There was no help for it, they must go aboard. The ship was rocking uncomfortably and everyone except Charlotte was unhappily aware of this. Charlotte had never been to sea; therefore she had no notion what seasickness was. She had come to a decision; if the King did not like her then he must make the best of her. She had not asked for this marriage although her brother had been more than eager for it. She would do her duty and if the King was not prepared to do his, she would try to shrug her shoulders and not care. After all, these two Englishwomen might be beautiful, but they were not Princesses, so what she lacked in beauty she made up for in rank ...

even though in that she was not of such a high standard.

Lady Lome came to stand beside her at the rail as she stood watching, that she might see the last of her native land.

"Your Majesty seems unaffected by the rocking of the ship.”

"Should I be affected by it?”

"Most of us are.”

"And you?”

"Not yet. But with Your Majesty's permission if it becomes more uncomfortable I shall retire to my cabin.”

"Pray do so. But you did not answer my question about the women of England. Are they all as beautiful as you and the Duchess of Ancaster?”

"I trust Your Majesty will not consider me unduly conceited when I tell you that we are both known as two of the outstanding beauties of the Court.”

Charlotte's relief was obvious. "I had imagined a Court of goddesses," she said.

"Your Majesty is too gracious.”

"I don't mean to be ... only truthful. You are without doubt very handsome, both of you. Tell me about your life at Court.”

The Marchioness replied that she had first come to Court as Elizabeth Gunning some ten years before from Ireland, she and her sister and her mother. "We came to seek our fortunes.”

"And you found them?”

The Marchioness was silent for a few moments. "I suppose some would say we had. A year after we arrived I was married to the Duke of Hamilton.”

"And you were happy?”

She smiled sadly "It was a runaway marriage of a sort, Your Majesty. We were married in a Mayfair chapel at half past twelve at night; and as the Duke had not thought to provide a wedding ring we used a curtain ring.”

"It sounds ... romantic," said Charlotte wistfully. "He must have been very much in love with you.”

"That was true, Your Majesty. Then I was presented to the King and that was a great occasion.”

"That would be... my husband's grandfather.”

"Yes, Madam; He was most kind to me ... but he was not considered as kind generally as his present Majesty.”

"So you find the King... kind?”

"The King would never, I believe, be unkind to any. He is very different from his grandfather, who was inclined to be irascible, constantly flying into rages. Forgive me, Your Majesty, my tongue runs away with me.”

"I have asked you to be frank. And so the King is different from his grandfather, then?”

"Very different. The King is tall and handsome and there is a charm about him... a gentleness...”

Charlotte was beginning to feel better. It was pleasant to chat with a woman like this and so get an idea of what was waiting for her. "I hear from Lord Harcourt that he is impatient for the wedding.”

"It is true. He has fixed the date of the coronation and I have heard that he wants his queen to share it with him.”

Charlotte nodded, beginning to feel almost happy. She was curious about this beautiful woman and wanted to know why she was the Marchioness of Lome when she had married the Duke of Hamilton.

"The Duke died six years after our marriage.”

"And you have married again?”

"Yes, Your Majesty, to the Marquis of Lome.”

"So you became a marchioness instead of a duchess.”

"My husband, Your Majesty, is the heir of the Duke of Argyll.”

Charlotte smiled. "So it is only a temporary loss of rank. Have you any children?”

"Yes, by my first husband I have a daughter and two sons; I have a little boy by my second marriage.”

"You are a very fortunate woman. Was your sister as lucky?”

"My sister died a year ago of consumption. They said it was due to the white lead she used for her complexion.”

"Oh ... how terrible.”

"I myself was very ill less than a year ago and I thought I was dying of the same disease; but my husband took me abroad and I have completely recovered.”

Charlotte nodded. "White lead." she murmured.

"Yes, Your Majesty, it produces a perfect whiteness which I have heard is most appealing.”

Charlotte laughed more merrily than she had since the wedding ceremony. "Perhaps it is as well not to have such beauty that has to be preserved by such lethal means.”

The Marchioness smiled and whispered that if Her Majesty would grant her permission she would retire to her cabin, for she was beginning to feel a little queasy.

