"The Right Honourable Lord Melbourne," said the page, and Victoria folded her hands in front of her gently swollen belly. It had been two months since she and Melbourne had escaped to Brocket Hall, and since then they had only kissed and touched in furtive sessions at Buckingham Palace. Victoria's pregnancy was carrying on nicely; she was no longer queasy, and the aches had subsided greatly. She still feared death in childbirth, but Melbourne frequently talked her through those apprehensions and assured her that her doctors were more qualified than Charlotte's had been.
Now, at the end of summer, the day was stiflingly hot and the windows had been opened to let in what breeze there was. Victoria stood by her desk as a slightly relieving breath of air washed into the room. Melbourne came walking in, and Victoria grinned at him. He approached her and descended to a knee as the door shut. Victoria held out her hand, and he kissed her knuckles and then stood. He glanced behind him to be sure the page had gone, and then he took Victoria's face in his hands and lowered his face, kissing her carefully.
"I've broken my promise," he said, and she scowled, confused.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"You once said you wanted to see me every day, but we have not seen one another in six days," Melbourne smirked. "I've taken my respite at Brocket Hall without you this time. I confess, it was little fun without my queen."
"If only we were free to act as we wished," Victoria bemoaned. She seized Melbourne's hands and said, "I want to announce the engagement."
His face hardened suddenly. "Victoria, you know very well why we can't do that."
"Why not?" Victoria snapped. "Everyone knows the baby is Albert's."
"Actually, Ma'am, there are a great many rumours that the baby is mine," Melbourne informed her. She pinched her lips and sniffed. She had seen one cartoon in a newspaper showing a heavily pregnant Victoria with Melbourne cradling her belly and saying, 'One happy little family.' But she'd thought that had just been a rogue incident. Apparently, the whispers were growing.
"Wouldn't it be better," Victoria suggested, "to state that I have chosen my new consort, for the purposes of said consort carrying out official duties whilst I am with child?"
He raised his eyebrows. "I won't be able to be Prime Minister when I marry you, Victoria. And the Tories shall already be apoplectic about you marrying a Whig politician. The notion of declaring your intention to marry me when you are still pregnant is… it is unthinkable."
"I want people to know," Victoria said stoutly, but Melbourne shut his eyes and argued,
"You want to be free with me, and that requires people to know. All you need to do, Victoria, is to wait until you've had the child. Once the Prince of Wales or the Princess Royal is celebrated as Albert's child, then you can -"
"I can not possibly wait that long," Victoria snipped. "Five and a half more months? Ludicrous!"
"You must wait just a few months," Melbourne said patiently, "because if you do not, you could be ruined forever."
"Nothing about being with you could ruin me," Victoria argued. "Even if they dragged me from the throne, so long as we are together, I can not care."
He gulped and shook his head. "Please follow my advice here, Your Majesty."
"You are going to marry me?" she asked in a shaking voice.
"Of course I am," Melbourne confirmed. Victoria took a breath and pushed,
"No matter what, you pledge to marry me?"
"I vow it," Melbourne nodded. "I have had months now to contemplate my future as your husband, and I could want nothing more."
"You promise?" Victoria asked again, and Melbourne frowned.
"I promise."
"I assume you came here to discuss politics?" Victoria asked primly. Melbourne nodded.
"The Chimney Sweepers and Chimney Regulation Act is up for a vote. Its purpose is to stop child labour; boys as young as six are sweeping chimneys, and it must stop."
"I wish for that act to pass," Victoria said seriously. "Children should not be sweeping chimneys."
"Hopefully, it will soon require your signature," Melbourne said. "Have you done your Boxes today?"
"I have. I received many letters from foreign leaders about the Act of Union. About Canada."
"You've responded?" Melbourne prompted, and Victoria affirmed,
"I wrote back to each one, yes. Is there anything else?"
"Just one more kiss, if you please," Melbourne said, smiling a little. He took Victoria's face once more and leaned down, brushing his mouth onto hers. But she was greedy, and she suckled on his bottom lip before he could pull away.
