Виктория Холт - The Third George

The next offer was of the Duchy of Lancaster an exceedingly luscious plum; since all he would have to do was accept revenues from the Crown. But Mr. Pitt was too wily to fall into this trap.

Then came the final offer. His wife should become a peeress Baroness of Chatham; and he himself should have a pension of 3000 pounds a year for three lives, which meant that on his death his wife would have it, then his son, and if his wife died before he died, it would go to his grandson.

The previous offers had been rejected with scorn; but over this last Pitt hesitated. When he had told his wife of the last offer he had seen a gleam of satisfaction in her eyes. So Hester would like to be Baroness Chatham. He was deeply in love with Hester and had been for some time before they married. She was one of the Grenvilles - a girl surrounded by brothers, and in the days before his marriage Pitt had often been a guest at Wootton Hall where he had fascinated not only Hester but her brothers with his eloquence and that undeniable air of greatness; he had married Hester seven years ago and they had five children, three boys and two girls, the youngest, James, being only a few months old. Pitt was devoted to his family. They and his career were all that mattered to him; Hester mattered in particular.

She had betrayed to him by a look that she would enjoy possessing the title; and it was in his power to give it to her. He knew too that she liked the idea of the pension. 3000 a year and not only for him. They were not poor by any means. Hester had brought a large dowry; he had a little from his family; and the Duchess of Marlborough in her eccentric way had left him 10,000 pounds for, she had written, his noble defence for the support of the laws of England. Yet with this new offer there came no conditions. He could accept it and relinquish nothing. A temporary absence from the centre of the stage might even be desirable, for he suffered excruciatingly from the gout.

The King and Bute were surprised and immensely gratified when he accepted this offer. "Now,”

cried Bute, 'we shall tell the people in our own way what has happened.”

The first move was to appoint Charles Wyndham, Earl of Egremont, to succeed Pitt as Secretary of State for the Southern Department and Bute saw that it should be made absolutely clear to the public that Pitt had accepted a pension and peerage in exchange for his office. It was written in the Court Circular: The Right Honourable William Pitt having resigned the Seals into the King's hands, His Majesty was this day pleased to appoint the Earl of Egremont to tie one of His Majesty's principal Secretaries of State. And in consideration of the great and important service of the said Mr. Pitt, His Majesty has been graciously pleased to direct that a warrant be prepared for granting to the Lady Hester Pitt, his wife, a Barony of Great Britain, by the name, style and title of Baroness Chatham to her heirs male; and also to confer on the said William Pitt, an annuity of three thousand pounds sterling, during his own life and that of Lady Hester Pitt and their son John Pitt, Esq.

The people were astonished as Bute had intended they should be when they heard this news. Nor did Bute intend that it should rest there. Like most politicians he had his dependants in the literary world whom he used to further his own cause. Very soon a song was being sung in the streets of London a sneer at the fallen idol: Three thousand a year's no contemptible thing, To accept from the hand of a patriot King, (With thanks to the bargain for service and merit), Which the wife and son all three shall inherit. With limited honours to her and her heirs So farewell to old England. Adieu to all cares.

Pitt had no intention of being misrepresented. As a politician who, even his enemies had to admit, had done a great deal for his country, he had not been overpaid with his peerage and 3000 a year pension. But he would not have the people assuming that he had taken this in exchange for leaving his post. He had a letter circulated which told the true story: Finding to my great surprise [he wrote] that the cause and manner of my resigning the Seals is grossly misrepresented in the City, as well as that the most gracious and spontaneous remarks of His Majesty's approbation of my services, which marks followed my resignation, having been infamously traduced as a bargain for my forsaking the public, I am under the necessity of declaring the truth of both these facts, in a manner which I am sure no gentleman will contradict.

