George looked helplessly from his brother and sister. Then he said almost defiantly: 'After I left Hannah, I came to a decision.'

'Yes?' they asked simultaneously.

'I... I am going to marry Hannah.'

'Marry her,' breathed Elizabeth. 'But that is not possible.'

'It is possible. I do a.s.sure you. All we have to do is get a priest to marry us.'

'Secretly?' cried Edward.

'How else?'

'But, George, think... !' begged Elizabeth. 'How can you possibly marry Hannah?'

'Merely by taking our oaths before a priest.'

'I know. But... it would never be permitted.'

'You cannot imagine that I intend to publish my intentions to the world.'

'Oh... George... have a care.'

'I have thought and thought about this and I see only one way out. Hannah is broken-hearted. I have a terrible fear that she will not live long. She believes she has sinned... and that she is condemned to eternal d.a.m.nation. There is only one thing which can save her in the eyes of G.o.d. Marriage. There is only one way to salvation.'

'Remember that soon you will be the King, George.'

'I know it. But that is no reason why I should deny her salvation. I love Hannah... as I shall never love another woman, and I fear she is close to death. She feels it too. Do not ask me how this can be so. I only know it is. And she is afraid. Her soul is in torment... because she cannot face her Maker with this load of sin upon her.'

'And you think that only marriage to you can save her?'

'I know it.'

'But, George, what will this mean to you?'

'It is not time to think of myself. I must think of her.'

'You say she is near death?'

'She feels it. If I lost her I should never be happy again, but I think I should find some comfort if I could clear her conscience. If I could think of her through the years ahead as happy in paradise I shall have some modic.u.m of comfort. Then I shall devote myself to doing my duty.'

'George,' said Elizabeth earnestly, 'why has this feeling suddenly come to you?'

He looked at her strangely. 'I do not know. I have a feeling that Hannah will not be long with me. She is to have a child again and I sense that all is not well. It is like a great burden on my shoulders. I think that if Hannah died... in sin... I should never know peace as long as I lived.'

'Has Dr Fothergill seen her?' asked Edward.

'No. She does not wish to see him. He will deliver the child as usual when the time comes.'

'And that time will be soon?' asked Elizabeth.

George nodded. 'I have made up my mind about this. Edward, I need your help.'

'You know that I will do all in my power.'

'You must be a witness of our marriage.'

'But,' cried Elizabeth, 'have you thought deeply enough of this? Have you considered all it will mean?'

'I have considered everything.'

'If you married Hannah she would be... Queen.'

'And none more fitted.'

'Oh, I am sure of that, but... will your ministers think so? What of the people? George, dearest brother, you have your duty to the crown.'

'I have my duty first to Hannah.'

Elizabeth looked at Edward and then at George, who cried out: 'Would you have me send Hannah to the Judgment seat with this sin upon her?'

Elizabeth interrupted: 'I cannot believe that a sin is expiated so simply in G.o.d's eyes.'

'Oh, Elizabeth, you do not see. We have sinned, both of us. I should never have taken her away from her people; she should never have come. We must pay for our sins. Her payment could be to go to her Maker in sin; mine is to marry, no matter what are the consequences. It is the only way we can right that wrong we did when I took her away from her people and she came. Edward, will you come with me? Will you witness our wedding?'

'Certainly I will, George, when you decide to make this marriage.'

'I have decided.'

Edward looked at Elizabeth and lifted his shoulders helplessly.

'Wait,' cried Elizabeth. 'Let us send the best doctors to Hannah, let them cure her... then there will be no immediate need for marriage. Everything could go on as it is then for a while, until we have planned what would be the best thing to do.'

'And if you married Hannah on her death-bed... then... that would not matter for you would be unmarried on her death and could make another marriage... the one which was chosen for you.'

'Please do not talk of Hannah as though she is dead. Hannah is not going to die. She is going to live and I am going to marry her.'

'Can he mean it?' whispered Elizabeth.

'I am sure he does,' answered Edward.

'Oh, Edward, what will happen?'

'Trouble, great trouble. Unless, of course, she is married on her death-bed. Then he is left free. That is what we must hope for.'

'Hope for Hannah's death?'

