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Chapters (54)
  1. Cover
  2. The Summer Queen
  3. Dedication Page
  4. Family Tree of King George III
  5. Family Tree of Queen Victoria
  6. PART ONE
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. Chapter Ten
  17. Chapter Eleven
  18. Chapter Twelve
  19. Chapter Thirteen
  20. PART TWO
  21. Chapter Fourteen
  22. Chapter Fifteen
  23. Chapter Sixteen
  24. Chapter Seventeen
  25. Chapter Eighteen
  26. Chapter Nineteen
  27. Chapter Twenty
  28. Chapter Twenty-One
  29. Chapter Twenty-Two
  30. Chapter Twenty-Three
  31. Chapter Twenty-Four
  32. PART THREE
  33. Chapter Twenty-Five
  34. Chapter Twenty-Six
  35. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  36. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  37. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  38. Chapter Thirty
  39. Chapter Thirty-One
  40. Chapter Thirty-Two
  41. PART FOUR
  42. Chapter Thirty-Three
  43. Chapter Thirty-Four
  44. Chapter Thirty-Five
  45. Chapter Thirty-Six
  46. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  47. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  48. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  49. Chapter Forty
  50. Chapter Forty-One
  51. Acknowledgements
  52. Select Bibliography
  53. The Summer Queen
  54. By Margaret Pemberton

It was so unexpected, and she was so overcome at his having sought her out in such a way, that all May could manage in response was to say stiltedly, ‘I’m very happy for both of you.’

‘I knew you would be.’ He smiled the slow, languid smile that turned her knees to water. ‘I remember unburdening myself to you about my love life when everyone expected me to marry Mossy, and when I was determined not to. You were a very good listener, May. I appreciated it. I also know that when I talk to you, nothing I say goes any further.’

May was aware that Maudie had moved away and they were on their own. With her heart feeling as if it was beating somewhere up in her throat, she said, ‘When will there be an official announcement?’

‘When the Queen has given us permission to marry – and we can’t ask her for permission until the Roman Catholic thing is got out of the way.’

May said faintly, ‘Roman Catholic thing? Is Hélène Roman Catholic?’

‘Yes. I expect that was why, when Granny Queen was matchmaking, she never added darling Hélène’s name to her list of possible brides. It was a silly oversight, when the RC thing can so easily be sorted.’

‘Can it?’ May frowned, and then said in puzzlement, ‘Then why couldn’t Georgie marry Julie?’

‘Oh, that was completely different. Julie was a commoner. Hélène is a royal princess.’

The game of Musical Chairs had come to an end and the breathless participants were making their way back into the drawing room.

As Eddy saw Hélène walk into the room, arm-in arm with Marie-Louise, he said, bringing their conversation to an end, ‘Hélène’s father has written to Cardinal Manning informing him of our forthcoming engagement, and so you see, May, there is no need for any anxiety. Manning is the Archbishop of Westminster and the highest Catholic authority in England. Once he gives his approval – and the Count of Paris is certain that he will – everything will be straightforward.’

And with an aching heart and all her pleasure in the evening extinguished, she watched him cross the room to Hélène’s side and slide his arm once more lovingly around her waist.

Chapter Seventeen

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AUGUST 1890, MARLBOROUGH HOUSE

‘I simply can’t feel the same about Maudie, after the way she has broken poor Frank’s heart and driven him out of the country with grief,’ Princess Mary Adelaide said emotionally to May a few days later, as they travelled by train from Richmond into central London in a private carriage. ‘And why you are spending even more time with her now than you did before she turned down Frank’s proposal of marriage, I can’t imagine.’