Plaidy, Jean - Royal Sisters - The Story of the Daughters of James II

He told her that he had known all the time that she had been in the sickroom, and it was that knowledge and that alone, which had pulled him through.

“I cannot bear to see you unhappy,” he said.

“And it grieves me to see you sad.”

“Then, my dear wife, we must smile for the sake of each other.”

He was growing better every day. This was clear for when Anne brought delicacies to his bedside his eyes lit up at the sight of them.

“Try this, my love,” she would say.

And he would take a tidbit and put it into her mouth instead.

They would sample the food, discuss it; and talk of what they would eat tomorrow.

It was a return to the old life.

“Do not fret,” he said. “We have lost three but we shall have others.”

And as soon as the Prince was about again sure enough Anne became pregnant; and she was sure that if she could only hold a healthy child in her arms she would be ready to forget the anguish of her previous loss.

Anne miscarried, but almost immediately she was again with child.

Sarah was supreme in the Princess’s household. She was getting her own way in almost everything, but there were minor irritations. She was shaping Anne’s mind and was determined that Mansell and Mansell’s wife should go. She was aware that secret intrigues were afoot; that spies were both at Whitehall and The Hague and that William of Orange—and Mary—were waiting for the opportunity to come over to England and take the crown from James. This was what Sarah hoped for. She did not believe that Mary would live long; William, too, was a weakling and there were no children of that marriage. It need only be a few years before the Princess Anne became Queen Anne.

Mrs. Morley, the Queen and her dear friend Mrs. Freeman to guide her in all things! What a happy state of affairs! And she and John were becoming rich. It was so easy, for everyone knew of Sarah’s influence and she was approached by many who sought to find favor with the King through his beloved daughter. There were financial considerations but these were willingly paid for a word of the right sort of advice dropped into the Princess’s ear by her loving friend.

“Very good, but it could be better,” was Sarah’s verdict to John. “If only I could rid myself of old woman Clarendon, I should be the first Lady of the Bedchamber. Of course I have more influence with Morley than anyone else, but always that old woman bars my way, reminding me of who she is. Clarendon! Who were the Clarendons? The upstart Hydes, that’s all—the family which gave itself airs because one of the daughters was made pregnant by the heir to the throne and was clever enough to make him marry her. That’s the Clarendons for you!”

John replied it was all true of course, but she must be careful of the Clarendons. The Princess’s two uncles held much influence with the King, and his dear Sarah must not forget that.

“I’ll give the old hag influence!” muttered Sarah.

She did not have to scheme against Lady Clarendon because at this time Lord Clarendon became Lord Lieutenant of Ireland—there was general gossip about this in the Cockpit.

“What I want to know,” said Sarah, “is whether he’s taking her with him—or is he going to think of some excuse to leave her behind.”

Lady Clarendon herself answered the question a few hours later.

“I shall have to say good-bye to you all for I am accompanying my husband to Ireland.”

Sarah gave a great sigh of relief. This was a heaven-sent opportunity.

It was inevitable that the whisperings which went on in the Cockpit did not entirely escape attention. The King had no idea that his daughter was disloyal to him and his wife; no one told him, simply because he would not have believed it if they had and, moreover, he would have been seriously displeased with the informer. All through James’s life he had failed to see what was significant and important to his own well-being. He wanted a loving, loyal daughter and he would convince himself he had one no matter what evidence was produced to the contrary.

There was more than the spiteful gossip at the Cockpit. Deep plans were being laid at The Hague. Even those men such as Lord Sunderland, James’s Prime Minister, whom James trusted completely, had eyes on The Hague. While James acted with caution, he was safe; but one false step could send him hurtling from his seat; these men knew it, and they wanted to be on the right side when that moment came. Back and forth between Whitehall and The Hague went the Protestant spies and the Catholic spies. Anne was writing frequently to her sister in Holland. Anne was a staunch Protestant and when she rode through the streets the people cheered her with more fervor than the Catholics thought desirable, so they decided that a watch should be kept on the Princess Anne and spies should be placed in her household without her knowledge.

As a result of this, two men met along the riverbank not far from Whitehall.

The elder drew the younger into the shadow of a tree and said: “You know what is expected of you.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Your task should not be difficult. The Princess and her familiar are not discreet. Memorize what you hear and we will meet frequently … though not always in the same place … and you can make your reports to me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Have you spoken to Gwin?”

“Yes, sir.”

“He has been some time in the employ of the Princess so may have to be handled with a little care. But he is a good Catholic and therefore we may rely on him.”

“There is one thing, sir. These places are going to be costly. Lady Churchill has the disposing of them and she is a greedy woman.”

“We have considered that. You need have no fear. We will pay her prices for you and Gwin to get these pages’ places. Then … to work.”

Sarah was smug . John had been delighted when he had heard; she was his clever wife, but never yet had she made a bargain like this one.

“It is but a beginning,” she told him airily. “I sold the two places for one thousand two hundred pounds. It shows what can be obtained for the favors I shall have to dispose of.”

“And what manner of men are they to be able to pay such prices?”

“Pages merely, whose tasks will be to stand at the doors of the rooms awaiting orders. They must have rich friends.”

“Doubtless, which is our good fortune as well as theirs.”

But Sarah’s pleasure did not last.

Anne sent for her a few weeks after the two pages had been installed and Anne was clearly shaken.

“News from Holland which is most disturbing,” cried Anne. “Those new pages are Roman Catholics. My sister’s friends over here have informed her of this and she says they must be dismissed at once.”

“Dismissed!” fumed Sarah. “And since when has the Princess of Orange commanded this household?”

“She says that it would be dangerous to keep them, that they would spy on us and could prove to be very harmful.”

“They are innocent enough.”

“But did you know when you found them for the posts that they were Catholics?”

“They did not tell me so.”

“They will have to go,” said Anne more firmly than she usually spoke.