'My dear sister, how else can our brother marry this woman except on her death-bed. It would be disaster to do so.'

'You must persuade him against it, Edward. And I must do the same.'

'Dear sister, George is slow to come to a decision, but when he has reached it he is as stubborn as a mule. I have seen something in his face tonight.'

'And that was?'

'A determination to marry Hannah Lightfoot.'

The closed carriage rumbled out of the private drive. In it sat a lady well m.u.f.fled up in a concealing cloak and hood; she was heavily pregnant. Beside her sat her maid, anxiously glancing at her from time to time, for it was clear that the lady was ill.

The carriage stopped in Curzon Street and the occupants alighted and hurried into the chapel there.

There they were greeted by the Prince of Wales and his brother, Edward, Duke of York.

The young Duke bowed and looked with wonder into the beautiful face of the woman who had so deeply affected his brother.

'Are you well?' asked the Prince anxiously.

'I am at peace,' answered Hannah, 'but I fear for you.'

'All will be well. Fear not.'

He had never looked so handsome as he stood there before Dr Wilmot whom he had commanded to perform the ceremony. Resolute, determined, he believed he was acting in the only manner possible to an honourable man. Whatever the consequences he would no longer be tormented by his conscience. He had sinned and this was the only way in which he could expect forgiveness in G.o.d's eyes.

So, with his brother as witness, on that day in the year 1759, the Prince of Wales was married to Hannah Lightfoot.

The Grave at Islington ELIZABETH CHUDLEIGH HAD been to Winchester on a very special mission so it was not until later that she discovered what was happening at Court.

A wise woman, Elizabeth told herself, must keep her eyes open for advantages and when they came seize them; she was a wise woman, and the folly of one day could by a strange turn of fate become the wise action of another.

She lived dangerously; she expected to and she liked to; of one thing she was certain and that was that Elizabeth Chudleigh would draw the utmost advantage from life. Elizabeth Chudleigh! She was Elizabeth Hervey now; and there was going to be no secret about that.

It was many years since she had married the Honourable Augustus John Hervey; she had been piqued at the time because she believed the Duke of Hamilton, whom she had hoped to marry, had deserted her. She had met Augustus at the Winchester races whither she had gone when she was staying at the house of her uncle and aunt, Mr and Mrs Merrill, in Larnston, Hamps.h.i.+re. Knowing that Augustus came from a good family he was a grandson of the Earl of Bristol the Merrills had encouraged the match and she had agreed to marry him.

She soon was under the impression that she had acted rashly; and deciding to keep her marriage a secret did not mention it when she returned to Court. Augustus, who was a sailor by profession was not in England for long spells but when he was, he expected to live with his wife. Elizabeth's plan had been to spend her time between the Court and her mother's house in Conduit Street; and when she was there Augustus would be with her and insist on his conjugal rights. Elizabeth was nothing loath; the only condition she had demanded was that the marriage should be kept a secret.

In her heart she always believed that one day some great opportunity would come along. She intended to be a d.u.c.h.ess at least and when that opportunity came she did not wish to be hampered by a marriage to a n.o.body, which was all Augustus was at the time. Augustus did not seem to mind the secrecy as long as he was not excluded from her bed when he desired to be there. That had to be accepted and was no hards.h.i.+p, he being a personable young man; but there followed the inevitable result which caused her a great deal of trouble. In spite of voluminous skirts these predicaments have a way of showing themselves and it soon became clear to Elizabeth that she would have to stage a little act. She would have to leave Court to take the air, she announced; there were smiles behind fans and whispers in corridors; much Elizabeth cared. She left Court and gave birth to a boy christened Henry Augustus and she put him out with a suitable family to be cared for. He did not live long, poor child, and she had soon forgotten him. She returned to Court, where acquaintances were inclined to make too tender enquiries after her health.

One pert young woman, and this in the presence of Lord Chesterfield, murmured that she had heard rumours and some had dared suggest that she had had twins. Elizabeth had turned to Chesterfield and demanded to know if he could believe such a thing.

