That evening they danced together. Albert was not so happy in the ballroom as he was out of doors. He was so manly, she supposed. That was the reason. But how she enjoyed dancing with him and when their hands touched a thrill ran through her. She hoped he felt the same.
Why had he not come before! She was appalled to think of all the time they had wasted; but what did it matter? Here he was at last and her mind was quite made up. There was none of the soul searching which she had expected. She only had to stand at the top of a staircase and look at him and she knew.
What joy! She wrote in her Journaclass="underline" ‘Albert has such beautiful blue eyes, an exquisite nose and such a pretty mouth with delicate moustachios and slight – but very slight – whiskers; a beautiful figure broad in the shoulder and a fine waist.’
She smiled as she wrote, visualising his perfections.
His voice was rather high pitched and not the sort of voice one would expect such a young man to have. Perhaps it was not the sort of voice a lot of people would admire – although they would all have to admit that his face was beautiful – but it was his voice and therefore to her the most pleasant in the world.
There had to be a session in the blue closet. Poor Lord Melbourne, he looked rather old and tired. Perhaps, she thought, that was because she was comparing his with Albert’s dear young face.
‘Dear Lord Melbourne.’ She felt very tender towards him.
‘I see that your cousins do not displease you,’ said Lord Melbourne.
‘Tell me do you think Albert beautiful?’
‘I would say that he is very good-looking.’
‘I think he is beautiful.’
‘So I had observed.’
‘Of course he’s much cleverer than Ernest.’
‘I would not say that,’ replied Lord Melbourne.
‘You can’t mean that you think Ernest has the better brain?’
‘Yes, the better brain I should say.’
The Queen was angry with Lord Melbourne. ‘That is nonsense,’ she cried imperiously. ‘Albert has by far the better brain. He is of course under a certain amount of strain at the moment.’
‘Very naturally,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘I see that you no longer have the same aversion to the married state.’
‘No, I have felt different about marriage since the arrival of my cousins.’
‘Well, you have time to make up your mind completely. Perhaps in a week’s time …’
She was not listening. She was so happy. She started to talk about Albert, his love of music, his handsome greyhound, his cleverness and above all his appearance.
‘I have never seen such a beautiful young man,’ she said.
All that day Victoria lived in an ecstatic dream. She wrote to Uncle Leopold:‘Ernest is grown quite handsome; Albert’s beauty is most striking, and he is so amiable and unaffected – in short very fascinating.’
She listened with delight to the brothers’ playing. What a musician Albert was! She told him that the special treats of her childhood had been concerts and the opera, and that one of her birthday presents had been a concert at Kensington Palace and how she had learned Italian quickly because it was so useful for understanding the arias. Albert thought that very commendable.
Before the day was out she sent for Lord Melbourne.
‘Lord Melbourne,’ she said, ‘I have made up my mind about marrying Albert.’
‘Ah,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘When will the marriage take place?’
‘You do not doubt that I have decided in his favour?’
‘I have no doubts on the matter whatsoever,’ said Lord Melbourne with a smile. ‘The question now is when will the marriage take place?’
‘Not for a year perhaps.’
‘That is too long,’ replied Lord Melbourne.
She was pleased. ‘Yes, it is far too long.’
‘Once it is announced it should be fairly soon.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed.
‘I believe it will be well received.’
‘The people are being difficult at the moment. Remember they threw those stones only a few nights ago.’
‘The people are easily swayed and there is nothing to sway them so quickly as a wedding. Give them a lavish ceremony, a young Queen-Bride and they’ll love you for a while.’
‘They are so fickle.’
‘But they’ll be faithful for a few weeks for a wedding, never fear. And after you will have the Prince to stand by you. You’ll be in a much more comfortable position then. A woman can’t stand alone for long.’
‘Queen Elizabeth stood alone.’
‘And I have no doubt that you would if the situation demanded you do so. But it doesn’t. You approve of the Prince and you have made your decision.’
‘Yes,’ said Victoria softly, ‘I have made my decision. Lord Melbourne do you think we are alike – Prince Albert and I?’
‘Yes, there is a resemblance. I noticed it at once.’
‘I am flattered. We shall be betrothed very soon.’
‘Is he going to ask you to marry him?’
‘There is a difficulty. Can he ask me … the Queen? It is a very awkward situation for him.’
Lord Melbourne smiled. ‘I daresay you will know how to handle such a situation.’
‘Oh, I shall find a way.’
Lord Melbourne looked at her rather sadly, but her thoughts were too full of Albert for her to notice.
Nothing pleased Victoria more than to dance into the early hours of the morning and to dance with Albert was perfect bliss.
How strange that she had been feeling so depressed and had suddenly been lifted to the heights of ecstasy by the arrival of this wonderful cousin. Every time she saw him his beauty impressed her afresh; and that he was clever and loved music and was obviously already fond of her added to her enchantment.
She wanted the whole world to know of her feelings; although Lord Melbourne had said they should be a little discreet at first. And the marriage should be soon. Early next year, Lord Melbourne had said, would be a good time. She was sure dear Albert would agree though as yet the darling did not know of his good fortune.
She walked into the ballroom carrying her bouquet of flowers. Lehzen had said she looked enchantingly pretty with that fresh colour in her cheeks and her eyes dancing with happiness. Of course, she thought, although I am a little like Albert I am not beautiful as he is. But … I am the Queen.
Albert was standing before her. How blue his eyes were and his lashes were magnificent. She had heard that he was the image of his mother, who had been rather a wayward woman. How wonderful of Albert to have inherited his mother’s beauty without her waywardness.
In an excess of love she took some flowers from her bouquet and gave them to him; Albert took them, bowed, and his blue eyes looked straight into hers. He was in uniform so that he had no buttonhole in which to put the flowers. He took a penknife and cut a hole in his coat to receive them and during the whole evening he wore them.
Just over his heart, the Queen noticed.
Oh, dear, gracious, gallant Albert!
The next morning she was in a fever of impatience to be up. She had made up her mind.
After breakfast, which she took in her room, she asked where the Princes were and heard that they had gone out riding.