Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [63]
To set a good example to her people; to do good; to make England great. What a pleasant subject to contemplate while her dear little dogs nuzzled against her and she nibbled sweetmeats from the dish at her elbow, or sipped a cup of chocolate, or simply lay back contentedly while the efficient and most skilful hands of Abigail Hill massaged her swollen limbs.
George came into the Queen’s apartments, more animated than usual and with him he brought an odd pair—a country man and a woman, in all possibility his wife—who looked so incongruous in the Windsor apartments that Anne was startled.
Abigail who had been playing the harpsichord stopped and turned to watch; Anne’s attention was all for her husband and the odd little pair.
“My dearest,” cried George, “I must present to you these good people. This is John Duddlestone of Bristol and this his good wife. You remember, my dear, vot I haf told you of the gootness of John Duddlestone.”
Anne smiled at the pair of them, who seemed struck dumb, and said, “John Duddlestone, my dearest? Of Bristol?”
“You remember, my love.” He turned to them. “The Queen is so goot. She remember everything I tell her … and she likes much those who haf shown me the kindness.”
Anne mildly wished that George would express himself more clearly and come to the point, but she sat smiling graciously, never betraying by a fleeting expression that she had no notion who these people were.
Abigail, watching, thought then that it would be a great mistake to dismiss the Queen as a foolish woman. She was by no means so. Physical debility might make her seem lazy, amenable; but it was not so. Anne was so like many calm good-natured people; she could give way frequently until she decided to make a stand; then none could be more stubborn. Moreover, a great determination to be worthy of her office had come to her. To watch her now with these two country people was a lesson in good manners and diplomacy. She had not wished to be disturbed; she could not be greatly interested in the Duddlestones; she could not remember what she had heard of them; yet she betrayed nothing of this.
George went on: “It is ven I am in Bristol. Ven I vas at the Exchange and none asked me to dine. Then Master John Duddlestone came to me and he says: ‘Vos you the husband of our Queen Anne?’ And I say, my love, that I haf that great joy and honour and he say ‘I am a humble bodice-maker of Bristol and no one asks you to dine because they think you too great and important gentleman because you are husband to our Queen. But the shame of Bristol vould be great if the husband of our Queen must dine at a inn because no Bristol door was opened to him.’ So, my love, he takes me to his home.”
George was beaming with pleasure and Anne was always delighted to see him pleased.
She looked at John Duddlestone and said: “Anyone who has shown kindness to the Prince, my husband, is a friend of mine.”
The Prince whispered: “You must kneel to Her Majesty.”
John Duddlestone did so with some awkwardness and Anne gave him her hand to kiss.
Then his wife came forward and made her clumsy obeisance.
George chuckled. “He call to his wife and say: ‘Wife, the Queen’s husband haf come to dine with us, so put on a clean apron and come down to greet the guest.’ So down she came in a clean apron.…”
“It were blue, Your Majesty,” said Mistress Duddlestone.
Anne smiled as though the colour of the apron was a matter of great interest.
“And a very good dinner it was,” said George reminiscently.
“His Highness is very particular about his food,” put in Anne; and again Abigail was surprised by her ability to take part in such a scene.
“So pleased,” went on George, “that I say, when next he comes to Windsor he must call and I give him dinner.”
“We came to buy