The Black Planet (18 page)

Chapter 36

Lady Jane lay across her bed half dressed.  In front of her a couple of encyclopaedias.  She flicked through the pages and sighed when she came to a picture of Saturn. 

Isobel came blasting through the door, ‘oh Lady Jane aren’t you ready yet?’

She rolled onto her back arms wide, ‘oh Isobel don’t you miss it all?’

Isobel was alarmed, ‘miss what?’

‘The excitement of being in space.’

Isobel shuddered, ‘no I don’t, every time they opened one of those doors I thought I was going to be sucked out.’

‘I miss Saturn, it was so beautiful.’  She rolled over and flicked a page, ‘this is called the horse head nebula, wouldn’t you like to see it Isobel?’

Isobel snapped the books closed, ‘no I wouldn’t.  I like it here, it feels safe here Miss Jane.  Besides I think the King is going to propose soon.’

It was Jane’s turn to shudder, ‘oh god I hope not.’

Isobel was shocked, ‘he is a wonderful man.’

‘He is a little to refined for my tastes.  Besides I'm sick of Harrods, the dinner parties and being displayed like a prize Ewe.  I want to be out there exploring the universe with Captain Gordon and his merry crew.’

Isobel was shocked, ‘Lady Jane those are not the things a Lady does.’

‘Why not Isobel, what is to stop us.  Women are free now to make their own choices, as we now are.’

‘But Lady Jane the King has been so nice to us.  Please remember that we are destitute.  It is your duty as a Lady to make yourself available to him, to marry him and bear his children.’

‘I most certainly will not.  I would far rather face a lifetime of fighting with that ignorant American sergeant that submit myself to the king’s arms.  At least that would be honest.’

Isobel was getting angry, ‘he is a wonderful man, he is a gentleman, handsome polished, you should be honoured to marry him and bear his children.’

‘You marry him, you bear his damn children, after all it’s your dream not mine.’

Isobel’s hands flew to her mouth, ‘that is so improper Miss Jane, how could you even suggest it.  It is a lady he requires, pure like you, a woman of refinement, I am just a maid.’

‘You are pure aren’t you?’

Isobel flushed, ‘you know I am, but I am a commoner.’

‘So you deny the blood that flows through your veins Isobel Munro, the same blood that flows through mine, we are sisters after all.  Being born on the wrong side of the sheets seems to have very little stigma attached to it these days.  Or so I am led to believe.’

The blood-drained form Isobel’s face, ‘oh my god you know!’

Jane got up and went over to the dresser; she sat down and picked up a brush, ‘of course I know, do you think me a fool?  Why do you think I asked for you to be my maid?’

‘I have no idea.’

‘It was to torture my dear father of course, make him pay for his indiscretion.’

The colour returned, ‘I swear you are evil at times Miss Jane.’

Jane contemplated herself in the mirror for a moment, ‘actually I also wanted to meet my sister.  I overheard mother and father arguing over you one day and I was curious.  Of course papa knew what I was doing and not long before we were abducted he confessed all to me.  Your mother used to work at the manor, Papa fell in love with her when they were very young.  Of course they tried to hide it but it became obvious and your mother was sent away.  Father of course did his duty and married mother unfortunately he never forgot his love for your mother.  Your mother was sent to another house but one-year father stayed over there during the shooting season.  Mother was sick at home, she was carrying me.  That was when you were conceived.’  She paused for a moment as she brushed out a tangle.  ‘He admitted it was stupid but neither of them could help themselves.  I think if he could have he would have left my mother for yours.’

She put the brush down and turned to face Isobel, ‘I met your mother once, she was very beautiful just as you are Isobel.  I hated her and wanted to punish her, you and father.  Your mother was of course dismissed and disgraced.  Father tried to give her money but she refused.  Somewhere somehow I came to admire your mother Isobel for her strength and determination, I came to love you as my secret sister not just my maid and I even forgave my father.’

