The Queen and Lord M Read online

  ‘That’s an excellent idea.’

  ‘Do you think he will do it?’ asked Lady Portman.

  ‘Of course he will because he will know that we have the Baroness’s support when we ask him and that means that we have the Queen’s.’

  Lehzen nodded. ‘I can give you authority to do this.’

  ‘Then I shall do it immediately,’ said Lady Tavistock, ‘because although it is all very well to wait and see, I feel I am failing in my duty towards the Queen’s young ladies in allowing this to go on.’

  * * *

  Sir James Clark had been very surprised when he had secured his position in the Queen’s household. His medical skill did not warrant this, as he was uneasily aware; he always said that he believed in simple remedies; he could be sure that while they might do no good (and on the other hand they might be effective) they could at least do no harm. Feeling insecure he had a great desire to ingratiate himself with the Queen and he knew that the best way he could do this was to win the good graces of the Baroness Lehzen.

  He was well aware of the gossip concerning Lady Flora, that Sir John Conroy was suspected of being her lover and that the Queen hated Conroy who had made such extravagant demands as the price of his departure that it had been impossible to grant them. Therefore by declaring Lady Flora pregnant he would be condemning Sir John Conroy, and it was very likely that if Lady Flora retired in disgrace Sir John would be forced to go also. Thus he would be rendering a service to the Queen!

  He had not examined Lady Flora but he had prodded her stomach over her gown and there was certainly a protuberance; she was undoubtedly unwell. Everything pointed to pregnancy.

  So now he had the Queen’s instructions (for coming from Lady Tavistock that was what it meant) to tackle Lady Flora and get the truth from her.

  He did not wait for her to come to see him but called on her.

  She was alone in her apartments, looking very pale with dark shadows under her eyes; she was obviously worried and the swelling, he noticed with gratification, was obvious.

  She showed some surprise that he should call on her so he said quickly: ‘I am anxious about your health, Lady Flora, and have come to enquire how you are.’

  ‘I still have the pain.’

  ‘Lady Flora, I think you must be secretly married.’

  Lady Flora stared at him for a moment and then turned a fiery red.

  ‘I don’t grasp your meaning. Sir James.’

  ‘I think you do.’

  ‘Are you suggesting that I am … with child?’

  ‘It seems obvious.’

  ‘But surely you … a doctor …’

  He looked steadily at her. ‘I have not examined you closely, but it would appear from all I have seen that you are going to have a child.’

  ‘That’s impossible.’ She put her hands on her swollen abdomen. ‘The swelling is not always the same. At times it is larger than at others.’

  Sir James looked dubious.

  ‘You don’t believe me. I can show you dresses I have worn recently. I could wear one yesterday which a few days earlier I could not have got into because I was too large.’

  Sir James said he was no dressmaker. ‘I think you should submit to a proper examination,’ he added. ‘You are either pregnant or have some very obscure illness.’

  ‘Then it is some obscure illness.’

  ‘You must submit to this examination.’

  ‘I will not,’ cried Lady Flora, clearly agitated at the prospect. ‘I think you are behaving in a most unprofessional manner. It is not your duty to insult ladies who come to consult you.’

  ‘You grow larger every day and the ladies of the Palace think so, too. They will only be satisfied with a medical examination.’

  ‘The ladies?’ demanded Lady Flora. ‘You mean the Duchess of Kent? She has said nothing to me.’

  ‘Lady Portman has spoken to me.’

  Lady Flora said: ‘Oh … the Queen!’

  Sir James nodded. ‘So you see that since Her Majesty is aware of your … plight … an examination is the only answer.’

  ‘You mean it is Her Majesty’s command that I submit to this disagreeable examination?’

  ‘Clearly it is Her Majesty’s wish.’

  ‘I need time to consider this.’

  ‘It is dangerous to delay.’

  ‘In what way dangerous?’

  ‘The rumours are growing. They have spread beyond the Palace.’

