Dennis Wheatley - The wanton princess

Later that evening he managed to get Georgina to himself for a few minutes. Having congratulated her on the success of her marriage and her skilful handling of the social side of it, and knowing she would not resent such a question from him, he asked:

'And how does the good John please you as a lover?’

She returned his smile, 'I have known several more accom­plished, but I have no reason to complain about his virility and he is always most considerate.' Then in a whisper behind her fan she added. "While here, with the house so full, we must be circumspect, but in January I'll come to London for some weeks. While there I’ll let you nibble my ears again as oft as you may wish'

On Christmas morning Roger produced for Georgina a petit point reticule by Duvalroy and for the children a number of toys that he had had Maitre Blanchard buy for him on his last day in Paris. The novelty of the playthings brought from France entranced the children and soon led to his regaining their affection. Later he enjoyed entering into all the old games and having again a real English Christmas dinner; turkey with all the trimmings, big dishes of mince pies and a huge plum pudding into which had been inserted a handful of guineas and a variety of lucky charms.

Boxing Day was traditionally the servants' feast. They all received their presents and. after a bumper dinner at which the guests served the food, assembled with them in the ball-room to dance. Georgina led off with her steward and John Beefy partnered the portly housekeeper. Roger danced with several of the prettier maids and took them out to be kissed under the mistletoe. Then, a little fatigued, he made his way to the small library to rest for a while.

There he found Count Vorontzoff studying a map of Europe that he had spread out on a table. When Roger joined him he said, 'I fear this recent victory of General Moreau's may have a serious effect on the attitude of Austria. According to the latest reports I have received he is now no more than sixty miles from Vienna.'

Roger nodded. 'Things have certainly gone badly for our allies. It would not surprise me if, as they did before, they agreed to make a separate peace.'

'It is that I fear; and the more so as I have reason to believe my master, the Czar, intends to enter the war against them.'

Raising his eyebrows, Roger exclaimed, 'Should Your Excellency prove right that would be little short of calami­tous. I was, of course, aware that there had been a rapproche­ment between His Imperial Majesty and the First Consul, but had no idea that it was likely to develop into an active alliance.'

'I can hardly doubt now that it will,' Vorontzoff said with a worried frown. 'As the Emperor Paul's representative at the Court of St. James, I should be the last to speak ill of him, but there are certain facts that cannot be ignored. He is of a most unstable mind and dangerously susceptible to flattery. The First Consul, ably abetted by Monsieur de Tal­leyrand, has played upon that weakness with great skill. The state of things in France has changed during this past year to such a marked degree that my master is now persuaded that he and his fellow Monarchs no longer have cause to fear the spread of the dangerous doctrines of the Revolution. He has become convinced that, under the First Consul, the French people have been restored to sanity, and that the war of Britain and Austria against them is no longer justified.'

'May I ask Your Excellency's own opinion?'

'It is that Bonaparte is not to be trusted, and that having upset the balance of power in Europe by making himself the master of Belgium, Holland. Switzerland, a considerable part of Germany and all Italy, he will remain a great danger to us all until that balance is restored.'

'If Austria collapses and Russia comes in against us, it certainly will not be for many a long year to come.'

'I agree: and with England left alone in arms against such a combination, how long can she survive?'

Greatly as Roger had been in favour of a general peace when Bonaparte had made his offer, since then the Corsican's resources had increased enormously and he had often said that nothing would give him greater joy than to crush the stiff-necked English. With Russia as his ally, secured from Austria attacking him in the rear, he might well be tempted to carry out his dream of invading Britain. Regarding the Ambassador gravely, Roger said:

'Your Excellency is right, that with nothing to fear on the Continent. Bonaparte might yet prove a terrible menace to this country. I have always been given to understand that you are a good friend to us: so may I assume you are doing all you can to restrain His Imperial Majesty?'

'Can you doubt it, Mr. Brook? Many of your countrymen

' The Russian paused, then added with a slight smile, 'and women, are dear to me. Having been en poste here for so many years 1 look on England as something more than a second home. To have to ask for my passports would distress me greatly. So on this question my personal interests coincide with what I believe to be best for my country. But at a distance of eighteen hundred miles it is far from easy to reason with anyone—let alone a madman.'

‘I had not realized that His Majesty's mind was in quite so parlous a state.'

'Unfortunately that is the case. My brother and others write to me that from unpredictable the Czar's behaviour has become intolerable. He will brook no opposition to his craziest whims, regards everyone about him with deep sus­picion and on an impulse will order the imprisonment of loyal subjects without cause.'

'Surely then, the time has come when he should be put under restraint,' Roger suggested. 'Here in England, as you know, when a few years back King George's mind became unbalanced. His Highness of Wales was by act of Parliament appointed Regent, and His Majesty kept more or less in confinement until he recovered.

'In Russia we have no parliament,' replied the Ambas­sador with a shrug. 'The only means of staying our tyrant in his course would be through a Palace revolution by which he was deposed and locked up in a fortress.'

'Think you. Your Excellency, that there is any chance of that?'

'It is difficult to say. Should he continue acting in his present fashion, his principal ministers may be driven to such a measure for their own protection. I only pray God it may be so, for naught else now seems likely to avert his entering into a pact with the First Consul to assist him in his war against Britain.'

This conversation gave Roger furiously to think. It fore­shadowed a very different situation in Europe from that which had existed the previous year, and made him wish more than ever that Mr. Pitt had agreed to a pacification when conditions were so much more favourable to Britain. But there was nothing he could do about it; so he threw himself wholeheartedly into the many pleasures enjoyed by the company during the following two days then, at Geor­gia's pressing, stayed on with a few of the other guests at Stillwaters to see in the New Year.

On the afternoon of January 1st, still with a slight head from an excess of Punch consumed the previous evening, he removed to London. Droopy Ned. he found, had returned there two days earlier after having spent Christmas at his father's scat, Normanrood, in Wiltshire. Over a supper of cold lobster, broiled marrow bones and champagne, they gave each other their news.

In Britain, during the past year, the foremost topic had been, not the war. but the Act of Union with Ireland. Pitt had long been in favour of such a union. To begin with, as far back as '85, and as a means of putting an end to the bickering between the two parliaments which prevented measures being passed that would have led to a great increase in trade between their countries, he had begun to work to that end. In '93 he had succeeded in putting through the Franchise Bill, which gave the majority of Irish people the vote: but as most Irishmen were Catholics the great majority of them were still excluded from sitting in their parliament.