The Regent's Daughter: (Georgian Series) Read Online Free PDF

although they did not kiss her – only when there was a forfeit in the games in which she joined.
    Her mother’s house was quite different from anything she had ever known – or was likely to.
    There was a sailor whom everyone called Sir Sydney – and wherever he was, there was lots of gaiety; he was constantly chasing and kissing the ladies; but he could tell a good adventure story of how brave he was. Charlotte particularly liked the one in which he defended Saint Jean d’Acre.
    Mamma used to listen, her eyes alight with pleasure.
    ‘One of these days,’ she said, ‘I shall sail round the world. Will you come with me, my precious?’
    Charlotte had replied that she would like to but she thought that, since she would one day be Queen of England, her place would be at home.
    That made her mother screech with laughter. ‘You see, Sydney, they are making a queen of her already.’
    Strange Montague House, where everything was so different from what it was at Windsor or Carlton House. But perhaps it was Mamma who was so strange that she would transform any place where she was and even Kew would become strange if she lived there.
    She had not realized how interested she was in the manner in which life was lived at Montague House until she was not able to go there.
    It is excuses all the time. Well, I am going to find out, she promised herself.
    Who would tell her? Mrs Gagarin and Louisa Lewis she had hoped, but however much she tried to worm it out of them they would not tell her. They had such a stern sense of their own duty.
    Her thoughts went to Mrs Udney, who, with Mrs Campbell, was attached to the household as assistant governess. Charlotte was quite fond of Mrs Campbell, though she was rather a colourless woman always talking about her family connection with the de Cliffords – and it was no doubt due to this that she had been given the post. Mrs Udney was of a different nature. There was something about Mrs Udney which Charlotte did not like. She was rather good-looking, with charming manners, so that one took to her at first and then began to wonder. Charlotte had seen her fly into a sudden temper, which was something with which Charlotte could sympathize, but then she did not pretend to be so calm and gentle. She had heard Mrs Udney sniggering with Mrs Campbell, and when she was aware of the Princess’s attention she would smother her sniggers. Charlotte could not help wondering what it was that brought that expression to her face until one day she discovered that it was the affairs of the Princess of Wales.
    There were, of course, many rumours; and she did hear of them at her mother’s house where one could read the papers and see the cartoons. But she believed that even her mother might keep some from her; and these would probably be the ones she most wanted to see.
    Mrs Udney would be in the Princess’s bedchamber at this time putting her clothes away and setting out what she would wear for her audience with her grandmother and aunts. So toher bedchamber went Charlotte and there as she had expected she found Mrs Udney alone.
    ‘I thought you’d be here, Mrs Udney,’ said Charlotte, coming straight to the point. She sat down on the bed and bounced up and down on it while Mrs Udney put her head on one side and regarded her with amusement.
    ‘I want to know why I do not go to Montague House,’ said Charlotte bluntly.
    ‘Because Your Highness is at Windsor.’
    ‘As I am not a child, Mrs Udney, I would prefer you did not treat me as such.’
    Mrs Udney inclined her head by way of apology. Oh yes, thought Charlotte, there is something about her which I do not like.
    ‘I command you to answer my questions,’ she said imperiously. ‘Do you know why I am not allowed to go to Montague House? A plain yes or no, please.’
    ‘Why … yes, Your Highness.’
    ‘Then pray tell me.’
    ‘Your Highness, I might be exceeding my duty.’
    ‘Your duty to whom?’
    ‘Those who place me in my responsible