  ‘Very well,’ said Lady Flora. ‘But I insist that another doctor is present. I have known Sir Charles Mansfield Clarke all my life. If he will take part I will submit.’

  Sir James was a little deflated, for while she was declaring she would stand out against the examination he believed her to be guilty. Now he was not so sure.

  He could only agree at once that Sir Charles should be called in and went back to Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman to tell them what had happened.

  ‘With great reluctance she has agreed to the examination.’

  They were all disappointed. They had been counting on a blank refusal which in their eyes would have confirmed her guilt.

  They went to the Baroness who in her turn went to the Queen.

  ‘Lady Flora has most reluctantly agreed to an examination,’ said the Baroness. ‘Sir James had to force her to it.’

  ‘How … indelicate!’

  ‘She is brazening it out. She thinks she is clever enough to outwit us all.’

  ‘How can she, Lehzen? If she has a child we shall all know in good time.’

  ‘These things can be arranged. She can declare her innocence, then when the affair has blown over, slip away and have the child and let some servant look after it. It’s been done before.’

  Yes, thought Victoria, Aunt Sophia.

  ‘It is all a matter of time,’ went on Lehzen. ‘That is why Sir James was insistent about the examination.’

  ‘I’m surprised that she agreed.’

  ‘She wouldn’t have done so, but when Sir James let it be known that it was more or less an order from Your Majesty that changed her tune.’

  ‘It is all very shocking. I don’t want to have to see her. Send an order to her that she is not to appear until her character has been cleared in the only manner it can be.’

  * * *

  After leaving Lady Tavistock and Lady Portman Sir James felt it was his duty to inform the Duchess of Kent what was happening to her lady-in-waiting.

  The Duchess was horrified. She had been so immersed in her own affairs that she had been completely unaware of what was happening under her nose although the entire household was whispering about Lady Flora.

  She sent for Flora at once.

  ‘Is this true?’

  ‘It is lies … all lies,’ cried Lady Flora. ‘I am ill and because my body is swollen they are saying I am pregnant.’

  ‘Who is saying this?’ demanded the Duchess.

  ‘The Queen’s ladies started it. Tavistock and Portman.’

  ‘Oh,’ said the Duchess, ‘so it came from that quarter.’

  ‘I have explained to Sir James Clark that I am sometimes more swollen than others. Besides, I am a virgin. I trust Your Grace believes me.’

  The Duchess was relieved. She did believe Flora. She had been jealous of her because Sir John had been rather too friendly with her. Sir John was so charming that many women found him irresistible and Flora had quite clearly been flattered, but they had all worked very well together. The Duchess believed she saw the motive behind this attack on Lady Flora’s character.

  ‘Do you swear that you could not possibly be pregnant, Flora?’

  ‘I do. If your Grace will allow me to stay at Court I can prove it. People will see that at times I am larger than at others. I am sick, I know. But I will consult Sir Charles Clarke. I am sure his diagnosis will be different from that of Sir James.’

  ‘Go to your bed and lie down,’ said the Duchess. ‘I will talk to you later, but let me tell you this: I believe you. This
is some cruel plot which has started in the Queen’s household. Don’t worry. Flora. I will stand by you.’

  The Duchess kissed her lady-in-waiting and the usually frigid Flora was almost in tears. ‘They will be sorry for this,’ declared the Duchess; and Flora felt that with the Duchess’s support she could face the ordeal before her.

  Naturally the Duchess immediately sought out Sir John.

  ‘They are accusing Flora of being pregnant,’ cried the Duchess. ‘It is all a hideous plot. The poor girl is almost demented … although she bravely tries to hide it.’

  ‘You know,’ said Sir John, ‘that they are accusing me of being the father of this non-existent child.’

  ‘No, they cannot!’

  ‘They have already done so. But then I am blamed for everything so I have become accustomed to that.’

  ‘Is this child … non-existent?’

  ‘As far as I can say … yes. Do you think Flora is the sort of woman to take a lover? Flora is as frigid as an iceberg.’

  ‘You have tested this?’

