Abigail's Cousin (11 page)

The footman
walked away but rather than be seen waiting Harley, though feeling
somewhat foolish holding his stick and scroll, with the chain of
office still round his neck, sauntered off towards the garden path.
A thought struck him and he looked around for the woman in the
striped dress. He heard a voice behind him:

"Are you
looking for something, sir?" It was a woman's voice and he spun
around to face her again feeling foolish with all his accoutrements
of office but managed to reply:

"Good day
mistress. Is it mistress Abigail? Do you remember the Ferrers’
household where last we met?"

"Gracious me,
yes," she answered, "Is it Mr Harley. I scarce recognised you. I
would help you with... but as you see, I too am burdened."

Harley saw she
had both arms full with baskets of flowers as when he paid
particular attention to them, she explained:

"This is the coltsfoot. Are not the
yellow
blooms beautiful?
Underneath be primrose and a few cowslip." Then, pointing to the
right basket said:

"All white
willow. It's grown outside in the park which is why it's taken me
so long. Still it's good to be in the open air especially on a day,
like today."

He said: "It
suits you mistress. You have a wonderful complexion," which she
dismissed abruptly saying:

"In other
words, over-exposed and red! Never mind! I am not of the Court."
Then pointing out his accoutrements, she commented:

"We have
little use for such things in the country, sir, but they are as
necessary to you I daresay, as a trowel is to me. Can I direct you
somewhere?"

Brought to the
business of his earlier thoughts and now having to articulate them,
he hesitated, but said finally:

"Did you know
Mistress Hill of a Harley in your family?"

She admitted:
"I do remember, sir when last we met, you would make enquiry.
Personally it did not bestir me as we are all related to Adam and
Eve, are we not?"

Harley was not
disconcerted for he had a purpose and continued:

"My mother's
maiden name was Stephens."

At once
Abigail put down her baskets eyeing the man's accoutrements with
interest. It was not everybody who might be related to such an
obviously important man. All this flashed through her mind in an
instant, as, unlike the usual country woman, she was fleet in
thought. Coquettish she ventured:

"Co-incidence!
My grandmother's name. But you know better, Mister Harley, don't
you?"

Harley was
taken aback by her attitude and though he had planned a bolt from
the blue, realised he had met his match in this woman, so merely
said: "It seems my grandfather and your grandmother were brother
and sister."

"Tis a small
world, sir!" Were her words, adding: "I take it we be cousins."

"Second
cousins," he confirmed. He smiled holding out his hand which she
took and he put his other hand atop hers and said meekly:

"May I be
p-permitted to address you as cousin, mistress."

"You have the
advantage of me sir."

"Ah, yes.
Robert! Cousin Robert, at your service, cousin."

She said:
"Delighted to resume our acquaintance, cousin Robert. You have
known me as Abigail for some time. I might say since we last met my
position has not changed, but by the look of that chain, white
stick and scroll you are moving up in the world."

"Her majesty
has been p-pleased to appoint me as one of her secretaries," said
Harley modestly, adding, "yet I hear cousin that she is far more
beholden to you. Advice from me is but one source among many
whereas your services are indispensable to her majesty's welfare."
Harley tried to stop her picking up her baskets and moving on,
saying:

"I am sincere,
cousin Abigail, believe me. I feel myself to be in the presence of
goodness."

"You are too
kind, sir." she replied but no more could be said as just then they
heard steps approaching and a footman appeared. He seemed somewhat
put out:

"I've looked
everywhere for you sir. I never dreamed you had business with
servants."

Harley looked
at the footman. His uniform suited him for it fitted him perfectly.
He was also handsome and smiled pertly until Harley told him:

"Sir! You are
im-p-pertinent. Had I business with anyone it is not for you to
comment upon. On your way! Tell the driver I shall be along.
Dismiss!"

As the man
retreated, Harley turned to Abigail: "Let me know if anything
untoward arises, cousin. We must stand fast together against the
world, we cousins. It is my honour to take my leave of you."

