Fortunately it came to rest before his parents appeared. He shambled over to them, his face red from the exertion.
How awkward he is! thought Sophia. What will they think of him when he goes to England? Charles is so graceful.
Uncouth as ever! thought Ernest Augustus. He belongs in the camp and always will.
‘Welcome, my son,’ said Sophia.
George knelt before his parents.
Sophia was thinking: Let us get this ceremonial greeting over as soon as possible. A pity Frederick Augustus isn’t Crown Prince. He would have made a better showing. How did we get such a one as this?
George Lewis was on his feet.
‘You’ll wish to go to your apartments before dinner.’
George Lewis said he would.
‘Then I want to hear how the army is getting on.’
The young man’s face brightened.
At least, thought Ernest Augustus, he’s a good soldier.
The Duchess Sophia followed Ernest Augustus into his apartments and shut the door, signing to the Duke’s attendants that she wished to be alone with her husband.
‘Well?’ said Ernest Augustus.
‘His manners haven’t improved.’
‘Do you think anything on earth would improve his manners?’
‘I always hoped.’
‘My dear, you are over-optimistic. George Lewis will always be what he is – a bore and boor.’
‘What can we do about it?’
Ernest Augustus shrugged his shoulders. ‘He’ll be a good soldier. Let us be thankful for that. It’s a useful occupation when you have a principality to protect.’
‘How will he be in his relations with other states?’
‘Let us hope he has good advisers.’
‘At least,’ said the Duchess, ‘he is fairly safe as far as women are concerned, for no woman of culture and education would attract him. It will be serving girls for him.’
‘Don’t be too sure of that. He’ll be the Duke of Hanover one day. I fancy that will make up for his uncouth manners.’
‘What I meant is that the sort of women who will attract him will be those who are not interested in state affairs; and that is all to the good.’
The Duke looked over his wife’s head. Was this a reference to Clara? If so, he would ignore it. Sophia knew that one thing he would not endure was interference with his affairs.
‘In any case,’ went on Sophia, ‘it is time he married.’
‘I agree with you there.’
‘The King of England has no legitimate heirs and I do not believe he will ever get any. That wife of his is barren, depend upon it. All this time and not one son. And when you consider how many strong sons the King has given to other women …’
Ernest Augustus nodded in agreement.
‘And,’ went on Sophia, ‘what of James?’
‘James has children.’
‘Two daughters – Mary and Anne. He does not seem to be able to get a son that will live.’
‘Well?’
‘Mary is married to my cousin’s boy, William of Orange. And … so far, there are no sons there either.’
‘It’s early yet.’
‘Still no sons.’
‘What are you driving at?’
‘The Princess Anne is unmarried.’
‘You mean you want George Lewis to have her?’
‘It would be an excellent match. It could so easily happen that George Lewis came to the throne of England.’
Ernest Augustus smiled at her with amusement. ‘And that,’ he said, ‘is where you would rather see him than anywhere in the world.’
‘Don’t forget he has English blood in his veins, through me.’
‘You, my dear, would never allow me to forget it.’
‘I want him to try for Anne.’
‘And you think Charles and James would have him?’
‘Why not. He is their kinsman.’
‘They might possibly look higher than a petty Duke of Hanover.’
‘There is no harm in trying.’
Ernest Augustus shook his head. ‘To go over there, to be paraded like a stud bull. How do you think he would fare? Imagine Charles exercising his wit on him! I’m not so enamoured of the English.’
‘My dear husband, are you mad? You are not comparing the Dukedom of Hanover with the crown of England.’
‘You’re looking far ahead, Sophia. Charles has to die without legitimate heirs. I admit there is every possibility that he will. James has to die without a son. That is certainly not likely. And if he does he has two daughters. Mary is already married to Orange. She also has to die without heirs; then would it be Anne’s turn; and if George were her consort, I admit that he could share the crown, after all he is actually in the line of succession – though some way back.’
‘Through me,’ Sophia reminded him with a satisfied smile.
‘Through you, my dear. But have you forgotten that not so long ago these English allowed their king to be murdered?’
‘It was that villain Cromwell. They have since deeply regretted it. Look how they adore Charles!’
‘Well, Charles happens to be larger than life. He happens to have charm and wit and a seraglio which the English people find colourful – particularly after years of puritan rule. If they ever had our George Lewis they would quickly discover that he was no Charles.’
‘He is a good soldier. Besides, he is young yet. His manners may improve. Particularly if he went to England.’
‘If he went to England. Are you suggesting that he should go?’
Sophia nodded.
‘You have spoken to him of this?’
‘Certainly I have not. He is only just come home and naturally I should speak of it to you first.’
‘To try for Anne …’ mused Ernest Augustus.
‘Well?’
‘I am not eager.’
‘But why not?’
‘I don’t think they’d have him. He’d make a fool of himself.’
‘Oh, come, why shouldn’t a Prince visit a kinsman’s court?’
Ernest Augustus was silent. ‘I’ll think about it.’
Sophia’s eyes narrowed. Discuss it with Clara, she wondered; she pictured them lying side by side in his big bed, making love and then talking politics. What Clara said would be important to him. Well, Sophia was not having that. She had no objection to his taking the woman to bed, but that should be for one purpose and it did not include deciding the future marriage of the Crown Prince who, Sophia would have him remember, was her son as well as his.
‘I think,’ said Sophia, ‘that until we have come to some agreement on this matter this should be a secret between us two; and even when we have decided on action we should take only one other into our confidence – and that is George Lewis.’
Ernest Augustus looked into his wife’s face. He admired her. He was fortunate in his marriage. And she was right of course. If they decided George Lewis should go to England, and if the King of England would not accept him as his niece’s husband, they did not want the whole world laughing at the Crown Prince of Hanover.
Moreover he had not entirely decided that George Lewis should go to England.
‘You are right,’ he said. ‘We will discuss this at greater length – and it shall be a matter between us two.’
Sophia bowed her head. In the same way as Ernest Augustus was satisfied with her, so was she with him.
George Lewis was bored with the dancing. He could never dance gracefully and had been the despair of all the dancing masters who had attempted to instruct him.
He had eaten well; his father had questioned him about the army and that had been interesting; but there was nothing else at court to attract him except the women; he had been eyeing a few of them and selecting those who might be his kind.