Page 12 of A Queen's Match
Which was why she decided to risk saying, “A healthy baby is such a blessing. It makes one long for a child of one’sown.”
Missy and Ducky were staring at her with confusion, or perhaps alarm, but May didn’t care. She had to dosomethingto make Victoria pay attention to her. And waxing eloquent about motherhood seemed a safe bet with a woman who’d done it nine times.
Not that May actually meant what she’d said. She’d never played with baby dolls; she felt no emotional yearning to become a mother. But, of course, a baby was highly useful for one’s own security.
A man could get rid of a wife far too easily, by divorcing her, or simply shuffling her off to be “cured” at an asylum, like Lord Mordaunt had recently done to his wife. If you were the mother of an heir, you were a bit safer.
The queen looked at May thoughtfully. “May, Bertie was just telling me about how you and Eddy went into one of those elevator contraptions. Lord Salisbury keeps urging me to install one at Buckingham Palace. He says I’ll like the ease of moving from floor to floor without having to walk. Or be carried,” Victoria added ruefully. “What do you think? Should I add an elevator?”
May nodded. This was a test, and she hoped she was giving the right answer. “I believe so, Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“Aside from the financial cost, I do not see any drawbacks. Your Majesty is quite implacable; I doubt that an elevator would frighten you. And there are a number of benefits toinstalling an elevator now. If it is true that this technology will eventually be in all buildings, then the palace should be one of the first to include one. The duty of the Crown is to set an example that the rest of society will follow.”
The queen looked at May as if seeing her for the first time. “I quite agree.”
For a fleeting instant May thought she had done the impossible, and made a lasting impression on Victoria—but then Victoria dismissed her, turning to the Coburg girls.
“Ducky, would you walk with me?”
Though it was phrased as a question, the words were unmistakably a command. Ducky nodded, letting her grandmother steer her aside.
Directly to Prince Eddy.
May thought of what Missy had said mere minutes ago, when asked how long the sisters would be in town.That depends on Ducky.
She tried to sound nonchalant as she asked Missy, “I take it Her Majesty is matchmaking?”
“I know! Poor Ducky,” Missy agreed.
“Poor Ducky?”May couldn’t help it; the words shot out of her like gunfire.
Missy didn’t seem to register the sharpness of May’s tone. “It would be awful, being told you must marry someone you don’t love. Just look how miserable they both are.”
Neither young woman made a pretense of subtlety. They both stared at Eddy and Ducky, who were now talking in a forced, polite way.
“He clearly has feelings for someone else,” Missy went on. “Do you think it’s Alix? I always assumed he would marryher.”
“I heard that they were never truly engaged. Or if they were, it didn’t work out.” May’s voice came out admirably calm, given that she wanted to shout in frustration.
What a fool she’d been, thinking that it was enough to eliminate Alix and Hélène. She should have known that another contender would rise up, another match in the endless line of princesses who could be queen.
Missy shrugged. “Perhaps I’m overreacting. It’s just that Eddy doesn’t seem…” She struggled for the right word, then settled on, “Faithful. Not like George.”
As she watched Missy glance fondly at George, May felt anger bubbling up within her. It was just so unfair. Missy and Ducky would have a perfect life handed to them, without any effort on their part! One of them was marrying a future king, the other marrying for something as frivolous aslove.A pair of sisters marrying a pair of brothers? It was like something from a fairy tale.
May wasn’t like them, some enchanted princess out of a story. She was less wealthy, less well connected, lesseverythingthan Missy and Ducky.
But she was here. And she wanted to marry Eddy, more than Ducky seemed to.
Fine, then. She would have to get rid of Ducky, the same way she’d gotten rid of Alix and Hélène. No matter what it took, May would find a way.
She had to keep eliminating her competition, one by one, until she was the last princess standing in this endless, relentless quest to become queen.
Chapter Six
Hélène
