Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughter Page 0,113

were a mason,” he said.

“You are all wishes.”

“And you are not?”

She was silent and he went on: “But then you are the Queen. You can have everything you want so you don’t have to wish long.”

She looked at him wistfully and thought: If you were my son I should be very happy.

When she left him she told him that a surprise would be coming to him.

In a few days he received a set of exquisite ivory tools. They had cost twenty pounds, which was a large sum, but worth it, Mary thought, to give him pleasure.

He played with them for a few days; then he saw the soldiers when he was out on one of his trips in the carriage with Lewis Jenkins, his Welsh attendant. He insisted on stopping to watch them drill, and spoke to them.

Then he knew that more than anything on earth, more than a mason, more than Prince of Wales, he wanted to be a soldier.

There was consternation at Campden House. The Duke of Gloucester had whooping cough—not a serious complaint in itself, but when one considered the delicate state of health of the little boy every ailment struck terror into his family.

Anne, whose greatest quality was her devotion to her family, went to Campden House and stayed there. Sarah was with her. Mrs. Pack resented the intrusion into the nursery but could do nothing about it and silent enmity reigned between her and Sarah.

Mary was worried, but knowing Anne was in the nursery could not face the embarrassment of calling and coming face to face with her sister, who had so disobeyed her by keeping Sarah Marlborough and, moreover, had the woman with her at this time.

She therefore sent Lady Derby to inquire after the child’s health and to bring her back an account of how he was getting on.

“Go straight to Mrs. Pack,” said Mary. “She will give me a truthful account; and try not to have any conversation with either my sister or Lady Marlborough.”

Lady Derby, informing the servants that she came from the Queen, went straight to the nursery where Anne was seated in a room next to that in which Gloucester was sleeping. With her was Sarah.

Lady Derby walked past the Princess and Sarah into the nursery where she found Mrs. Pack, while Sarah and Anne exchanged glances before Sarah’s fury burst forth.

“You might have been a rocker, the way she behaved. You know whose doing this is!”

Anne nodded. “I know,” she said, “and I pray you, Sarah, say nothing to Lady Derby who but does what she is told. I care nothing for my sister’s attitude at this time. There is only one thing I pray for; and that is my boy’s recovery.”

Anne the mother had a dignity which she lacked in other roles. Sarah recognized it and, although it was a great strain, forced herself to be silent.

In the nursery, Lady Derby was questioning Mrs. Pack.

“He’ll get better,” Mrs. Pack assured her. “He’s over the worst. He wants to be a soldier, he told me today. He wants his own company and he does not want to wait till he is grown up. That’s a good sign.”

“I will tell Her Majesty and she will be pleased.”

“Tell her too that I am keeping that Churchill crow out of my nursery.”

“I will tell her,” Lady Derby promised.

When she walked out Anne and Sarah were sitting together, and they ignored each other.

Mrs. Pack was right; the Duke of Gloucester began to recover quickly.

To mark the occasion and because she had heard of his desire to be a soldier, Mary sent him a toy sword which was set with real jewels.

“If you will eat this,” Gloucester was told, “you shall be a soldier.” Gloucester would do anything to become a soldier—even eat the hideous potages that were put before him to build up his strength. “If you will wear this, you shall be a soldier.” He wore what they wanted him to.

He went out for rides in his carriage when he would have preferred to stay in, because a soldier must go out every day.

He was not one to allow these promises to go unfulfilled.

“Mama,” he said, “I was promised that I should be a soldier and it is not good to break promises.”

“My boy shall be a soldier when he is old enough.”

“Mama, he is five years old.”

“It is a little young to be a soldier.”

“Not when promises have been made.”

Anne consulted with George. “He will have his way,” she said