Chapter 25
“Your Majesty, an epistle was received for you. At first, the Duchess of Hamilton and I did not think you should see this drivel, but we realised that you would not be able to decide what, if anything, is to be done if you do not read it yourself,” Juliane von Schellenberg, the Queen’s bedchamber woman and most trusted friend, stated contritely in their shared native language.
“We appreciate your efforts to protect us, but we like to be kept informed,” Queen Charlotte responded in her native German. “Hand us the offensive missive.”
Juliane curtsied deeply and handed the missive to Her Majesty. She backed out of the Queen’s bedchamber, nodding to a member of the royal guard to pull the door closed behind her.
Queen Charlotte looked at the direction.
It was from Lady Catherine de Bourgh, whom Her Majesty was aware had been removed from her position of power some years previously after her daughter had gone to her final reward.
If the termagant was requesting that someone step in to restore her as the mistress of Rosings Park, then the woman was further in her dotage than Queen Charlotte already considered her to be.
The Queen unfolded the previously unsealed letter and began to read. The more she read, the angrier she became.
When she finished reading, she pulled the cord, which summoned the major domo to her suite.
The man entered and bowed, looking at her expectantly.
“We believe that Lords Matlock and Holder are in London. Have them come to see us as soon as may be,” the Queen commanded.
“Include their countesses in the invitation as well.”
The major domo bowed at the waist and exited the Queen’s apartments. Next, she rang for Juliane and three of her lady’s maids.
It did not take too long before Her Majesty was dressed and ready to be seen.
Thereafter, with her ladies in waiting trailing behind her, the Queen made for one of her receiving rooms at Buckingham House.
A lady in waiting, the Countess of Pembroke, made sure the major domo knew to direct the visitors to the parlour where Her Majesty was seated.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
It just so happened that the Fitzwilliams were at Holder House when the royal page arrived with messages summoning both earls and their wives to see Queen Charlotte at her primary residence in London.
The two men were in Holder’s study. It was the Wednesday after Andrew had wed Marie, and the newlyweds were at Seaview House, the Darcys’ house near Brighton, where they were to begin their wedding trip.
“Do you have any idea why Her Majesty has ordered us to appear before her?” Holder enquired after the royal page had departed.
“No, Holder. I have no clue as to why, but one does not keep Her Majesty waiting. Come, let us inform our wives; I believe they are in the main drawing room,” Matlock replied.
“May I come with you?” Elizabeth enquired once her father told her mamma and Aunt Elaine that they needed to depart forthwith to see Queen Charlotte.
“No, Lizzy, you may not come uninvited,” Edith said with a smile. She had a good idea why Lizzy had made her request. “And why, pray tell, would you want to see Her Majesty today?”
“If I curtsy to her today, I will not have to don one of those hooped monstrosities like Jane did,” Elizabeth responded.
There was laughter from around the drawing room, which only increased when Lizzy put on a pout at being laughed at. It lasted a few seconds before she too giggled.
“Only Lizzy,” Lady Elaine stated affectionately. “You are well aware that one does not impose on the Queen, are you not, Lizzy?”
“Of course, I am,” Elizabeth replied. “You cannot blame a girl for trying.”
“We must away,” Holder reminded everyone. “When we arrive home, we will share what it was that caused Her Majesty to invite us to see her.”
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
The Earls of Matlock and Holder, along with their countesses, were shown into the receiving room where Her Majesty and all her ladies-in-waiting sat. The men bowed deeply, and their wives made proper court curtsies to the Queen.
“Before anything else, Lord and Lady Matlock, we wish to extend our congratulations for Lord Hilldale’s marriage to our cousins’ only daughter.
He and Lady Marie are well matched,” Queen Charlotte began once she had inclined her head to accept the courtesies shown to her.
“The reason we summoned you is because we are greatly perturbed by a letter we received. It is not any of you with whom we are angry, but we will need your counsel regarding how we are to respond to this.” The Queen held up an epistle.
She summoned a footman. “Hand this to Lord Matlock.” Then she looked at the four persons before her.
“We will discuss this once you have all read the missive. You may be seated.”
Each couple sat on one of the settees facing the queen and her ladies. As soon as the footman handed Matlock the paper, he felt a chill as he identified Catherine’s handwriting before seeing the direction.
