Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [167]
Sarah had lost the Queen’s favour forever. She refused to believe it, but it was true. She was no longer wanted at Court, yet the country needed the great soldier. Even Harley, the chief of his enemies, realized that. It was for that reason that he had sent St. John to advise him.
They wanted Marlborough … but not Marlborough’s wife.
St. John had been blunt. “The only way in which Your Grace can hold your position in this country is by ridding yourself of your wife.”
Repudiate Sarah! Cut himself off from her! Let it be known that he was out of sympathy with her overbearing conduct.
He loved Sarah. He thought of passionate reunions after long absences, the days when they were alone together at St. Albans or Windsor Park. The family … the daughters who meant so much to him; his grandchildren.
Give up Sarah! Choose between his wife and ambition!
There should be no problem. Did he not love Sarah? Was she not his dearest soul? Yet he was a commander of genius who had dreamed of ruling England. So he was being asked to choose between the two things he loved best.
Sarah came into the room—brisk, bustling, bellicose.
“Why, my dear Marl, what has happened? You look ill.”
“I’m getting old, Sarah.”
“What nonsense!”
“And everything I have hoped for has gone sour … has turned to nothing.”
“Nonsense again. Nothing can eliminate the glory of Blenheim.”
“They’ll make peace with France. They will decide that it is impossible to turn Louis’s grandson from the throne of Spain. They will say that the war was hopeless and need never have been fought. That is the way to make nothing of great victories, Sarah.”
“You are in a mood! Something has happened to upset you. That worm St. John has been here, I believe.”
“Yes, Sarah, he has been here.”
“And what did he want?”
“He wants you to return the keys of office.”
“I shall do no such thing.”
“Sarah, for God’s sake be reasonable. You cannot cling to an office when the Queen has decided to dismiss you.”
“Do you think I’ll be dismissed like some frightened chambermaid caught stealing the tea!”
Caught stealing! What unfortunate phrases she used! When he looked at Sarah, her face distorted by rage, when he listened to her shrill voice denouncing everyone, refusing to see any point of view but her own, he wondered.… He despised himself for this, but he even wavered.
So many pictures could come unbidden to the mind. He thought of himself—without Sarah—being taken into the new ministry. He had been a Tory at heart—until Sarah had given her allegiance to the Whigs and determined he should do the same. He saw himself continuing the war, finding fresh triumphs … without Sarah.
But there she stood before him—his Sarah, for whom he had braved his parents’ wrath in the first place in order to marry her, Sarah who had had no fortune any more than he had, when of course an ambitious man should have made a rich marriage.
How could he live without Sarah? Yet it was said that his love could never have endured if he had been forced to live with her night and day. It was the long separations which had saved their marriage. It might be so, but he knew he could never be without her.
She was bold and rash; she was crashing them all to disaster, but she was still his beloved Sarah.
“You are smiling. I see nothing to smile about.”
“I was thinking of all the years we have been together.”
“A fine time to think of that!”
“No, a good time, Sarah.” He took her hands and looked into her face. “You are still beautiful,” he said. “Our girls are lovely, but they can’t compare with you.”
“What is it, Marl?” she asked tenderly.
“If we are forced to live in obscurity … even in exile … I was thinking that at least we should be together.”
Her lips quivered and she threw herself into his arms.
“Dear Marl,” she said. “Dearest Marl!”
He had known all along that there was no problem. They were together for the rest of their lives.
He put her from him and said: “You will have to give up the keys.”
The tender mood had passed. “You are too easily defeated, Marl.