She said:
"Have no fear cousin Robert. The boy was a little overwrought with
looking for you. He is a good lad."

He took her
hand in his and kissed it, saying: "Farewell cousin. I shall look
forward to my next visit at Windsor."

He turned and
walked back along the path, turning once to wave but her back was
already turned as she walked along another path towards an entrance
into Garden House.

The Garden
House favoured by Queen Anne has long since been demolished but in
her time it was a well-appointed lodge surrounded by gardens, well
almost, from the south side the queen enjoyed a splendid view
across the park and loved to sit at the window observing the
comings and goings of carriages usually carrying her visitors,
ministers perhaps obliged to make the journey from Westminster to
see her on matters of state and other business.

Lately it had also become a favourite
place of residence for her husband and consort, Prince George of
Denmark, who had preferred the busy milieu of St. James Palace and
whose presence here is entirely down to his health needing the
clear country air for his worsening asthma. His continued absence
from the 'smoke', as London has come to be nicknamed, comes by
personal recommendation of the
court physician, Dr Arbuthnot, who believes the Windsor air
is more conducive to his majesty's health.

As the queen
tries to concentrate upon the latest state papers delivered to her,
she wracks her brains to try and visualize the names written down
by her Chancellor. They are a list of distinguished personages
recommended for honours upon the forthcoming celebration of the
anniversary of her marriage to George taking place on July 28th.
She is distracted from her task by coughing and wheezing from
George's bedroom somewhat removed along the corridor but
nonetheless insistent; the sounds torture her conscience. Then for
seconds, minutes there is silence and listening intently but
hearing nothing, she slumps back sighing with relief, and is then
aware of the reason for the cessation of those heart-rending sounds
when she beholds the figure and countenance of her
bedchamber-woman. She addresses her:

"Oh, Hill,
it's stopped. What a relief! Is he asleep?"

"Yes, ma'am,"
the woman agrees, "his majesty is now sleeping peacefully and
soundly and if you listen carefully, you might well hear a gentle
snore."

"Wonderful
Hill!" she meant it from the bottom of her heart, "Wonderful, it's
a miracle."

"The miracle,
ma'am," said Hill gently, "is essence of pine. It takes a time for
the vapour to circulate but by wafting the steam towards his
majesty, it helps to decongest the airways."

"Spare me the
details, Hill" said the queen tetchily as she bent over the papers,
and her servant sensitive to her employer's moodiness, withdraws to
the queens dressing room where she busies herself mixing the
queen's night-time drink and the sounds of mixing, the clatter of
utensil upon vessel, are now the only ones audible.

She puts the
papers aside and places both hands over her eyes, putting her head
back against the cushion on her daybed, but only for a moment.
Opening her eyes, she contemplates her bandaged foot. Only hours
before Dr Arbuthnot placed leeches for a while and withdrew them,
instructing her servant to cover the slight wound with a dressing
and a bandage but the ointment he had brought with him to stem the
bleeding , has failed to staunch the seeping blood, and both
bandage and dressing gradually turned red.

"Hill!” Her
call was obeyed with alacrity and her servant stood beside her as
the queen begged:

"Do stop the
bleeding Hill. It will bleed all night unless you do something.
Please!" The last request was made with upturned face, a queen to
her subject.

But Hill
though compassionate was concerned: "What will Dr Arbuthnot say,
ma'am? You know what happened the last time!"

Anne frowned,
then looked up and said:

"Then we shall
not tell him, shall we!"

Hill was frowning herself as she
approached her mistress and knelt beside
the daybed, lowering her head:

"Will you
command me, ma'am!"

The queen placed her hand tenderly upon
Hi
ll's right cheek and
whispered:

"I Understand
Hill. My command overrides the doctor's, is that it?"

There was
moisture at the corner of Hill's eyes as she nodded and the queen
smiled and said:

"I command you
Hill to stop the bleeding."

