she did not come, but on the third she was there. She sobbed against him and told him that she had been forbidden to leave the house. Her guardian was so suspicious, and she dreaded that she would not be allowed to make the escape.
They would arrange it, he said, for the very next night; she had the footman’s uniform; she must put this on and slip out to where the carriage would be waiting; he would be inside and they would go to London together.
‘I will be there,’ he said, and embraced her tenderly.
Soon, of course, he would have to confess who he was; but that would only add to her delight, he was sure.
He was excited and absentminded the next day; he had decided that he would dine early and alone, and let it be known that he was leaving for London immediately after dinner.
He was dressing when Major Hanger was announced. As he received his intimate friends without formality, and since the affair of the duel Major Hanger had been one of them, the Prince ordered that he be brought to him.
The Major came and while the Prince explained the new method of wearing the neckcloth to him the Major listened with absentmindedness.
‘I can see, my friend,’ said the Prince, ‘that you are somewhat distraught.’
The Major admitted that this was so and that he had come to ask the Prince’s advice.
‘Talk to me over dinner,’ said the Prince, ‘for I have business in London which means I must leave early.’
‘Knowing Your Highness’s success and experience with the fair sex, I believe you to be the one to advise me.’
‘I am interested to hear what has gone wrong for you.’
‘Everything … everything …’ groaned the Major.
And when they were seated at the dinner table he told the story.
‘I met the girl, Your Highness, in London. She wanted to come to Brighton. All of ’em want it. They want to have a chance of seeing Your Highness, I swear. So I brought her here … set the lady up in a pleasant little apartment, and what does she do? She starts an intrigue with a fellow of Brighton.’
‘This is sad news, Major. You mean she prefers this fellow to you?’
‘Stab me, if I could lay hands on him I’d douse him in the sea. He’d have had enough of sea bathing by the time I’d done with him.’
‘You don’t know who he is?’
‘No, but I shall find out. I’m determined on that. I’ve had her followed … meets a fellow on the beach, and is planning to go off with him.’
‘What’s this?’ said the Prince.
‘She goes to the beach. I’ve had her followed. Some fellow … from the household, I believe … meets her there. Oh, yes, I’ve had her watched; I’ve had her spied on. And she’s eloping with the fellow, I hear. Not sure when but I’ll find out. I’ll let her know that I’m not paying for apartments for her to use while she goes out to meet this fellow.’
‘What sort of a … woman is she?’
‘Damned pretty. And up to tricks. Not so young as she looks and she knows a thing or two, my Charlotte does.’
‘Charlotte?’
‘Little Charlotte Fortescue … Blue eyes … black hair and the prettiest little figure …’
‘One moment,’ said the Prince. ‘Describe her to me … in detail.’
The Major did describe her and before he had finished the Prince knew. His Lottie and the Major’s Charlotte Fortescue were one and the same woman. So she had pretended she was an innocent girl, when all the time she was kept … yes kept … by the Major.
‘Major,’ said the Prince, ‘I am your fellow.’
‘What’s that sir? What’s that?’
The Prince explained.
‘Well, stab me!’ cried the Major. ‘So she’s been playing us both. And Your Highness is the, the …’
‘The fellow you are going to douse in the sea.’
‘Why, sir … The wicked creature! No wonder she’s been looking so smug lately.’
‘You mean … she knew who I was?’
‘There’s little Charlotte doesn’t know.’
‘When I think of her sitting in my carriage … in my
They would arrange it, he said, for the very next night; she had the footman’s uniform; she must put this on and slip out to where the carriage would be waiting; he would be inside and they would go to London together.
‘I will be there,’ he said, and embraced her tenderly.
Soon, of course, he would have to confess who he was; but that would only add to her delight, he was sure.
He was excited and absentminded the next day; he had decided that he would dine early and alone, and let it be known that he was leaving for London immediately after dinner.
He was dressing when Major Hanger was announced. As he received his intimate friends without formality, and since the affair of the duel Major Hanger had been one of them, the Prince ordered that he be brought to him.
The Major came and while the Prince explained the new method of wearing the neckcloth to him the Major listened with absentmindedness.
‘I can see, my friend,’ said the Prince, ‘that you are somewhat distraught.’
The Major admitted that this was so and that he had come to ask the Prince’s advice.
‘Talk to me over dinner,’ said the Prince, ‘for I have business in London which means I must leave early.’
‘Knowing Your Highness’s success and experience with the fair sex, I believe you to be the one to advise me.’
‘I am interested to hear what has gone wrong for you.’
‘Everything … everything …’ groaned the Major.
And when they were seated at the dinner table he told the story.
‘I met the girl, Your Highness, in London. She wanted to come to Brighton. All of ’em want it. They want to have a chance of seeing Your Highness, I swear. So I brought her here … set the lady up in a pleasant little apartment, and what does she do? She starts an intrigue with a fellow of Brighton.’
‘This is sad news, Major. You mean she prefers this fellow to you?’
‘Stab me, if I could lay hands on him I’d douse him in the sea. He’d have had enough of sea bathing by the time I’d done with him.’
‘You don’t know who he is?’
‘No, but I shall find out. I’m determined on that. I’ve had her followed … meets a fellow on the beach, and is planning to go off with him.’
‘What’s this?’ said the Prince.
‘She goes to the beach. I’ve had her followed. Some fellow … from the household, I believe … meets her there. Oh, yes, I’ve had her watched; I’ve had her spied on. And she’s eloping with the fellow, I hear. Not sure when but I’ll find out. I’ll let her know that I’m not paying for apartments for her to use while she goes out to meet this fellow.’
‘What sort of a … woman is she?’
‘Damned pretty. And up to tricks. Not so young as she looks and she knows a thing or two, my Charlotte does.’
‘Charlotte?’
‘Little Charlotte Fortescue … Blue eyes … black hair and the prettiest little figure …’
‘One moment,’ said the Prince. ‘Describe her to me … in detail.’
The Major did describe her and before he had finished the Prince knew. His Lottie and the Major’s Charlotte Fortescue were one and the same woman. So she had pretended she was an innocent girl, when all the time she was kept … yes kept … by the Major.
‘Major,’ said the Prince, ‘I am your fellow.’
‘What’s that sir? What’s that?’
The Prince explained.
‘Well, stab me!’ cried the Major. ‘So she’s been playing us both. And Your Highness is the, the …’
‘The fellow you are going to douse in the sea.’
‘Why, sir … The wicked creature! No wonder she’s been looking so smug lately.’
‘You mean … she knew who I was?’
‘There’s little Charlotte doesn’t know.’
‘When I think of her sitting in my carriage … in my
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