Charlotte stood at the rail after the Marchioness had gone. She liked the feel of the wind on her face. She did not feel in the least ill. She believed that she had really begun to look forward to the new life.

The ship was battling against the elements and all Charlotte's attendants lay groaning in their cabins or on their bunks-praying for the journey to be over... or for death. But Charlotte was not in the least affected. A harpsichord had been placed on board for her entertainment and she spent a great deal of time playing this, though her ladies did not hear her, since every one of them, even the redoubtable Schwellenburg, was prostrated. Lord Harcourt told her that they were days from the coast of England and that he had just learned that the storms had driven them almost on to that of Norway.

"It is a pity for my ladies that we did not wait for more propitious weather," commented Charlotte.

"Your Majesty, the King's orders were that we embark without delay.”

"Why, Lord Harcourt, is he so very eager for our arrival?”

Lord Harcourt, smiling, bowed. "That, I am sure, His Majesty will make clear to you on your arrival.”

The suggestion was that the King was so eager for her arrival. But how could he be so eager for someone he had never seen? Why had it been decided that he must marry without delay? There was some mystery, Charlotte was sure. Well, perhaps she would soon discover.

"Your Majesty has no one in attendance," said Lord Harcourt.

"Poor ladies, they are prostrate, all of them. The sea does not take to them at kindly as it does to me.”

"Your Majesty is fortunate ... in more ways than one.”

Am I? wondered Charlotte. What will life be like with my new husband in England? "I shall play the harpsichord to them," she announced. "Perhaps it will comfort them. If I leave the door of my saloon open they will be able to hear it as they lie on their bunks.”

Charlotte played and found pleasure in playing; but the poor ladies were unaware of anything but their own misery. The wind dropped suddenly and the storm was over; sun dappled the grey waters turning them to green and opalesque. One by one the ladies rose from their bunks. The change in them was miraculous. Schwellenburg became her old domineering self, Haggerdorn her faithful second; and the two English ladies put on their poised elegance as though it were a gown and were soon as beautiful as ever.

As these two dressed themselves and the horror of the last days faded and as the Duchess of Ancaster said she felt like a human being again, they discussed together the advisability of warning the Queen of the King's attachment to Sarah Lennox. The Duchess of Ancaster thought it unwise; the Marchioness of Lome was not so sure.

"She is so plain ... That mouth of hers makes her look like a crocodile.”

"Poor creature. George is going to be so disappointed. I'll swear they've told him she's a beauty.”

"Queens are always credited with more beauty than they actually possess. George should know that and discount half of what he has heard.”

"George is so unworldly. It would never occur to him to doubt.”

"And what of the little Lennox?”

"What of her?”

"You know the King bitterly regrets not marrying her.”

"Oh, that is over and George is such a good young man. They say he won't give Sarah a thought once he is married to Charlotte.”

"Do you believe that?" asked the Duchess scornfully.

"No," answered the Marchioness.

"But I believe that it is better for Charlotte to discover this for herself. Though we could at least try to make her a little more attractive.”

"A difficult task," retorted the Duchess.

"Still ... a little improvement might be possible. I shall try.”

"Grim Schwellenburg will be most displeased.”

"Let her. She doesn't know the competition Charlotte will have to face in Sarah Lennox.”

"Sarah's a pretty little thing, but she's not exactly a beauty.”

"She has something more than beauty. Charm. And she's young.”

"So is Charlotte.”

"More's the pity. She would have a better chance of winning George from Sarah if she were a little older, a little more experienced. I think her appearance could be improved a little ... though that mouth would spoil anything. But I think we ought to try.”

Albert was dressing Charlotte's hair. The two English women looked on rather sadly and the Duchess of Ancaster suggested that Her Majesty might like to try an English style.

Charlotte answered promptly, "No, I should not.”

"A little toupee ... beautifully curled ... would make a great deal of difference to Your Majesty's appearance," added the Marchioness. Charlotte studied the hair of the two ladies and remarked coolly that she believed the style in which Albert dressed her hair was as becoming as theirs.