It was a habit of his, for although he could be very lively if there was an interesting discussion in progress he would go straight off to sleep when the conversation became trivial. It had amused her to try all sorts of ruses to awaken him without calling attention to his somnolent state; and it could be very awkward when she wanted to go and he was not ready to stand up and bow. She would twit him about it afterwards and he would say the funniest things. It could be so embarrassing – in a comical sort of way.
Now it began to irritate her.
Of course, she thought, he is getting old. But immediately she would be conscience-stricken. Men like Lord Melbourne never really grew old. Their rninds remained alert and it was a man’s mind which was important.
One day she tackled him on this habit.
‘Lord M,’ she said, ‘you should not go to sleep when you are in the company of so many people. It is most disconcerting.’
‘Oh,’ he replied, ‘they are so full of their own affairs that they don’t notice much what I’m doing.’
‘Of course you do occasionally snore,’ she pointed out.
‘That would proclaim it too much,’ replied Lord Melbourne and she had to laugh.
That was the point. He could always make her laugh as no one else could. Perhaps that was why she wanted everything to remain as it was and she was so perturbed by the idea of Uncle Leopold’s protégé, Cousin Albert, coming to change it.
Chapter XI
THE QUEEN’S RELUCTANCE
When King Leopold received Victoria’s letter in which she stated her reluctance to marry for a few years he was alarmed; he decided that he must see her without delay, and on a hot August afternoon the Queen received a letter from him in which he proposed to leave Ostend one evening and arrive at Brighton at about ten in the morning. He would stay only a few hours and return to Ostend the same day, but during that time perhaps he and his beloved niece could meet at the Pavilion and have a talk, which he felt was very necessary.
Victoria was astonished. She knew, of course, that her letter setting out her feelings about Albert was responsible for this and she could not bear the thought of Uncle Leopold and Aunt Louise, who was a poor sailor, making such a long trip just so that she and Uncle Leopold could talk for a few hours. Moreover Uncle Leopold would no doubt wish her to commit herself and she had no desire to do this. It would be much easier to elude awkward decisions over a little space of time.
How kind, she wrote back, of her Aunt and Uncle to wish to see her so much that they could contemplate coming over for a few hours. However, she herself did not feel equal to travelling to Brighton so soon after the prorogation of Parliament which was to take place on the 27th August. Her Uncle would know what an exhausting business that could be. Moreover she had had such a trying time lately. Her Uncle would know about the controversy with Sir Robert Peel because she had written to him and told him about it. Then there had been this distressing Hastings matter. It had really made her quite ill. She would hate not to feel absolutely well so that she could entertain her dear Uncle in a manner suited to his importance and for that reason – and that reason alone – could wish him to postpone his visit. If however he could stay a little while and come to Windsor, that would be delightful.
Leopold decided that the urgency of his business was such that he must comply with her suggestion. He would make preparations for a longer stay and would be coming to Windsor in a few weeks’ time.
When Uncle Leopold was due to arrive she was in a fever of excitement, so eager was she to see him. She tried to calm herself by reading despatches and carrying on in the normal way. But it was no use and as soon as they arrived she rushed down to throw herself into those loving avuncular arms. She insisted on waiting on them and taking them to their rooms. This touched Uncle Leopold very much.
‘I had begun to fear that you regarded me as an old piece of furniture which had once been quite useful but no longer was.’
‘Oh, dearest Uncle, how can you say such a thing now? You said it once in one of your letters and I thought I had convinced you.’
‘I needed to be convinced verbally,’ said Uncle Leopold.
So there were more embraces and loving assurances.
But she was quickly realising how very solemn Uncle Leopold had become – or perhaps he always was so and she had not noticed it before. Aunt Louise had lost her gaiety and Victoria had developed a taste for it; she could not help comparing Uncle Leopold with Lord Melbourne and secretly finding Leopold a little dull in comparison. One could not burst into merry laughter with Uncle Leopold around. He was sentimental though, and reminded her of how close they had been in the old days at Claremont and they were able to shed tears over the death of dear old Louie; and he talked again of her cousin, the Princess Charlotte. But again – secretly – she was a little sorry for Charlotte because although according to Uncle Leopold she had loved him devotedly, Uncle Leopold did not approve of so many things which Victoria discovered she approved of very much. Dancing for instance. Uncle Leopold thought that rather frivolous, but indeed why should one not indulge in a little frivolity after following the serious occupations forced upon rulers? She thought a little relaxation was essential when one considered just for one thing, all those papers one was forced to sign and all the ministers one had to see – and they were not all as easy to talk to as Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne, on the other hand, believed that a little gaiety was good for one. That was the difference between Lord Melbourne and Uncle Leopold, Lord Melbourne was such a man of the world that he was more understanding. He certainly understood her.
But how churlish to criticise Uncle Leopold – even to herself – who had meant so much to her in her childhood. He soon came to the real purpose of his visit.
‘Baron Stockmar sends me such excellent reports of our young gentleman,’ he told her.
‘I am so glad. I am sure Albert is very good.’
‘I remember how taken you were with him when you met him.’
‘That was three years ago.’
‘He has improved … for the better.’
‘I feel sure that with you to watch over him and dear Baron Stockmar too, he could not have failed to.’
‘A match between you two has always been one of my dearest projects. When it takes place I shall say to myself “Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace”.’
‘Dearest Uncle, do not talk of leaving the world ever.’
‘My precious angel, it was a form of speech. I mean that it would be the realisation of one of my most cherished dreams.’
‘Well, perhaps we shall like each other. But there is plenty of time. I am very young yet, Uncle, and Albert is even younger.’
‘Albert does not understand why there is not a formal betrothal. He feels that this waiting is somehow a humiliation to him.’
‘But the last thing I should wish to do is humiliate Albert.’
‘That’s what I have told him, but there has been this shillyshallying. When you saw him last time you really did like him so much.’
‘Let him come here and perhaps I shall like him as much again. Lord Melbourne says that I need not hurry into marriage. I can wait three or four years if I wish.’
‘Do you think that would be advisable?’
‘I do, Uncle. It is too important a matter to be hurried.’
‘I do not think Albert would be prepared to wait indefinitely.’