Epilogue: Family Episodes I.
Queen Victoria had just finished her meeting with Prime Minister Sir Robert Peel, and although she normally stayed in the room while he withdrew with her permission, this time she accompanied him to the anteroom, for at that time she had other things to do.
Victoria had never thought that her relationship with Peel was going to be so cordial and satisfying. In the past Victoria did not feel any sympathy for Peel, but quite the opposite. But now Victoria acknowledged that her antipathy to Peel had more to do with the fact that he was the main threat to Lord Melbourne's permanence as prime minister, and therefore to permanence next to Victoria from the man she loved. But now that Lord Melbourne was her husband and not her Prime Minister, Peel was no longer a threat to her love. It is true that Peel was still an unbearably boring man and rather awkward in his social relationship with the Queen, and that sometimes his nonsense again exasperated Victoria, but she acknowledged that he was basically a good and decent man (at least for to be a Political) and that he was a patriot loyal to his country and to her as his Queen. In addition, she sincerely thanked Peel (as well as Wellington, the other great leader of the Conservative Party) for the valuable support they both offered to obtain approval for her wedding to Lord Melbourne. And now she was a happy woman next to her husband and her daughter (the couple's first child). That's why Victoria struggled to be nice to Peel, even though meetings with him were a little boring.
Victoria was saying goodbye to Peel, when Lehzen showed up with little Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, "Vicky" for the family. Victoria smiled when she saw her daughter appear, a baby of only four months, who was the pride of her parents.
"Your Majesty, I thought I wanted to see Her Highness before I took her to the nursery to take a nap," said Lehzen, who, since the child was born, looked less cold than usual and a little more cheerful, as if she were a happy grandmother to the birth of her first granddaughter, since Victoria was the closest thing to a daughter she had in her life.
"Of course! " Victoria exclaimed in delight.
"I see Her Royal Highness is larger and more beautiful than the last time I saw her, she will certainly be a very beautiful young woman. It is a pleasure to see you again Your Highness, you are a charming Princess if you will allow me to say it" said Peel talking to the little girl, trying to be affectionate and sweet, as he approached her (still in the arms of Lehzen).
But the baby, who was calm, when she saw Peel's face approaching... he was frightened her and began to cry... a very strong cry, which showed the good lungs that the little girl had. At the same time Vicky turned her back on Peel and buried her small face in the chest of Baroness Lehzen, as if hiding for fear of Peel. The Prime Minister was puzzled and embarrassed, while Lehzen and Victoria made a great effort not to laugh.
"Sir Robert, do not be distressed... Her Highness is very harsh or unfriendly to everyone. It is a trait that we have to correct over time, is not it true, Baroness? " said Victoria reassuringly him while suppressing a laugh.
"Certainly, Your Majesty," said Lehzen, also suppressing her laughter, as she tried to calm the little girl who was kicking and shaking, while she did not stop crying almost hysterically.
"Of course, Your Majesty. After all, she's just a baby, a little angel," Peel replied, though he thought she looked like a little devil at the time.
Peel said good-bye, kissing the back of the Queen's hand and asking for her permission to retreat. After Peel had gone far enough for they make sure he could not hear them, Victoria and Lehzen burst into laughter.
"Poor Sir Robert!... Come here my little demon! " exclaimed Victoria extending her arms and Lehzen passed the little girl to her, while the baby did not stop crying and kicking "You are a bad princess!," Victoria added taking to her daughter in her arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek, about the tears of the little girl, who stopped crying in the arms of her mother, "I do not know why you do that to Sir Robert, I do not know if you went out Whig like your father or if you inherited from me prejudices that I had before against Sir Robert. In any case, young lady, that is not right" she said giving another kiss to her daughter.
"As the poor little girl will not be frightened with that frog face!" exclaimed Lehzen.
"Lehzen!" Victoria rebuked her as if she did with her mother. "Do not say that in front of Vicky... she's so smart that I think she understands us despite being a baby. Besides, it's not fair to poor Sir Robert." Victoria then concentrated on her daughter, giving her a funny face, and the little girl began to smile.
After a few moments of cuddling and funny gestures from her mother, Vicky began to laugh. Then she tried to touch her mother's eyes and hair with her little hands.
"What an obsession this little girl has with my hair and my eyes! " exclaimed Victoria amused and slightly tired, "Who do you think she looks more like, Lehzen? It seems to me that she has the hair and the eyes of her father."
"Yes, but in everything else she is very much like you, Your Majesty," Lehzen replied, looking at both with tenderness and pride.
"Let's hope she's taller than me, let her take the height of her father... As for personality, we'll have to wait a few years to know if she went out more like me or like her father," Victoria said as she studied her daughter's face, who was now concentrating on trying to take from her mother the clasp she wore on the collar of her blouse.
"Let us pray to God she will went out the personality of her father! " Lehzen could not help saying.
