Jean Plaidy - The Princess of Celle

Clara therefore allied herself with the Duchess in her dislike of Celle and as she was eager to show Sophia that she stood with her in this, decided to do something about it.

Ernest Augustus’s infidelities were becoming fewer. Occasionally he discovered a pretty girl – usually among his wife’s attendants – and he would take her to bed. His old mistress Esther was not entirely forgotten. On such occasions Clara would spend half the night pacing up and down her room cursing the object of the Duke’s interest, but in the morning she greeted her lover with the same tenderness as she had always shown him.

She knew that the least little resentment on her part would be the beginning of discord between her and Ernest Augustus, and she wanted him to think of her as a woman to whom he could come back; she wanted to be a habit with him … as a wife was. Clara was determined to consolidate her position and nothing must prevent that.

Ernest Augustus, in fact, seemed more fond of her than ever after temporarily straying; and she was coming to believe that it was not a bad thing after all for him to try others and realize her greater worth. These little flights of his did not disturb her as much as they had once done. But she was always alert, determined never to run the risk of becoming a nuisance to him.

For this reason she allied herself with the Duchess in the matter of Celle. Knowing the value of the spy, she had already set several in places where she thought they could be most useful; and when it was reported to her that Minister Bernstorff in Celle was dissatisfied with the influence the Duchess of Celle had over her husband and had shown on more than one occasion that he was attempting to break it, she was very interested.

Bed was the safest place in which to discuss secret matters and it was there that, one night, Clara broached the subject.

‘The harmony of Celle is breaking, I hear. Trouble in paradise … so I am told.’

‘You are like God, Clara,’ laughed Ernest Augustus. ‘Omniscient!’

‘Well, I have my friends to tell me what is going on in places which are important to my lord.’

‘And what do they tell you?’

Clara nuzzled up to him. ‘That Bernstorff hates the Duchess … hates the influence she has with the Duke. That everything has to be approved by her before it can be carried through. He hates her.’

‘He’s jealous of her.’

‘I believe you have a soft spot for her.’

‘She’s a very beautiful woman.’

‘Ha! And that excuses her highhandedness.’

‘I’ve noticed that beautiful women are often highhanded.’

‘In the service of their lords and masters.’

‘It seems to me that some would be the lord and master.’

‘That is how it is with Madame of Celle. She is the ruler and it is this which Bernstorff resents.’

‘Why doesn’t he get out then?’

‘He prefers to stay and fight. Besides, where else would he go? He is making some progress, I hear. The Duke is at last beginning to ask himself whether he is not a little under the thumb of his beautiful Duchess.’

‘You are sure of this?’

‘Certainly, my lord. I have had it from several sources. The Duke is a proud man … although lazy.’

‘But he is deeply enamoured of that woman.’

‘Deeply enamoured, yes. But … at the same time he is beginning to realize that she is governing Celle in his place. He has no desire to put another woman in her place; he merely wants her to let him have his.’

‘It has made a rift between them?’

‘Not exactly. But he is showing a little firmness here and there; he does not always fall in with her wishes. Bernstorff is responsible. An ambitious man, this Bernstorff. He would be on the side of those who paid him best.’

‘You are sure of this?’

‘Almost certain. We should pay him to work for us. Then we should know everything that was going on in Celle. You realize that she is working for alliance with Wolfenbüttel. An alliance between them and Celle and they would be more powerful than Hanover. The Duchess is all for it. She doesn’t trust us. George William is soft … and lazy. He’s sentimental too. She’s a clever woman that Duchess. She’s far more clever than her husband. She wants this alliance, and she’ll get it, if we’re not careful, by marrying her precious Sophia Dorothea to Anton Ulrich’s son. The eldest died, but what does that matter? There’s another. I think we have to be watchful.’

‘Clara,’ he said, ‘you have your eyes open.’

‘In your service.’

‘In our service. We’re together, eh?’

She kissed him lightly. ‘For ever and ever amen,’ she added, and although her tone was light, she meant it to be a pact between them.

He pulled her to him and held her close. She was a wonderful woman, his Clara. She had everything to offer; and in addition to those voluptuous and intensely satisfying charms she was a politician.

