Queen in Waiting - Plaidy Jean (электронную книгу бесплатно без регистрации TXT) 📗

than she was but had begun to notice her. She was thinking of an episode which had occurred a few days before. He had pulled her hair so hard that she had cried out with the pain; then he had held her captive and attempted to kiss her, and when she had protested he had laughed at her.

"My mother will try to marry us to each other one day so I should like to try you first," he had told her.

"You are insolent," Caroline had retorted.

"And you give yourself airs. Madam Caroline. You should go down on your knees and beg me to marry you."

"That I should never do to anyone . . . least of all you."

"And why least of all me, pray? You should be very grateful for me ... if you can get me. Do you realize that I shall be the King of Prussia one day. You do not answer, Madam Caroline."

"I was too busy feeling sorry for Prussia."

She had turned and walked away. "Don't worry. Madam Caroline," he had called after her. "My father would never agree to let me marry you. You're a nobody ... a nobody! Not good enough for marriage with the King of Prussia."

Yes, he was an insufferable boy and she disliked him. She was only sorry that Sophia Charlotte cared so much for him, which was of course understandable since he was her only son ... her own son which must be different from an adopted daughter.

So now she listened intently to what his mother was saying to Gottfried Leibniz.

"He has not enough discipline here," was Leibniz's verdict. "There are no other boys of his equal. The grooms and squires he spends his days with are in awe of him. He needs to be treated roughly by his equals. Why not send him to Hanover where he could be with his cousins."

"You think Hanover ... at this time ... is a good place for him to be?"

"The best possible place. There he can become friends with his cousin, George Augustus, and find he doesn't get all his own way."

"I often think of those poor children. Do they miss their mother much?"

"It is long ago since they saw her."

"But to know that she is kept a prisoner in Ahlden! Do they never ask for her, want to see her."

"Oh yes. George Augustus often speaks of her. I have heard that he remembers her well and talks of rescuing her."

"And my brother?"

"The Prince Elector behaves as though he never had a wife. He is happy enough as matter stands. He has his heir George Augustus and his daughter Sophia Dorothea."

"The fact that she is named after her mother must remind him."

"He gives no sign. He continues to amuse himself "

"With Ermengarda Schulemburg?"

"She remains his favourite."

Sophia Charlotte shivered. "And you think my son would be better off at Hanover I "

"Your mother's there to take good care of him."

"Yes," answered Sophia Charlotte, "there is my mother."

And as a result Frederick William was sent to Hanover.

Gottfried Leibniz liked to gossip with Caroline when they were not discussing deeper matters. He had a great admiration for the Electress Sophia, the mother of Sophia Charlotte, and he liked to chat about the court of Hanover; and since this had once been the home of her beloved Sophia Charlotte it was of great interest to Caroline.

How different a childhood Sophia Charlotte had had from Caroline's! And yet about her had whirled similar storms and passions to those with which Caroline had become acquainted at Dresden. The story of Sophia Dorothea of Hanover was far more tragic than that of Caroline's mother, for while fate had intervened to save the latter, poor Sophia Dorothea had had no such help.

Leibniz gossiped often of that tragic affair; he talked of George Lewis, Sophia Charlotte's elder brother whom as a man without learning he despised.

"If you could imagine the complete opposite of our gracious Electress Sophia Charlotte that would be her brother."

**He sounds quite loathsome," declared Caroline.

"I think that is the opinion of almost everyone except Ermengarda Schulemburg and one or two other of his favoured ladies."

''Tell me about his children."

"George Augustus is about your age ... a few months younger perhaps. He is like his father in many ways, but I think he might be an improvement on him. He is fond of music. The only sign of culture these Hanoverians have is a love of music. Literature ... art ... philosophy ... don't exist for them."

"How could the Electress have such a brother."

"She resembles her mother. The Electress Sophia is one of the cleverest women I have ever known."

"Surely not cleverer than her daughter?"

"When the Electress of Brandenburg is as old as her mother she will be as wise. I can't give her higher praise than that."

"I should like to meet the Electress Sophia."

"You will one day. She often talks of visiting her daughter. Our Electress is her favourite child."

"I can well understand that."

*1 believe you and Electress Sophia would be good friends."

"Tell me more of her. Tell me about Sophia Charlotte's childhood."

"Oh ... those brothers! They were continually warring with each other. It began in the nurseries. George Lewis is such an oaf ... so uncouth, so crude. I know the Electress Sophia has always regretted that he was her eldest. She would have preferred any of the other boys as Electoral Prince."

"Did George Lewis know this?"

"If he did he didn't care. He was happy enough left to himself to pursue his two main interests."

"And what were they?"

"War and women. In the reverse order."

"And what of his father and mother. Were they hannv together?" ^ ^^^

Leibniz shrugged his shoulders. *'The Electress Sophia is a wise woman. Ernest Augustus her husband was a man who would have his mistresses. Sophia looked the other way. In fact

she didn't bother to do even that. She expressed a lack of interest in his extra-marital affairs."

*'But why?"

**It was no concern of hers, she said. A wife should not grudge her husband his mistresses as long as he spent enough time with her to give her children."

**It seems a strange philosophy of marriage."

"The Electress Sophia is an unusual woman. Because she remained faithful to this doctrine she has been accorded every dignity, she has been a power at her husband's court and she is the mother of many children."

"And she did not care that he was unfaithful to her? I can't believe that."

"She is a great lady of higher rank than her husband; being the daughter of a Queen and the granddaughter of a King of England. She never forgets it." He smiled a little wryly. "Nor will she allow anyone else to."

"And because of this she does not care that her husband was unfaithful?"

"Her royalty is the ruling passion of her life—that and the possibility of her attaining a crown. Beside that, all else seems insignificant. She has heirs of her body. She could be Queen of England and after her, George Lewis could be King."

"England! That is far away."

"To the Electress Sophia it is home. She has never been there but she calls it so. One day she hopes to receive the call which will take her there and that it will be to mount the throne. You know what her chances are."

"Yes. But there is a King across the water. Don't you think he will come before the Electress Sophia?"