I replied: “Pray inform me of it, Lady Castlemaine.”
“Once before there was a plot,” she went on. “Now there is another.” Her next words sent a shiver through my body. “They are trying to arrange a divorce so that the King may marry a woman who can give him children.”
“But now…,” I stammered.
“Your Majesty must forgive my frankness. It is not Frances Stuart now.” Her lips curled with a certain satisfaction. “She is a poor creature now with her pitted face. There is no one in mind. That is to come. Some foreign princess…French possibly. But this is a threat to you and we must prevent its happening.”
“How can you know this?”
“I mingle. I talk to these men. I have my faithful friends…my servants serve me well. I know.”
“Before there was…”
“Yes, and we foiled them, did we not? This is more serious. There is no one in view. They cannot say it is the King’s desire for a new wife. The Cabal will choose her when the time comes.”
“The Cabal!”
“Oh yes. They are for it…most of them. My friend Buckingham…Arlington…it is because of James.”
“You mean the Duke of York, or…”
“Or Monmouth? Both of them. They will not have the Duke of York. They will not have a Catholic on the throne. On the other hand there is Monmouth. Now if he were not a bastard, there would be no question of James. But Monmouth is a bastard, in spite of all his efforts to be the Prince of Wales.”
“Is this true…?”
“Madam, it is for you to believe or disbelieve. I only come to warn you.”
“Why?” I asked.
She smiled at me conspiratorially. “Your Majesty, I have always had a great respect for you, ever since you came to our shores. It would grieve me greatly to see you…replaced.”
I understood. She visualized a new queen…someone young and possibly beautiful…someone who insisted on clearing the harem…reigning supreme.
When I came, she had had a great hold on the King. That was not very strong now. She was unsure of her position. That was why she wanted my help. She felt it was easier for her to maintain her position if I held mine.
I had to listen to her with all attention. The Cabal was urging this, trying to persuade the King. There must be an heir, they were saying. The country will not accept the Duke of York. There was young Monmouth…a Protestant…a bastard, but preferable to York.
“They cannot have Monmouth,” I said. “That would be unacceptable.”
“No…unless he…But there you are. They are saying that the King must have a divorce and marry a woman who will give him a son.”
I sat back, feeling faint.
She was smiling at me. “There is one other thing. The King might announce that he was married to Lucy Walter.”
“Married Lucy Walter?”
“Monmouth’s mother. If the King had married her, Monmouth would be the legitimate heir. It’s one way out.”
“But the King was not married to Lucy Walter.”
“They were on the continent. It would not be difficult to find evidence.”
“False evidence?”
She smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
“Why are you telling me this, Lady Castlemaine?” I asked.
“So that you may take action.”
“What action?”
“The King has a great regard for you. I am suggesting that you speak to him. He wavers…. He knows that York will be a disaster. He knows of Monmouth’s ambitions. He realizes how all this could be set aside if only he had a son. He can beget handsome children.” She preened herself a little, no doubt thinking of those she had produced. “You see his predicament. You must make up his mind for him.”
“How?”
“I believe that if you pleaded with him…made him understand how much this means to you…if he knew how much you cared for him…which you do, I know…if he knew how desolate you would be…I think he would turn away from the persuasion of his ministers. I know the King well. This is a chance….”
“It is good of you to be concerned for me.”
She smiled at me. She did not say that she was thinking of her own advantage. She did not want to lose the King entirely, and she knew she could do so if there were a new wife.
I thanked her and she left. I sat down in desolation to contemplate the situation.
I knew that what she had told me was the truth.
WHEN I WAS ALONE WITH CHARLES, I came straight to the point.
“I have heard disquieting news,” I said.
“There is nothing unusual in that,” he replied. “The news is always disquieting now.”
“About this proposed divorce,” I went on.
His face was serious suddenly. “What have you heard?” he asked sharply.
“That — as you did once before — you are considering divorcing me so that you can marry a new wife…younger, I presume, and one who can give you and the country an heir.”
He was silent for a moment, then he said: “This has been a suggestion which was presented to me.”
“And what are you going to do about it?”
“Do you want to be divorced?”
I felt my face crumpling. He put his arms about me and held me close to him.
“You see,” he said. “It is this devilish business of James and his religion. This is what has set all this trouble about our ears. They do not want James. I don’t blame them. Poor James. He stumbles around…tripping headlong into trouble. Why did he want to do this? Why couldn’t he have kept his religion secret? And then there is Jemmy. He is an ambitious boy. You see, Catherine, I am beset on all sides.”
“And you think that by ridding yourself of me you will settle these difficulties?”
“I should be heart-broken if you were taken from me.”
“Please, Charles,” I said, “this is a time for plain speaking.”
“I am speaking plain. I am speaking from my heart.”
“But this is a matter for heads, not hearts. They want a son…your son…and they think I cannot get one. It may be they are right. And you are a lusty begetter of sons. I do not know how many. Do you?”
“Let me tell you this, Catherine. I never want you to leave me.”
“But you will have so many consolations.”
“I am myself, I fear, and that is not a very noble thing to be. I know that. I am what I have always been and was born to be. That does not mean I do not love you.”
“It is a theme I have often heard. It is a pleasure to hear it, but it is a fiction…a romantic story. It is not real.”
“It is real,” he said. “They are talking about it incessantly. To listen to them is like being at the playhouse.”
“It is the Cabal.”
He nodded. “They do not want James. That’s the heart of the matter. They’d rather have Jemmy. He’s a bastard, but a popular bastard.”
“How could that possibly be?”
“If he were legitimate.”
“But he is not.”
“They plan to make him so.”
“How could that be?”
“Oh…a little box suddenly found…somewhere far away…on the continent, of course. In this box would be a document showing that I married Lucy Walter, Jemmy’s mother, and therefore he is the rightful heir to the throne.”
“But there is no box and you were not married to Lucy Walter.”
“A trifling detail in the minds of these schemers. If I give my permission they will find the box with the appropriate documents.”
“And you would allow this?”
He shook his head. “Never,” he said emphatically.
“So then the alternative…you will agree to this divorce.”
He took my face in his hands. “Do you want to go away from me, Catherine? God knows I would not blame you if you did. I deserve to lose you.”