The Third George: (Georgian Series) by Jean Plaidy Read Free Book Online Page A

Caroline.
    ‘But I don’t think I have, sister … not much in any case. Everyone knows George is still dangling on his mother’s apron strings, they know that she and Lord Bute arranged for him to marry this Charlotte person and he wasn’t man enough to refuse. Poor Charlotte! I pity her.’
    ‘I should have thought you would be envying her,’ snapped Caroline. ‘You would if you had any sense.’
    ‘But you always said I had none of that useful commodity,’ smiled Sarah. ‘And … I have decided. I am going to be a bridesmaid at the King’s wedding.’
    Mr Fox smiled at her, half amused, half exasperated. He deplored his sister-in-law’s failure to achieve the royal marriage as much as anyone, but he couldn’t help being fond of her.
    We shall have further trouble with Sarah, he prophesied to himself.
    Sarah flounced out of the room back to Sukey the hedgehog and immediately sat down to write to Susan.
Dear Pussy,
I have only time to tell you that I have been asked to be bridesmaid and I have accepted it. I’m sorry to say it’s against my sister Caroline’s opinion a little. I beg you to tell me what your opinion is. I think it is not to be looked upon as a favour, but as a thing due to my rank. Why refuse it and make great talk, be abused by those who don’t know and perhaps by those that do, for they are always in the right, you know … Those that think about it will say perhaps that I want spirit and pride, which is true enough, for I don’t dislike it in the least, and I don’t like to affect what I don’t feel though ever so right …
    Sarah put down her pen and laughed. Yes, there was no doubt writing to Susan helped her to understand her own feelings.
    And even when Susan replied that she thought Sarah was wrong to be one of the King’s bridesmaids Sarah clung to her opinions.
    She was determined to go.
    *
    When George heard that Sarah had accepted the invitation he did not know whether to be relieved or alarmed. While he was being married to this strange young woman, Sarah would be standing close by! He was sure he would not be able to think of anything but Sarah. If Sarah only knew how much he had wanted to marry her! But perhaps she did. Had he not made it plain? Scarcely perhaps, since he had so quickly been persuaded. But there were secrets people did not know. There had been Hannah. He thought of her, his beautiful Quaker, and how he had loved her and believed he always would, until he met Sarah. If he could have married Hannah, made her first Princess of Wales and then Queen of England perhaps he would never have noticed how beautiful Sarah was.
    He tried not to think of Hannah, but he could not forget her. It was natural that he should think of her with his wedding day so close. How different this would be from that otherwedding day when he and Hannah had stood before Dr Wilmot and exchanged their marriage vows.
    He shivered. How could he have been such a fool! But it had been no true marriage because Hannah had been married before to Isaac Axford, the Quaker grocer, one of her own sect. It was true that the marriage had taken place in Dr Keith’s Marriage Mill which was now declared illegal … but it was a true marriage all the same; and that made it impossible for the ceremony through which he had gone with Hannah to be anything but invalid. Besides, Hannah was dead. Or was she?
    If he could be sure …
    But he was supposed to be pining for the loss of Sarah, not thinking of Hannah. No, no, he was not supposed to be doing either. He was supposed to be thinking of welcoming his bride the Princess Charlotte.
    George forced himself to think of Charlotte. He would be a good husband to her; they would have children, and when he was a father he would cease to be bothered by romantic follies.
    But he could not dismiss Sarah from his mind; and while he made almost feverish preparations to receive his bride, images of Sarah continued to torment him.
    *
    In the nursery Caroline Matilda, the