The Queen Dowager of Württemberg | A. Bridgerton

Chapter 5

Flourishing Old Friendships

The season's opening ball at Danbury House is most highly sought-after invitation, indeed, for every darling debutante from Park Land to Regent Street will be on display.

Titled, chaste, and innocent, this is what they have been raised and trained for since birth. And may I add, Her Majesty The Queen Dowager of Württemberg is most clearly a great example of that.

Tonight we shall discover which young ladies might succeed at securing a match, thereby avoiding the dreadful dismal condition known as 'the spinster'.

Danbury House, London
April 6, 1813

Charlotte stood by herself near the staircase, silently watching everything and everyone. It did not escaped her eyes the multiple young ladies trying to charm those gentlemen looking for a wife; and the other way around as well. She didn't mind being alone since she doesn't quite remember most people in the room...

"Your Majesty," she turned around and found herself standing in front of her old childhood best friend's guardian. "Is it really necessary for me to ask what are you doing on your own?"

"Avoiding people's stares," the Queen Dowager lightly sighed. "And their notable whispers..."

"Oh, let them talk, child," the woman shrugged. "They have nothing better to do anyway, and I assure you, their lives are not necessarily...interesting."

"You flatter me, Lady Danbury," she sighed contently, with a small smile. "Oh, how delighted it is to see you. I missed you."

"When we are in private you certainly deserve a hug," the woman said, making the Queen Dowager giggle. "You were truly missed, I must say."

"And I see you have not changed, not one bit," Charlotte smirked. "Fierce, kind, confident, elegant, ambitious... Just as I remember."

"A fine lioness, indeed," she raised an eyebrow. "You know, I just received a letter from the Queen. She mentioned the reason for her absence."

"Laziness?" Charlotte playfully guessed, and woman chuckled.

"She wanted to spend time with her grandchildren," Lady Danbury responded with the smallest of smiles. "Congratulations, Ma'am. Although I must say, after all our years of friendship, I would have wanted to know about them the moment they were born."

"I– I only informed my mother, and she informed my family," she explained with a bit of confusion. "Although, how buzzy the ton is, I thought everyone already knew."

"The Royal Family is quite known for avoiding or concealing any sort of scandal. And those that have spread are entirely made up by desperate writers," Lady Danbury chuckled. "Except for the Prince Regent's...circumstances, of course."

"Indeed," the Queen Dowager lightly scoffed. "An unsuccessful marriage, two wives..."

"Indeed," the woman smirked.

"They have stayed in the palace ever since we arrived. Perhaps one of these days we could promenade together and I could introduce them to you," Charlotte suggested, and she nodded.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," she woman nodded with the smallest of smiles. "Also, the Duke of Hastings just arrived to London. He is supposed to come. Late, of course, but that is not entirely surprising."