  ‘One does not have to submit her to that test. All the signposts are there to lead one to that conclusion.’

  ‘Then she should refuse to submit to this distasteful examination, poor girl.’

  Sir John was smiling one of his most cynical smiles. ‘This is going to be one of the biggest scandals of the age. Our little Vic does not realise what a storm she is raising.’

  ‘Should we try to tell her?’

  Sir John laughed. ‘Tell her? Certainly not! Let her get her little fingers burned. The people love her. She is so appealing, the dear little Queen – so kind to everyone, so innocent. Out she goes on her horse – and how well she looks on her horse – riding in her carriage, bowing, smiling. Oh yes, the people love their dear little Queen. But don’t you see, this is her affair. She is at the root of it. She is hounding an innocent woman; she is accusing her of what society calls disgraceful conduct – more disgraceful of course when it is brought to light. If practised in secret it can be quite respectable. Oh, yes, they are playing right into our hands. I think this is going to be a victory for us.’

  ‘I begin to see what you mean, but this can only come about if Flora is innocent.’

  ‘I’m ready to stake my future honours and pension on her virginity.’

  ‘You should know,’ said the Duchess, a little tersely.

  ‘I’m sure I do,’ he said with a smile.

  ‘Then what happens next?’

  ‘Simple. There is an examination and Flora is proved to be a virgin.’

  ‘That will be an end to the matter.’

  ‘Oh dear me, no. That will not be the end of the matter. Flora will be cleared, yes, but others will be involved. Those who slandered her; those who have treated a sick woman to such indignity, humiliating her, tearing her reputation into shreds.’

  ‘You mean … the Queen?’

  Conroy lifted his shoulders. ‘Our Little Majesty could scarcely escape some censure, for those interfering old busy-bodies could not act without her consent.’

  ‘And then?’

  ‘The Court, the people will see that it is not all sunshine in the Palace. Perhaps they will question whether some of the hard things which have been said about others – such as the Queen’s mother and that Comptroller of a royal household who was ready to be her good friend – have been entirely true. Moreover I do not think Lady Flora’s family will let the matter be quietly shelved. And quite rightly. They will want no stories being put about that the matter has been hushed up to save Lady Flora’s face.’

  ‘You are making it look like a conspiracy.’

  ‘That,’ said Sir John, ‘is exactly what it is.’

  * * *

  On the following Sunday when the examination was to take place tension grew in the Palace. The two doctors and Lady Portman with Lady Flora’s maid were all present.

  Victoria, like everyone else, was waiting for the result. She had realised that if they were wrong the situation was going to be rather unpleasant. She could not hope that they would be proved right, of course. And yet …

  Oh dear, what a terrible position to be in! How had she become involved in such an indelicate affair? How much better if everyone had taken Lord Melbourne’s advice to wait and see.

  The Baroness came to her, her face blank with dismay.

  ‘Is it over?’ asked the Queen.

  ‘Yes,’ said Lehzen.

  ‘The result?’

  ‘The two doctors have signed a statement to say that she is a virgin and that the swelling is due to some growth of the liver.’

  ‘Oh, the poor girl!’

  ‘She is very ill but not pregnant.’

  ‘At least,’ said the Queen, uncertainly, ‘this has settled the disagreeable matter once and for all. I am going to ask her to come and see me. I am going to tell her how very sorry I am that we misjudged her.’

  ‘That is the best line to take,’ said the Baroness.

  The Queen wrote at once to Lady Flora inviting her to call on her. Lady Flora replied at once begging to be excused; the ordeal through which she had passed combined with her illness had brought her near to a state of collapse and she was unable to leave her bed.

  Victoria answered kindly, suggesting Lady Flora visit her the next day.

  The meeting took place. The Queen was in tears. It had been such a dreadful affair and she was afraid poor Lady Flora had suffered greatly. But she, the Queen, was so happy now that it was all over and she wanted Lady Flora to know that she had her deepest sympathy.

