Victoria by Anna Kirwan Read Free Book Online

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    A great row at breakfast. I was still tired from the ball, and so was Mamma. She cannot say anything pleasing about my Uncle King’s gift to me. But I’m sure I would get on better with her if it were not for That Man.
    The third time Mamma called them “only pearls”, I was growing rather warm on the subject. O’Hum was making it sound as if I had bungled things, to have no more to show for all our trouble – as if a Royal ball were trouble!
    â€œBaroness de Spaeth says pearls are most suitable for a child my age,” I said. Mamma said the sapphires would have matched my eyes. Then I was very naughty. “Oh, fie,” I said. “Cannot you say, just as well, the pearls match my teeth?”
    â€œPert tongue!” That Man said. “The governess shall be instructed to snip it with her scissors!”
    Oh, horrid, horrid, horrid! “You are worse than my Uncle Cumberland!” I cried out.
    â€œYour Royal Highness,” he thundered at Mamma, looming over her as he does, “I am sure it would be best for you to tell the princess to be silent, as befits her age!”
    So I said what Uncle Billy said in the House of Lords about Uncle Cumberland.
    â€œThis is England, not Hanover. Here we say what we like.”
    I am afraid I stomped my foot when I said it.
    Mamma began to cry, and Lehzen told me I must beg Mamma’s pardon. So I said I was sorry, but Mamma shook her head and waved her hand and didn’t quite take her face out of her handkerchief as she said, “Yes, yes, of course you are – now.”
    Lehzen took me away, and the last thing I heard as I left the breakfast room was O’Hum banging his fist on the table, shouting at Mamma, “Lot of nonsense! Wipe your face, Madame, you’ll spoil your looks! Mr Coutts will be here in a quarter of an hour!”
    I hate Captain Conroy.

6 June
    Bad news has led to good, dear Feo. I am sitting up late writing. Lehzen will not interrupt me. This is what has happened.
    I was very sorry to have behaved so badly to Mamma. Truly, I believe she has enough to bear. That morning I acted so bold and common and angry toward her, she retired to the rose sitting room and lay down on the fainting couch and allowed no one to come to her except de Spaeth. I was so ashamed of myself, I felt very low.
    O’Hum went off downstairs to meet with Mr Coutts, the banker. I later heard Aunt Soap tell Uncle Sussex that O’Hum was even more irritated when Mr Coutts left. He wanted to buy six new, matched Irish bays for the carriages before we go down to Claremont to visit Uncle Leopold next month. But Mr Coutts would not agree to it.
    I admit that gave me some satisfaction. My Duke Papa was a soldier, but I am sure he would never have forgotten himself so as to order Mamma about! Why is it all right for That Man to treat a Duchess worse than we ever would treat Cook or Compton or even Grampion? I do not understand adults very well.
    I was miserable and stupid during my lessons with the Reverend Mr Davys. Toire came in, clicking and clacking her knitting needles and counting stitches under her breath, so one could hear her. It is a special talent she has, being quiet noisily. She said to Lehzen, so clearly that I’m sure Mr Davys heard, that Mamma sent her out of the sitting room because my flying into such a passion had given her a headache.
    The Reverend Mr Davys said “harrumph” a few times, and then excused himself to go briefly to the lounge to smoke a pipe.
    Then Lehzen told Toire she should go upstairs to the unused drawing room until it was time for music lessons. Of course, I could not let that happen, because my journal was up there, and I was in agony lest Toire should discover it! No doubt, she could trade it for a whole thimbleful of attention from her father. And then I’d get the whole, cold, North Sea’s worth. Not a pleasant thought.
    So I pretended to have a coughing fit,