What would the future bring to this fresh, unspoilt, sister of his? "A
woman, a woman with a heart, at the head of the procession." Another
of Uncle Bond's phrases! What an insight the little man had into the
possibilities of positions, and situations, which he could only
have known in imagination, in the imagination which he wasted on the
construction of his grotesquely improbable tales! He must do what he
could for this fresh, unspoilt sister of his. That would be little
enough in all conscience! Meanwhile he could write to her, and thank
her for her letter. That was an attention which would please her.
Producing a small, morocco bound, memorandum tablet, which he always
carried about with him, in his waistcoat pocket, the King made a note
to remind him to write to the Princess, in one of the intervals of his
busy official day.
"Write to Betty."
Then he resumed his attack on his eggs and bacon, and coffee. He did
not notice that they were cold. This letter of his sister's had turned
his thoughts to--the Family!
He was the Head of the Family now. Somehow, he had hardly realized the
fact before. In the circumstances, it really behoved him, it would be
absolutely necessary for him, to try to get to know something about the
various members of the Family. His early distaste for Court life, his
absorption in his own chosen profession, his frequent absences at sea,
had made him, of course, little better than a stranger to the rest
of the Family. And, if they knew little or nothing about him, he knew
less than nothing about them. The Prince had been the only member of
the Family with whom he had had any real intimacy, since the far off
nursery days they had all shared together, the only link between him
and the others. And now the Prince was dead.
This fresh, unspoilt sister of his would probably be worth knowing.
Any girl, who recalled Judith, must be well worth knowing. And there
was Lancaster! Lancaster was now, and was likely to remain, Heir
Apparent. And William? William had looked a very bright, and engaging
youngster, in his naval cadet's uniform, the day before. The others?
The others did not matter. But Lancaster, and William, and Betty, he
must get to know. And now, at the outset of their new relationship, he
had a favourable opportunity to take steps in the matter, which would
not recur. He could let them know that he was their brother, as well
as--the King! No doubt, they had their problems, and difficulties, just
as he had his. He would do what he could, to make life easy for them.
After all, it was quite enough that one member of the Family, at a
time, should be condemned to the intolerable isolation, and the dreary,
treadmill round of the palace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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