would not expect so much.’
The Baron lifted his shoulders. ‘Conroy was in a very special position in the Duchess’s household.’
‘Good God,’ said the Prime Minister again. ‘It’s a form of blackmail.’
‘One might call it that.’
‘The fellow’s a rogue.’
‘I fear you may be right.’
‘The Queen will not have him near her.’ He smiled tenderly. ‘She is very shrewd, which is quite miraculous in one so young.’
‘She has always disliked him.’
‘And rightly so. The blackguard. A seat on the Privy Council! I never heard anything like it.’
‘You will know how to deal with the matter, Prime Minister.’
Melbourne hesitated. ‘In view of the rather delicate situation it will need some devilish clever handling.’
‘I thought you would see it that way.’
‘I’ll consider it. Leave the matter with me.’
In spite of her youth she was the Queen and Melbourne could not conceal from Victoria the fact that Conroy had made his demands.
Victoria flushed with indignation when she heard. ‘I always hated him. He told me once that I resembled Queen Charlotte and the Duke of Gloucester.’
Lord Melbourne burst out laughing. Victoria looked astonished but when Lord Melbourne laughed she always wanted to, so she laughed with him.
‘Odious creature!’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘And an obvious liar. How could you possibly look like Queen Charlotte and the Duke of Gloucester?’
‘You knew them both. What were they like?’
‘As unlike Your Majesty as it is possible to be.’
More laughter. How happy he made her feel even at this time.
‘What should be done about this man?’ she asked.
‘Nothing in a hurry,’ replied her Prime Minister.
‘I was hoping you would say dismiss him from Court.’
‘That is what I should like to say, but the desire does not always coincide with the necessity.’
‘I wish I need never see him again.’
‘We might arrange that.’
‘Then you will have arranged something very much to my liking.’
‘We shall have to consider his demands in view of … er … his position in your mother’s household.’
She blushed rather charmingly as she said: ‘I know I can talk to you frankly, Lord Melbourne.’
‘I trust Your Majesty is able to do that because it is very necessary to our relationship that we should be entirely frank with each other at all times.’
‘A certain amount of scandal has been whispered about Mamma.’
‘Ah! Scandal,’ murmured Lord Melbourne, and she thought of his own very colourful life in which so many scandals had existed. Yet, she thought, he is the most perfect gentleman. But she was sorry she had mentioned the word if it brought back unhappy memories to dear Lord Melbourne.
‘There are some people,’ she said loyally, ‘whom scandal cannot touch. But that is, of course, if they are innocent .’
Grasping the implication Lord Melbourne gave her a grateful look. How well we understand each other! she thought blissfully.
‘But to return to this odious man,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘He has been in the household of the Duchess of Kent for many years. I suppose a certain reward should be given him. Besides, it would be worthwhile to rid ourselves of him, would it not?’
‘I should be delighted to be rid of him.’
‘All Your Majesty need do is refuse to see him in any circumstances. But I would like to exile him to the country.’
She nodded.
‘In the meantime,’ said Lord Melbourne, ‘we will shelve the matter by considering it. It is always better to let these things simmer and avoid rash actions.’
She was sure he was right. He always was right in any case.
When Lord Melbourne left, a messenger came to tell her that her mother the Duchess of Kent wished to see her.
She knew what this meant. Mamma was going to ask her to agree to Sir John’s terms. Having no desire to be embroiled in one of her mother’s scenes, remembered with such distaste from the days when she was, as she now began to
The Baron lifted his shoulders. ‘Conroy was in a very special position in the Duchess’s household.’
‘Good God,’ said the Prime Minister again. ‘It’s a form of blackmail.’
‘One might call it that.’
‘The fellow’s a rogue.’
‘I fear you may be right.’
‘The Queen will not have him near her.’ He smiled tenderly. ‘She is very shrewd, which is quite miraculous in one so young.’
‘She has always disliked him.’
‘And rightly so. The blackguard. A seat on the Privy Council! I never heard anything like it.’
‘You will know how to deal with the matter, Prime Minister.’
Melbourne hesitated. ‘In view of the rather delicate situation it will need some devilish clever handling.’
‘I thought you would see it that way.’
‘I’ll consider it. Leave the matter with me.’
In spite of her youth she was the Queen and Melbourne could not conceal from Victoria the fact that Conroy had made his demands.
Victoria flushed with indignation when she heard. ‘I always hated him. He told me once that I resembled Queen Charlotte and the Duke of Gloucester.’
Lord Melbourne burst out laughing. Victoria looked astonished but when Lord Melbourne laughed she always wanted to, so she laughed with him.
‘Odious creature!’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘And an obvious liar. How could you possibly look like Queen Charlotte and the Duke of Gloucester?’
‘You knew them both. What were they like?’
‘As unlike Your Majesty as it is possible to be.’
More laughter. How happy he made her feel even at this time.
‘What should be done about this man?’ she asked.
‘Nothing in a hurry,’ replied her Prime Minister.
‘I was hoping you would say dismiss him from Court.’
‘That is what I should like to say, but the desire does not always coincide with the necessity.’
‘I wish I need never see him again.’
‘We might arrange that.’
‘Then you will have arranged something very much to my liking.’
‘We shall have to consider his demands in view of … er … his position in your mother’s household.’
She blushed rather charmingly as she said: ‘I know I can talk to you frankly, Lord Melbourne.’
‘I trust Your Majesty is able to do that because it is very necessary to our relationship that we should be entirely frank with each other at all times.’
‘A certain amount of scandal has been whispered about Mamma.’
‘Ah! Scandal,’ murmured Lord Melbourne, and she thought of his own very colourful life in which so many scandals had existed. Yet, she thought, he is the most perfect gentleman. But she was sorry she had mentioned the word if it brought back unhappy memories to dear Lord Melbourne.
‘There are some people,’ she said loyally, ‘whom scandal cannot touch. But that is, of course, if they are innocent .’
Grasping the implication Lord Melbourne gave her a grateful look. How well we understand each other! she thought blissfully.
‘But to return to this odious man,’ said Lord Melbourne. ‘He has been in the household of the Duchess of Kent for many years. I suppose a certain reward should be given him. Besides, it would be worthwhile to rid ourselves of him, would it not?’
‘I should be delighted to be rid of him.’
‘All Your Majesty need do is refuse to see him in any circumstances. But I would like to exile him to the country.’
She nodded.
‘In the meantime,’ said Lord Melbourne, ‘we will shelve the matter by considering it. It is always better to let these things simmer and avoid rash actions.’
She was sure he was right. He always was right in any case.
When Lord Melbourne left, a messenger came to tell her that her mother the Duchess of Kent wished to see her.
She knew what this meant. Mamma was going to ask her to agree to Sir John’s terms. Having no desire to be embroiled in one of her mother’s scenes, remembered with such distaste from the days when she was, as she now began to
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