Royal Sisters: The Story of the Daughters of James II by Jean Plaidy Page A
Authors: Jean Plaidy
Ads: Link
nature on earth; but woebetide anyone who tried to be equally frank with her.
With the Princess she was gentle and affectionate—but only to her.
As for Anne, she loved Lady Churchill even more than she had Mrs. Churchill, for it was very comforting to have given so much pleasure to a dear friend.
Anne was sitting alone with her dear friend as she so loved to do.
“Sarah,” she said, “you are pleased with your new title.”
“You can well imagine what pleasure it gives me to stand on equal terms with some of these vipers you have around you, Madam.”
“I trust my aunt has not been unpleasant to you.”
“She is by nature unpleasant. She looks like a mad woman, that one, for all that she tries to talk like a scholar.”
Anne burst into laughter. “Oh, I do see what you mean, Sarah.”
“It is pleasant to amuse you, Madam.”
“When you call me Madam, Sarah, I feel we are too far apart. You are Lady Churchill now but that is a long way beneath the rank of Princess.”
“The rank of Princess,” said Sarah coolly, “is one which can only come through inheritance or marriage. It is not to be earned. ”
“When I am with you, dear Sarah, I feel that you are so much more worthy to hold rank than I.”
“Why, Madam, we must all accept the injustices of fate.”
“I could never bring you up to royal level, Sarah, no matter what I did. So, I have been thinking how pleasant it would be if we could be together as … equals.”
Sarah was immediately excited. “How so, Madam?”
“When I was a child I loved giving myself names. So did Mary. It was a kind of game with us. Do you remember Frances Apsley?”
Sarah frowned. Indeed she remembered Frances Apsley, that young woman with whom Mary had formed a passionate friendship; and Anne, who always followed Mary in everything had soon been declaring her devotion to Frances.
“An insipid creature,” said Sarah.
“Compared with you, of course; but Mary and I thought her wonderful. I believe Mary still does. But they have been long separated and Mary is married to William, and Frances to Benjamin Bathurst now. Frances has a brood of children and poor Mary has none … but what was I saying? We all took names for ourselves alone. It was such fun being incognito. Mary was Clorine and Frances was Aurelia—just for themselves—and I was Ziphares and Frances—to me—was Semandra. I should like us to have our own names, Sarah. Simple names, so that we could pretend to be two old gossips.”
Sarah nodded slowly “But, Madam, I think that is an excellent idea.”
“Sarah, I am so pleased. Shall I tell you what names I have chosen—Morley and Freeman. Mrs . Morley and Mrs . Freeman. Then we are of one rank … in fact we are without rank. I think it would give me great pleasure.”
“I think so too,” said Sarah. “Then I shall feel free to talk to you as I so often wish to. The very fact of your being the Princess does I fear come between us.”
“Then Morley and Freeman it shall be. Now we have to decide which is which. You are clever, Sarah, so I am going to make you decide. Who are you going to be, Mrs. Morley or Mrs. Freeman?”
Sarah considered. “Well,” she said, “I am of a very frank and free nature so I think Freeman would best suit me.”
“You have chosen, Mrs. Freeman. Now sit down and tell me the latest news of Mr. Freeman. Mr. Morley is in great spirits and with me is looking forward to the appearance of Baby Morley which I must confess, dear Mrs. Freeman, still seems to me a long way off.”
“You are too impatient, Mrs. Morley. You are like every other mother with a first child. I remember how I was with my Henrietta.”
Anne laughed. “Oh, Mrs. Freeman, I think this was an excellent idea of mine. Already I feel you are different toward me.”
“I believe it is going to make greater freedom between us, Mrs. Morley.”
The Princess Anne was brought to bed of a daughter but almost immediately it became apparent
With the Princess she was gentle and affectionate—but only to her.
As for Anne, she loved Lady Churchill even more than she had Mrs. Churchill, for it was very comforting to have given so much pleasure to a dear friend.
Anne was sitting alone with her dear friend as she so loved to do.
“Sarah,” she said, “you are pleased with your new title.”
“You can well imagine what pleasure it gives me to stand on equal terms with some of these vipers you have around you, Madam.”
“I trust my aunt has not been unpleasant to you.”
“She is by nature unpleasant. She looks like a mad woman, that one, for all that she tries to talk like a scholar.”
Anne burst into laughter. “Oh, I do see what you mean, Sarah.”
“It is pleasant to amuse you, Madam.”
“When you call me Madam, Sarah, I feel we are too far apart. You are Lady Churchill now but that is a long way beneath the rank of Princess.”
“The rank of Princess,” said Sarah coolly, “is one which can only come through inheritance or marriage. It is not to be earned. ”
“When I am with you, dear Sarah, I feel that you are so much more worthy to hold rank than I.”
“Why, Madam, we must all accept the injustices of fate.”
“I could never bring you up to royal level, Sarah, no matter what I did. So, I have been thinking how pleasant it would be if we could be together as … equals.”
Sarah was immediately excited. “How so, Madam?”
“When I was a child I loved giving myself names. So did Mary. It was a kind of game with us. Do you remember Frances Apsley?”
Sarah frowned. Indeed she remembered Frances Apsley, that young woman with whom Mary had formed a passionate friendship; and Anne, who always followed Mary in everything had soon been declaring her devotion to Frances.
“An insipid creature,” said Sarah.
“Compared with you, of course; but Mary and I thought her wonderful. I believe Mary still does. But they have been long separated and Mary is married to William, and Frances to Benjamin Bathurst now. Frances has a brood of children and poor Mary has none … but what was I saying? We all took names for ourselves alone. It was such fun being incognito. Mary was Clorine and Frances was Aurelia—just for themselves—and I was Ziphares and Frances—to me—was Semandra. I should like us to have our own names, Sarah. Simple names, so that we could pretend to be two old gossips.”
Sarah nodded slowly “But, Madam, I think that is an excellent idea.”
“Sarah, I am so pleased. Shall I tell you what names I have chosen—Morley and Freeman. Mrs . Morley and Mrs . Freeman. Then we are of one rank … in fact we are without rank. I think it would give me great pleasure.”
“I think so too,” said Sarah. “Then I shall feel free to talk to you as I so often wish to. The very fact of your being the Princess does I fear come between us.”
“Then Morley and Freeman it shall be. Now we have to decide which is which. You are clever, Sarah, so I am going to make you decide. Who are you going to be, Mrs. Morley or Mrs. Freeman?”
Sarah considered. “Well,” she said, “I am of a very frank and free nature so I think Freeman would best suit me.”
“You have chosen, Mrs. Freeman. Now sit down and tell me the latest news of Mr. Freeman. Mr. Morley is in great spirits and with me is looking forward to the appearance of Baby Morley which I must confess, dear Mrs. Freeman, still seems to me a long way off.”
“You are too impatient, Mrs. Morley. You are like every other mother with a first child. I remember how I was with my Henrietta.”
Anne laughed. “Oh, Mrs. Freeman, I think this was an excellent idea of mine. Already I feel you are different toward me.”
“I believe it is going to make greater freedom between us, Mrs. Morley.”
The Princess Anne was brought to bed of a daughter but almost immediately it became apparent
Similar Books
