The Three Crowns: The Story of William a - By Jean Plaidy Page 0,74

old enough to appreciate his charms, my dear niece.” Charles was smiling at Mary who had seen the tightening of the young man’s lips; she knew what was expected of her.

“Anne is a child,” she said. “She and I never agree.”

The King’s hands gripped her shoulder and his dark face gleamed with pleasure.

“Mary,” he said, “one day you shall have a seat on my Council. I knew that you and your cousin of Orange would be good friends. Take him to sit over yonder and talk to him. He would like to talk to you, and I must perforce speak to Mistress Anne and endeavor to persuade her that honey flavors words as pleasantly as sweetmeats.”

As Mary smiled up at her cousin she heard Anne protesting: “But, uncle, we should always tell the truth, you know.”

And Charles’s reply: “The truth is a slippery eel, Anne. When we use it toward others we call it honesty; when they use it toward us we call it bad manners.”

Mary said: “You are my cousin from Holland. I knew that you were here.”

“I am glad to meet you.”

“I hope that you will stay long with us.”

He liked her. She was tall, but as yet not as tall as he was—being only eight. She was physically attractive with her long almond eyes; a certain gaiety mingled with her gravity which he found pleasant.

He wondered if she had heard about the escapade with the maids of honor, decided that she had not, and liked her better than ever.

Her little brother was in bed with a fever; he had heard that he was a sickly child. The duchess was very ill, and looked to have death at her elbow; as for the King, he had been married ten years and had no child—although he had plenty of illegitimate sons and daughters.

England was a powerful country; he was in the line of succession, but not so close as this girl.

As he talked to Mary he made up his mind that, in due course, he might be very pleased to do her the honor of making her his wife. There was only one thing that caused him a little uneasiness. She was rather sure of herself. The manner in which she spoke to the King and her father betrayed that. Of course she had been indulged. Would she be a meek and docile wife, for he would accept no other.

Yes, he believed he could mold her. Mary would, when she was of age, please him well as a wife.

THE ORANGE BRIDEGROOM

During the two years since his return from England William had remained on good terms with his uncles; but he had learned to be wary. His great enemy was Louis of France whom he knew wished to make Holland into a protectorate under France, which was something William would never accept. Spain was now an ally but not a reliable one, and William’s great hope was in England.

There was one friend with whom he could talk without restraint; this was William Bentinck who resembled him in some ways; they had been drawn together when they had first met and William had found Bentinck serious, intelligent, in fact so much like himself that he might have been his brother. Bentinck, however, was less brusque than William; he was able to couch a demand diplomatically in a manner which William found impossible. He supplied a quality which William lacked and William was beginning to rely on him and kept him at his side.

It was Bentinck who was with the Prince on that fateful day in the year 1672, two years after William’s visit to England.

The two friends had been talking uneasily for England and France had become allies and were threatening Holland; there was a smoldering anger in William’s eyes as he faced his friend.

“Traitors,” he said. “My own uncles! I believe that they had no intention of being my friends.”

“They would if it was to their advantage.”

“But they are ready to make senseless war.”

“Not senseless from their point of view if they subdue us. I have always suspected that Charles was secretly trafficking with Louis.”

“I hate Louis. I should hate Charles, but he is my uncle and when I am with him I find it impossible to do anything but like him.”

“It is an effect he has on many, I believe. Therefore we should be especially wary.”

William clenched his fists together and said: “Bentinck, what will happen now? I will never let Holland be conquered. If they would make me