"I shall see you at dinner?" she said, and he smirked as he pulled back.
"Am I invited?"
"Always," Victoria said, and Melbourne bowed his head.
"I'll be there. You are a good and noble monarch, Victoria. Never let anyone tell you otherwise."
Victoria's eyes watered a little, and she whispered to Melbourne,
"I shall see you at dinner, Lord Melbourne."
He bowed and brought her knuckles to his lips. "Ma'am."
He turned his back on her, eschewing the formality of it all, and walked out of the room.
"Drina, you're feeling well?" asked the Duchess of Kent at the dinner table. Victoria smiled a little at her mother and nodded.
"Much better now. Thank you, Mama."
"I see you've regained your appetite entirely," said the Duchess, and the table went quiet. Victoria's cheeks went red, and Melbourne felt anger flush through him. He cleared his throat and said a bit sternly,
"Victoria, you're eating for two. Enjoy your dinner, I implore you."
Suddenly her eyes went very wide. For a split second, Melbourne was confused. But then he realised what he'd done. He'd called her Victoria. He swallowed past the knot that had formed in his throat, and he looked around the dinner table. His breath and heart rate accelerated wildly as he turned his eyes back to Victoria and said seriously,
"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty; that was wildly inappropriate."
The table was so silent that when Victoria put down her fork and knife, it sounded like the clang of cymbals. Melbourne shut his eyes, his ears gone hot.
"My dear William," said Victoria, and Melbourne's eyes sprang open. His mouth fell open, and he shook his head. But Victoria put her lips into a line and shrugged, tipping her chin up. She seemed quite emotional all of a sudden as she said, "I miss my beloved Albert so ferociously, and I bear his child in my womb. But I do so look forward to marrying you."
"Ma'am," he whispered frantically, glancing down the table at the rows of shocked faces. Harriet Sutherland had gasped and clapped her gloved hands to her face. Emma Portman was touching her eyebrows, her eyes lowered. And the Duchess of Kent's face was so red it was almost purple. She slammed down her cutlery and snarled,
"Drina, you are mad in your condition. You need a doctor."
"On the contrary, Mama; I am filled with joy." Victoria nodded, her eyes rimming red. "I am joyful because I have the heir to the throne in my womb - Albert's child - and because I have fallen in love again."
"Again," hissed the Duchess in disbelief. She shook her head and insisted, "You have been in love with Lord Melbourne since before your Coronation."
"We were… friends. That's all," Melbourne tried, but he wrenched his eyes shut and felt like he was going to vomit on the dinner table.
"Your Majesty," said Emma Portman from down the table, sounding desperate, "may I please be excused? William, if you'll join me in the corridor?"
"No, Lady Portman; you are not excused," Victoria said sharply. "This matter is not up for debate. I will not allow you to try and convince Lord Melbourne not to -"
"Victoria," Melbourne interrupted gently. She glared at him and tossed up her hands.
"You started it!"
"I made a mistake," he said quietly. "I called you by your name, and I am so very sorry, but -"
"You are going to marry me," Victoria confirmed, and Melbourne closed his eyes again. He shook his head and licked his lips. Finally he looked around the table and explained, as calmly as he could,
"Her Majesty requires a consort once the Prince of Wales or Princess Royal is born. She has honoured me by proposing marriage. I have accepted. The… the plan was to wait a gracious period of time after the birth of His Royal Highness' child, and then -"
"Pfft! Albert's child," spat the Duchess roughly, her lip curling up in disgust. "You plan on marrying and you think we don't know the truth?"
"What truth, Mama?" Victoria demanded. She flew to her feet, and everyone else at the table quickly rose. Chairs scraped and cutlery was quickly dropped. The Duchess of Kent folded her hands in front of her gown and sighed. She pointed at Melbourne and said,
"You do not bear Albert's child. The baby's father is Lord Melbourne."
