That was why, when he thought of his young grandson, he was remorseful. Had the boy been different – say a young Louis Quatorze, or better still a young Henri Quatre – he could have forgotten his fears. But young Berry was indeed a problem.

What bad luck that the Dauphin had died. Who would have believed that could happen? It was only five years ago when he was in camp at Compiègne, and there had over-taxed his strength, it was said. Only thirty-six! It was young to die; and France needed him.

He had been unlike his father – pious, perhaps too devoted to the clergy, but would that have been a bad thing for France? He had been an ideal Dauphin; he had even produced three sons, and it had seemed that he would fulfil his duty to France when France needed a strong hand. Then he had disappointed the sober members of the community by dying. There had been so many deaths at that time. Louis’ Queen, the Polish woman Marie Leckzinska, had died three years after her son, and a year before that the pleasant little Dauphine, Marie-Josèphe of Saxony, had followed her husband to the grave. These two women, quiet, modest and shrewd, were lost to the little boy who would so sadly need advisers.

Louis would never forget the day he had heard of his son’s death. He had sent for his grandson. Little Berry had stood before him, tall for his age, yet so lacking in charm, so slow – though they said he was not stupid at his books. He was merely lethargic and seemed unable to think quickly. His tutors assured his grandfather that the boy was conscientious, even clever, but lacked the gift of fluency, the ability to come to a quick decision.

And looking at that big heavy boy with his lustreless eyes, Louis had murmured: ‘Poor France! A King of fifty-five, and a Dauphin of eleven!’

It was then that he had begun to feel uneasy.

Now the boy was being ushered into the apartment. A pity that it must be done with such ceremony, because the Dauphin was always at his worst on ceremonious occasions. He shuffled rather than walked to where his grandfather was sitting; he almost stumbled as he fell on his knees. The King’s hand was seized in a grip that hurt; he winced in an annoyance which did not smother the tenderness he felt for his grandson.

‘You may get up, Berry,’ he said.

The Dauphin rose. He said nothing; he merely stood expectantly; a somewhat strained expression in the short-sighted eyes.

The King waved his hands to the pages.

‘Leave us,’ he said; and they bowed and retired. He studied his grandson with pitying eyes while the Dauphin looked from his grandfather to his grandfather’s mistress as though apologising for his clumsiness, his ungainly appearance, and the fact that he could think of nothing to say.

‘Berry,’ said Louis, ‘we have called you here to speak of your marriage and to show you the newest portrait of your little Dauphine. We are charmed. She is quite enchanting. Show Berry the portrait, my dear.’

Madame du Barry went to the Dauphin and laid a motherly hand on his shoulder. ‘Here, Berry. You will see that she is in truth the loveliest of Dauphines.’

She led him to a table on which lay the picture.

The Dauphin looked at the charming oval-shaped face which was piquant rather than classically beautiful. The lips – a Habsburg heritage – were a little thick; the forehead was high and the colouring was so exquisite and the whole appearance one of such dainty charm that it occurred to Berry that, had they searched for a woman who was less like himself than any other in the world, they must have chosen Marie Antoinette.

He tried to say this, but hesitated. It might not please his grandfather. The Dauphin was cautious by nature; he never rushed into anything. He always considered so long and so carefully that by the time he had formed an opinion it was usually too late to express it.

‘Is she not charming?’ prompted du Barry.

‘Why … yes … yes … indeed so.’

‘You are the luckiest bridegroom in France, Berry.’ The woman had thrust her painted face close to his, and he suppressed a shudder. He hated the suggestions in her eyes; they brought with them a renewal of his fears. He was dreading the marriage, for he was not like other boys of his age. He had listened to their talk of conquests; even his brothers, young as they were – Provence fourteen and Artois thirteen – had made their amatory experiments. Not so the Dauphin. He had no wish to, although there were pretty girls who were prepared to be more than charming to one who would one day be the King of France. He avoided them; they alarmed him; they made him certain that he was different. He did not care for those erotic excitements which seemed so attractive to others of his age. He only wanted to be alone, or with the blacksmith, Gamin, who was teaching him his trade. He found great pleasure in forging and filing and using his strength, as did his friend the blacksmith. When he was tired from his physical labours he liked to read or study the geographical charts which he treasured. It seemed to him that there was a deeper satisfaction to be gleaned from books than from the society of young and frivolous people; in the books of great writers he could preserve his solitude, think his thoughts slowly, and sink into that peace which he so loved.

