"He commands that we proceed to Cuxhaven without delay and there embark for England.”
"At once?" she asked.
"We shall have a night's stay here and leave in the morning. I was planning to wait until the weather changed.”
"Perhaps it may by the morning.”
"I shall hope that it does, Your Majesty, but whatever it is like my orders are that we should sail.”
She nodded; she had no great fear of the sea. A peal of bells was heard followed by the salute of guns.
"The people of Stade are determined to give Your Majesty a good welcome," said Harcourt.
She frowned a little. "Am I worthy of all these honours?" she asked.
Lord Harcourt bowed and murmured: "Your Majesty is the Queen of England.”
At Cuxhaven, when the royal party arrived, the wind was howling and the rain was pelting down.
Lord Harcourt was anxious; so, Charlotte noticed, were the beautiful women who now rode beside her and were threatening to put Schwellenburg's nose out of joint. They were a little mischievous, Charlotte felt, despising Schwellenburg and Haggerdorn for two frumps; Charlotte would be the first to admit that they were dowdy and no beauties; but at least she felt more at home with them in spite of Schwellenburg's domineering ways.
There was no help for it, they must go aboard. The ship was rocking uncomfortably and everyone except Charlotte was unhappily aware of this. Charlotte had never been to sea; therefore she had no notion what seasickness was. She had come to a decision; if the King did not like her then he must make the best of her. She had not asked for this marriage although her brother had been more than eager for it. She would do her duty and if the King was not prepared to do his, she would try to shrug her shoulders and not care. After all, these two Englishwomen might be beautiful, but they were not Princesses, so what she lacked in beauty she made up for in rank ...
even though in that she was not of such a high standard.
Lady Lome came to stand beside her at the rail as she stood watching, that she might see the last of her native land.
"Your Majesty seems unaffected by the rocking of the ship.”
"Should I be affected by it?”
"Most of us are.”
"And you?”
"Not yet. But with Your Majesty's permission if it becomes more uncomfortable I shall retire to my cabin.”
"Pray do so. But you did not answer my question about the women of England. Are they all as beautiful as you and the Duchess of Ancaster?”
"I trust Your Majesty will not consider me unduly conceited when I tell you that we are both known as two of the outstanding beauties of the Court.”
Charlotte's relief was obvious. "I had imagined a Court of goddesses," she said.
"Your Majesty is too gracious.”
"I don't mean to be ... only truthful. You are without doubt very handsome, both of you. Tell me about your life at Court.”
The Marchioness replied that she had first come to Court as Elizabeth Gunning some ten years before from Ireland, she and her sister and her mother. "We came to seek our fortunes.”
"And you found them?”
The Marchioness was silent for a few moments. "I suppose some would say we had. A year after we arrived I was married to the Duke of Hamilton.”
"And you were happy?”
She smiled sadly "It was a runaway marriage of a sort, Your Majesty. We were married in a Mayfair chapel at half past twelve at night; and as the Duke had not thought to provide a wedding ring we used a curtain ring.”
"It sounds ... romantic," said Charlotte wistfully. "He must have been very much in love with you.”
"That was true, Your Majesty. Then I was presented to the King and that was a great occasion.”
"That would be... my husband's grandfather.”
"Yes, Madam; He was most kind to me ... but he was not considered as kind generally as his present Majesty.”
"So you find the King... kind?”
"The King would never, I believe, be unkind to any. He is very different from his grandfather, who was inclined to be irascible, constantly flying into rages. Forgive me, Your Majesty, my tongue runs away with me.”
"I have asked you to be frank. And so the King is different from his grandfather, then?”
"Very different. The King is tall and handsome and there is a charm about him... a gentleness...”
Charlotte was beginning to feel better. It was pleasant to chat with a woman like this and so get an idea of what was waiting for her. "I hear from Lord Harcourt that he is impatient for the wedding.”
"It is true. He has fixed the date of the coronation and I have heard that he wants his queen to share it with him.”
Charlotte nodded, beginning to feel almost happy. She was curious about this beautiful woman and wanted to know why she was the Marchioness of Lome when she had married the Duke of Hamilton.
"The Duke died six years after our marriage.”
"And you have married again?”
"Yes, Your Majesty, to the Marquis of Lome.”
"So you became a marchioness instead of a duchess.”
"My husband, Your Majesty, is the heir of the Duke of Argyll.”
Charlotte smiled. "So it is only a temporary loss of rank. Have you any children?”
"Yes, by my first husband I have a daughter and two sons; I have a little boy by my second marriage.”
"You are a very fortunate woman. Was your sister as lucky?”
"My sister died a year ago of consumption. They said it was due to the white lead she used for her complexion.”
"Oh ... how terrible.”
"I myself was very ill less than a year ago and I thought I was dying of the same disease; but my husband took me abroad and I have completely recovered.”
Charlotte nodded. "White lead." she murmured.
"Yes, Your Majesty, it produces a perfect whiteness which I have heard is most appealing.”
Charlotte laughed more merrily than she had since the wedding ceremony. "Perhaps it is as well not to have such beauty that has to be preserved by such lethal means.”
The Marchioness smiled and whispered that if Her Majesty would grant her permission she would retire to her cabin, for she was beginning to feel a little queasy.
Charlotte stood at the rail after the Marchioness had gone. She liked the feel of the wind on her face. She did not feel in the least ill. She believed that she had really begun to look forward to the new life.
The ship was battling against the elements and all Charlotte's attendants lay groaning in their cabins or on their bunks-praying for the journey to be over... or for death. But Charlotte was not in the least affected. A harpsichord had been placed on board for her entertainment and she spent a great deal of time playing this, though her ladies did not hear her, since every one of them, even the redoubtable Schwellenburg, was prostrated. Lord Harcourt told her that they were days from the coast of England and that he had just learned that the storms had driven them almost on to that of Norway.
"It is a pity for my ladies that we did not wait for more propitious weather," commented Charlotte.
"Your Majesty, the King's orders were that we embark without delay.”
"Why, Lord Harcourt, is he so very eager for our arrival?”
Lord Harcourt, smiling, bowed. "That, I am sure, His Majesty will make clear to you on your arrival.”
The suggestion was that the King was so eager for her arrival. But how could he be so eager for someone he had never seen? Why had it been decided that he must marry without delay? There was some mystery, Charlotte was sure. Well, perhaps she would soon discover.
"Your Majesty has no one in attendance," said Lord Harcourt.
"Poor ladies, they are prostrate, all of them. The sea does not take to them at kindly as it does to me.”
"Your Majesty is fortunate ... in more ways than one.”