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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 utter madness, and if he had ever doubted Alicky’s influence over Nicky before, he did so no longer. To make matters worse, the French Ambassador was giving a ball that night in Nicky and Alicky’s honour. Silver plate and tapestry had been shipped in from Versailles, as had one hundred thousand roses from the South of France. And from what he had just seen, Alicky would convince Nicky that, because of the death toll, it would be inappropriate for them to attend, which would be seen as a great insult by their French visitors.

He needed Sergei and Paul’s help to change Nicky’s mind. Together they would be able to hammer home to their nephew the necessity of acting as his late father would have done. But what of the next time Alicky gave Nicky bad advice? And the next time? And all the times after that?

He strode out of the palace, boiling with anger and frustration, hardly able to believe that Sergei had been such a fool as to think that he was going to have complete control over their new rulers. It was a belief that had been a mirage – and now, God help them, they were going to have to live with the consequences.

Chapter Thirty-One

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JUNE 1897, YORK COTTAGE

May was seated in a basketwork chair on the lawn of York Cottage, a writing pad on her knee as she tried to catch up on her correspondence while at the same time enjoying the summer sun.

She was disturbed by George – her days of thinking of him as Georgie were long over – striding down from the house towards her, a telegram in his hand. ‘News from Nicky.’ He handed her the telegram. ‘Alicky has had the baby. It’s a girl. Tatiana. With all the pressure on them to give Russia an heir, he and Alicky must be crushed with disappointment.’

‘Yes.’ May was aware of prayers not answered. ‘They must be.’

His errand accomplished, he said, ‘Don’t stay out in the sun too long. It will give you one of your headaches.’ And having shown what he felt was husbandly concern, he stomped back to the house and his waiting stamp collection.

May closed her eyes. Another girl. The Russians would no doubt begin saying that Alicky was a woman who bred only girls, but they would be wrong. A letter from Alicky, written just over a year ago, meant that she, May, knew differently. It had been a letter stained with tears, which Alicky had written in shaky handwriting: