Jean Plaidy - Victoria in the Wings

Little secrets of the private apartments; the carefully applied rouge, the fear of corseting which was becoming too painful to be endured. The humiliating results of undignified illness. Were those the secrets? It might well be, for he would rather the public heard of his secret marriage than some of the tricks it was necessary to perform to make an old man presentable.

No! He was imagining it. It was Ernest’s way of talking. He should be grateful for Ernest’s advice … Ernest’s help. And his Duchess was a fascinating woman. In her way she was a little alarming too. The little hints that were dropped, the innuendo which might have had nothing behind it at all. She was a damned attractive woman, though the antithesis of Maria.

Ah, Maria! He grew tearful at the thought. Where are you now? Living in Brighton. Sometimes in London. Why are you not here to keep these people from me? How different everything would be if you were.

What had made his thoughts run on in this melancholy way?

It was William. He had to write to William and explain that he would have to behave. William was a good fellow, an affectionate brother. It was true that at times he seemed to be waiting for the King’s death so that he could step into his shoes but who could blame him? Poor William, who had always made such a fool of himself. Naturally he wanted to be King.

He sighed and took up his pen.

My dear William,

My friend, the Duke of Wellington, as my first minister, has considered it his duty to lay before me the whole of the correspondence which has taken place with you upon the subject relating to yourself and Sir George Cockburn. It is with feelings of the deepest regret that I observe the embarrassing position in which you have placed yourself. You are in error from the beginning to the end. This is not a matter of opinion but of positive fact …

It was true. William must be made to see this. If he were ever King of the Realm he would have to learn how far he could go in his treatment of men in high positions. Yet he could not keep an affectionate note from creeping in. He did not love William any the less because he was a fool.

You must not forget, my dear William, that Sir George Cockburn is the King’s Privy Councillor, and so made by the King to advise the Lord High Admiral …’

He wrote on, trying to explain even more clearly, hoping William would accept the fact that he had erred and make some apology to Sir George Cockburn who was, according to Wellington, exceedingly put out.

Am I to be called upon to dismiss the most useful and perhaps the most important naval officer in my service for conscientiously acting up to the letter and spirit of his oath and duty?

Poor William, he would think he was very harshly treated. He would say: ‘My own brother is against me.’ The King wanted William to understand that he wished to help him, that he would have preferred to be on his side; but William must see reason.

… I love you most truly as you know and no one would do more or go further to protect and meet your feelings; but on the present occasion I have no alternative. You must give way and listen to the affection of your best friend and most attached brother.

G.R.

The King sighed. The little effort of writing had wearied him considerably. And when he thought of all the letters he had written in the past it seemed astonishing that such a short epistle could have this effect on him. Letters! he thought, and remembered those he had written to Perdita Robinson and which had cost a small fortune to retrieve; and all those he had poured out to Maria when he was entreating her to come to him.

And there he was back to Maria. It seemed that everything he did led back to her – even William’s affair with George Cockburn.

When William received his brother’s letter he was truly dismayed.

It was delivered to him when he came to port where Adelaide was waiting for him.

‘Read this,’ he cried. ‘What nonsense! That fool George Cockburn the King’s most useful and important naval officer! How could that be? That conceited jackanapes … “the King’s most” … Upon my word, I never heard such rubbish.’

Adelaide said quietly: ‘William, remember those are the King’s words.’

‘King’s words or not they’re nonsense.’

‘Please, William.’

‘What do they expect me to do, eh?’

‘Couldn’t you make friends with Sir George and then perhaps gradually introduce all the reforms you have in mind?’

He looked at her steadily. She was a clever little woman, his Adelaide. No one would think it. She was so quiet, often one would think she hadn’t a thought that didn’t concern the children. But it wasn’t so. There was a lot of deep thought going on behind that plain little face.

‘That fool Cockburn would be completely outwitted.’

‘I’m sure he would. And you have to consider the King’s letter.’

‘I’m surprised Wellington went to the King. It wasn’t a matter for my brother at all.’

‘But now that he has gone to the King and you have this letter, it will be necessary to carry out your brother’s wishes.’

‘Yes,’ said William reluctantly. ‘I’ll write to Cockburn and tell him that if he retracts I’ll forget all about my orders to dismiss him. He may stay in his post if he’ll retract all he’s said and done so far. That’s all I ask.’

‘But …’ began Adelaide; but William tweaked her ear.

‘Don’t you give it another thought. I shall say to him: “Sir George, we will try to work together. I have plans for the Navy. They are excellent plans. As my late lamented friend Lord Nelson said to me …”’

William was off on one of his long speeches; he stood rocking on his heels and Adelaide was sure he saw a great assembly before him as he talked; he certainly spoke as though he were addressing a large gathering.

But he did not understand.

Adelaide sighed. They were back where they started.

How right she was! Sir George Cockburn’s reply to William’s magnanimous offer was that he could in no circumstances retract. He would stand by all he had said and done and if His Royal Highness acted in any way similar he would continue to raise his voice in protest.

‘There, you see,’ cried William. ‘There is no placating that man.’

But the Duke of Wellington was determined that there should be peace between the two antagonists and arranged a meeting at the Admiralty. There he pointed out how damaging it was to the Navy and the country to continue in such a dispute. So eloquently did he talk that at the close of the interview William, who was always ready to be moved by patriotism, was prepared to shake hands with Sir George and let bygones be bygones.

The Duke trusted that His Royal Highness would in future remember that while it was no doubt an excellent exercise to visit the various ports with his squadron of ships, these exercises must have the approbation of the Admiralty Board – which he was certain that Board, under the most excellent command of Sir George Cockburn, would not withhold.

There must be friendship within the service. War was to be practised among enemies only and amity must prevail.

That, thought Wellington, was an end of the matter; but he deplored Canning’s lack of foresight in bestowing the office of Lord High Admiral on the Duke of Clarence.

William was gleeful. ‘Such a bother,’ he said to Adelaide. ‘All a matter of form, of course. That fellow Cockburn has really been put in his place. He’ll know better than to interfere again.’

Adelaide looked dismayed. ‘But you have agreed to settle your differences.’

‘My dear Adelaide, the heir apparent does not make bargains with naval officers.’

He was growing excitable again. Sometimes she feared where these moods would end. He had always been subject to them but since the death of Frederick they had increased alarmingly. He must calm himself; he must stop talking so freely. Otherwise she could not imagine what would happen.