Part 31 (2/2)
”I know him for a young man who is always making bows to everyone and is ever ready to skip and open a door.”
”He is aware of his humble situation, Your Grace, and has a desire to please; his manners are such that he would hasten to open a door for a lady.”
”H'm,” said Sarah. ”An odd affair, was it not? Why should it not be open? Why this secret?”
Abigail opened her eyes very wide. ”There was no need for secrecy, Your Grace. I did not tell you because I felt you were too busy with more important affairs.”
”You forget that I had brought you to Court, that I was your benefactress.”
”It is a fact I shall never forget, Your Grace.”
”Nor should you. You were nothing but a serving girl when I brought you from Lady Rivers. I should have thought it was ordinary politeness to tell me you hoped to marry, and to ask my consent.”
”Your Grace, I most humbly beg your pardon.”
”I'm not against the marriage. In fact, I think it suitable. You continue to serve the Queen and Masham continues to serve the Prince. I should have put nothing in the way of it. Of course you have not been well brought up, otherwise you would not have made the mistake of behaving in this way.”
”So Your Grace forgives me?”
”I will overlook your fault, but do try to behave with more grace in future. So ... you are a married woman now. The Queen will not be pleased. She does not care for all this secrecy, but I don't doubt I can explain to her. I will ask her to give you a better lodging. Now that you are married you should have some standing. If there are children you will have to think of them. But in spite of your folly and your lack of consideration to me I will inform the Queen.”
”Er ...” began Abigail.
”What?” cried the d.u.c.h.ess, appalled that Abigail after having committed one breach of good manners by keeping her marriage secret could be guilty of another and as great-daring to break in on the d.u.c.h.ess's conversation.
”I ... I believe that Her Majesty has already been informed.”
”Nonsense! You don't imagine that Her Majesty would not have told me!”
What could Abigail say to that? She lowered her eyes and looked embarra.s.sed; but inwardly she was laughing. Her Grace was going to receive a shock.
Sarah was looking into the accounts. That girl was far too fat. It was probable that she and her fellow servants were following the Queen's habit of drinking chocolate last thing at night.
The consumption of chocolate had not been excessive.... She glanced through the Queen's account. What was this three thousand pounds?
The Queen had wanted it for a private matter. As keeper of the Privy Purse she remembered the occasion well.
”A private matter,” said the Queen; and Sarah had been too concerned about the Vain matter to try to discover why.
This would be just about the time of the Masham marriage.
Horror dawned on Sarah. Could it be possible? Had Anne given the girl a dowry?
That would be like Anne. She was a generous woman. The dowry was not really important and naturally she would want to give a relative of Sarah's a dowry. But it was rather a large sum for a bedchamber woman! And why had the Queen kept the secret? Why had she not told Sarah?
The more Sarah thought of it, the more certain she became that the three thousand pounds had gone to Abigail-and the greater was her perturbation.
Sarah came briskly into the Queen's apartments and with a wave of the hand dismissed two of the women who were in attendance. Abigail must have heard of her approach for she was nowhere in sight.
Anne, lying back in her chair, picked up her fan and smiled at Sarah.
”My dearest Mrs. Freeman.”
”I have just heard of Hill's marriage to Samuel Masham.”
”Oh yes,” said the Queen. ”Hill is Masham now. I find it difficult to remember to call her Masham. I was saying so to Mr. Morley last night.”
”I cannot understand why Your Majesty has not been kind enough to tell me of the marriage.”
”Oh, I have bid Masham to tell you, but she would not.”
”I brought her to this Court. I took her from a broom. But for me where would she be now? Yet she marries and it appears that the whole Court knows of it and I do not.”
Anne fanned herself unconcernedly. What had become of her? Didn't she care that she had upset Mrs. Freeman?
”I find it most extraordinary. In the past Mrs. Morley would never have kept secrets from Mrs. Freeman.”
”I always liked to share secrets,” said Anne, ”and particularly with you. I remember thinking to myself, 'I must tell Sarah that.' It was in the days before we became Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Morley.”
”And yet you did not tell me of this marriage.”
”I have bid Masham tell you ... but she would not.”
How was it possible to keep one's temper with such a woman?
Sarah took the first opportunity of leaving the Queen, and went at once to Mrs. Danvers.
”You had better tell me everything you know about this affair,” she cried.
”Your Grace is now satisfied that there has been a marriage?”
”I have ascertained that-and that I have been kept in the dark. Now, Danvers, you must tell me anything else you know.”
”I know that Abigail Hill spends some two hours every day with the Queen in the green closet. The Prince is there, but he sleeps most of the time and often Hill is alone with the Queen.”
”Talking to the Queen?”
”Yes, Your Grace.”
Talking to the Queen! Advising her not to take Mrs. Vain but a woman of her choice instead-the Danvers girl in this instance. Not that Hill was interested in the Danvers girl. Her only object would be to keep out Sarah's choice.
”She plays the harpsichord to Her Majesty, does the poulticing and ma.s.saging. Often I have seen her sitting on the stool at Her Majesty's feet. If she is not there Her Majesty sends for her. I have heard them laughing and the ... mimicry.”
Sarah's eyes narrowed. Ridiculing her. Ridiculing the Duke! Oh, this was an enemy indeed. But she would go in and smite her. Soon no one at Court would dare mention the name of Masham!
”And then, of course, Your Grace, there is her cousin. She is very friendly with him and he makes a great fuss of her.”
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