"Lehzen! I'm glad you're getting much better now with Lord Melbourne, because after all, it's as if he were your son-in-law... But that does not mean that you demerits me that way... I do not see that it's wrong to be like me," Victoria protested while playing with a little hand of her daughter, and then she deflected her head a bit so that the girl did not give to her on eye with the other hand.
"I say, Your Majesty, that your daughter would benefit greatly from the common sense and the legendary intelligence of her father," answered Lehzen with a veiled irony.
"Of which I lack! " Victoria exclaimed mockingly "Do not be fooled, Vicky... she was one of those who did not want me to marry your beloved father, and now exalts him above me... Do not trust Baroness Lehzen... Are not you going to trust her?... Really, what will not you do, sweetie? " Victoria said to the girl, while she playfully joined her forehead with the baby's forehead, who laughed and squealed with pleasure for her mother's loving games.
At that moment Lord Melbourne appeared smiling.
"Baroness Lehzen," said Lord Melbourne, greeting her with an affectionate tone, and kissing the back of Lehzen's hand as she smiled amiably at him. "How are my two girlfriends?" He added mockingly and tenderly to his wife and daughter.
"Your youngest girlfriend has made a snub to Sir Robert Peel! " exclaimed Victoria pretending reprobation, but amused, while the little girl wriggled in her arms and extended her little arms to her father, and made to start crying in disgust... "I know that when your father appears I no longer exist for you, ungrateful! " Victoria added to her daughter, pretending to be angry but happy.
Lord Melbourne approached them and kissed Victoria on the lips for a moment, while the Baroness Lehzen looked away with a smile, already accustomed to the signs of affection of the couple in front of her. Vicky grew impatient during the kiss of her parents, slapping her father.
"I'm coming, my little princess! " said Lord Melbourne to Vicky, taking her in his arms and kissing her on the forehead, while the little girl laughed enchanted "You made a snub to Peel?... That's my girl! " Lord Melbourne said mockingly, and the little girl screamed in pleasure with laughter, as if she had understood him.
"Lord M! I think it was you who taught me how important Crown neutrality is in politics," said Victoria, amused.
"If Vicky becomes Queen would be in many years, and if a Prince is born she will not be Queen, which is very likely..." said Lord Melbourne giving a significant look of passion to his wife.
Victoria blushed as her pulse quickened... because with their intense sex life she was very likely to get pregnant again soon, if she was not already...
"In any case, there will be plenty of time to teach her to be prudent and neutral in politics... you heard, my sweet girl, you still have a carte blanche to snub anyone you want anytime," said Lord Melbourne to the baby as he kissed her cheek and then made her cuddles, making her laugh and waving her arms contentedly.
"Lord Melbourne to consent very much to the girls makes them spoiled girls, you keep it in mind," said Lehzen kindly, as advice.
"Then I suppose you consented much to Victoria," said Lord Melbourne mockingly.
"It was not my fault, Her Majesty had already been born like this," Lehzen replied half seriously and half jokingly.
"Hey you two! " Victoria protested, and then they all laughed, including the little girl.
"Time for the Princess's nap? " asked Lord Melbourne. "Okay, I'm going to read to her to get she to sleep fast. She loves it when I read press."
"Press?... Curious reading for a baby, Lord M! And I suppose it will be Whig press" said Victoria with irony and mockery.
"Do not worry, ma'am! One of these days I will read Tory press to her too... but it will not be today" replied Lord Melbourne joker "I'm going to sleep our rude daughter, Victoria" added Lord Melbourne and gave a soft and quick kiss on the lips to Victoria, then left with the little girl while he sang a children's song and the girl was laughing enchanted.
Victoria watched them walk away with a swollen heart of bliss, love and pride. She felt the happiest woman in the world, although her next task filled her nerves...
"Is the doctor waiting for me, Lehzen?" Victoria asked seemingly quiet but a little nervous.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Lehzen replied suddenly serious and a little tense.
That night, Victoria and Lord Melbourne were in bed, and both kissed and caressed each other fulfilling the preliminaries of the act of making love.
"Time to please my other girlfriend, ma'am?" Lord Melbourne teased.
"William, there's something I need to tell you... I'm pregnant again," Victoria told him anxiously.
Lord Melbourne froze in surprise for a moment, then began to cover her with kisses, between laughter.
"As soon? " he asked happily and excitedly.
"We are very fiery! " Victoria said mockingly as she blushed.
"Do we take advantage of the time? There are still months left for you must maintain abstinence," Lord Melbourne said lasciviously.
"What do you think? " Victoria asked.
Lord Melbourne pulled Victoria's nightgown over her head, leaving her totally naked and she helped him undress. And Victoria felt once more in glory when she felt him inside her...
Some time ago I decided to make as epilogue of the story a series of short chapters, that will narrate episodes of family... of the family formed by Lord Melbourne and Victoria. Because I think it will be funny and cute to witness some scenes of married life of the couple. However, I do not plan to publish those family episodes very often, only when I have the time and inspiration. And I invite you to join the facebook group: For the love of Vicbourne. The best group of Vicbourne fans.
