‘Indeed, there is.’
‘You should see it for yourself tomorrow. I’m going shooting, and I won’t need you until midafternoon.’ Her eyes lit up, reminding Caroline of the eager child she’d been only a decade ago, leading games and adventures with her younger sister.
‘Thank you, Ma’am. That’s very kind of you.’
Caroline went to the closet and brought out the jewellery cases that had been set aside to go with the queen’s evening outfit – every evening they were brought up from the safe ahead of time. The first contained a beautiful set of sapphire earrings and a matching necklace. In the second was a thick silver bracelet, so heavy that Caroline was expecting it to contain more than just this one solid item.
‘Oh, not that wretched thing again!’ the queen said with a sigh, holding out her hand for Caroline to attach it. ‘It might have been my grandmother’s favourite, but it always gets in the way.’ And then she added with a smile, ‘Especially if there’s dancing.’
‘I’m sure there are other bracelets in the safe. I could go down and find a different one.’
‘No, it’ll be fine.’ Her smile had faded. ‘That was how it was set out, and so that’s how it will be.’
As she put it around the queen’s wrist, Caroline couldn’t help butquietly add, ‘I could bring them out for you to look at?’ And then, unthinking, she added, ‘It’s your choice.’
For an unnerving minute, the queen sat completely still in front of the mirror, looking straight at Caroline in its reflection.
Inside Caroline’s temples, her blood pounded faster. Had she spoken too fast, been too forward? Was she about to be told to pack her bags, go back to London?
Then, almost imperceptibly, something in the queen’s shoulders straightened, and she smiled, amused by her assistant dresser. ‘Perhaps I’ll leave the bracelet for this evening.’
As Caroline released a silent breath of relief, a tap came from the door. It was followed by the arrival of Philip, dressed for dinner. He strolled in, smiling as he pushed his hands boyishly into his pockets. ‘Beautiful as ever, darling.’ He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
‘You’re looking very happy,’ she said. And then, more quizzically, ‘What’s happened?’
‘You know that I’ve been working on Churchill and the Duke of Norfolk to allow cameras at the coronation? Well, it looks like I’ve got the television coverage worked out.’ Philip grinned.
The queen eyed her husband suspiciously. ‘I thought the committee said it went against the ethos of the whole investiture. There’s supposed to be an air of awe and spirituality about it, not cameras.’
‘I don’t think we should let that stand in our way, darling. We have to move with the times, and we need the public on our side. How many are we squeezing into Westminster Abbey, six thousand? What about the rest of the nation, the everyday people, not to mention the commonwealth countries around the world. Are they lesser citizens because they can’t witness it?’
‘I know, but I thought it was already decided that the coronation isn’t the time to go on television.’
Philip grinned. ‘Well, let’s just say they’ve been encouraged to change their minds. We hatched a plan, and it looks like it’s worked.’
‘What kind of plan?’ Her tone was level.
‘We leaked it to the press.’ He laughed, pleased with himself. ‘Now the papers are polling the public, who unanimously want to watch it ontelevision. Churchill and the Duke of Norfolk can hardly refuse us now.’
The queen let out a small laugh. ‘Very cunning, darling. But do you really think it’s a good idea? I’m not sure I want the world watching while I’m anointed.’
‘We won’t show the sacred part of it, the anointing. The cameras will be switched off, and the television screens will show a plain message for that part of the ceremony.’
‘Well, that’s well and good, but what if I make a mistake? What if I trip or stumble over the words, or the archbishop falls asleep?’
They both giggled as they went to the door, and Caroline hid a smile.
‘The whole thing goes on for such a long time, I can’t imagine that anyone will dwell on one or two little hiccoughs, will they?’
As they walked down the corridor, their voices receding, Caroline began to tidy the room, deep in thought.
The queen was torn between duty and the future, the freedom to make people happy, to bend the rules, or even to make new ones, rules that put people first.
Duty was a word thrust onto women far too often. It was women’s duty to dedicate their lives to their families, to be good, uncomplaining wives, to stand in the background and let their husbands or the other men in their lives make the big decisions.
Caroline knew that her sense of duty had kept her inside her marriage, yielding to Frank, leaving the finances and decisions to him. Yet how could she let a man who was bad with money, unable to keep his job and a dreadful father run her life? If she had to stay with him, she owed it to herself and Annabel to stand up to him.
Only it had become so ingrained – so much easier – to go along with him that she knew she wouldn’t have the energy and nerve to go up against him.