"How dare you?" Victoria said loudly. She balled her fists at her sides, and Melbourne instinctively reached for her elbow.
"Victoria," he whispered, but she tore her elbow out of his hand and jabbed a finger towards the door.
"Mama, you have our permission to withdraw. You will leave court tomorrow morning."
"Leave court?" the Duchess' eyes went wide. Everyone else stood in completely stunned silence. The Duchess started to cry, tears bursting from her eyes as she stared daggers at Melbourne. "You disgusting man! Look at what you have done to my daughter! You will have ruined everything!"
"Get out of this dining room, Mama. If you do not leave on your own, I shall have you removed," Victoria said. The Duchess tossed down her napkin, gave a very sour curtsy, and backed as quickly as she could towards the doors. For a moment, Melbourne was afraid she would trip and fall, for she was withdrawing so quickly, but then she made it to the door and stormed out. She slammed the door shut behind her. Victoria stared down the table at everyone else and asked,
"Has anyone else got anything to say about Prince Albert's child or my upcoming marriage to Lord Melbourne?"
Silence.
"Then let us sit and eat," Victoria whispered, and she sank back into her chair. Everyone else sat, and the rest of the meal was quiet and subdued. After dessert, Victoria told Melbourne,
"Stay, William."
"Yes, Ma'am," he said, feeling cross. He followed her out of the dining room as she left her ladies behind, and the two of them walked into a small drawing room. Victoria crossed her arms petulantly as she turned around and insisted,
"You left me no choice. You called me Victoria."
"You might have left it with my apology, Ma'am," Melbourne suggested, but she shook her head and said,
"We are going to marry. I should like to marry soon."
His eyebrows flew up. "What, whilst you're still with child?"
"Yes." She seemed to be leaving no room for discussion, and Melbourne's head spun. He put his fingers to his forehead and paced a little.
"You are giving us no choice but to become embroiled in a scandal the likes of which England wouldn't have seen in centuries. You could be deposed. I could be tried for criminal conversation with the queen."
"My child is Albert's!" Victoria declared loudly. Melbourne walked right up to her and seized her shoulders as he whispered,
"Every single person in that dining room knows now that the child is ours. And you mean to put this baby forth as the legitimate heir to the throne?"
"I mean to make you my consort." Victoria tipped her head.
"You are acting like a… like a…" Melbourne's face went hot, and he wrenched his eyes shut as he hissed, "You are acting like a child, Victoria."
She gasped, and he opened his eyes to see her staring up at him with rage in her eyes. For a moment, he thought she would slap her, but instead she just murmured,
"I am no child. I am going to be a mother. I am a woman in love. And I am your Queen. Or have you forgotten all of that, Lord Melbourne?"
"I have not forgotten any of it, Your Majesty," Melbourne said, "but I fear for all three of us."
"Well, I acted impulsively," Victoria admitted, "but I needed people to know, because I need to be with you, William."
He huffed a sigh and said sharply, "I need to get ahead of this scandal. I'm going to go to The Duke of Wellington at once to discuss this. And then Robert Peel. I've always had enemies, but their ranks just multiplied. And now you have enemies, too, Victoria. Please let me go try and minimize the catastrophe."
"F-Fine…" Victoria seemed to be realising just what she'd done at dinner. Her face went pale and she whispered, "I'm sorry. I… I just love you."
"As I love you," he said, "but this will prompt all sorts of cannon fire blown into the side of Buckingham Palace. I need to go speak with the Tories."
"Go," Victoria hummed, and Melbourne bowed his head to her as he whirled and practically jogged out of the drawing room. When he got downstairs and out to the stables, he said to a groom,
"Ready me a fast horse. Now."
Author's Note: Welp. They both acted incredibly foolishly. Him calling her Victoria. Her declaring their intent to marry at the dinner table. And now Melbourne's in a race against time to contain the scandal. What will happen to them?
Thank you so very much for reading and reviewing.