A difference of opinion with regard to measures to be taken against Spain, of the highest importance and honour of the Crown, and to the most essential National interests (and this founded on what Spain has already done, not on what that Court may further intend to do) was the cause of my resigning the Seals. Lord Temple and I submitted in writing and signed by us, our most humble sentiments to His Majesty; which being overruled by the united opinion of all the rest of the King's servants, I resigned the Seals on the fifth of this month, in order not to remain responsible for measures which I was no longer able to guide. Most gracious public marks of His Majesty's approbation followed my resignation. They are unmerited and unsolicited and I shall ever be proud to have received them from the best of Sovereigns.

When this was handed round the City and the obvious truth of it realized, Pitt's popularity shot up again; and Lord Bute's attempts to discredit him had entirely failed. All the public had to realize was that though he no longer had a place in the cabinet, he had no intention of forsaking his duty.

The Princess Dowager, unaware of public feeling, was delighted with the turn of events. With Lord Bute she called on her son and embracing him cried: "Thank God. Now, George, you are in truth King of England.”

The King and Queen were taking breakfast together. This was a very pleasant part of the day, Charlotte often thought. George was always so courteous and she really believed he was growing fonder of her, which surprised and delighted her, for she was fully aware of her lack of beauty; and there was no doubt that George with his golden hair, blue eyes and fresh complexion was a handsome man. In Court dress he looked truly magnificent; he even looked pleasant in the early morning.

He took only a dish of tea at breakfast.

"I must be on my guard," he told Charlotte, 'against getting fat. It is a characteristic of the family.”

"But a dish of tea! It seems so little. I really think I should persuade you to take a little more.”

He smiled at her rather cautiously. He wanted her to know that although he was determined to be a good husband to her, he was not allowing any interference even in the matter of a dish of tea.

Tactfully he changed the subject.

"You will be interested in this Lord Mayor's Show. I doubt you have ever seen anything like it.”

"I am constantly seeing things which I have never seen before. It makes life very interesting.”

He looked at her covertly. They had been married nearly two months. Was there any sign yet? He had certainly not failed in his conjugal duties. It might even be that already she was with child.

"We shall be the guests of the City, I believe," she was saying. "How I love the City. I find it absorbingly interesting.”

"How are you getting on with your English?”

"Oh ... tolerably well. I am taking my lesson every day.”

"Try speaking it.”

She did, haltingly, and he corrected her. She was laughing with him over her odd pronunciation.

What a blessing, she said, that he could speak German so well. "Even when I speak English proficiently we shall speak in German, shall we not, when we are alone together. We shall make it our intimate language.”

He nodded. "Although you must work hard at your English.”

"Oh, George, I will.”

"I think my grandfather made a great mistake in not speaking it well. Now ... the plans for the ninth.”

She smiled cosily. How he liked making plans. He would go to such trouble to arrange the guests for the most informal ball even when he must have very important state matters on his mind.

There was the affair of Mr. Pitt for one thing.

She ventured: "There is much talk of Mr. Pitt.”

He frowned. "Oh, he is no longer in the cabinet.”

"I did learn that there is a great deal of feeling in the City about his resignation.”

"Who told you this?”

"Oh ... I do not remember. It is often talked of. It seems a pity. He is a great man, they say; and it is sad that his talents should not be used in the service of the nation.”

George was not having this. He must make her understand that he had no intention of talking politics with her. It was not a woman's place to interfere. He had seen too much of women's meddling. He was beginning to think that his mother interfered too much; but she was old and wise and he had always listened to her. But he was not going to have Charlotte becoming another Princess Dowager. Queens and mistresses of kings had often sought to dominate them. It was not going to be said that George III was so dominated ... except by his mother when he was young.

George was beginning to think that one day he might have to tell his mother that he would make up his own mind. So he did not want Charlotte beginning to interfere.

He said shortly: "That matter is settled. It is of no interest to you. I will show you the route the Lord Mayor's Show will take." He spread a map on the table and Charlotte was immediately absorbed. It was like the old days with Madame de Grabow. Now she followed George's finger as it traced the route.