‘Your father has such original ideas,’ said Mercer, and Charlotte nodded proudly.
‘A pity you couldn’t have seen the Jubilee in the parks. You know how fascinated your father is with everything oriental. Well, a Chinese bridge was put over the canal in St James’s Park and a pagoda was built on it. This was for the firework displays and alas, it was burned down during one of them. A temple was put up in Green Park, and a battle was staged on the Serpentine which was supposed to be a sea fight between the English and Americans. Guess who won.’
‘The English,’ giggled Charlotte.
‘Right first time. Then of course there was the balloon ascent. The Regent is determined that no one shall forget this is victory year. There’s a fair in Hyde Park which has been going on for weeks.’
‘Oh, Mercer, it’s wonderful to see you. It’s like being alive again.’
‘His Highness has given his permission for you to go to Connaught House to say goodbye to Her Highness the Princess of Wales before she leaves on her travels.’
Lady Ilchester was smiling for she thought the news would please Charlotte. She really tried very hard to make life more bearable and Charlotte reproached herself for disliking her. But it was not really Lady Ilchester whom she disliked; it was the fact that she had been appointed jailer under the odious name of governess.
‘Thank you,’ said Charlotte. ‘When am I to be released?’
Lady Ilchester did not look shocked as she would have done a short time ago. They had all grown accustomed to Charlotte’s frankness.
‘We can go tomorrow if you so wish.’
‘Very well,’ said Charlotte. ‘Tomorrow let it be.’
So she would see her mother for the first time since that night when she had realized that she was of no great importance to her. She was not quite sure what her feelings would be. All the same it was pleasant to leave Cranbourne Lodge, like leaving prison and coming out into the world again.
No one recognized her carriage, for which she was pleased. She did wonder how the people would act, for they would have heard some version – probably garbled – of that night’s adventure. They would be on her side, she knew that, because they hated her father so much; and she did not want them to take sides against her.
The Princess Caroline was in a state of great excitement. Her voluminous velvet gown was almost slipping off her shoulders, her voice shrill with excitement.
‘My precious Charlotte!’ she screamed. ‘So he has allowed you to come and say goodbye to your mother.’
The embrace was suffocating and Charlotte wanted to escape from it.
‘So you are going on your odyssey, Mamma,’ she said.
‘Far away from this country and glad of it … except of course for leaving my darling daughter.’
‘You will have Willie to console you,’ said Charlotte with a touch of asperity.
‘Dear Willie, deprived of my Charlotte as I am, he is a great solace. The Jason will soon be sailing. Imagine it. I always wanted to see the world. Oh, Charlotte, you would be surprised if you could hear my plans.’
‘Nothing you did would surprise me, Mamma,’ said Charlotte.
‘How solemn you are, dearest!’
‘Is it not a solemn occasion?’
‘Why, of course it is, and a sad one, for we are to be parted.’
She looks anything but sad, thought Charlotte.
She was glad when the final goodbyes had been said and she was on the way to Cranbourne Lodge. She was seeing her mother through her father’s eyes. A vulgar, unstable woman, one on whom a daughter could place no reliance.
Mercer had intimated to the Regent, with the assistance of Sir Henry Halford, that the Princess Charlotte’s health was not as good as it should be. Her knee was troubling her, she suffered from mysterious pains, and her low spirits did not help to improve her condition. Sir Henry thought that sea air had always been beneficial to the Princess and that a few weeks at Weymouth before the summer was over would be of great benefit.
The Regent declared that his daughter should go to Weymouth.
Charlotte was delighted with the news, which Mercer came to impart to her. Mercer thought this might be a good time to tell her that there had been no communication from F in case she had been thinking that Cornelia had been unable to smuggle his letters to her.
‘I think,’ said the practical Mercer, ‘that you should consider that affair over.’
Charlotte was desolate. Was she to be deserted by her lover as well as her mother?
‘You know,’ said Mercer, ‘it was really never serious. Could you imagine a match being arranged between you?’
‘Why not? He was a prince.’
‘I don’t think he would have had the approval of your father or the Parliament.’
‘They are obsessed by Orange.’
‘Hush,’ warned Mercer. ‘Don’t mention him. Let us forget there was ever an Orange. Now, you must be looking forward to the sea breezes.’
She was, but she felt sad. Why was it that everything went wrong? Even F could not remain faithful – for she was sure he was not. And Leopold had not had the courage to remain.
It was time she stopped thinking of Leopold; and it would be good to be free again, because she was always more so at the sea. They could not keep her imprisoned there when she was going for the sole enjoyment of the fresh air.
She had Mercer; she was going to Weymouth; life was improving a little.
What pleasure to arrive at beautiful Weymouth. The people knew she was coming and were waiting to welcome her as though she were already their Sovereign. When she reached Gloucester Lodge she saw them all gathered on the esplanade and they kept shouting ‘Long Live Princess Charlotte’ and ‘God Bless her’ and lots of other comforting words.
How different from being incarcerated in Cranbourne Lodge!
She felt better already.
The Mayor and his Aldermen called on her and delivered a long loyal address – boring but comforting. She felt like Queen Elizabeth receiving them.
Every morning she rode out into the fresh and beautiful country, whipping up her horse, escaping when she could from her attendants. How she loved the hills and valleys but most of all the sea. Often she drove into the village of Upway – one of her favourite spots.
‘Hallelujah!’ she would cry to whoever was with her. ‘This is different from Windsor.’ She was better already.
Her great pleasure was to meet the people. She would stop her carriage and have a word or two with old men and women, and children above all delighted her; she loved their quaint sayings and their absence of awe because they did not know they were speaking to one who might one day be their Queen.
On one occasion she went across to Portland Island. How she enjoyed being on the sea! She climbed the rock and stood at a high point looking back at the mainland.
‘How beautiful it is!’ And that was England … her England … the England of which she would be Queen. Why had she thought that life was dreary when she was to be the Queen of this beautiful country?
‘Take care, Your Highness. You are too near the edge,’ said Lady Ilchester.
‘I hope everyone standing on the brink of destruction will be able to retrace their steps as easily as I can,’ she said with a laugh.
Oh, yes, she felt alive again.
The Countess of Ilchester suggested that she might care to visit Abbotsbury Castle where her mother-in-law, the Dowager Countess, would be delighted to receive her. Charlotte said she would be pleased to visit the Ilchesters’ ancestral home and accordingly she and her party set out for the castle.
The Dowager Countess received her as though she were already Queen and after that nothing would satisfy her but to visit Lulworth Castle which was the home of Thomas Weld. Lulworth particularly delighted her when she learned that Mrs Fitzherbert had been married to a Mr Weld, the previous owner of the castle, and that she had actually been the châtelaine for the short duration of her marriage.