Therefore the sight of the portrait, far from delighting him, filled him with apprehension.

‘Think,’ said Madame du Barry, ‘the delightful creature is already your wife. She is already on her way to you.’

The King said cynically: ‘I see, my dear, that the Dauphin can scarcely wait for the consummation of his marriage.’

A burst of laughter escaped from Madame du Barry. The Dauphin turned his slow gaze upon her. Some might have hated her for the implied ridicule, but the Dauphin neither hated nor loved readily. His feelings were so slow to be roused that by the time he had realised them they were robbed of either venom or affection. He merely felt uncomfortable – not so much because he felt his grandfather’s eyes upon him, but because he was wondering how he was going to greet his wife.

‘Well, he is young, and the young are ardent,’ said du Barry almost tenderly.

‘Bring the portrait to me, my dear,’ said the King; and du Barry obeyed. ‘Ah,’ went on Louis, ‘you are indeed fortunate. Would I were sixteen years of age, and a Dauphin waiting to greet such a charming bride.’

He looked down at the picture; he was reminded of those young girls whom he had so much enjoyed in the Parc aux Cerfs, whither they had been brought for his pleasure in his more virile days. Oh, to be young always, to be far away from the terrors of remorse! He believed he was getting dangerously near one of those periods of repentance.

‘Grandson,’ he said, ‘you have learned the new dances, I trust?’

‘Well, sir … I … I … I do not excel at the dance.’

The King nodded grimly. ‘A wife will make a difference to you, Monsieur le Dauphin,’ he said. ‘You will discover through her much that makes life pleasant.’

‘Yes, Grandfather.’

‘What preparations are you making for her?’

‘I … I … Should I make preparations?’ There was a helpless look in the shortsighted eyes.

‘You will have to stop thinking of other charming girls now you have a Dauphine,’ said du Barry falsely, knowing full well that he had no interest whatsoever in charming girls. He met her gaze stolidly. He did not blush. When he stammered it was due to his slowness of thought.

‘Indeed yes,’ said the King. ‘And Berry, we want heirs for France. Do not forget it.’

The Dauphin said: ‘There is time. We are both young.’

‘There is never too much time for kings, my boy. The sooner the children appear, the better pleased shall we all be – myself, and the people of France. Your marriage will take place here at Versailles, in the chapel of your ancestor Louis Quatorze; as soon as that ceremony is over, the Dauphine will be in very truth your wife. I think we should delay the consummation until after that ceremony.’

‘Indeed yes,’ said the Dauphin thankfully.

‘Go now, my boy. Take the portrait with you. You will want to treasure it, I doubt not.’

He took the portrait, made his clumsy bow and went from the apartment.

‘I could not bear to go on looking at him,’ said the King when he had gone. ‘He fills me with misgivings.’

‘He will grow up,’ soothed du Barry.

‘He’ll never make an ardent lover. He is unlike a King of France.’

‘I tell you, when he sees this lovely girl he will grow up suddenly. He is just slow in coming to maturity. He is hardly sixteen, remember.’

‘When I was sixteen …’

‘You, my bien-aimé … you were a god.’

‘My dear, I am uneasy. I was but five years old when the death of my great-grandfather made me King of France. My great-grandfather, the Grand Monarque, was of much the same age when he came to the throne; and it is not a good thing for minors to be kings.’

‘Then you should not be uneasy, for the Dauphin is now sixteen and almost a man; and you have many years before you yet.’

‘Times change. It may be that I have many years ahead of me. Who shall say? France is not the country I inherited from my great-grandfather, nor that country which the Grand Monarque inherited from his father. I am often uneasy. I remember a day thirteen years ago, when I was descending one of the staircases at Versailles, a man rushed at me and stabbed me with a penknife. The wound was not deep and I soon recovered, but I first began to think then that countries change, and the people who love us one year may hate us the next.’

‘That man with his penknife was a fanatic, a madman. His criminal act did not mean the people’s love had turned to hate. Why, Henri Quatre was stabbed to death, yet he was dearly loved and there are many who mourn him still.’