Isobel was sceptical, ‘That doesn’t sound like you Miss Jane.’

‘No I don’t suppose it does.  Do you remember mother wanted me to marry Edward Teach?’

‘Yes but father said no,’ Isobel flushed brightly as she admitted to her parentage for the first time in her life.

Jane noticed and smiled, ‘yes he did and do you know why?’

‘No I don’t, no one does, he just seemed to dismiss the man out of hand.  He was very suitable.’

‘Yes he was suitable, but he was also ugly and stupid.  He used to drool all over me at parties, I detested him.’

‘Yes well that wasn’t obvious,’ Isobel was being sarcastic and Jane cut her off with a withering look.

‘Father asked me in private if I wanted to marry him or not and I said no.  He said that was fine with him.’

‘That’s was it!’

‘I was as surprised as you Isobel and asked him why?’

‘He said he could not, would not condemn his daughter to live a life without love.’

‘Was that when he told you about my mother?’

‘No that was the following year when I pressed him.  He said love is the most wonderful feeling in the world, it transcends all other feelings.  It can make the most honest and honourable men do things they are ashamed of.  Duty should be to one’s King and one’s country, not to one’s heart.’

She stood up and walked over to Isobel, ‘duty made a miserly of our parent’s life, our father and our mothers.  He said he would never give up that week of happiness that he shared with your mother.  Let us not make the same mistakes Isobel.  I will not marry the King, share his bed or bare his children.  Now we are running late help me dress.’

Lady Jane was half an hour late.  She sat beside the King as they were driven to Harrods where they stayed for an hour.  As usual she refused any attempt by the king to purchase her a gift.  On the way home she studied him from the corner of her eye.  He was handsome and polished, genuine and kind.  The people of Britain adored him but for all of that Jane felt nothing for the man.

‘Do I have a pimple?’  He asked with that wry smile of his.

She looked away, ‘no, why do you ask?’

‘You stare so.’

‘I apologise, that was rude of me.’

‘What's wrong Jane you have been quieter than usual.’

‘Nothing at all.’

‘Really, the palace gossip mongers have led me to believe you have been quarrelling with your maid.’

‘My maid!’

The king smiled, ‘yes the pretty Isobel.’

There was a triumphant smile in Jane’s eyes but it never reached her mouth.  ‘Yes we had a small spat, but really she isn’t my maid, Isobel is my younger sister.’

The shock knocked him back against the fine leather seats, ‘your sister.’

‘Oh I'm sorry didn’t the gossip mongers hear that part of our conversation?’

He was lost for words for a moment, ‘no I don’t believe so.  I didn’t know.’

Jane looked out the window, ‘no one knew, daddy must have done a really good job of hiding that particular skeleton.  Of course Isobel was born on the wrong side of the sheets, not that it seems to matter to people these days.’

The King caught his breath, ‘no not terribly I suppose.  I sincerely hope your spat with your sister wasn’t too serious.’

Jane looked him straight in the eyes, ‘it was about you actually.  Isobel seems to think you are close to proposing to me.  She firmly believes I should exercise my stiff upper lip and do my duty for King and country.  Marry you and bear your squalling children.  Of course I told her I would far rather shoot myself in the head than submit myself to the ministrations of a man I wasn’t in love with.’

‘No of course not,’ the King blustered, ‘that would be unthinkable.’

Jane looked away, ‘that’s exactly what I told her.  Of course Isobel doesn’t quite see it like that.  She believes as the legitimate sister and of course the oldest then it is my place to submit myself to you if you should so desire it.’

‘No of course not, that’s silly, it just doesn’t happen like that these days Jane.’

‘Of course Isobel herself has no knowledge of the world, she is an innocent who believes you are the most handsome man on the planet.  In fact I do believe she is in love with you.  She cannot conceive how any woman could be immune to your charms.’

The King cleared his throat, ‘I wasn’t aware of that.’

