Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [37]
She bade him to be seated and tell her his troubles.
“I am growing old, Elizabeth,” he said with his twisted smile. “And I believe my days are numbered.”
“You have said that often before, yet here you are.”
“I am disturbed about the succession. I would I had a son to follow me.”
Elizabeth nodded sadly.
“To think,” he said, “that that foolish fat sister-in-law of mine will be Queen of England on my death fills me with horror. When the boy was alive there was hope. He was a bright little fellow. It is a terrible tragedy that we have lost him.”
“The Princess is the complete dupe of the Marlborough woman,” said Elizabeth. “If she is Queen it will be Sarah Churchill who rules.”
“I should like to prevent that.” He looked at her cautiously and she knew that now he was coming to the object of his visit. “I am thinking of writing to James at St. Germains,” he said.
She waited for him to go on but he remained silent for some seconds; and it was clear to her that he had not yet made up his mind.
“I am thinking of suggesting that I adopt James’s son.”
“James would never allow it.”
“Not when he considers what is at stake? If he came over here as my son and was brought up to be a good Protestant he would be the natural heir to the throne.”
“It’s a brilliant idea,” said Elizabeth; “but I do not think you will be allowed to put it into practice. In the first place James would never entrust his son to you; and in the second Anne’s friends would be ready to start another revolution to ensure her succession.”
“I believe I could deal with that revolution.”
“Marlborough and Godolphin would stand together. There is Sunderland and his son Spencer, who would be with them. Don’t forget the diabolical Sarah has united them and they’ll stand together, particularly when the Marlboroughs’ grandchildren are Sunderland’s and Godolphin’s.”
“I have dealt with Marlborough before. I should do so again. I intend to broach James.”
“Well, that would be a good move,” agreed Elizabeth. “Even if James refuses, which he assuredly will, the Jacobites will be pleased.”
“If the boy is sent over, that will be good; and if he is not, at least I have done my best. Though the Jacobites may not be pleased when they know it is my intention to bring the boy up as a Protestant.”
“But even they will realize that only as such will he be acceptable to the English.”
“I feel it is my duty to make him acceptable, Elizabeth.”
She understood; and she was disturbed. William’s conscience was greatly troubled and he had the air of a man who wants to set his house in order before he leaves this life.
Sarah’s fury was uncontrollable. “Do you know what the Dutch Abortion plans now?” she demanded of Anne. “He is going to cheat you out of your inheritance! He is going to bring that warming-pan brat to England and foist him on the people! I shall not allow that to happen, Mrs. Morley. If you lie there on your couch and accept such abominations, I shall not.”
Anne shook her head. She could scarcely bring herself to look into the face of Sarah since the glove incident. Whenever Sarah came near her she felt cold with horror. She could not shut out the sound of the strident voice referring to her as that disagreeable woman. And Sarah had said her hands were odious. Her beautiful hands which she knew were lovely! They, with her voice which had been so carefully trained by Mrs. Betterton when she and Mary were in the nursery, were the only beauties she possessed. Her beautiful odious hands. How could she ever forget! How could she ever feel the same towards Mrs. Freeman again! Yet she could not bring herself to reproach her friend with what she had overheard. She was thankful that no one but herself and Abigail Hill knew of it; the secret was safe with that nice quiet creature.