Courting Her Highness_ The Story of Queen Anne - Jean Plaidy [69]
And it was this act of creating four new Tory peers in order to pass the Bill through the Lords which had brought Sarah’s Whiggish principles into the fore and sent her hurrying to Court.
As Abigail left the Queen and the Duchess together she was not thinking so much of the rights and wrongs of the Bill as to the power which Sarah held over Anne. What happened now would be significant. Sarah was not only pitting herself against the Queen but against the Tory House of Commons.
As soon as the door shut on Abigail Sarah turned to the Queen.
“These matters are of too great an importance to be discussed before servants,” she said.
“Hill is most discreet.”
“I know it. It was for that reason I brought her to you. And I can see that she is giving satisfaction.”
“Such a good creature!” The Queen settled happily into her chair. How much more pleasant to talk of the virtues of dear Hill, for whom she had to be so grateful to her dearest Mrs. Freeman, than politics.
But Sarah of course had not come to discuss serving women.
“I confess, Mrs. Morley, that I was most disturbed. If men are going to be created to pass laws what are we coming to.”
“It has been done before.…”
“It may have been done before! You think that a good reason for repeating an iniquity? Mayhem and murder have been done before, Mrs. Morley, but that does not mean it is good and reasonable and right to do them again.”
“Mrs. Freeman misunderstands me.”
“I misunderstand nothing! This Conformity Bill has been thrown out of the Lords … so your ministers have advised you to create four new Tory peers in order to get it through. It must not be.”
“It is already being done.”
“I’ll not have it!”
Anne was astonished. She had longed to see Mrs. Freeman at Court, and now she had come there was this trouble. She had no intention of arguing. She hated argument. But even dearest Mrs. Freeman could not decide matters of state policy merely by demanding to do so.
“Well, Mrs. Freeman, come and sit beside me,” said Anne. “I want to hear all your news.”
“My news is too sombre, Mrs. Morley. For these last months I have thought of nothing but my loss.”
“My poor, poor Mrs. Freeman. There is no one who can understand that like your unfortunate Morley.”
“But,” said Sarah fiercely, “we have to grow away from our grief. It is selfish to mourn for ever.”
Anne flinched a little. It was most exciting to have the dazzling and beautiful Sarah with her, but just a little uncomfortable.
“I came to you because I have to talk to you about this disgraceful matter. Four Tory peers! It is a scandal. If you are going to create four Tory peers you must at any rate create one Whig peer. I shall insist on that.”
“My dear Mrs. Freeman, this is a matter for our ministers.”
“This is a matter for us,” corrected Sarah.
She began to pace the apartment while she expounded the follies of the Bill. It was iniquitous. It was intolerant. Anne repeated placidly: “It is a matter for our ministers.”
“Ministers!” stormed Sarah. “What concern have they for anything but their own advancement? We need to keep a firm grip on ministers. You will remember how difficult it was to get the Prince’s grant through. That was ministers for you.”
“I do remember and I shall be eternally grateful to you and Mr. Freeman for working so hard on the Prince’s behalf.”
“You will also remember that that grant was passed with a majority of one vote and that had not Mr. Freeman and I worked day and night it could never have come to pass and Mr. Morley would be some hundred thousand pounds a year the poorer.”
“We shall never, never forget the pains you and Mr. Freeman took, and I do assure you that both Mr. Morley and I can never express our gratitude. I remember my dear George was so ill at the time. Dear Mrs. Freeman, his asthma gives me the greatest cause for anxiety. I was nursing him at the time. Do you remember? I really believed