to our hopes. No, it shall be Perdita. But she has to be persuaded that there is more glory to be found in the arms of a Prince of Wales than in prudery.’
‘Her prudery could be overcome,’ grumbled the Duke.
‘How so?’ demanded his Duchess. ‘How was it that you who are skilled in the arts of overcoming that horrid vice could not overcome it in her case?’
‘Every woman has her price.’ He looked hard at his Duchess.
That she conceded. ‘Even if it’s marriage.’ She fluttered her lashes, as though calling attention to her big bargaining counter. ‘But Perdita could not be such a fool as to imagine she could marry the Prince of Wales. And since she is answering his letters and writing to him as passionately and as yearningly as he is writing to her, somewhere underneath all that display of virtue there must be some small idea of what she would accept.’
‘That’s it,’ said the Duke. ‘After all if they’re going to make the affair so public – and his behaviour at the Oratorio suggests he will – she would have to give up the stage; and if he tires of her in a month or so, which is not inconceivable, the lady should naturally look for some security.’
‘The Prince should offer her a bond of some sort,’ said the Duchess. ‘He should do so in the most delicate terms. The lady will refuse indignantly; then it will be offered again and she will refuse hesitantly; and at the third time she will accept reluctantly. Would you care to take a bet on it Mr Fox. A thousand guineas.’
‘Done,’ said Mr Fox, ‘Although I think you have the better chance. But I’d be so pleased if it happened that I wouldn’t mind paying up. But how is the Prince to be made to realize how he should act?’
The Duke and Duchess were silent for a while then the Duchess said: ‘Lord Maiden is the messenger. Part of his duty as HRH’s equerry is to carry his master’s love letters to the ladies of his choice. Maiden has been our guest. He shall be so again. Never fear, the Duke shall drop a word of advice into Malden’s ear. Poor Malden, I fancy he is in love with the lady himself. He will be glad to please his master and at the same time release himself from a mission which, in the circumstances, must be somewhat odious.’
‘But if he is in love with the woman will he want to pass her over to the Prince?’
The Duchess looked mockingly at her husband. ‘Sometimes the dogs enjoy the crumbs which fall from their master’s table. Maiden will be waiting, chops slavering, tail wagging, ever faithful for the day when Florizel takes on a new role. After all, we must have a change of show sometimes. And when The Winter’s Tale becomes The Lady Dishonoured, Malden will step in with a show of his own, Patience Rewarded.’
Mr Fox said: ‘The Duchess as usual has found the solution. Now we will see if this lady – like so many others – has her price. I have no doubt that she has, but it may be marriage, which in her case would be impossible for her lover, however enamoured, to meet. But if she will set her sights a little lower …’
‘Then,’ said the Duchess, ‘the Prince shall have his Perdita and Mr Fox would lose a thousand guineas.’
‘In the circumstances,’ said Mr Fox, ‘’tis a consummation devoutly to be wished!’
Perdita was thrown into a state of excitement by the invitation from the Duchess of Cumberland. She called to Mrs Armistead, for the woman was growing more and more useful and more and more Perdita was taking her into her confidence.
‘An invitation from a very illustrious quarter. I confess I should refuse it immediately if it had come from the Duke.’
‘The Duke admired you greatly, Madam.’
‘He was in the theatre night after night and I remember when we were playing Vanburgh’s Relapse under the title of A Day in Scarborough and the audience showed their annoyance, how he publicly defended me.’
‘Madam was wise to spurn the gentleman. He has not a good reputation with the ladies.’
‘But since it is his Duchess who invites me …’
‘Madam will not refuse to grace their company with her presence.’
‘I am of half a mind to refuse, Armistead. Perhaps the Prince would not like me to go.’
‘But this is his uncle!’
‘A well-known seducer.’
‘His Highness was pleased to act most affectionately with him in the Park and I cannot help feeling that it would give him a great deal of pleasure if he knew you visited his uncle’s house.’
‘I am not sure, Armistead.’
Mrs Armistead, knowing that it was Mr Fox’s wish that Perdita should visit Cumberland House, was determined to persuade her mistress to do so; and Perdita was so bemused with the daily letters from her lover that she allowed herself to be persuaded.
It was with a sense of a good piece of work completed that Mrs Armistead put on her becoming cloak with its concealing hood – a gift from Perdita and therefore of excellent cut and material – and hurried to Mr Fox’s lodgings in St James’s to tell him that the first step in his mission was accomplished.
Such pleasant company at Cumberland House! And how they had acclaimed Perdita! The Duchess was quite charming to her, and although Perdita was a little uneasy in the presence of such a woman and was a little afraid that such dazzling good looks might draw attention from her own, she could remind herself that the Duchess was considerably older than she was and that she, Perdita, had youth on her side.
There she met old friends. Sheridan was present, enchanting the company with his witty sayings; and with him his Amoret, so he had little time to spare for Perdita. She had no cause to complain. Mr Fox was charming to her; Lord Maiden of course could always be relied upon to play the faithful swain; and the Due de Chartres paid marked attention.