"Lee Edgar - Plot 03 - Plot For A King" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

Ramsden from England. She is to marry Prince Philippe.’
Carrie bowed to this tall, fine lady who had arrived.
‘Carrie,’ the Queen continued. ‘This is Anne-Marie Louise, daughter of my brother, Gaston.’
‘Pleased to meet you, Your Highness,’ said Carrie with a curtsy.
The Princess’s long, fair hair fell out of her hood as the footman took her outer garment and she
nodded to Carrie and smiled. Carrie guessed she was in her late teens or early twenties but
already looked very confident and intelligent.
‘I keep telling my Charles,’ Henriette said to Carrie as they all walked into the library. ‘Instead of
gallivanting all over Holland and Jersey, he should be here, courting Anne-Marie.’
‘Now don’t you go spreading rumours, Aunt Henriette,’ Anne-Marie scolded playfully. ‘I like my
cousin a lot but I’m not sure whether marriage is on the cards.’
‘I was teasing, Anne-Marie. I’m not convinced that Charles knows what he wants at the
moment.’
‘My dear Aunt Henriette, with all the things I have heard about his exploits and mistresses,
marriage to me must be the very last thing in his mind.’
Henriette was appaled. ‘Does he not treat you well?’
‘On the contrary, he is always the perfect gentleman. He holds his hat in his hand whatever the
weather, opens coach doors for me and is the model of politeness.’
‘Then what is the problem?’
‘We don’t love each other. I get the impression at times that he is spending time with me only to
please you and, when he is not here, his interests are elsewhere. This Lucy Walter, for instance.’
‘But there is nothing serious in it.’
‘No? I hear the young lady in question is expecting his child. That sounds fairly serious to me.’
‘Well, yes. But Lucy will never make a queen. He knows that.’
‘I certainly hope that he does,’ Anne-Marie said a little pompously. Then, ‘Of course, neither is
there a guarantee that Charles will ever become King, is there?.’
‘That is true, Anne-Marie,’ blushed Henriette. ‘However, he is expecting news from Scotland any
day now. Carrie’s brother, Andrew, has gone to arrange a meeting between Charles and the
Scottish Kirk. If the meeting is successful, my son could be King within the month.’
‘We shall see, Aunt Henriette, we shall see.’ The young woman turned to Carrie. ‘Tell me, Lady
Caroline, where will you live when you are married?’
‘We hope to live at one of Philippe’s Chateaux south of the Auvergne. I’m not sure exactly
where.’
‘Somewhere warm, eh? I don’t blame you. Father and I seem to spend most of our time in The
Palace of Luxemburg these days, and it’s not too warm in there I might tell you. I think I should go
and marry some Spanish Prince and live in the sun.’
‘Don’t be too sure of that, Anne-Marie,’ said Henriette. ‘There are more Spaniards in Flanders at
the moment than in Spain itself.’
‘Yes, don’t I know it. If only Condé and father would patch up their feuding, I would feel much
more secure. His troops next to ours would protect France perfectly.’
‘You’re right, Anne-Marie. A Spanish invasion is the last thing France needs right now. We’re
sandwiched between Spanish Flanders and Spain itself and, with our armies divided over this
Fronde farce, we would be easy pickings.’
‘I would hardly have called the Fronde a farce. Parlement are taking it very seriously. They want
rid of Mazarin at any cost and Queen Anne too, if she gets in their way.’ She sighed. ‘If only Prince
Louis was old enough to rule.’
‘That’s what I was saying to Carrie. With France and England both in Civil War, Spain and
Holland look set to dominate Europe again.’
‘Then we must do what we can to end the Civil Wars. If the men are too proud to do it, perhaps
we women should do something.’