Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria by Jean Plaidy

dragoon's uniform and he liked very much to sit beside Feodore and talk to her and Spath while I did the watering.
    It was very pleasant for they laughed a good deal and old Spath satthere nodding and smiling as she did when she was pleased. Such happy afternoons they were and then suddenly they ended; and we were not to go into Uncle Sussex's garden again.
    Spath was in disgrace; so was Feodore. I found her crying one day and I begged her to tell me what was wrong.
    “Augustus and I had planned to marry,” she said.
    “Oh, that will be lovely,” I cried. “You would live so close and I could come and water your garden every day.”
    Feodore shook her head. “Mama is very angry. I am going to be sent away.”
    “Oh no, Feddie…You mustn't go away!”
    She nodded miserably and the sight of her tears set me weeping with her.
    “Mama is blaming poor Spath. She may be sent away, too.”
    Feodore, in her abject misery, was more communicative than she would otherwise have been.
    “Augustus is not considered suitable.”
    I was beginning to know something of these matters and I demanded, “Why not? He is
my
cousin.”
    “Well yes, but you see, although the Duke married Lady Augusta Murray, because she was not royal, the marriage was not considered to be a true one and therefore they say that dear Augustus is not legitimate. So I can't marry him.”
    “It is so unfair,” I said. “It would have been lovely.”
    “I know, little sister. But they won't allow it.”
    “Uncle Sussex wouldn't mind.”
    “Oh no. He only cares about his books and his clocks, and his bullfinches and canaries. He wouldn't mind. But Mama says we have behaved disgracefully. Oh not you…you are not blamed. It is poor old Spath and I.”
    I was right to be concerned. Very soon Feodore came to me, very quiet and sad, and told me that she was going to Germany to pay a visit to our grandmother.
    I was desolate and could not be comforted. Poor old Spath went about hanging her head in shame; and Lehzen took up a very superior attitude toward her.
    I hugged Spath when we were alone and said, “Never mind. We were all very happy in the gardens. It wasn't your fault about Augustus not being right for Feodore. How were you to know? He is so handsome.”
    At which Spath held me tightly and said that her greatest fear was that she should be taken away from me, which I thought very gratifying and which consoled me a little.
    I overheard Spath and Lehzen talking together once and although I knew it was very wrong to listen to people when they did not know you were present, I couldn't help doing so because they were talking about Feodore. They talked in an odd sort of language when together. They would have preferred to speak in German but Mama had forbidden German to be spoken because
I
must speak English as my native tongue. There must be no trace of a German accent in my speech. That was very important. And although I learned German, it must be a secondary language. The English did not like royal people to speak English with a foreign accent. So dear Spath and Lehzen managed very well usually in English but when they were excited—particularly Spath—the odd German word or phrase would be thrown in.
    Now they were talking about Feodore.
    “There will be
die Berlobung
…” That was Spath.
    “A betrothal,” corrected Lehzen sternly. “I think that is certain. Her grandmother, the Duchess, will see to that.”
    “Poor dear little Feodore…they were so happy.”
    “You should have reported what was going on.”
    “
Ach… wunderbar
… the two…so young…
Lieben
…”
    “Baroness Spath, English please.”
    “I forget. I am so unhappy. The Duchess blames me. I should have spoken. But they were so happy…”
    “And you carried notes from one to the other! Oh, Baroness, you have behaved completely without discretion.”
    “Sometimes… for love…it happens.”
    “And Victoria was there!”
    “Dear innocent child…so happy watering the