ask of her. She is in my power … absolutely.”
“Careful, my love.”
She was almost haughty for a moment. “You need not advise me, John Churchill.”
He retreated at once. “I know it well.”
She softened and put her arms about his neck. He was so handsome, so charming, and he had forsaken his rake’s life for her. She saw greatness in him and she was going to build that greatness. He was beginning to understand that now.
They stood looking at each other. This was a partnership. They needed rank, and they had taken the first step toward that, although a barony was not going to be good enough for the Churchills; they wanted wealth (at the moment they were poor, but Sarah would know how to remedy that) and what was more precious than anything to Sarah: Power.
Sarah was as near to loving him as she could love anyone; she saw in him a reflection of herself. He was hers to make and to mold; and she believed she had chosen the finest man in the world on whom to bestow her greatness. She was impatient with a fate which had made her a woman. Had she been a man, she was certain there was no heights to which she would not have arisen; as it was, she would work with John. Together they would stand.
Lord and Lady Churchill—this was the first step.
No wonder they were delighted with each other.
In the Cockpit Lady Churchill was more arrogant than ever; she was, she said, of the frankest nature on earth; but woebetide anyone who tried to be equally frank with her.
With the Princess she was gentle and affectionate—but only to her.
As for Anne, she loved Lady Churchill even more than she had Mrs. Churchill, for it was very comforting to have given so much pleasure to a dear friend.
Anne was sitting alone with her dear friend as she so loved to do.
“Sarah,” she said, “you are pleased with your new title.”
“You can well imagine what pleasure it gives me to stand on equal terms with some of these vipers you have around you, Madam.”
“I trust my aunt has not been unpleasant to you.”
“She is by nature unpleasant. She looks like a mad woman, that one, for all that she tries to talk like a scholar.”
Anne burst into laughter. “Oh, I do see what you mean, Sarah.”
“It is pleasant to amuse you, Madam.”
“When you call me Madam, Sarah, I feel we are too far apart. You are Lady Churchill now but that is a long way beneath the rank of Princess.”
“The rank of Princess,” said Sarah coolly, “is one which can only come through inheritance or marriage. It is not to be earned.”
“When I am with you, dear Sarah, I feel that you are so much more worthy to hold rank than I.”
“Why, Madam, we must all accept the injustices of fate.”
“I could never bring you up to royal level, Sarah, no matter what I did. So, I have been thinking how pleasant it would be if we could be together as … equals.”
Sarah was immediately excited. “How so, Madam?”
“When I was a child I loved giving myself names. So did Mary. It was a kind of game with us. Do you remember Frances Apsley?”
Sarah frowned. Indeed she remembered Frances Apsley, that young woman with whom Mary had formed a passionate friendship; and Anne, who always followed Mary in everything had soon been declaring her devotion to Frances.
“An insipid creature,” said Sarah.
“Compared with you, of course; but Mary and I thought her wonderful. I believe Mary still does. But they have been long separated and Mary is married to William, and Frances to Benjamin Bathurst now. Frances has a brood of children and poor Mary has none … but what was I saying? We all took names for ourselves alone. It was such fun being incognito. Mary was Clorine and Frances was Aurelia—just for themselves—and I was Ziphares and Frances—to me—was Semandra. I should like us to have our own names, Sarah. Simple names, so that we could pretend to be two old gossips.”
Sarah nodded slowly “But, Madam, I think that is an excellent idea.”
“Sarah, I am so pleased. Shall I tell you what names I have chosen—Morley and Freeman. Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman. Then we are of one rank … in fact we are without rank. I think it would give me great pleasure.”
“I think so too,” said Sarah. “Then I shall feel free to talk to you as I so often