And Caroline was silent for a few moments and then to his relief he saw that the first carriage had arrived. Lady Jersey alighted and came into the Hospital to greet the Princess on behalf of the Prince of Wales.

Caroline was all eagerness to see this woman of whom she had heard so much. She was astonished. She had imagined some monster and there curtseying before her, with the utmost display of homage, was the daintiest creature she had ever seen.

How pretty she is! thought Caroline.

Lady Jersey was raising the most beautiful eyes Caroline had ever seen, smiling charmingly. Could it be possible that she was a grandmother? How did she remain so slender, so beautiful?

‘Your Highness, I have come to serve you.’

The Princess nodded and Malmesbury closed his eyes because he could not bear to look.

Lady Jersey was thinking: She is more attractive than I had been led to believe But it is that hat— it would make anyone look attractive. That must be discarded.

‘Madam,’ she said, ‘there has been some unaccountable delay—’

Unaccountable, fumed Malmesbury, inwardly . Very accountable, I should think! ‘If you would give your permission for us to proceed with the dressing immediately ‘Why yes, yes, of course,’ cried the Princess ‘Then if you will allow me to conduct you to a room where we can thus serve Your Highness—’

‘Come along,’ cried Caroline.

Lady Jersey and Mrs. Harcourt left with the Princess.

Malmesbury looking after them thought: She has learned nothing— nothing.

‘I have here, Madam, the clothes which have been especially designed for your journey to St. James’s.’

‘Clothes!’ Caroline was eager to see them. ‘White?’ she cried.

‘Yes, Madam. The symbol of purity.’

Caroline laughed aloud, and Lady Jersey looked surprised.

‘Your Highness is amused?’

‘Just a little.’

‘Indeed, Madam.’

‘My father’s mistress used to say that white never suited me.’

‘White not suit you! But Your Highness has the most beautiful colouring.

Such freshness. White, if you will pardon me, Madam, is for ladies like Your Highness.’

Lady Jersey— herself so elegant— must know, thought Caroline. Madame de Hertzfeldt had seemed elegant, but that was in Brunswick. She could not compare with this dainty creature.

‘It is the most beautiful satin available. Pray touch it, Madam. There, Do you not long to try it on?’

‘I never saw such satin,’ admitted Caroline.

‘No, Madam, I daresay not. I ordered it especially for you. Nothing but the best would be worthy of Your Highness and I chose the best dressmakers in London. Would Your Highness try it?’

Caroline removed the beaver hat.

Her hair is lovely, thought Lady Jersey. That must certainly be put out of sight. That turban will be excellent. Caroline took off her muslin dress and put on the white Satin.

‘It couldn’t be better,’ cried Lady Jersey. ‘Do you not think so, Mrs.

Harcourt?’ Mrs. Harcourt, whose position in the Princess’s household depended on Lady Jersey, must agree with her, so she did, but reluctantly, for she had grown fond of the Princess and had been pleased to see her look so well in her muslin gown. Nothing, thought Lady Jersey complacently, could have brought out the coarseness of that ruddy complexion better than the harsh white satin.

She picked up the hat. ‘It is charming for some purposes,’ she admitted. ‘A ride in the country perhaps. But this is Your Highness’s first ride through the Capital, and we need something much more fine.’

She produced a turban trimmed with white satin and decorated with white feathers. This she placed on Caroline’s head, making sure that her hair was hidden.

The result was too much for Caroline to accept. It was quite hideous. It accentuated the deep colour of her cheeks while taking all the colour from her eyes.

‘It’s ugly,’ cried Caroline.

‘Your Highness, it is the height of fashion.’

‘Then the height of fashion is not for me.’ Caroline tore off the turban and threw it across the room. She shook out her hair and put back the beaver hat. The effect was ruined by the harsh white satin dress.

Lady Jersey was disappointed, she had reckoned on discarding that hat, but she saw it would be unwise to press the point. And in any case the beaver hat with the white satin was quite ridiculous.

‘At least Your Highness will wear the dress,’ said Lady Jersey anxiously.

Caroline smoothed down the folds. She had never felt such soft material. Oh yes, she loved the dress.

‘Then you must allow me to touch up Your Highness’s complexion— just a little. The ladies of the Court do, you know. It’s the fashion.’

