very eccentric and has a head like a pineapple, so I’ve heard,’ went on Ernest. Albert yawned.
‘And what did you think of little Victoria?’
‘She is indeed little.’
‘I liked the way she looked up to us. I think she has a certain charm. Do you, Albert?’
‘Yes,’ said Albert.
‘Well, I think we can make up our minds that she will be for one of us. I shouldn’t mind if I were the elect.’
‘You are very flippant about a serious subject,’ said Albert.
‘You are never flippant about any subject, brother. But I’ve been keeping my ears open. I heard what our aunt had to say to our father. The Prince of Orange is here and he has brought his two sons, William and Alexander, with him. The King is entertaining them. You know what this means.’
‘You mean that his sons will be suitors for Victoria?’
‘Suitors with the King’s blessing, it seems. Oh, we have fallen into a den of intrigue, brother. The Duchess and the King are arch enemies; and the Duchess is determined that little Victoria shall marry a Coburg cousin (one of us) and the King wants to spite the Duchess – at least that’s what she says; therefore he is against a Coburg bridegroom. You see you can’t afford to sleep your time away; you have to go out and win the lady … or one of us does. She gave me some admiring glances.’
Albert did not answer. He knew that Uncle Leopold wished him to be the bridegroom and that was good enough. He was sure that even the King of England could not stop Uncle Leopold’s desires.
‘Now, Albert, I don’t think you should have come up here to sleep so soon. It appears that you are not as eager as you should be for the company of your dear little cousin. Don’t forget the King favours Oranges. It is not going to be as easy as we thought. You – or I – have to go in and win.’
‘Stop it, Ernest. I don’t care for such jokes.’
‘Well get up and we will join the Princess and say that we needed only a little rest. You show her the tricks your greyhound does and train her Dash to do them. Or you can sing a duet with her. You really must wake up.’
Albert allowed himself to be persuaded.
The pace was great. The little cousin seemed indefatigable. She never seemed to stop still for a moment. It was not very restful, thought Albert, and he was nostalgic for the pine forests and the quiet life of Rosenau. He must not allow Victoria to see this. He remembered his interviews with Uncle Leopold. ‘You are a younger son and Ernest will take your father’s title, but you, of course, will have to make a place for yourself.’ That place could be here in this rather strange country, whose language he could not adequately understand; he had had a few English lessons and although he had done well on paper, when these people spoke he could not very easily understand them. Victoria obligingly used his language; he would have felt happier if he could have spoken in hers. He would ask Uncle Leopold what should be done about this. So … he was interested in his cousin. Not as a woman; there was no question of what Ernest would call falling in love. This was his future if all went according to Uncle Leopold’s plans; and Victoria was eager to please them and win their approval; she was delighted to have her cousins with her; so, if she became the Queen of this country, as her husband, he would be King; and there could be no doubt whatsoever that the King of England would be a far more powerful man than any little king, prince or duke of one of the German States.
Therefore he must please Victoria. It was gratifying to realise that he did. At breakfast time he could feel in good spirits and amuse her with remarks which she considered extremely funny; he could play with Dash in a way she found amusing. Her loud laughter rang out continually.
‘Oh, Cousin Albert, you are so amusing.’
Then there was music. She really did have an understanding of it. ‘I have always loved it. One birthday we had a
‘And what did you think of little Victoria?’
‘She is indeed little.’
‘I liked the way she looked up to us. I think she has a certain charm. Do you, Albert?’
‘Yes,’ said Albert.
‘Well, I think we can make up our minds that she will be for one of us. I shouldn’t mind if I were the elect.’
‘You are very flippant about a serious subject,’ said Albert.
‘You are never flippant about any subject, brother. But I’ve been keeping my ears open. I heard what our aunt had to say to our father. The Prince of Orange is here and he has brought his two sons, William and Alexander, with him. The King is entertaining them. You know what this means.’
‘You mean that his sons will be suitors for Victoria?’
‘Suitors with the King’s blessing, it seems. Oh, we have fallen into a den of intrigue, brother. The Duchess and the King are arch enemies; and the Duchess is determined that little Victoria shall marry a Coburg cousin (one of us) and the King wants to spite the Duchess – at least that’s what she says; therefore he is against a Coburg bridegroom. You see you can’t afford to sleep your time away; you have to go out and win the lady … or one of us does. She gave me some admiring glances.’
Albert did not answer. He knew that Uncle Leopold wished him to be the bridegroom and that was good enough. He was sure that even the King of England could not stop Uncle Leopold’s desires.
‘Now, Albert, I don’t think you should have come up here to sleep so soon. It appears that you are not as eager as you should be for the company of your dear little cousin. Don’t forget the King favours Oranges. It is not going to be as easy as we thought. You – or I – have to go in and win.’
‘Stop it, Ernest. I don’t care for such jokes.’
‘Well get up and we will join the Princess and say that we needed only a little rest. You show her the tricks your greyhound does and train her Dash to do them. Or you can sing a duet with her. You really must wake up.’
Albert allowed himself to be persuaded.
The pace was great. The little cousin seemed indefatigable. She never seemed to stop still for a moment. It was not very restful, thought Albert, and he was nostalgic for the pine forests and the quiet life of Rosenau. He must not allow Victoria to see this. He remembered his interviews with Uncle Leopold. ‘You are a younger son and Ernest will take your father’s title, but you, of course, will have to make a place for yourself.’ That place could be here in this rather strange country, whose language he could not adequately understand; he had had a few English lessons and although he had done well on paper, when these people spoke he could not very easily understand them. Victoria obligingly used his language; he would have felt happier if he could have spoken in hers. He would ask Uncle Leopold what should be done about this. So … he was interested in his cousin. Not as a woman; there was no question of what Ernest would call falling in love. This was his future if all went according to Uncle Leopold’s plans; and Victoria was eager to please them and win their approval; she was delighted to have her cousins with her; so, if she became the Queen of this country, as her husband, he would be King; and there could be no doubt whatsoever that the King of England would be a far more powerful man than any little king, prince or duke of one of the German States.
Therefore he must please Victoria. It was gratifying to realise that he did. At breakfast time he could feel in good spirits and amuse her with remarks which she considered extremely funny; he could play with Dash in a way she found amusing. Her loud laughter rang out continually.
‘Oh, Cousin Albert, you are so amusing.’
Then there was music. She really did have an understanding of it. ‘I have always loved it. One birthday we had a
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