New York_ The Novel - Edward Rutherfurd [61]
“I believe so, My Lord,” I said.
He stayed there a while, and then we walked back. As we passed the sentry, the governor said, “Goodnight.” And hearing a man’s voice, I saw that sentry almost jump out of his skin. He was certainly staring after us as we departed. And after we came down, I said to His Lordship that the sentry had been astonished hearing a man’s voice coming from a lady, and that I wondered if he would realize who it was. But His Lordship just laughed and said, “Did we give him a fright?” And then I understood that in his heart, being such an aristocrat, the governor didn’t think it mattered what the sentry thought. And I realized this was a weakness in him.
From these evenings I also understood two other things. The first, that it pleased His Lordship to remind people that the queen was his cousin and that he looked like her. The second, that, as Queen Anne or not, he liked to dress as a woman.
Anyway, I was in favor with the governor after this; and he had not forgotten that it was through the van Dyck family that I had come to him. For one day he summoned Jan to the fort. I was serving in the room when Jan came in. There were a number of government contracts to be given out at that time, and His Lordship calmly picked up one of them, and handed it to him.
“You served me well in selling me Quash,” he said. “Perhaps you could supply Her Majesty’s government these goods.”
As Jan read the contract, I saw his eyes open wide.
“Your Lordship is very kind,” he answered. “I am in your debt.”
“Then perhaps,” said His Lordship, “you’d like to do something for me.” And he waited.
“I should like very much,” said Jan warmly, “to give Your Lordship fifty pounds, if Your Lordship would do me the honor of accepting it.”
So His Lordship graciously said he would. And all this was very interesting to me, as explaining how the business of government is done.
I continued to study His Lordship carefully, as to how I might please him; and soon after this I had a lucky chance when, passing one of the tailors in Dock Street, I saw in a store a large silk petticoat which I estimated might fit His Lordship very well. Having always kept any money which came my way, I had no difficulty buying it; and that very evening when we were alone, I gave it to His Lordship. “It’s for the next time Your Lordship should be Her Majesty,” I said.
He was very delighted, and tried it on at once. “All I need,” he said, “is a dress as big.”
I had noticed that each time he had dressed as the queen, his children were out of the house. So I guessed that His Lordship still had some fears as to what people might think of his habit. I was careful therefore never to let him see any trace of mockery in my own manner toward him. A week after I gave him the petticoat, he wore it under a dress for supper alone with Her Ladyship, and as I was helping him dress beforehand, he asked me: “Do you find it strange I dress like this?”
“In Africa, My Lord,” I said, “where my people come from, in certain tribes, the great chiefs sometimes dress as women. But only they are allowed to do it. We count that a sign of special distinction.” I invented this, but His Lordship didn’t know it.
“Oh,” he said; and he looked very pleased.
Some months passed; and from time to time His Lordship would perform as the queen, or occasionally he would just choose to walk about in women’s clothes.
It was during this year that Her Ladyship started to be unwell. The doctors did not know what was wrong with her, so they bled her, and gave her herbal cures, and said that she must rest. The business of the household went on much the same. His Lordship would often attend to his son’s studies, or keep Theodosia company by reading to her in the evenings. But I did notice that, with Her Ladyship being unwell, His Lordship would sometimes be restless at night, and walk about in his room alone; and I know that when he did so, he would often be dressed as a woman.
I had for some time been wondering if there was a way I might put this