Perdita's Prince: (Georgian Series) Read Online Free PDF

King and departed as speedily as he could.
    As soon as he had left her she sent for Harriot Vernon. The girl stood before her – beautiful, radiant and – guilty.
    ‘I have sent for you, Miss Vernon,’ said the Queen, ‘to tell you that your services are no longer required at Court.’
    ‘But Your Majesty …’
    The Queen looked surprised. ‘Call Madam von Schwellenburg,’ she commanded.
    ‘Your Majesty …’
    ‘I have said, call Madam von Schwellenburg.’
    Schwellenburg, listening at the door, had little need to be called. She swept in.
    ‘Your Majesty calls of me,’ she said.
    ‘Miss Vernon is leaving us … at once,’ said the Queen. ‘Pray help her to leave … immediately.’
    ‘Vill see to selfs,’ promised Schwellenburg, and Harriot had no recourse but to leave with her, and the German woman stood over her while she packed her bags and herself ordered the carriage.
    Within an hour of that interview with the Queen Harriot Vernon had left Court.

Encounter in Hyde Park
    GEORGE MOURNED THE departure of Harriot for a few days and then found a new mistress. He did not have to seek far. He soon proved what he had never doubted; not only was he extremely personable and completely charming, but as he was also the Prince of Wales he was irresistible. More than this his youthful exuberance, his discovery that the most exciting and alluring prospect in life was women made him completely fascinating to that sex; and as he embarked on the lightest of love affairs with the conviction that his partner in the adventure was the one woman in the world to whom he could remain faithful for the rest of his life, even shorn of the trappings of royalty, he would have been a successful lover.
    The Queen had given birth to another son, christened Octavius, who was not so strong as his brothers and sisters and almost immediately, to her consternation, she was pregnant again.
    It had been impossible to keep the scandal of Harriot Vernon and the inclinations of the Prince from his father, who declared that his eldest son’s conduct gave him many a sleepless night.
    But George was impervious to scandal. He had discovered the whole meaning of life; he reiterated constantly to his brothers, equerries and anyone interested that if his parents were too meanto give him his own establishment, no one was going to prevent him living his own life.
    His confidant continued to be his brother Frederick who listened avidly to accounts of George’s adventures and began to have a few of his own.
    The awkward situations which often accompanied these adventures bothered the Prince very little. There were scandals about him; he had discovered a taste for women older than himself – even Harriot had been a few months older – and his fancy often alighted on those who were married. This could mean jealous husbands, for there were some men who failed to appreciate the honour done to the family by the Prince’s favouring one of its women. There was no lack of aspirants for his favours and this meant that envy prevailed among those whom he passed over towards those whom he favoured.
    After the dullness of his boyhood he found life full of excitement – and he determined to enjoy it.
    There were several people who had their eyes on him – apart from women. It was natural that politicians who were out of favour with the King and were extremely ambitious should have the notion of forming a rival faction. It would not be the first time there had been a King’s party and a Prince’s party; and now that the latter was growing up the time seemed to have come to make plans. Moreover, no one could deny that the Prince was intelligent. There had never yet been such a cultured member of this branch of the Royal Family. The Prince had taken to learning with alacrity. Perhaps because there had been so little excitement in his boyhood he had sought it in books. The fact remained that he was well versed in the classics, was a good linguist, had a ready wit