The servant
got up and went again into the ante-room and returned with a tiny
bottle, a philtre, which was corked and laid it on a small
side-table before turning to the bandage which she carefully
unwound pausing as she reached where the blood was congealed,
slowly pulling it away then resuming until the wound was laid bare.
A fresh seepage of blood was evident and laying the bandage to one
side, Hill took her bottle, removed the cork and placing her thumb
over the top upended it and placed the moistened thumb across the
wound. She saw the queen wince as the astringent lotion covered the
tiny punctures left by the leeches.

"St James'
Wort!" said Anne and Hill nodded saying: "It acts quickly. See it
has stopped already. Dr Arbuthnot will be pleased when you tell him
his ointment is as good as he promised. But I must replace the
bandages."

She did so
skilfully allowing the bloodstains to cover the wound as before and
rebound the foot. She turned:

"Are you ready
for your posset, ma'am?"

Anne had
closed her eyes and did not see her servant rising in order to
leave her presence. Opening them she spoke to the retreating
figure:

"Don't leave
me just yet, Hill. Please! Draw up a chair. Come and sit beside me
here."

"Where the
lord Godolphin sat a few hours ago, ma'am; he brought you those
papers."

"You don't
miss anything, Hill. Did you catch what he was saying?"

"He spoke of
weighty matters, ma'am. It's not my place."

The queen
looked at Hill sharply wondering if her remark was innocent or
clever, and undecided, said: "He did speak of weights."

Hill prompted
her employer, saying: "About putting weights on horses to even out
their handicap. It was very confusing to me, ma'am." Hill lied.

"It's all
quite simple, Hill" enthused Anne, "you see, if a horse has won
many races and is due to race against horses which have no form,
have not won a race, then the winning horse is loaded with extra
weights."

Hill said:
"Poor horses! What with the weights and the weight of the rider you
wonder they can move at all."

That remarks struck Anne as droll and she
chuckled: "My lord Godolphin has taken a special interest in these
matters and runs his own stable at Newmarket. My lord left me a
list of ye horses at ye next meeting." Anne looks to see where
Godolphin left the list. Finds it and invited Hill to draw her
chair even clos
er.

"My lord has
asked me to pick a couple of names which he has promised to back
for me. You must help me, Hill. You must close your eyes and put
your finger somewhere on the list."

Hill agreed to
the queen's request and closing her eyes she whirled her finger a
few times, and placed it on the paper.

"Alright Hill, let go. I have it. Let me
read what you have picked." She reads and says: "Sir Isaac
Newt
on. Strange name for
a horse."

She looks a
little confused then strikes hand against her forehead saying:

"I picked up
ye wrong list, Hill. This is a list of the people eligible for an
honour. Perhaps it's an omen. Pick another Hill."

She does and
the queen repeats the procedure, saying: "Daniel Defoe. Have you
heard of him, Hill?"

"Indeed ma'am,
he's a story teller. His latest is the story of Robinson Crusoe who
was marooned on an island." She stopped noticing the queen's head
suddenly falling to her chest as she wearily said:

"How fortunate
you are Hill. These days I scarcely have time to say my prayers."
Opening her eyes they danced with joy saying:

"Tomorrow,
Hill, I go hunting. Hunting through ye Windsor Park in my chaise in
pursuit of ye buckhounds." She looked at Hill and enthusiastically
cried: "Have you seen those enormous dogs. They be like ponies, and
such a thrill. I can forget everything, Hill. All ye worries. All
ye papers, like these here." She swept them to the floor in a grand
gesture and Hill was about to dutifully pick them up but was
stayed, as the queen went on:

"Forget, Hill,
forget ye war, ye parliament, ye government, forget ye evil men, ye
Whigs, ye Tories." She stopped and leaned back eyes closed. Hill
said meekly: "I like it best ma'am when you return. Your face seems
aglow with good health."

"And hunger!"
said Anne adding, "Do make more of ye saffron cakes, Hill and tea,
what is that flavour?"

"Bergamot,
ma'am" answered Hill, "I get it from the East India shop."

"What have you
for me tonight Hill?"