When the Queen read the letter her temper flared up. It was those tiresome Tories again, led by that perfectly horrid man, Sir Robert Peel. Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston knew best what was good for Jamaica and if the Colonial Assembly had trouble in managing the affairs of the country, of course they needed a Governor and Council. It was just a plot to overthrow Lord Melbourne.
She discussed it with Baroness Lehzen.
‘How very stupid they are!’ she stormed. ‘Of course they must do as Lord Palmerston says. Lord Melbourne thinks it is the only way.’
‘Let us hope that Lord Melbourne gets his majority in the House because that is what he must have.’
‘But of course he will.’
‘I would say he seemed a little uncertain,’ said Lehzen, for she, too, was fully aware what the cessation of Lord Melbourne’s visits would mean to her darling.
‘I would never accept Sir Robert Peel and his Tories. I detest that man in any case.’
How gloomy it seemed in the Palace. Who would have believed everything could have changed so quickly? She wished that Flora Hastings would go away. It was really rather unkind of her to remain to be a reproach to them all.
Lady Flora looked like a ghost. She was so pale and the flesh seemed to be falling away from her bones; the ugly protuberance was obvious though, just the same as it had been when they had suspected her of being pregnant.
Victoria ignored her as much as possible, but occasionally she sent a message to her asking how she was. The Duchess continued to cosset her; there were still letters in the press. As Lehzen said to the Queen: Someone was determined to keep the affair alive and she suspected Conroy.
Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman told the Queen that Flora Hastings gave them the shivers. She was like a ghost walking about the Palace.
‘She should really go home to her family to be nursed,’ snapped the. Queen. ‘That would be the best thing possible.’
‘The Duchess has said that she will see that Flora is well looked after.’
She wants to keep her here, thought Victoria, as a reproach to me.
She found Lady Tavistock, pale and trembling, and asked what ailed her.
‘It is that woman, Your Majesty.’
‘Oh, that nasty creature, you mean?’
‘I had a dream about her … that she was dead and came back to haunt me.’
‘You should put her out of your mind,’ said the Queen sharply. ‘After all, you only did your duty. There should never have been this fuss. There was an enquiry; our suspicions proved false and that should have been the end of the matter.’
‘I have always been blamed,’ said Lady Tavistock.
Lady Tavistock was inclined to see herself as a martyr, as the Queen had once remarked to Lord Melbourne.
‘Nonsense!’ said Victoria irritably.
Lady Tavistock dared not pursue the matter with Her Majesty but went away to tell the Baroness how she and Lady Portman had asked Flora to shake hands with them and say she forgave them. But Lady Flora would not. She just looked through them with that ghostly air and walked quietly away. ‘I can’t forget it,’ said Lady Tavistock.
Lehzen did not mention this to the Queen. Poor darling, she had enough trouble coming to her as it was.
It came in the form of a letter from Lord Melbourne who could not bring himself to call and tell her.‘Lord Melbourne presents his humble duty to Your Majesty and has to acquaint Your Majesty that the division upon the Jamaica Bill which took place about two this morning, was two hundred and ninety-nine against the measure and three hundred and four in favour of it …’
That, thought Victoria, is a majority. Only five it is true, but a majority. So all is well. They have won. Her relief was so great that she had to read what followed twice before she could grasp its implication.
The words danced before her eyes:‘Lord Melbourne cannot conceal from Your Majesty … leave Your Majesty’s confidential servants no alternative but to resign their offices into Your Majesty’s hands. They cannot give up the Bill either with honesty or satisfaction to their own consciences and in the face of such opposition they cannot persevere in it with any hope of success. Lord Melbourne is certain that Your Majesty will not deem him too presuming if he expresses the fear that this decision will be both painful and embarrassing to Your Majesty …’
Painful and embarrassing! He was going to resign. There would be another Prime Minister. He would cease to call on her. She would rarely see him – only perhaps at social functions. Oh, no, she would not accept his resignation. No one … no one could take Lord Melbourne’s place.
Lehzen came in to find her staring before her.
‘My precious angel, what is it?’ cried the Baroness.
Victoria threw herself wildly into the Baroness’s arms. ‘They are going to resign. I cannot bear it, Daisy. He will not come here again. It is all over.’
The Baroness led her to a chair and made her sit down.
‘Perhaps it will not be so. Perhaps they can come through this. After all they have not been defeated.’
‘He says …’ began Victoria and gave the letter to Lehzen. Lehzen read it as she read most of the Queen’s correspondence.
‘Oh my love,’ said Lehzen, ‘this is terrible!’
They wept together. ‘I cannot imagine it without him,’ said Victoria.
‘You will find the new men easy to get along with. You will find someone as willing to advise you.’
The Queen stamped her foot angrily. ‘I will find no one,’ she cried. ‘Do you think anyone could take his place?’
Her anger was more bearable than her grief.
Lehzen said: ‘He was the Prime Minister …’
‘Was! He still is the Prime Minister. He shall remain Prime Minister. I shall refuse to accept his resignation.’
Lehzen looked hopeful and the Queen went on. ‘Am I the Queen or not? If I say I won’t have these horrid Tories, I won’t. Lord Melbourne is my Prime Minister now and nothing is going to change it.’
Lehzen shook her head sadly. ‘It is no use,’ she said. ‘You know the Constitution.’
‘But they haven’t been beaten, Lehzen. They won by five votes.’
‘You read here what Lord Melbourne says. He is summoning a Cabinet meeting this morning and he tells you what the Cabinet’s decision will be.’
‘I must beg them not to. Let them give up their Bill.’
‘Even the Queen cannot interfere with State affairs like that. You know that, my darling. You are overwrought.’
‘Oh, Lehzen … darling Daisy … I am going to lose him.’
Lehzen tried to soothe her. She must lie down. She must rest. She must remember she was the Queen. Malicious people would be watching. There was gossip enough. ‘Oh, please, please my darling, control your feelings. Remember you are the Queen.’
‘Daisy … what should I do without you!’
‘You have me until I die, my dearest.’
‘But if I lose him, Daisy, I don’t want to live.’
‘What sort of talk is this? Is this how a Queen talks?’
‘But he … is going to leave me, and I cannot endure that Daisy.’