Part 39 (2/2)
”You must let me share in your joy, my dearest Abigail,” said Anne.
The pains were more acute. It was Mrs. Abrahal who was bending over her.
”Take is easy,” she was soothing her. ”It won't be long now.”
Mrs. Danvers was there, with Mrs. Abrahal and the others, and the Queen had sent for her own physician, for nothing was too good for Mrs. Masham. Mrs. Danvers would report to the d.u.c.h.ess of Marlborough that it had been royal attendance, if you please. But would she? Mrs. Danvers had begun to wonder whether it was necessary to report everything to the d.u.c.h.ess, for what need was there now to seek her favour? Better perhaps to watch over Mrs. Masham's comforts with the same a.s.siduous care as one had once bestowed on the d.u.c.h.ess of Marlborough.
Mrs. Abrahal seemed to have come to that conclusion too.
Mrs. Abrahal curtsied to the Queen who cried: ”What news?”
”A little girl, Your Majesty.”
”And Mrs. Masham is well?”
”As well as can be expected, Madam. It was a long and hard labour.”
”Poor Masham! And is Dr. Arbuthnot with her now?”
”Yes, Your Majesty.”
”Help me up. I will go to her.”
Anne stood smiling at Abigail who looked so wan and yet triumphant. Lucky Abigail who held a child in her arms.
Anne quietly prayed that dearest Masham would have better luck than she had had. May this child live and be a comfort to her, she said to herself.
”You are well content,” she said tenderly.
”Yes, and shall be more so if Your Majesty will consent to this child's being named after you.”
”It would give me the greatest pleasure,” said the Queen, with tears in her eyes.
Anne delighted in the baby.
”My dear Masham,” she said, ”it brings back the old days to me so clearly. I think of my own little ones....”
And the baby had a fondness for the Queen. ”She's like her Mamma,” sneered Abigail's enemies. ”She knows how to please.”
It was such a pleasure to sit together and talk of Abigail's long labour and the antics of the child. It helped Anne to forget all the unfortunate tensions about her throne which had been caused by that alarming demand of the Duke of Marlborough. Mr. Harley was determined to prevent the Duke's causing trouble; and as for G.o.dolphin, she was getting tired of him; Sunderland she had never liked, although she had been forced into allowing him to take office. How pleasant then to talk of babies with Abigail. There had never been such cosy confidences with Sarah, although Sarah had had a large family. Sarah was unnatural. She had never been interested in the charming details of family life.
”Mrs. Abrahal was a comfort,” said Abigail. ”I should like to reward her. And she is so fond of little Anne.”
”We must let her know how much we appreciate her goodness,” replied the Queen. ”I will raise her allowance. That will please her.”
”Shall I send her to Your Majesty later?”
”Please do. I do declare the enchanting creature is smiling at me.”
”She knows her Queen already. I'll swear she will be as good a servant to Your Majesty as her mother has always tried to be.”
Such pleasant hours! So far removed from the demands and schemes of ambitious men.
Mrs. Abrahal curtsied to the Queen.
”Ah, Abrahal, Mrs. Masham has been telling me how good you were to her during her trying confinement.”
”Your Majesty, it was my duty and I would say that Mrs. Masham bore herself with courage for it was not an easy labour.”
”No. I understand that. And I know full well how trying such times can be.” The Queen looked sad but brightened as she remembered the Masham child who seemed so healthy-far more so than any of hers had been. ”Mr. Masham must be delighted,” she added. Then she noticed that Mrs. Abrahal was looking very pale.
”You do not look well yourself, Abrahal,” she said.
”Your Majesty is gracious to notice, Madam. But I am growing old.”
”You have been long in my service I know.”
”Yes, Your Majesty, it is twenty years since I started was.h.i.+ng your Brussels lace-heads.”
”Is it possible?” sighed the Queen and was sad again, being reminded of George, who had used that phrase so often. ”Well, Abrahal, Mrs. Masham has told me how kind you were to her and as a result I am going to have your allowance raised.”
”Your Majesty is so good,” said Mrs. Abrahal, tears in her eyes.
”I like to see good service rewarded,” said Anne kindly. ”But what I do not like is to see you looking so pale. You should drink a little wine each day. I remember the dear Prince's saying that a little wine, taken regularly, was very good for the health.”
”Your Majesty ...”
Anne held up a hand. ”I shall order a bottle of wine to be sent to you every day. I want you to go on was.h.i.+ng my lace-heads for many years to come.”
Mrs. Abrahal, murmuring her thanks, was ushered out of the apartment by Mrs. Masham. When she had recovered from her surprise and pleasure a little, she remarked to Mrs. Danvers that there was no doubt whom one had to please now if one hoped to advance one's fortunes at Court. The d.u.c.h.ess of Marlborough was on the way out; Abigail Masham was undoubtedly in.
Although the Queen had no wish to see Sarah, Sarah clung tenaciously to her duties. Always at the back of her mind was the thought that she could not fail eventually to win her way back to her old position at Court.
Looking through the accounts one day she saw that a bottle of wine was going to one of the laundresses. ”A bottle of wine a day!” cried Sarah. ”I did not order this. And what would a laundress want with a bottle of wine a day?”
She summoned Mrs. Abrahal, the recipient of the wine, and demanded to know what was meant by it.
”It was ordered by Her Majesty,” said Mrs. Abrahal.
”Ordered by Her Majesty ... and no reference made to me! But did you not know, Abrahal, that such expenditure has to be sanctioned by me!”
”No, Your Grace, not when it was an order of Her Majesty.”
<script>