‘I see, and he was presented to you by the Duchess, I presume?’

‘He was with the Duchess when I called. Cornelia, don’t you think he is the most handsome man you ever saw?’

‘I think I could be accused of hyperbole if I agreed to that.’

‘I wouldn’t accuse you. Don’t be so stuffy, Cornelia. You must admit he is very charming.’

Cornelia sighed. Was this going to be another Hesse affair?

Charlotte looked at her companion coldly. What had happened to old Notte? She just wanted to spoil everything. She might have agreed that Leopold was handsome. It was so obvious.

How charmingly he had bowed and what an exciting day!

She must find out all about Saxe-Coburg and the ruling family. The Duchess was informative. The House of Saxe-Coburg occupied a small territory of some eight towns and two hundred and seventy villages, and it ruled over less than sixty thousand subjects.

‘Very small,’ commented Charlotte, ‘compared with England … or Holland for that matter.’ Oh yes, Leopold was a minor prince as far as worldly possessions were concerned.

‘But he is a Protestant,’ pointed out the Duchess, ‘and that is in his favour. He is a very serious young man and has proved his courage on the battlefield. His brother Ernest, the reigning Duke, is devoted to him – as are all his family. They constantly sing the praises of their dear young Leopold. He has been such a good son to his widowed mother for he has a strong sense of duty.’

‘It is a quality I greatly admire in a man,’ said Charlotte.

‘My brother, the Tsar, has given him rank in our army. You should see him in his uniform. My dear, it would quite take your breath away.’

Charlotte was almost breathless contemplating the sight of godlike Leopold in the uniform of a Russian general.

‘My brother has a very high opinion of him and presented him on the battlefield with the cross of a Commander of the Military Order of St George.’

‘He is indeed a hero,’ said Charlotte wistfully.

But she was piqued when he did not call at Warwick House.

She had supposed he would accept her invitation without delay and had waited for him expectantly. Every time one of her household came to her, she had hoped that they would announce the arrival of Leopold.

How strange that he should have waited to conduct her to her carriage and then not accept her invitation!

Sometimes driving in the Park she would see him and he always endeavoured to ride near her carriage as though hoping she would notice him.

She did, of course, but she was not going to let him know this. She was hurt with him. She had offered an invitation and it had not been taken up. But if she was angry with him that did not mean she liked him any less.

He was constantly in her thoughts.

One day in the Park he rode near her carriage and lifting her eyes she looked straight into his. On impulse she ordered the coachman to stop.

‘Good day,’ she said coolly. ‘I wonder why, having received an invitation from me, you neglect it.’

Leopold looked startled. He was unused to such direct manners.

He said: ‘Your Highness, I did not understand that it was a formal invitation. I was under the impression that Your Highness was speaking lightly … and merely intended your comment as a kindly gesture.’

‘I always say what I mean.’ She was smiling for he was every bit as handsome as she had been thinking him – and he had scarcely been out of her thoughts since their first meeting.

Cornelia was apprehensive. Charlotte would never behave with necessary decorum. Did she not realize that they were being watched even now and it would very likely be reported to her father that she had been seen chatting in a very friendly manner with one of the insignificant princes of the Tsar’s suite.

Charlotte went on: ‘Well, you know now that I mean what I say, so I will say it again. I shall expect to see you at Warwick House.’

Leopold inclined his head and Charlotte instructed the coachman to drive on.

Cornelia said: ‘Was that wise?’

Charlotte turned on her in anger. ‘What do you mean – wise?’

‘To ask him to come to Warwick House. It was not in accordance with the usual …’

‘Oh Notte, you make me cross. Do stop carping. He will come this time. He won’t be able to avoid it.’

‘Have you realized that you have put him into a very awkward position?’

‘How absurd!’

‘Not absurd at all,’ said Cornelia. ‘The Prince of Saxe-Coburg cannot call at Warwick House unless he has permission from the Regent to do so.’

‘You forget that I am no longer a child. Warwick House is my residence and I shall ask whom I please.’