Chesterfield who prided himself on being a wit replied: 'I never believe more than half I hear, Miss Chudleigh.' Which remark was noted down and reported and repeated throughout the Court as an ill.u.s.tration of the wit of the Earl of Chesterfield and the scandalous behaviour of Miss Chudleigh.

But she cared nothing for gossip and scandal. Let them chatter to their hearts' content. She was safe. No one knew she was married to Hervey nor would they ever be sure of it, because even if he declared they were married she could deny it, for she had taken the precaution of forcing the parson to give her access to the register and had destroyed the certificate of marriage and torn the page from the register on which Mr Annis, who had married them, had recorded the event.

Now the position had changed. The Earl of Bristol was very ill and Augustus was next in the line of succession to the Earldom. The Countess of Bristol was a very worthy t.i.tle and she was wis.h.i.+ng now that she had not destroyed the evidence of the marriage.

There was nothing to be done, she decided, but to go to Larnston and stay with her aunt and uncle, and when there she would bully little Mr Annis into giving her another marriage certificate and rewriting the page in the register. It was a very simple matter.

So Miss Chudleigh had left Court 'to take a little country air,' and in due course arrived at Winchester and from thence went to the home of her uncle and aunt in Larnston.

They were delighted to see their flamboyant relative from Court who was so beautiful, so dazzling, that everyone for miles round would envy them.

Miss Chudleigh accepted their homage and was graciously charming, explained that she wished to see Mr Annis without delay for she had important business to discuss with him.

Oh dear, this was a sorry business. Mr Annis was dangerously ill.

'All the more reason why I should see him without delay.'

'But the poor man is on his death-bed.'

'Then I certainly must see him before he expires.'

'In fact, his doctor has said he is to see no one.'

Miss Chudleigh smiled. She was not no one. Aunt and Uncle Merrill, country-folk though they were, should know that.

So into the death-chamber strode Elizabeth, vital, determined, in great contrast to the sick man on the bed. She must speak with him alone; everyone must leave her; it was of the utmost importance to the saving of his soul.

'Mr Annis, can you hear me Mr Annis?' His eyes were gla.s.sy, but he must live until he had done his task. 'Mr Annis, it was a wicked thing you did to destroy that page from the church register. How can you face your Maker, Mr Annis, with such a sin on your conscience? I have come to save you. You must put back that page before you die.'

Mr Annis remembered her. Who would ever forget her?

Often he remembered what he had allowed her to do. It was an offence, was it not, a criminal offence to destroy part of the church register.

'I heard how ill you were and I could not allow you to go before your Maker until you had put this matter right. Do you hear me, Mr Annis?'

He did hear. He did remember his sin.

'Now you must give me the keys which open the cupboard or wherever it is the books and certificates are kept. You married me to the Honourable Augustus John Hervey, did you not? Then you must write me another certificate and you must put that page back in the register... somehow. It is the only way to salvation, Mr Annis.'

Poor Mr Annis! The sheer will to save his soul kept him alive. In the death-chamber he listened to Elizabeth; he gave her the keys and it was she who guided his hand.

And when he had done as she asked, he lay back on his pillows and died.

An example she told herself of what can be achieved if one only has the will to do it.

Poor old Annis! Let him rest in peace. He had done his duty; and now if the old Earl of Bristol died tomorrow no one could deny that Elizabeth Chudleigh was the Countess.

The Earl stubbornly and most unaccommodatingly clung to life and Elizabeth returned to Court so that she might be close at hand to hear of his demise when it occurred. In the meantime she had to make the facts of her marriage known and the first person she must tell should be the Dowager Princess.

She would have to break the news gently, for Augusta would not be pleased with a maid of honour who married without her consent and kept the marriage secret for some years. It was most unconventional behaviour and Elizabeth had already offended the Dowager Princess with her manners.

Not that the Princess cared to reprimand her. Elizabeth was aware of matters which she would rather not have mentioned. Of course Elizabeth must never forget that although the Princess might not want to offend her she was the most powerful member of her own Court and she could take action which might be inconvenient to Elizabeth. She might even call her bluff and let her do her worst, which could be inconvenient. Now, if there was a little blackmail going on between them it was pleasant courtly blackmail; and that was really how Elizabeth wanted it to remain.