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Back The Summer Queen
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

He went down on one knee before her. ‘And so dearest, darling, most wonderful Alicky, please say this changes your mind about not marrying me, and that you will marry me. Please, my darling, for I cannot face going through life without you. You are my sun, moon and stars. Please say you will marry me, Alicky.’

She shook her head. ‘No, Nicky. I cannot.’ Tears of despair rolled down her face, her voice so thick with tears it was barely audible. ‘Truly, I cannot. When I was very young I made contact with my mama at a seance and she asked me never to forget my confirmation vows, and so, you see, I can never deny being a Lutheran. I cannot accept Russian Orthodoxy. It simply isn’t possible, my darling, truly it isn’t.’

Nothing he could say would change her mind.

All Alicky said in a whisper, time and time again and with her hands still held tightly in his, was: ‘No, I cannot, Nicky. I cannot.’

Everyone in the palace was aware of the situation between the two of them, and the main topic of conversation was not Ernie and Ducky’s wedding the next day, but whether or not Alicky would eventually change her mind and agree to marry Nicky.

‘It’s totally infuriating,’ Ducky said crossly to Missy. ‘Tomorrow is my day! I’m the bride. I’m supposed to be the centre of attention. And all anyone is talking about is Alicky and Nicky. Do you think she’s holding out on him in order to spoil my wedding day? She doesn’t want me to marry Ernie, I know that. She’s been First Lady of the Duchy for too long to want me displacing her, but I have never, ever been the centre of attention, because I have never been the pretty one – you have always been the pretty one – and now, just when I could expect to be the centre of everyone’s attention for a few days, it’s all Alicky, Alicky, Alicky!’

Missy rolled her eyes. ‘Goodness, Ducky, don’t let Alicky rattle your cage before the wedding. It’s going to be difficult enough when you are both living beneath the same roof. You’re suffering from pre-wedding nerves, and the only cure is either several glasses of champagne or a long, hard horse-ride. So which is it to be? Personally, I’d opt for champagne.’