‘If he called without your father’s permission he could be sent out of the country.’

‘Stuff!’ said Charlotte, and she added: ‘And nonsense too.’

But she was not really angry because she was so looking forward to seeing him.

Leopold’s feelings were very mixed as he rode off and went back to his rooms over a greengrocer’s shop in Marylebone which was all that had been available for him. She was an enchanting creature this Princess Charlotte and obviously interested in him; and her interest made him think of a most exciting possibility. But was it possible? The Duchess Catherine had told him that Charlotte was betrothed to the Prince of Orange and if that were so she was not free. Moreover, would they consider a humble prince of Saxe-Coburg as suitable?

Why not? His family was a noble one; Orange was a sickly creature by all accounts and Charlotte did not like him. Whereas she was naïve enough not to hide her interest in Leopold. Clearly she liked him very much indeed.

Ever since their first meeting he had been turning over in his mind the possibility of calling at Warwick House as she had suggested. How could he who had been brought up in the strict German manner commit such a breach of court etiquette – even though the Princess asked it? If he called without her father’s consent he would never be forgiven.

He was ambitious – and there was something more which influenced him. She was charming; and he would have to marry one day. The future Queen of England! He felt almost giddy at the prospect. But it was hopeless. Nothing was hopeless. What about Orange? Something which had glinted in the Grand Duchess Catherine’s eyes when she talked of Charlotte’s future had made him feel that Orange might not be an obstacle after all. Catherine was one of the cleverest women he knew and fortunately she did not dislike him; and for some reason she would like to substitute another bridegroom for Orange.

How could she – a visitor to this land – alter the plans which the rulers had laid down for their princess? And yet …

Leopold was aware of his good looks. There were not many princes who were tall, slim and handsome, brave, serious and Protestant.

What a chance! What a dizzy prospect! He could not spoil it right at the start by behaving in a manner which would make that important gentleman, that arbiter of manners, the Prince Regent, dismiss him as a boor.

There was the Duke of York, affable, approachable, always ready to help a good soldier. Suppose he told the Duke of York of his predicament and asked his advice. The idea was an excellent one and he begged for an audience without delay.

The Duke received him with pleasure; he had heard of his exploits in the army and congratulated him on his decoration by the Tsar.

Leopold then told the reason for his call and begged the Duke of York to tell him what he should do.

The Duke stuck out his heavy jaw thoughtfully. ‘There is only one thing you can do, my dear fellow,’ he said, ‘and that is to write to the Regent, tell him what has happened and request his permission to call on the Princess.’

‘It is what I thought should be done,’ replied Leopold, ‘and I will lose no time in doing it.’

The Regent stormed up and down his study. The impertinence! This penniless fellow from Saxe-Coburg – a younger son of an insignificant House – craved his indulgence and asked to be allowed to call on the Princess Charlotte. He felt it his duty to inform the Regent that he had received an invitation to visit the Princess. She had become aware of him when at the Pulteney Hotel, whither he had been to wait on his kinswoman the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg. He had encountered the Princess Charlotte there and begged to be allowed to conduct her to her carriage. It was then that he had received the invitation which he hesitated to accept without the Regent’s consent.

‘And I should hope not!’ cried the Regent. ‘So he would call on my daughter! And for what purpose do princes call on princesses? Charlotte is a minx and she is trying to elude her responsibilities. Orange must come back and she must be married without delay. As for Master Leopold, he can return whence he came for he is certainly not going to Warwick House.’

He called for writing materials and penned a courteous note to Leopold. He was sure the Prince would understand that he could not give him permission to call on the Princess Charlotte. With clever innuendo he suggested that in view of the fact that Leopold had become involved in a rather embarrassing situation the best way of extricating himself from it would be for him to leave the country. He was sure it could be arranged graciously and he knew that Leopold would agree with him.

That settled Leopold.

The Regent sent a message to the Prince of Holland telling him that it would be wise for him to return to England without delay.

Those matters settled, he next sent a message for Miss Knight, telling her that her presence was required at Carlton House.