Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [129]
The people were becoming uneasy for they did not care to see the supreme power of the Whigs. The Whigs were the warmongers, they said. And what benefits, they asked, did Marlborough’s war bring to them … apart from the glory of victory?
Meanwhile Harley was preparing to wait. He was now the hope of the Tories; and his dear cousin Abigail Masham saw that he was conducted very frequently into the Queen’s intimate circle.
Now that Harley was out of office Sarah’s great desire was to have Abigail banished. The thought of Abigail obsessed her; she could not rid her mind of that whey-faced creature as she called her; she gave up great energy into thinking up new names for her; and all the time she was reviling Abigail she was asking herself how she could have been such a fool as to allow the woman to rise to her present position.
There was one thing Sarah could not bear to be—that was made a fool of—and everywhere people were discussing her fall and the rise of Abigail Masham.
She harangued the Duke, Godolphin, Sunderland and members of the Ministry outside her family. Were they going to allow this chambermaid to hold her position with the Queen? she demanded; and an attempt was even made to bring a case against Abigail, but it failed. The Members of the Government could not but see that they were being rather ridiculous in devoting their time to the activities of a chambermaid.
Moreover, Anne could be regal, and when she had made up her mind, adamant. She had let them banish Harley, but that was only because he himself had convinced her that it would be better for him to go … temporarily. Never would she give up Abigail. How could she do without her when George was as ill as he was. Abigail was not only her personal attendant; she was the Prince’s nurse. Dr. Arbuthnot had said that there could not have been a better in the kingdom. She was her mistress’s companion, confidante and comforter in this terrible time.
But though the attack against Abigail might be called off by Sarah’s friends in the Ministry, Sarah herself would continue to fight.
She still held her posts with the Queen, and as she declared that while that chamberwoman was with the Queen she could not be, she went to the Queen to tell her so.
Anne received her with a show of affection which deceived Sarah although the Duke had often warned his wife that she underestimated the Queen, who had an extraordinary gift for concealing her feelings, and as she had a great dislike for unpleasant scenes went to great lengths to avoid them. Sarah, however, had never had time to study the idiosyncrasies of others; she saw everyone else in her own image—smaller, pale copies of herself; so even after all these years with Anne, she failed to detect the change in the Queen’s manner towards her.
“It would seem,” she said grimly, “that Mrs. Morley is pleased to see me.”
“Mrs. Freeman has been told many times that I am always pleased to see her.”
“Mrs. Morley might see more of Mrs. Freeman if these rooms were not contaminated by the presence of a certain chambermaid.”
“Contaminated?” answered Anne. “I was not aware of it.”
“Masham is here night and day.”
“Such a good nurse! Dr. Arbuthnot says he has never seen a better. I do not know what we should do without Masham. I was saying so to George only this morning. I am very anxious about him.”
“You are looking exhausted. You should allow me to arrange for nurses to be in constant attendance.”
“I am sure if Mrs. Freeman were in my position she would never allow anyone else to nurse Mr. Freeman. No. Mr. Morley would be most unhappy if I were not present. He has said so. In the midst of one of his fearful attacks he sees me and a smile comes over his dear face, and he says: ‘My Anna … my angel … you are there.’ It is most affecting.”
“Don’t weep. It’ll make your eyes worse.”
“Sometimes I think I am suffering for past sins.”
Oh dear, thought Sarah, now we shall have to go through