Виктория Холт - Queen in waiting

He never attempted to beat her, although at one time he had tried; he contented himself with swearing at her, calling her abusive names and spitting in her food, especially if it was a dish she particularly enjoyed.

She was by no means meek; she would retaliate by telling him he was a brute, that he was a madman and ought to be put into a cage. Then he would laugh and there might follow a reconciliation—on the other hand there might not. One could never be sure with Frederick William. That was the joy of living with him.

What a dull life Caroline and George Augustus must lead! And her mother too ... her poor mother to whom she wrote from time to time and had tried to bring out of her prison ... what a misery her life was!

No, Sophia Dorothea, oddly enough, regretted nothing and would not have changed her life if she could. Now she assured herself she was about to see realized her most cherished plan: the Double Wedding; her son married to her brother's daughter; her brother's son married to her daughter. What an excellent plan I Her Wilhelmina would be Queen of England and George Augustus's daughter Queen of Prussia.

Thus, she had promised herself, we keep the crowns in the family.

And her enemies had tried to prevent it by spreading lies about Wilhelmina. Epileptic indeed! They should see her daughter who was clever and good looking enough to please anyone—even the English.

"Your Majesty will wish to see your granddaughter, I am sure," she told her father. "She is all eagerness for the honour."

Wilhelmina stepped forward, and knelt before the King. He saw a tall girl who appeared to be sound, but one could never tell with epilepsy.

He did not smile but merely stared at her.

"She's tall," he said.

Then his daughter gave him her hand and led him to her apartments whither the King of Prussia and Wilhelmina followed with some of their attendants. No sooner had they reached the apartment than the King demanded a candle and when it was brought to him summoned his granddaughter to stand before. When she did so he held the candle so close to her that she thought he would catch her hair alight, and examined her as though she were a horse or cow.

Wilhelmina felt very agitated and was relieved when her grandfather told her mother that he wished to speak with her alone.

Poor Wilhelmina knew that she was under discussion and felt embarrassed until some of the King's English suite began to talk to her, although she was sure that they too were trying to put her to the test, but when they told her that she had the manners and bearing of an Englishwoman she smiled wryly knowing they were trying to be complimentary.

She thought her grandfather terrifying. He never smiled; he seemed melancholy; and his only interest in her was whether she would make a suitable wife for his grandson of whom in any case he saw very little. She would be glad when he left; and almost preferred her violent father to this dour man.

That evening there was a banquet to honour the King of England. He was seated beside the Queen who talked to him as though she were not in the least in awe of him. Wilhelmina who now and then stole glances at him noticed that he had his eyes closed.

Lord Townsend was whispering to her. "I think His Majesty is unwell. Could you sign to your mother to prepare to leave the table. I am sure the King should be in his bed."

Wilhelmina rose from her chair and went to her mother and whispered what Lord Townsend had suggested.

The Queen gave her father a startled look and said: "I see Your Majesty is a little tired. We will now retire."

"I am not tired." said the King gruffly. "Pray be seated, and go on talking."

But Sophia Dorothea thought there was something strange about him and insisted that she was now going to give the sign for all to leave the table.

As she spoke she stood up. The King rose too, but even as he stood on his feet, he swayed ... and in a few seconds had collapsed on to the floor where he lay unconscious.

There was pandemonium in the hall. The King of Prussia gave orders that cushions should be brought with blankets to cover the King of England who lay still unaware of what was happening.

"He has had a paralytic seizure," said the Queen. "That this should have happened here! My poor father. Send for the physicians at once."

But before the physicians arrived the King had recovered. Almost immediately he seemed to know where he was and reaching for his wig which had fallen off, put it on his head.

"It is nothing," he said. "Here! Help me to my feet."

With the aid of the King of Prussia and Lord Townsend he stood up.

"I will conduct you to your apartments," he told his daughter.

"Your Majesty..."

"I will conduct you to your apartments," he repeated.

The assembly looked on in amazement while he did so.

Then he returned to his own apartments. There was no sign of paralysis.

"It is nothing," was the verdict. "The King merely fainted."

And after that, since it was his wish, no mention was made of the incident.

He was not inclined however to complete the negotiations for the double wedding.

"I shall come back to Hanover," he told his daughter. "The children are young yet... too young for marriage."

"I hear Frederick already has a mistress in Hanover," pointed out Sophia Dorothea.

"They are too young yet," said the King obstinately.

And that was all the satisfaction she could get.

In spite of the fact that the King had wished to keep the news of his collapse secret he was unable to do so, and accounts of it reached England.

The Prince received them exultantly, Caroline inwardly so, but outwardly she was more restrained than her husband.

George Augustus strode up and down his wife's apartment, his wig awry, his blue eyes brilliant.

"This is the end of him," he declared. "A paralytic seizure at his age! "

"They are saying that he appears to be as veil as he vas on the day he left England."

"Impossible. I tell you this, my tear. It is my turn now. King of Englandt! How you like that, eh? King George II! "

"It sounds very veil, but let us vait a bit and be careful."

