Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [35]
“Well, I suppose I need not tell you to be careful. You know what you are doing.”
“And when have I ever failed you?”
“Never!” Marlborough assured her.
Sarah not only showed her growing impatience with Anne to her husband, but also to Abigail. The girl was so much her creature, Sarah believed, that she had no need to speak anything but freely in her presence.
On several occasions she spoke slightingly of the Princess and Abigail made no comment. She merely listened in that quiet way of hers as though she were not in the least surprised.
Sarah was behaving as though she were already the Sovereign.
Abigail continued surprised and startled at the effrontery of her relation; and she often wondered how Anne would feel if she knew how far Sarah went in her condemnation of her. Sarah was inclined to be what she would call frank, to Anne’s face, but of course she reserved the real abuse to be uttered behind her back.
Abigail did not speak of Sarah’s abuse of the Princess, even to Samuel Masham. She was by nature discreet and she was not sure what her position would be if Sarah fell out of favour. And she could not believe that Sarah would not fall out of favour if Anne heard some of the really wounding things which were said of her.
At the same time she dearly wanted to know what Anne would do if she knew how very disloyal Sarah could be.
One day she was helping the Princess to dress and Anne and she were alone together. Since her quarrel with her sister who had now been dead more than six years Anne had not stood on any great ceremony. For a time she had lived very humbly indeed at The Cockpit and Berkeley House and had even spent a month or so in the country at Twickenham, living the simple life of a noble lady. Now William realized that if he were to keep his throne he must treat Anne as the heiress and she had moved to St. James’s Palace and spent her summers at Windsor Castle, but she had not gone back to living in the state which would have been natural to her rank. Therefore there were many occasions when she allowed only one of her maids to assist at her toilet.
Abigail was looking for the Princess’s gloves when Anne said: “I remember, Hill, I left them in the adjoining room. Pray go and get them for me.”
Abigail at once obeyed, and as she opened the connecting door between the two rooms saw Lady Marlborough sitting at a table reading a letter while she absentmindedly drew on a pair of gloves which Abigail recognized as those of the Princess Anne.
For a second Abigail hesitated. She could shut the door so that whatever Sarah said would be unheard by the Princess; or she could leave it open and the words would be heard.
A fleeting temptation. Sarah would not know that Anne was within earshot, and Anne did not know that Sarah was in the next room.
Abigail held the door open for a second; then she made up her mind. Without shutting it she went to the table at which Lady Marlborough sat.
She did not speak for a second or two; then gave a discreet cough.
Sarah looked up. “Oh, it’s you, Abigail. How you creep about. You startled me.”
“I am sorry, Lady Marlborough.”
“What is it you want?”
“The Princess’s gloves. I believe you have mistaken them for your own.”
“What!” shrieked Sarah, staring down at the gloves on her hands.
“Those are the Princess’s, I believe.”
Sarah wrinkled her nose; she was aware of Abigail looking at her with astonishment, and could not resist the temptation to show this meek creature that she cared nothing for royalty, considering herself at least equal, if not above it. Certainly she felt above the foolish Princess Anne.
“That woman’s gloves!” she cried.
Abigail stepped back; and had Sarah been more observant she would have noticed that Abigail was betraying an emotion which was unusual with her, but Sarah believed the girl was admiring