It was so pleasant to lie in bed brooding. Mamma was not yet awake. Oh, how humiliating to have to sleep in one’s mother’s room. And when Mamma was not there Lehzen was.
The first thing I shall do when I am of age is Be Alone she assured herself.
And then she went on to think of the presents which would be hers. Mamma had been working rather secretly on something for the past weeks. She suspected it was a bag; in fact one or two people in the household had been hastily putting their work away when Victoria appeared.
It was very pleasant lying there speculating on the future – both immediate and distant – until it was time to get up.
After breakfast the Duchess took her to the table which had been laid out with her gifts and she cried out in pleasure as she discovered the bracelet and ornament of topaz and turquoise besides the lovely bag Mamma had worked for her. There were dresses and handkerchiefs and books. The Duchess certainly did give the most delightful presents. Dear Lehzen’s gift was a china basket and a little china figure. ‘Oh, dearest Lehzen, they are exquisite!’ cried Victoria. No one had forgotten. Sir John had taken great pains to have a picture of Dash painted for her.
‘Oh, but it is lovely, and so like darling Dashy.’ Sir John was pleased.
The Conroy children – all five of them – Jane, Victoire, Ed-Ward, Stephen and Henry – were eagerly watching while she unwrapped their joint offering. It proved to be an enamel watch chain.
‘Papa said it would please you,’ announced Henry, as though that settled the matter. Indeed, thought Victoria, Papa Conroy was a god in this household. But there must be no discordant notes on a birthday – especially a fourteenth birthday.
It was no ordinary day. There were many calls during the morning, for it seemed that everyone must come to pay tribute to Victoria on her birthday.
Poor Aunt Sophia toddled along with the bag she had made herself.
What a lot of bags I have! thought Victoria, but one must be pleased however many there were, especially when they had been so beautifully worked.
‘You are growing old, my dear.’ Aunt Sophia held her fast in her elderly embrace, from which Victoria longed to escape. ‘Enjoy yourself while you are young. It is not always easy when you grow old.’
Poor old Aunt Sophia! She was so often alone in her apartments and sat there peering at her embroidery and netting her purses. But she must like her lonely apartments because she had chosen them. There were whispers about a certain visitor … a man who was connected with her past. People did not realise that Victoria had a pair of ears and that she liked to use them.
The Duchess of Cumberland called and Victoria immediately asked after poor dear George.
‘I am planning to take him to Germany,’ the Duchess told her. ‘There is a very good man there who will do something for him.’
‘Oh, I do hope so.’
‘He will,’ said the Duchess almost angrily. Poor sad Aunt Frederica who must deceive herself into thinking that her son would regain his sight!
‘He asked me to tell you that he hoped you would have a happy birthday.’
‘Oh, do please thank him.’
‘I have a gift for you from him.’
‘That is lovely.’
‘See it before you pass judgment,’ said Frederica with a laugh.
Tears came into Victoria’s eyes as she looked at the turquoise pin which was George Cumberland’s present to her.
‘He says he hopes you will like it.’
‘Pray tell him, dear Aunt, that I love it, and every time I wear it, which shall be often, I shall think of him.’
‘That will be a great comfort to him.’
‘Dear, dear George. Oh, I do hope this German will be able to make him well again.’
‘He will,’ said Aunt Frederica with a return of her old fierceness. ‘Now look at the present from myself and your Uncle Ernest,’ she went on. It was a bracelet in turquoise to match George’s pin.
When she had exclaimed her pleasure she must leave the Duchess and turn to others to receive presents and give thanks. So many things, she thought. I must list them all and leave nothing out of my Journal, because Mamma is sure to have a list and will say I am ungrateful if I forget one.
All day long visitors called, and dinner was early that day so that there might be plenty of time to prepare for the ball at St James’s.
The Queen was smiling at the young people. Tonight she was going to forget her anxieties about William, who was in good spirits too, though rather annoyed that Sir John Conroy had come with the party from Kensington Palace.
‘Why does that fellow always have to be there?’ he demanded of Adelaide. ‘Behaves as though he’s Victoria’s stepfather.’
Adelaide did not say that that was what he assuredly felt himself to be because it would only disturb William. But she did wish the Duchess of Kent would have the sense to keep Sir John out of the King’s sight. But it was becoming clearer and clearer that the Duchess had no intention of placating the King.
But the sight of the excited Princess restored William’s good humour. She was wearing the diamond ear-rings which he had sent to Kensington Palace for her and which were his own special present as well as the brooch of turquoise and gold which Adelaide had given her.
She came into his closet next to the ballroom and embraced him.
‘It is so nice to see you Uncle privately like this. It means I can give you a really big hug.’
William’s eyes filled with tears. A charming girl. Adelaide had always said so and he could trust Adelaide to be right. The only thing wrong with Victoria was that mother of hers.
‘The ear-rings are quite beautiful.’
‘So you like them, eh? And that’s a nice brooch you’re wearing. Turquoise, is it?’ He was looking sly. He knew it was Aunt Adelaide’s gift.
‘Yes, Uncle. Is it not beautiful?’
‘Your Aunt Adelaide always knows what you young people like. Now it’s time we went into the ballroom. We have to open it together, you know.’
It was very pleasant going into the ballroom, hand in hand with the King; and even the Duchess was pleased. The Queen had taken the precaution of asking Victoria’s dancing mistress Madame Bourdin to the ball so that she could supervise the dancing.
As soon as they were in the ballroom the Queen came up with George Cambridge.
‘I think it would be an excellent idea if you two danced the first dance.’
George Cambridge said he thought so too and taking Victoria’s hand led her on to the floor. Flushed and happy Victoria was aware of Mamma’s eyes on her; the Duchess was none too pleased; she did not want the King and Queen to imagine that they could pair off Victoria with her cousin. However, Victoria did not care; she gave herself up to the pleasure of the dance which she enjoyed so much.
‘So here you are,’ said George, ‘at one of Aunt Adelaide’s parties at last. I’m so glad you came.’
‘But of course I came. It is my birthday. You must know that because you gave me that lovely lily-of-the-valley brooch. Do you realise I’m fourteen?’
‘I did, because we are almost the same age.’
‘We are getting so old,’ said Victoria gleefully. Then she added sadly: ‘The last time I saw you George Cumberland was there.’