Виктория Холт - The Queen's Husband

The family were in the summer residence, the charming little schloss called Rosenau, some four miles from Coburg; and the two Grandmamas had come to visit them. The first thing they did when they arrived was to hurry to the nursery for both Grandmama Saxe-Coburg and Grandmama Saxe-Gotha doted on the two little boys, Ernest aged five and Albert, fondly known as Alberinchen, just a little over a year younger.

Alberinchen was the favourite. He was such a beautiful child with his big blue eyes and dimples. ‘More like a girl than a boy,’ said his nurses. Ernest was bigger than his year’s seniority warranted; he was brown-eyed and more physically energetic than his brother, and although they quarrelled constantly and fought now and then, the children were miserable when separated and because of the closeness of their ages they did almost everything together.

Alberinchen knew, though, that he was the favourite of the grandmothers and what was more important, of his mother, for the happiest times of his life were when she came to the nursery; she was beautiful and different from anyone else Alberinchen had ever known. Life without Ernest would have been inconceivable, for Ernest was almost always there, but his feelings for Ernest were made up of rivalry, companionship and custom; his mother was as beautiful as his conception of an angel; she laughed all the time and her suffocating caresses filled him with bliss.

‘Where are my big boys?’ she would cry, peeping round the door of the nursery; and they would both run forward, Alberinchen pushing Ernest aside, knowing that Ernest would not retaliate because if he did Alberinchen would cry and the precious half hour of Mama’s visit would be spent in consoling him. Alberinchen’s tears were notorious; when they came it was everyone’s desire to stop them as soon as possible.

Alberinchen would sit on his mother’s lap and Ernest would lean against her; she would place her arm about him and they would talk about a new game she had thought of. It was very different from other people’s visits. They always wanted to know about lessons; and the two little boys would be expected to read their books or repeat the verses they had learned; but with Mama they would be playing the new game which involved a good deal of fun.

On this occasion the door was opening and there was Mama, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, looking so beautiful and excited that the two little boys, shrieking with delight, ran to her and clung to her gown.

‘So my two little boys are glad to see me?’ she asked unnecessarily.

‘Alberinchen’s here,’ Alberinchen reminded her.

She lifted him up. Beautiful little Alberinchen, she thought; my consolation. What a lovely child and how he depended on her.

‘And Ernest too,’ said Ernest.

‘My precious darlings,’ cried the Duchess.

‘What shall we play?’ demanded Ernest.

‘Your grandmamas will be here at any moment. I was surprised that at least one of them is not here already.’ Mama grimaced. ‘So perhaps we should not be discovered crawling round on the floor. We’ll have to play a word game instead.’

Ernest wailed and Alberinchen was about to cry when it occurred to him that he was more likely to win at a word game. But that game was never played because just at that moment Grandmama Saxe-Coburg came in.

Ernest pouted and Alberinchen was disappointed but he wanted Grandmama Saxe-Coburg to go on loving him so he did not betray the fact that he was disappointed.

‘How are the little boys today?’ asked Grandmama Saxe-Coburg.

‘Well and happy,’ said their mother.

She caught up Alberinchen and held her face against his.

‘The resemblance is remarkable,’ said Grandmama Saxe-Coburg.

‘Well, why shouldn’t I be like my own son?’ said the Duchess.

‘And Ernest is just like his father.’

Alberinchen smiled smugly; it was of course far better to be like his mother, who was gay and beautiful, than like his father who had lines on his face and pouches under his eyes; although Alberinchen, in fairness to Ernest, could not see that Ernest was in the least like him.

‘I daresay we shall see the Saxe-Coburg coming out in little Alberinchen in due course,’ said Grandmama.

‘I am sure you will search most assiduously for a resemblance.’

There was something strange about the way in which they were speaking to each other. Alberinchen was only faintly aware of it; he wished Grandmama Saxe-Coburg would go, so that he could be the centre of attention.

‘And how are they getting along with their lessons? I was speaking to their governesses …’

Mama grimaced, which made her seem as though she were a child in the nursery; Alberinchen gripped her hand tightly. He would be ready to cry if he could not answer the questions Grandmama Saxe-Coburg asked him.

‘They are a little young for so many lessons,’ said the Duchess. ‘Little Alberinchen is only four.’

‘They can’t start learning too young,’ said Grandmama, ‘and if properly taught, lessons are a joy like games and sports.’

Alberinchen could not agree with that so he kept close to his mother; but he realised that she was ineffectual against Grandmama Saxe-Coburg so the lesson books came out and he had to spell out the words; and as he did better than Ernest there was no need for tears.

While they were thus engaged Grandmama Saxe-Gotha (the young Duchess’s step-mother) came in and sat listening, nodding with approval; and this went on until Mama said she was going riding and must leave them to get ready.

Alberinchen’s face puckered, but she held him tightly against her and kissed him fervently.

‘Darling Alberinchen, I’ll see you later on. And you too, my precious Ernest.’

So they were left with the grandmothers.

There was something rather alarming in the air; Alberinchen was not sure what. Was it the manner in which the grandmothers looked at each other?

‘Now, Ernest, read from here.’

Ernest with his rather imperturbable good humour began stammering out the words.

‘Can it possibly be true?’ whispered Grandmama Saxe-Coburg.

‘I hesitate to say, but I very much fear …’

‘She could not be so … criminal … ’

‘Ernest I fear has not been …’

‘But Ernest is a man … and that is different. But if this is true … I tremble …’

‘I always thought her frivolous.’

‘You heard what she said about my looking for the likeness to his father?’

‘Why is there always trouble in the family?’

‘Hush. The boys.’

‘They wouldn’t understand.’

‘Little ones have big ears.’

Alberinchen touched his ears which made the grandmothers gasp.

‘You see.’

‘I do. Alberinchen, my darling, show me your drawings. I’m sure Grandmama Saxe-Coburg would be delighted to see them.’

He was so excited by his drawings that he immediately forgot the conversation he had heard; but he remembered it later.

The young Duchess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld hastily changed into her riding-habit. What a relief, she thought, to get out of the palace for a short while. She could not bear the censorious attitude of her mother-in-law and her step-mother. She knew they were discussing her now.

I don’t care, she thought. I must have some life or I’d die of boredom.

Her marriage had been a failure from the start. How she had cried when at sixteen they had married her to the Duke. He had seemed so old and she was so inexperienced; of course if he had been different, a little tender, if he had tried to make her love him, it might have been different. But like his ancestors he was crude and sensual; and he had no intentions of giving up his mistresses because he had acquired a wife – for the sole purpose of course of getting heirs. No one could deny that she had done her duty in that respect. She had given him first Ernest and then Albert; and he was pleased with the boys. And so was she. She loved them dearly, but she was too young and too pleasure-loving to be able to make them all she asked of life. Perhaps some women would have been able to – but not Louise. She hated her husband, who was parsimonious and, although he indulged his sensuality, could scarcely be called gay.