  Lady Flora replied with guarded dignity, aware she said of the honour Her Majesty did her by her interest in her affairs. She added she felt very ill and would be glad to retire to her bed.

  ‘Please do so at once,’ said the Queen. ‘I shall send someone tomorrow to ask how you are.’

  When Lady Flora was gone she sighed with relief and told herself how glad she was that the matter was settled, but she would be very careful in future to make sure that she was in possession of the full facts before she accused anyone.

  ‘I am grateful,’ she repeated to the Baroness, ‘that this most distasteful affair is now over.’

  * * *

  But of course it was not over.

  ‘This,’ said Sir John, ‘is the beginning of the fun.’

  He was going to exploit the situation to the full, so he went at once to see Lady Flora.

  ‘So our Little Vic has made her apology,’ he said.

  ‘She was very gracious,’ Flora told him.

  ‘And very frightened, I daresay. And how are you, Flora?’

  ‘A little better today.’

  ‘Good! Well enough to write a letter?’

  ‘To whom?’

  ‘To your brother, of course. He may not have heard of this. In fact I am pretty certain that he has not. Knowing the young gentleman I am sure that if he had heard of the slanders aimed at his sister he would have been down with all speed to avenge the insult to his family honour.’

  ‘He does not know, of course.’

  ‘He is going to.’

  ‘You are going to tell him?’

  ‘No, you are.’

  ‘I am heartily sick of the entire affair.’

  ‘You know, Flora, in an affair like this even though one is proved innocent there will always be someone to believe the worst. In a few years’ time they will be saying “What was that Flora Hastings affair? Immoral woman wasn’t she? Found out and disgraced!”’

  ‘But I have been cleared.’

  ‘People believe the worst. You’ll have to make such a noise about this that the facts are not forgotten. We want the right people to be blamed. Take my advice, Flora. Write to your brother. Tell him how you have been slandered. Tell him to what you have had to submit. Your family honour is at stake, you know. People are going to believe the worst. Write off to Loudoun right away.’

  ‘He is not at Loudoun. He’s at Donington Park.’

  ‘So much th
e better. Leicestershire is nearer than Scotland. Take my advice, Flora. Do this at once. Or do you prefer to stand meekly by and let them insult you?’

  He knew that was not Flora’s way. He brought her pens and ink and sat there watching her while she wrote the story of her wrongs. When it was written, he himself took it away and made sure it was despatched without delay to the young Marquis of Hastings.

  * * *

  When Lord Hastings received his letter he had just risen from a sick bed. Flora had written that she was ill, and because she was ill her honour had been in question. Certain ladies of the Queen’s household had fabricated a scandal about her and since the Queen believed this scandal it had been necessary for her to submit to an embarrassing and humiliating examination.

  The young Marquis, quick-tempered and hot-headed, decided that he would leave at once for London and very soon was in his sister’s apartments listening to her story in all its most indelicate details.

  ‘Of course,’ he said, ‘there is one person behind this, for this examination was tantamount to an order from the Queen and we know who advises the Queen on all matters. Lord Melbourne. I shall challenge that fellow to a duel.’

  ‘Take care,’ begged Lady Flora.

  ‘I shall take care of our family honour. Lord Melbourne has questioned this. He has to answer for it. It is either his blood or mine.’

  ‘For Heaven’s sake be careful.’

  ‘Don’t worry about me. I’m a young man, which is more than Melbourne is. I’ll warrant he is better at tattling scandal in the royal boudoir than handling firearms.’

  Nothing Flora could say would deter her brother and she began to wish she had not listened to Sir John’s advice and written to him. However, she was feeling too ill to care very much and Lord Hastings left her to go to his friend Lord Winchelsea to ask him to act as his second in the duel.

  ‘Duel!’ cried Winchelsea. ‘You’re mad, my dear fellow. Whom do you intend to call out?’

  ‘Melbourne.’

  ‘The Prime Minister?’

  ‘Why not? If he assails the honour of my family he shall answer for it as any man should.’