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

George came into the apartment, his face bewildered like a child’s who has been ordered to stop a favorite game.

“Est-il possible?” he murmured. “Est-il possible?”

Marlborough had no opportunity of distinguishing himself in Holland and on the return to England expressed his dissatisfaction to Sarah.

“We are not moving forward,” he said.

“I am glad you realize it,” she retorted. “Great names are not made by marking time.”

“Well, my love, we will look out for our opportunities, and when they come I am sure we can trust ourselves to seize them.”

But Sarah was going to make opportunities, not wait for them.

“Is it not a strange thing,” she said to Anne as they sat together one day, “that those who serve this King and Queen are not rewarded if they happen to be English.”

Anne agreed as she always did with Sarah.

“Poor Mr. Morley longed to serve his country,” went on Sarah, “but no! He is not allowed to.” Sarah slid over the fact that he was not an Englishman and went on quickly: “And Mr. Freeman. I am sure Mrs. Morley will agree with me that there is not a man in this country who has done as much for it as Mr. Freeman.”

“He is a great soldier and I know you are proud of him and he of you, which pleases me, for I like well to see those I love appreciated.”

“Dear Mrs. Morley, what should I do without your sympathy? I had thought that after his services Mr. Freeman would have received some decoration. He is worthy of the Garter. But my poor Freeman is too modest to think of these things. I declare he is like Morley in that. So we, my dear Mrs. Morley, must think for them.”

“What would they do without us to think for them!” sighed Anne, smiling.

“If I could see Freeman wearing the Garter I think I should be the happiest woman alive.”

Sarah glanced sideways at Anne. It had worked. A conspiratorial expression had flitted across the plump highly colored face. Anne was going to see what she could do about procuring a Garter for Mr. Freeman.

“The Garter for Marlborough!” said William. “They’ll be asking for the crown next.”

Mary shivered. That was what she feared. There were so many Jacobite plots. One never knew where they were going to spring up next; and prisoners when questioned told strange stories. She was certain that the Marlboroughs were not to be trusted. They had betrayed James and people who betray once will do so again. Mary’s nightmare was that they rose and deposed William. It would break his heart if that happened. He always seemed so indifferent to the three crowns of England, Scotland, and Ireland but this was not so. He believed that in possessing them he fulfilled a destiny which he had known was his ever since the midwife at his birth had seen three circles about his head which were believed to signify a prophecy that he would one day inherit three crowns.

“Anne is very eager to get a Garter for Marlborough,” said Mary.

William frowned. “They do what they will with her. They have bewitched her.”

“It is that woman.”

“The sooner Anne rids herself of Sarah Churchill the better.”

“She never will.”

“No, I’ve aways said that the most stupid woman in England is your sister.”

“Poor Anne!”

“Not poor in worldly goods, only in mental equipment,” growled William. “And I’d as lief decorate one of your dogs with a Garter as Marlborough. So that’s an end of it.”

But it was not the end, for now Marlborough was agreeing with Sarah that little would be achieved under William.

His services were unrewarded. William did not believe it was necessary to consider him. Very well, he would show William.

In the first place he had great influence in the army. He had good looks and great charm of manner. He was also a first-class soldier and a born leader of men. Therefore what he said carried weight.

He began to point out how extraordinary it was that so many high posts in the Army were held by foreigners. One would have thought it was a foreign army. Of course the King was a Dutchman. That was the reason why favors were always given to the Dutch, and the English passed over.

Sidney Godolphin, Earl of Godolphin, who was a friend of the Marlboroughs, became aware of what was happening. Godolphin, a brilliant statesman and a Tory, had voted for a Regency at the time of the Revolution and was by no means satisfied when William and Mary were made King and Queen.

He sought out Marlborough and when he invited him to walk in the park, Marlborough guessed that something was going to be said that was too dangerous to be mentioned inside four walls.

Godolphin said: “You’re dissatisfied with the manner in which affairs are being conducted and I understand why.”

“I am a soldier,” said Marlborough, “I do not care to see the Army in the hands of foreigners.”

“It is inevitable when we have a Dutchman for a king.”

“What is, must perforce be borne, I dare swear.”

“Unless it were changed.”

Marlborough was alert; this was what he had expected.

“I never believed that they should have taken the crown,” went on Godolphin. “Had there been a Regency we might have made some compromise. James might have been made to accept certain conditions and return. In fact I am sure he would.”

“It would have been preferable to this.”

“I believe so.”

“Alas, it is too late.” There was almost a question in the remark.

“Some of the old King’s friends are still in touch with him.”

Marlborough’s cool brain was rapidly weighing up the possibilities. Men like Godolphin were in this. Then it had a good chance of success.

“I have often felt contrite,” he said, “because of the way I acted.”

“James would be ready to forgive, if forgiveness were asked.”

They were silent for a while. Godolphin was waiting for Marlborough to speak and when he did he said what he expected him to.

The Marlboroughs’ policy had always been that where they went, the Princess Anne must follow, for their fortunes were inextricably bound up with hers.

Marlborough was writing to James, asking forgiveness for the part he had played, hinting that he would be ready to bring down the regime he had helped put up, assuring James that he would persuade his daughter Anne that she had been an undutiful daughter.

The task of persuading was, of course, Sarah’s, and Sarah accomplished it with speed. When she had a definite project Sarah was happy and this was not a plan to bring back James, but merely to depose William and Mary. They wanted no Catholic monarch; therefore with the Dutchman out of the way, and his wife with him, for she would not reign without him, it would be Anne’s turn.

When Sarah came to her mistress’s apartments the cards were laid out. Sarah sat impatiently drumming her fingers on the table.

She had already spoken to Anne and she was sure the Princess was now ready. She hated William; she disliked Mary; and she was ready to wish she had been a better daughter. Once she had put her intentions in writing, the matter would be sealed.