‘Yes well now you are do not try and take advantage of her, I will not tolerate you playing with the affections of my little sister.  She has no desire other than to meet a nice man fall in love and bear his children.  She is not stupid; however she is naïve.  I am not.’

‘No of course not,’ he hesitated.  ‘Truly we have done Isobel a disservice treating her simply as a maid.’

‘She is a maid, my maid, she has sworn her service to me as long as I see fit and I see fit to keep her close and protect her from sophisticated charmers like you.’

‘Excuse me,’ he spluttered.

‘I have read about your affairs of the heart online.  That wonderful world of information right at your fingertip.  It would seem you are a person who thinks with his little man brain more than he does his big man brain.’

The driver suddenly burst out laughing and with an angry frown the King leaned forward and pushed a button.  A screen slid up between them.  ‘I most certainly do not,’ he retorted.

‘That’s not how it seems to me.  Few women expect a man to be pure as she is on her wedding night, indeed some hope their man has a certain level of competence when it comes to consummating the marriage, however your escapades are legend.  You are certainly not the kind of man I would wish to put my sister heart into the hands of.’

‘Thing aren’t the same as they were in your day Jane.’

‘Yes that is true and I accept that but we aren’t and neither shall we ever be.  Despite Isobel’s birth status she is still a young innocent lady as am I.  If my father had married for love and not duty Isobel would be sitting next to you right now.  That is the simple truth of the matter.’

‘I wasn’t aware.’

‘Of course you weren’t, no one was meant to be.’  She sighed, ‘everything is so different now.  What was considered a great shame in my day is barely blinked at these days.  So I suppose there is no reason to conceal it any longer.’

‘What are you going to do about it Jane?’

‘I suppose I shall just have to accept the fact that it is no longer fitting that she remain as my maid and instead be treated as my equal.’

The Kings mind was racing, ‘Lady Isobel Munro Royce.’  He hadn’t realised he had spoken aloud.

‘That is very kind of you sire.  I am sure Isobel will appreciate your kindness.’

‘Uh! Yes, yes of course think nothing of it.’

They lapsed into silence for the rest of the journey.  The king had a feeling that he had somehow been manipulated.  When they arrived back he stopped her for a moment, ‘Excuse me Jane.  This is rather delicate so forgive me.  Isobel’s parentage shall have to be verified.  They can do that these days you know.  It would involve taking a blood sample from both of you of course.’

‘Ah yes, DNA testing, is that what it is called?’

‘Yes that’s right.’

‘That will of course not be a problem, however it might be easier to simply check her birth records, I do believe my father put his name on the certificate, if it is still available.’

The King was surprised, ‘yes it could well be.  Isn’t that unusual for the father of a love child to put his name on the birth certificate.’

She came close and lowered her voice, ‘you used the right words your royal Highness, love child.  Isobel is a child born through the love my father bore her mother over many years.  Despite the risks and the embarrassment he insisted that he himself register the child.  Although Isobel’s mother refused to take anything from my father towards her keep, he had the idea to leave Isobel a small cottage on the estate.  It would be her dowry as it were.  His name on her birth certificate guaranteed she would receive it without too much internal strife within the family should he pass before he could give it to her.’

The king smiled, ‘of course, no one would want to make it public.  To contest the will would cause everyone much embarrassment.’

‘Exactly.’  She began to turn away.

‘He must have loved her very much.’

She hesitated, ‘he loved both of them very much.  He also loved my brothers and myself.  I am also sure that in some ways he also loved my mother.’  She left a very thoughtful King in her wake.

Isobel was mortified to begin with.  However she soon began to bloom under Jane’s watchful eye.  Elocution lessons were given to the young Lady Isobel.  The newspapers loved the rags to riches story and had a certain soft spot for Isobel.  Where Jane kept her beautiful features stern Isobel was always laughing and smiling and forever being rebuked by Jane.  By the time her birth certificate was procured, DNA had already proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were sisters.