And then he reminded himself that Reynolds was lucky, too. Brimsley might not have the face of an Adonis, but he was no troll. And more important, he was clever, and he was steadfast. He was a good man, and he knew his worth.
“Do you think it’s possible?” Brimsley asked.
Reynolds nodded. “I do not know. Perhaps. Great love can make miracles.”
“It can.”
And maybe, God willing, it would.
Agatha
Danbury House
Lady Danbury’s Bedchamber
28 June 1762
Agatha sat at her vanity while Coral prepared her hair for bed. It could be a complicated procedure, depending on how formally she planned to dress her hair the following day.
This evening’s preparations were complicated indeed. Agatha had received a summons from Princess Augusta. Another one of their afternoon teas. She knew what the Dowager Princess wanted: inside information on the Queen’s recent move to Kew.
Rumors had begun to circulate about the royal couple. Nothing about the King’s mental faculties; that, at least, had not spread outside the palace walls. But the ton wanted to know why the King and Queen had become recluses, why they never left Kew. Parliament was growing restless; just yesterday, Agatha had heard a man in a shop say that if the King did not address the body soon, he ran the risk of losing their confidence.
Princess Augusta would be growing nervous. Very nervous. Hence the invitation.
“What will you say to the Princess?” Coral said.
“Nothing. What can I say?”
“I am sure you could give Princess Augusta the smallest of details. Pears. Her Majesty asked for pears while she was here.”
Agatha did not recall anything about pears, but that mattered little. Augusta was not going to be satisfied with stories about fruit. “I will not engage with the Princess,” Agatha told Coral. “I have promised the Queen my friendship.”
“If you are friends, perhaps you could ask Her Majesty to intervene,” Coral said. “She seemed so kind. I am sure she would make little Dominic Lord Danbury if you asked.”
“Her Majesty has gone to Kew,” Agatha said firmly. “I cannot simply turn up there and beg a favor. And she is with child. She is in a state. I cannot do anything that might cause her upset or worry.”
“She has enough of that as it is,” Coral said with a dramatic sigh.
Agatha turned around sharply. “What do you mean?”
Coral tied one of the rag curls and picked up another strip of cloth. “Well, there are the rumors to consider.”
“Rumors?” This made Agatha nervous. Servants always heard different rumors than the ton. And theirs were likely more accurate.
Coral gave up the pretense of doing Agatha’s hair and took a seat in front of her. “I am hearing that the Palace stands not on firm ground. That the King is ill or injured or . . . well, something is not right.”
“Coral, that is gossip.”
“No. I am not a person for gossip. If I were,” Coral said pointedly, “I would say that I heard from several kitchen maids that the members of the House of Lords were concerned for the King’s welfare. There is talk that the Palace is in jeopardy.”
“But you are not one to gossip.”
“Never.”
Agatha let out a weary sigh. This only confirmed what she had overheard in the shop. “I certainly cannot ask Her Majesty for help if that is true.”
“No,” Coral said, “but again, if I did gossip—which of course I do not—I would say that I have heard that all the power lies with Princess Augusta and Lord Bute now.”
Agatha stared at her reflection as Coral went back to setting her hair. What was she to do? She could not betray the Queen. She would not. But the only way to secure the future of the Great Experiment was through Princess Augusta.
And she demanded secrets.
St. James’s Palace
Princess Augusta’s Sitting Room
The next day
She was back.
Back in Lady Augusta’s oh-so-formal sitting room, where everything was edged in gilt and even the ceiling was a picture of elegance: an oval dome with a painting that Agatha thought must rival the Sistine Chapel.
“Thank you for seeing me, Your Highness,” Agatha said.
“Thank you for paying me a visit, Lady Danbury.”
“I am so glad that you met Lord Danbury.” Agatha took an intentional pause. “The new Lord Danbury.”
“Did I?” Princess Augusta waited while one of her ladies prepared a cup of tea. She motioned for her to give it to Agatha. “I know I met your son. He is very handsome. Such a sweet boy.”
Agatha waited until Princess Augusta had sipped her own tea before she did the same.
“I have been told,” Princess Augusta said, “that you had the honor of a visit by Her Majesty.”
“It was two months ago,” Agatha said. She wanted to make it clear that she had not seen the Queen since her departure for Kew.
“Yes,” Princess Augusta said. “I’m aware.”
Of course she was.
“It is not common for the Queen to visit her ladies-in-waiting in their homes,” Princess Augusta continued.
“The Queen was kind enough to offer her sympathies upon the loss of my dear husband. The late Lord Danbury.”
“Yes. My condolences. Losing a husband is . . . inconvenient.” Princess Augusta smiled, but her lips barely managed a curve. “The Queen must be very fond of you. To come out during her confinement.”
“Yes,” Agatha said. She knew what game Augusta was playing, and she refused to take part. Not this time. She had made a vow to be a true friend to Charlotte.
“Yes,” Princess Augusta repeated.
Agatha regarded her over the rim of her teacup.
Princess Augusta did the same.
Agatha took a breath. It was now or never. “As it is a fact,” she said, “that my son will inherit his father’s title—”
“Is it?” Princess Augusta interrupted. “A fact?”
“Is it not?”
“Whether or not the Great Experiment will go on past this generation is something only His Majesty can determine.” Princess Augusta set down her cup and made some sort of meaningless gesture with her hands. “Such a complicated debate,” she said with a sigh.
“I see.”
“Of course,” the Princess continued, “I am sure I could expediate your answer. If you have information that may be useful.”
“I am not sure what information I could possibly possess that one as brilliant as Your Highness could not obtain yourself.”
And honestly, this was true. What did Agatha know? That the King was ill? Princess Augusta already knew that. But she might not know the extent of it. What Charlotte had shared was damning indeed.
Still, she would not speak of it. To anyone. She had sworn her fidelity to Charlotte, and she would not break this promise.
Women had so little power. They needed to stick together. Even, as in this case, when they were pitted against another woman.
“Well,” Princess Augusta said. “I believe the matter of title inheritance shall be difficult to settle. More tea?”
“No,” Agatha said. “Thank you. I believe it is best if I went on my way.”
“You have much to think on,” Princess Augusta said.
“I always have much to think on.”
The Princess actually laughed at that. And not unkindly. “You are a very intelligent woman, Lady Danbury.”