He held the letter so Elaine could read it as well. They began to read.
20 August 1807
Rosings Park
Kent
Queen Charlotte!
How can a sane woman, if you are indeed sane, elevate those Carrington foundlings to the same rank as me?
It is not to be borne! I am sure they are the by-blows of some servant, and as such, they can never be considered equal to me! Are the shades of the nobility to be so polluted by these nothings who need to be returned to the gutter where they belong?
How can it be that they are elevated while I languish in this hovel, and my estate, house in London, and my fortune have been stolen from me? How can the Crown allow such injustices to be perpetrated in the realm?
I command you to turn your attention to righting the wrong you made in a moment of dotage and to remove the titles of ‘Lady’ from the low-born foundlings immediately. Now that I have instructed it, I expect to see an announcement reversing this travesty in the papers forthwith.
Once you have obeyed me in this, you will remove my traitorous nephew from my estate, punish my brother for helping him steal what is mine, and restore me to my rightful place.
You should always obey your betters. How can one born outside of the Kingdom be superior to a noble Englishwoman like me?
Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Peer of the Realm
Neither Lady Elaine nor Matlock thought that Catherine was so far lost to reason. She had finally slipped the bounds of sanity. Without a word, Matlock handed the letter to Holder and waited while he and Edith read it.
“She has committed treason!” Edith exclaimed. Realising she had said the words aloud, she placed her hand over her mouth.
“Lady Holder has the right of it. The words Mrs de Bourgh wrote to us are indeed treasonous,” Queen Charlotte stated. “To begin with, we have stripped her honorific from her. The only question which remains is whether she is for the tower or to be consigned to Bedlam?”
“It has been some time since she has been a member of our family in any meaningful way,” Matlock stated.
“When Anne de Bourgh went to her final reward, anything left between us, which also applies to how my sister Lady Anne Darcy feels about our older sister Catherine, was broken. All she cared about was retaining her perceived power.” He paused to consider his next words carefully.
“I would not wish execution on anyone, Your Majesty. That being said, I, we, will defer to your judgement in the matter, as it was you whom she insulted so grievously.”
“Do you agree with your husband, Lady Matlock?” Queen Charlotte questioned.
“I do, Your Majesty,” Lady Elaine replied.
“And you, Lord and Lady Holder? It is your daughters whom Mrs de Bourgh slandered after all,” the Queen queried.
“We are with Lord and Lady Matlock,” Holder returned as his Edith nodded her agreement. “Either way, Mrs de Bourgh will be removed from society, and we, especially our most precious daughters, will never be exposed to her vitriol and machinations again.”
“We thank you for coming so quickly,” Queen Charlotte said. “We will notify you when we reach a decision. As Lord Holder implied, one way or the other, this blight on society will be excised.”
With that, Her Majesty stood, as did everyone else seated in the room. The guests bowed and curtsied. Queen Charlotte turned and walked towards a door in the rear of the room, her entourage following her. As soon as she exited the room, the Fitzwilliam and Carrington parents stood up normally.
Within moments, the doors behind them opened, and the major domo guided them back to the coach they had shared to arrive.
~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~
Lady Catherine de Bourgh was seriously displeased with the Queen who spoke that disgusting German language. It had been three months since her letter demanded the revocation of the title of ‘Lady’ for the foundlings.
So far there had been nothing, and Catherine had looked at the papers every day seeking the notice she expected, nay, had demanded, to see.
The problem was that she had not seen one.
Perhaps, Lady Catherine reasoned, she should write another letter because the previous one had been misdirected.
That was the only good explanation for her commands being ignored.
She had just sat down at her writing desk when there was an insistent pounding on the front door. She would leave that to her servants; the great Lady Catherine de Bourgh did not do anything as plebian as answering the door.
Catherine ignored the voices she heard from downstairs, nor did she pay attention to the sounds of multiple pairs of boots trudging up the stairs. When the door to her sitting room was unceremoniously thrown open, her notice was captured. She could not account for the presence of the men.
“Do you know who I am? What is the meaning of you men intruding on my attention?” Catherine screeched.
“Mrs Catherine de Bourgh…” the one man began.