Alix found herself walking beside Bertie.
‘How strange,’ she said, ‘that you should have walked in by one door just as we were coming in another.’
‘Very strange,’ he admitted with a smile as though he didn’t think it strange at all. ‘But do you know,’ he went on, ‘I think they planned it.’
‘Really?’
‘Well, as you said, it was too much of a coincidence …’
‘But why should they?’
‘Don’t you know?’ he asked.
‘No. Do you?’
‘Oh, I’ve a hazy idea.’
‘Do tell me.’
He smiled at her in a way she found charming. ‘Do you know, I don’t think I will. I’ll leave you to guess. I’m sure it won’t take you long.’
‘It’s intriguing.’
‘I’m finding it so too.’
They were laughing together and she saw Mama half turn to look at them and the Crown Princess too. Oh dear, she thought. Am I supposed to be solemn?
She said quietly: ‘I think we are supposed not to laugh.’
‘In cathedrals or not at all?’
‘Oh, in cathedrals of course. Not at all would be quite out of the question.’
‘Quite,’ he agreed.
‘We are not looking at the wonderful pillars and the altar-pieces.’
‘Are you interested in them … honestly?’
‘Well, not very much.’
‘Nor am I.’
They laughed again and she put her finger to her lips as though caught in some fault, which amused him.
‘To tell the truth,’ he said, ‘when I knew we were coming to a cathedral I protested.’
‘Do you always protest when you are asked to do something you don’t want to?’
‘To Vicky, yes. At home, no.’
‘At home. You mean at your mother’s court. I was there once. I met you. Do you remember?’
He was going to say that he did but she knew he didn’t. ‘I’ll save you telling a lie,’ she said. ‘Of course you don’t. I was ten and very stupid. I’d never been anywhere and it was all very grand. You came to a party at Cambridge Lodge and I came to one at Buckingham Palace.’
‘Very solemn affairs,’ he said, ‘parties at Buckingham Palace.’
‘And you don’t like being solemn. But then who does?’
‘Some people do.’ His face darkened a little. She thought: He means his father. Oh, how lucky we are with Papa! Still, Bertie himself liked to laugh. So they went on talking and now and then laughing together and they suddenly realised that the tour of the Cathedral was over and the others were outside.
They came into the sunshine. Alix was flushed and happy; so was the Prince of Wales. It had been a very pleasant encounter.
Christian and Louise were making further arrangements with the Crown Princess.
She and her husband were going on an expedition to Heidelberg the next day. Wouldn’t it be pleasant if they all went?
So the next day there was a trip to Heidelberg and there Alix extended her acquaintance with the Prince of Wales.
They had so much to talk and laugh about; he described life at Buckingham Palace and Windsor which was certainly solemn. His father thought young men ought to spend their time studying and not succumb to frivolous pleasure. Poor Bertie, she was sorry for him. He did have rather a hard time.
‘Still,’ she told him, ‘the time will soon come when you will be your own master.’
‘I can’t wait for it,’ he said, his eyes gleaming.
She described the Yellow Palace to him and the fun they had at Bernstorff and Rumpenheim; he listened attentively, and she knew that he had had a very different childhood.
She felt warmly protective towards him and it was then that she began to fall in love with him.
Before they said good-bye he gave her a photograph of himself which she accepted eagerly.
The Crown Princess was delighted; she found Alexandra all that she had been described as being. She was certain that she was the wife for Bertie. Christian and Louise were happy too. It would be wonderful if this brilliant marriage which any parent would want for a child should also prove to be a love match.
Back at Rumpenheim Louise and Christian lay awake at night talking of the meeting between their daughter and the Prince of Wales.
There was no doubt that the young people had been taken with each other. They were both young and attractive; even so it seemed too much to hope for.
‘Of course I can see why the English want the match,’ said Louise. ‘They’re afraid of Prussia. Prussia is after expansion and has its eyes on Schleswig-Holstein. England wouldn’t want a strong Prussia, and Denmark stands as a buffer between the two. I doubt that Belgium would want it either.’
‘No, King Leopold is in favour of the marriage.’
‘It is a very desirable state of affairs,’ said Louise.
‘Providing she loves him. I wouldn’t have it otherwise.’
‘She’s in love with … or half-way there. He’s a very attractive young man.’
‘But not very serious.’
‘He’s young yet. I heard Thyra teasing Alix, asking her why she always blushes when the Prince of Wales is mentioned. There’s no doubt in my mind. It’s a perfect match.’
And so it seemed. Alix carried Bertie’s picture with her always, and looked at it frequently. He was such fun, not at all serious; he wanted to laugh and be gay all the time. Poor Bertie, who had really had rather a sad childhood. He had told her how clever Vicky was and how particularly when he was younger he had felt so inadequate in her company.
There was no need for Bertie to feel inadequate. She assured him of this and he liked to be assured.
She had guessed why they had met in the Cathedral. She had understood the speculative glances. They wanted her and Bertie to love each other because they thought Bertie would be a good husband for her.
She talked it over with Dagmar who was very likely going to Russia.
‘How far we shall be from each other!’ she cried in dismay.
‘We must visit often and we must write. Promise, Alix.’
Alix promised.
They were going to be rich, both of them. How different it would be from making their own dresses and changing them when they came in for fear they might be spoiled.
‘It will be wonderful,’ said Alix, ‘but we shall miss each other sadly.’
‘We’ll have husbands and perhaps children.’
‘Yes,’ said Alix slowly. ‘I suppose that would make up for it in a way.’
There was no topic as frequently discussed in the household as that of the marriages of the two girls, but each day Alix waited for some news from England and none came.
One day they were all assembled in the music room and Alix knew that something dreadful had happened because of her parents’ solemn expressions.
‘The Prince Consort is dead,’ said Christian. ‘The poor Queen is stricken in her grief.’
‘Will this make any difference?’ Louise anxiously asked Christian.
‘I don’t know. The Prince was an astute politician. He would understand the importance of Schleswig-Holstein to Europe and the need for a strong Denmark.’
‘The Queen has able ministers.’
Christian nodded. ‘But, of course, a death like this is certain to delay matters.’
‘I do think something definite should have been arranged by now. It is a little undignified to keep Alix dangling. We don’t know whether she is betrothed or not.’
‘She is not … yet.’
‘Oh, Christian, I believe you don’t want this marriage.’
‘I want her to be happy,’ he said. ‘And I suppose I want to keep the family together as long as possible. When she goes … and Dagmar goes …’
‘Then we shall have to find matches for the others.’