Caroline looked at Lady Jersey’s delicately tinted cheeks. She really was a little beauty. It would be pleasant to look like that.

Caroline sat down and Lady Jersey applied rouge to the florid cheeks. The effect was startling but it seemed to please Caroline as much as Lady Jersey.

She was ready for the journey so putting on a green satin cloak trimmed with gold loops and tassels she allowed herself to be conducted to the coaches.

Lord Malmesbury was horrified by the change in her. He should have prevented this. He should have foreseen what that wicked creature, Lady Jersey, would do to his innocent Princess. For innocent she undoubtedly was and was almost ready to treat the woman as a friend in spite of what she had heard of her.

At any moment she would be calling her my love.

Caroline got into the first coach and Lady Jersey was about to take her place beside her when Lord Malmesbury pointed out that the Princess should sit facing the horses and her ladies opposite her. No one should sit beside the Princess. Lady Jersey put her hand over her eyes.

‘I feel sick when I sit with my back to the horses.’

‘How unfortunate, and you a Lady of the Bedchamber! I should have thought such a disability would have disqualified you from taking such a post; but since it did not I suggest that you ride in the second coach with me which will give me great pleasure and prevent any unfortunate occurrence.’

‘But who will ride with the Princess ‘ demanded Lady Jersey.

‘There is the second lady-in-waiting.’

‘It would be most improper for Mrs. Ashton to ride with Her Highness,’

declared Lady Jersey. ‘My place is in the first carriage and I will take it— not matter what the consequences.’

The Princess was about to offer to change places so that Lady Jersey might be comfortable, but a stern look from Lord Malmesbury stopped her.

‘The Princess must sit facing the horses,’ he said firmly, ‘Anything else is unthinkable.’

The horses were whipped up and the journey began Caroline thought: So this was his mistress. Could it be that she had wanted to sit in the place of honour to show she was of more importance than his wife? Still she had been kind to her; she had had this beautiful dress prepared Perhaps they could be friends.

How gauche she is! How unroyal! thought Lady Jersey. Simple, too He will loathe her on sight And that dress is quite hideous. I must compliment the dressmakers on making exactly what I wished for, She does give herself airs, thought Caroline. Of course she is very pretty. But she must be quite old— yet I admit beautiful and very experienced. They say the Prince admires experience. ‘You should not think that I am an innocent girl, she said suddenly, ‘I am not so young, you know. Do you think I have lived like a nun in a convent?’

‘I had not thought of the matter, Your Highness.’

‘I love a Prussian officer. He is very handsome. I would give a great deal to be going to marry him I love his little finger better than the whole person of the Prince of Wales.’

‘Is that so, Your Highness?’

Lady Jersey was finding it difficult to suppress her laughter. How amused the Prince will be to hear of these confidences, she thought.

They had arrived at St. James and the old palace loomed up before her. There was a crowd of people come to cheer her.

She alighted from her coach.

In the Prince’s Light Dragoons which had led the cavalcade from Greenwich, Ensign George Bryan Brummell watched the arrival.

‘My God,’ he thought, ‘what a fearful sight! I feel quite ill to see a woman who could be moderately attractive look so inelegant.’

The Prince drove from Carlton House to St James’s. The moment was close at hand. What will she be like? The reports he had heard of her, though not effusive in her praise, at least conjured up visions of a not unattractive woman. Perhaps he could educate her, teach her to be cultivated and beautiful.

In his heart he was a little tired of Lady Jersey. He wondered if he had ever been in love with her. Certainly not in the way he had been with Maria And what was Maria doing now? What was she thinking? She would be in her drawing room at Marble Hill— how well he remembered it!

And he thought: How I wish I were there now!

But at least a new woman was waiting for him, and he confessed to a certain amount of curiosity. And if she were not too unattractive he might grow fond of her. It was his duty in any case to provide heirs to the crown.

He was dressed in his Hussar’s uniform which was very becoming, he thought, the gold lacing suited his hair. He was a little too florid though, and had put on weight. He weighed seventeen stone which was really too much He was perhaps too fond of drink, but he did take plenty of exercise It’s a family failing, he thought; and touched the swelling at his neck, carefully hidden, of course.