“Miss Greentree.” The queen was small and plump, with a round face and large eyes. Recognizing her from the opera, Vivianna thought she was prettier close up. It was a pity she towered over her so.
“Your Majesty.” She managed the words above the frightened thumping of her heart.
The queen spoke firmly. “Miss Greentree, I do not approve of you, but that is not why you are here today. I have been prevailed upon, by someone who has done me a great service, to give you the gloss of my approval. You can be sure that after this visit no one will snub you. No one will dare. Albert?”
The prince, handsome in a blue jacket and buff trousers, gave his wife an amused glance. “Her Majesty is very conscious of her debts, Miss Greentree, and she owes your sponsor a great deal.”
“My sponsor, Your Royal Highness?” Vivianna managed. “I have a sponsor?”
The royal couple exchanged a glance. Prince Albert smiled.
“Yes, Miss Greentree,” he said in his heavy German accent, “you do have a sponsor. It is Lord Montegomery, and believe me, he has your welfare in the forefront of his mind.”
“He does?” Vivianna managed. “Sir,” she added belatedly.
Prince Albert nodded. “Indeed he has. He did not tell you, then? Ah, perhaps it was meant to be a surprise. You see he was very much afraid you would feel the displeasure of London society because of your father and your mother, and he d
id not think it just. I myself am a great believer in marriage and the vows made before God, but I can see that your parentage is no fault of your own.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
His gaze fixed upon hers with an intensity that was rather startling. “I believe you work hard for the poor, Miss Greentree. I find such selfless service admirable. I, too, would like to see the many wrongs in this country righted.”
Vivianna smiled with sheer joy. Here was a man after her own heart, an ally, and unlike herself, he was in a position to make a great deal of difference to the wrongs he spoke of. And it had been Oliver who brought her to his attention, Oliver who made it possible for her to meet him.
“I am very glad to hear you say so, Sir,” she said. “I am very glad indeed.”
“Lord Montegomery is very handsome,” the queen said, with a sideways glance at her husband. “Do you not agree, Miss Greentree?”
Vivianna wondered what she should say. In the end she told the truth. “Yes, Ma’am, he is very handsome.”
The queen nodded, but there was a twinkle in her eye. “You must visit us again, Miss Greentree. Come to one of my drawing rooms before your wedding.”
Wedding?
“I…of course, Ma’am.”
It was over. She was dismissed. Vivianna curtsied once more, and exited from the room backward, and the attendant closed the door.
Lady Greentree was waiting for her, her eyes shining with curiosity. “Well?” she demanded.
“They are almost like ordinary people,” Vivianna said, still a little shaken. “Almost.”
Lady Greentree laughed and hugged her. “You are a very fortunate young lady. You will see. This will make a very great difference to your life in London from now on.”
“Mama,” Vivianna whispered, “it was Oliver. He did this for me. He…he sponsored me.”
Lady Greentree’s brow wrinkled, her pale eyes quizzical. “Are you sure, Vivianna? Oliver Montegomery?”
“Yes, Oliver. He did it for me. To please me.”
She felt her heart swell within her, and such happiness that she could hardly stop smiling. The savior of the nation really did love her, after all.
The following morning there were dozens of invitations to sit upon the mantel at Queen’s Square—Vivianna Greentree, social pariah, was an overnight success.
“Vivianna, you are so lucky!” cried Marietta, her eyes wide. “I am so jealous. Why can I not meet our mother? I want to ask her so many questions.”
Vivianna smiled at her younger sister. “That is exactly why you cannot meet her. Not yet.”