‘What do you suggest?’

‘That we sound Bernstorff. Offer him some bribe.’

‘Such as?’

‘He wants to be a landowner. So he’ll want money. But at first … to show that money would be following, let it be a rich present. You have a gold snuff box studded with diamonds. If that were sold it would buy quite a bit of land. Let us try him out with that; and I’ve no doubt that in exchange we shall have a front seat – in spirit – in the council chamber of Celle.’

‘Let us try him out with the snuff box then. It will be well if I am not concerned in this.’

‘Of course you must not be concerned in it. I will arrange it.’

‘What should I do without you?’

‘That is a problem which, at the moment, you have no need to consider.’

He laughed. ‘My little minister!’ he murmured.

‘One thing more,’ she said. ‘When we have settled this little matter … satisfactorily, the Duchess Sophia should be taken into our counsels. I am sure she will give the scheme her approval.’

Ernest Augustus sighed luxuriously. He was a lucky man. He had a mistress who combined an excessive sensuality with wisdom and to crown it all she was without jealousy of his wife.

GEORGE LEWIS WAS summoned to his father’s apartments and found his mother there with the Duke. They were alone so he guessed that what they had to say to him was secret.

Both parents shuddered inwardly as he lumbered in.

What will they think of him? Sophia asked herself.

Perhaps it’s time he travelled a little, was Ernest Augustus’s inward comment.

‘Now George Lewis,’ said his father, ‘your mother and I have something to tell you. It’s time you married.’

‘I thought that was coming,’ answered George Lewis with a slow smile.

‘You understand that your wife must bring you a good dowry, and that your father and I are seeking the best possible.’

‘It is always so,’ answered George Lewis.

‘This is a matter between the three of us,’ said the Duke. ‘At present it should not go beyond this room. Your mother believes that the Princess Anne of England would be a very suitable wife.’

George Lewis whistled. In the manner of a stable boy, thought his mother with disgust.

‘It is by no means certain that you would be accepted,’ she said sternly. ‘But you understand it would be a very desirable match.’

‘A match with England,’ George Lewis replied, slyly looking at his mother. ‘Nothing in the world could be more desirable … to you.’

‘There is a possibility – if you married the Princess Anne – that you might inherit the throne of England,’ said his father.

‘There is even a possibility – remote, I admit – that even if I don’t marry her I might do that.’

‘So you are aware of it,’ put in Sophia with grim satisfaction.

‘Madame, you have told us time out of number how closely we are related to the royal family of England and you have seen that we’re scarcely likely to forget it.’

‘It is something to be proud of. When you have seen London and compared it with Hanover you will understand what I mean.’

‘When do I set out?’ asked George Lewis.

‘Wait a minute,’ cautioned Ernest Augustus. ‘As I told you in the beginning, this is not to be known outside this room. It will be announced that you are going on a tour of Europe. That is something which any young man of your birth and rank would naturally undertake and I might say this, that in your case it is more necessary than in most. The fact that you go to England as a suitor to the Princess Anne is to be a secret so far. It may well be that you are found unacceptable. In which case you do not want to be made a laughing stock. Keep this secret. You are going on a Grand Tour of Europe and naturally you will visit your kinsfolk in England. But when you reach England you will at once make yourself agreeable to the Princess Anne.’

George Lewis grunted. ‘I’ll tell no one the real reason.’

‘Then you must make your preparations.’ Sophia was smiling complacently. ‘I will have a talk with you and look over your things myself. What a pity that you did not try to make a little progress in the English tongue. They are inclined to dislike those who can’t speak their language.’

‘If I marry an English woman,’ declared George Lewis, ‘she will have to speak my tongue.’

‘That attitude,’ his mother admonished, ‘will not carry you very far with the English.’

George Lewis smiled at her. Everyone knew how she idolized that race. George Lewis had no such feeling for them.

He remembered then that he would have to leave Marie. Never mind. He’d soon find someone to take her place. He must not tell her why he was going. There was little fear of that. George Lewis rarely indulged in much conversation when they were together.