He came to the chair on which she was sitting and pinched her cheek. "Oh, you are the cautious von, alvays, my Caroline. Ve shall soon be planning our coronation."

"Let us not talk so ... even in private." She glanced over her shoulder. But he only laughed the louder. He was so sure of himself, standing on tiptoe, seeing himself in the mirror, a crown instead of the wig on his head.

Caroline was alarmed, imagining the King's spies carrying tales of his son's unseemly behaviour; would it be possible for him to have George Augustus passed over in favour of Frederick? Who knew what vindictive scheme that man might invent. And Frederick thought Caroline, what do I know of Frederick? My son is a stranger to me. We must be careful ... more so now than ever.

But how make the exuberant George Augustus understand this?

The King had returned to England. Before she saw him Caroline heard that he showed no ill effects; but she could not believe that. He was advancing into his sixties. How could a man of that age collapse mysteriously at dinner and it have no significance?

When he received her he was attended as usual by the Duchesses of Kendal and Darlington, and Caroline was immediately aware of their anxious looks. But the King had not changed at all. There was no sign of illness in his dour unwelcoming face.

Did he look at her a little sardonically? He would know of course how their hopes had soared. Was he saying: Not yet, my dear. It is not the turn of that booby of a husband of yours yet. Oh, no you have to wait, my dear.

"I have brought you a present," he told Caroline.

She was surprised and pleased for it was the first time he had brought a gift for her.

"You Majesty is gracious to me."

His lips turned up at the corners; it was as near as he could get to a smile. Was she visualizing some magnificent piece of jewellery, wondered the King. She was going to have yet another surprise and he wondered whether this one would be as unpalatable as the first, for when she had come to him she had expected to see him disabled from his so-called seizure.

He signed to one of his attendants and said that the Princess's gift was to be brought to her.

The man disappeared and when he returned there was an astonished silence throughout the apartment, for he led by a chain attached to the creature's neck what might have been a boy or a monkey. The creature stooped slightly and loped while it looked about it at the assembled company with something between fear and defiance. It was dressed in a bright blue suit lined with red, and red stockings. "It is a wild boy/' said the King. "We found him in the forest; he ran on all fours then, but he can stand up already. He lived on grass, moss, nuts and whatever he could find. I thought he would amuse Your Highness."

Caroline said, without showing her distaste or surprise: "Your Majesty is gracious."

She took the chain which was offered her and led the creature from the King's presence.

Everyone was talking of the Wild Boy and wondered what lay behind the King's motive in presenting him to the Princess. Was it because she had introduced the fashion for innoculation? Was the King hinting that as she appeared to be interested in medical science, here was an opportunity to try a further experiment?

Caroline, however, had given no sign of her dismay; the first thing she did on reaching her apartments was to send for her good friend Dr. Arbuthnot.

She showed him the boy who glared at them both from under his bushy eyebrows and Caroline asked the doctor if he thought by gentle treatment and teaching he might become normal.

"It would be interesting," she said, "to discover whether this is possible."

The doctor agreed and said he would take the wild boy away and see what could be done with him.

"Poor boy," said Caroline. "I wonder what his history is. He doubtless lost his parents in some way or was abandoned. But he must certainly have fended for himself for some ten or twelve years."

"That we may discover ... if we can reach him to speak."

"Then teach him. I know you will be kind to him. I fancy he needs kindness. He looks at us so suspiciously. I think he is rather frightened. You must bring him to visit me from time to time; and he should have a name. We will call him Peter."

So Dr. Arbuthnot took Peter away and tried to teach him; and very soon the wild boy was forgotten except by Caroline who had many interviews with Dr. Arbuthnot, who could report little progress; and she continued to wonder why the King had given her such a present.

Soon after the King's return from Hanover Caroline's daughter Louisa was born. Caroline now had a little family of three and to these she devoted herself; she was able to visit Anne, Amelia and Caroline more frequently than she had before the reconciliation, but she still felt resentful because she had no control of them.

The Court was less gay than it had been in the old days. Molly Lepel was rarely there although Lord Hervey was a frequent visitor and Caroline was always delighted to see him. Mary Bellenden remained but she had become quieter in her contentment. Poor Sophie Howe would never return. She was heartbroken and had fallen into such a decline that it was not expected she would live more than a few more months.

It was a saddening thought. Henrietta, Mrs. Clayton and Lady Cowper retained their posts but they had never been the gay spirits of the Court. Yes, the Court had lost its earlier sparkle.

Walpole was a frequent visitor; but she told herself she could not forgive him for deceiving her at the time of the reconciliation; and she still talked continually of her desire to have her older children back under her roof. The King was devoted to Walpole and for that reason—and because his debts had not been paid as Walpole had promised they would—the Prince disliked him.

Yet in spite of this Caroline was fascinated by the man. He was wily and had even succeeded in ousting the Germans from the King's favour and holding first position there himself.

Walpole must be watched, she thought, so that when the great day came his services could be called upon.