The Song of the Siren

“He had several fits apparently, and he has been trying to keep his weakness a secret from the people for some time. He died at eight o’clock this morning.”

“There will be excitement across the water,” said Thomas Willerby.

“Among the Jacobites, yes. They haven’t a chance. Anne was proclaimed Queen this very day. Let’s drink to the new reign, eh?”

So our glasses were filled and we drank to our new sovereign: Queen Anne.

The Eversleighs had always had close connections with the court. My grandfather Carleton Eversleigh had been a great friend of Charles the Second. After he had been involved in the Monmouth Rebellion he had fallen out of favor with James, of course, and although William and Mary had received him, he had never been on the same terms with them as he had with Charles. However, that we should go to London for the coronation was taken for granted and we made ready.

It was now April. Carlotta’s baby was two months old and she was not going to London this time. Harriet was not either. It must have been one of the first times she had missed a royal function, but I suppose even she was beginning to feel her age. She was several years older than my grandmother.

Nevertheless it was quite a big party that set out from Eversleigh. My grandparents, my parents, Uncle Carl and myself.

“Dammee,” said Uncle Carl, “it’ll be good for you to see a bit of life.”

“She is young yet, Carl,” said my mother, “and her name is Damaris.”

“Very well, sister,” retorted Uncle Carl. “She is as yet a babe in arms and I’ll remember not to call little Dammee Dammee.”

My mother clicked her tongue impatiently but she was not annoyed. There was something very lovable about Uncle Carl. He was several years younger than she was and sometimes she talked about the old days and then she told me how their father had doted on Carl while he hardly seemed aware of her.

“There came a time when things changed,” she said once, and there was a note in her voice which made me want her to tell me more; but when I asked she shut her lips tightly together and wouldn’t say a word more on the subject. Secrets, I thought.

Family secrets. I should probably know them one day.

Well now we were going to London and there was all the fun of setting out. If Edwin had been home, as a peer of the realm, he would have played a big part in the ceremony.

My grandmother regretted that he was away on foreign service. However, we were determined to make a jolly time of it.

“If you can’t rejoice at coronations, when can you?” said my grandfather. “You have a new monarch and you can with a good conscience delude yourself into thinking all will live happily ever after. So let us all enjoy our coronation.”

We were in high spirits as we set out. The family and six servants. We had three saddle horses, for we should need special clothes if we were to go to Court.

I was watching out for birds. I knew where to look for them willow warbler in the open country, tree pipit always where there were trees and turtle doves in the woods.

I loved to hear their joyous singing at this time of the year. They were so happy because the winter was over.

I told my mother that it made me feel happy just to hear them.

She gave me her warm approving smile. Later I heard her say softly to my grandmother,

“Damaris will never give me one moment’s cause for anxiety, I am sure.”

And my grandmother replied: “Not of her own free will, Priscilla, but sometimes disaster strikes from unexpected quarters.”

“You are in a strange mood today, mother.”

“Yes,” said my grandmother, “I think it’s because we’re all riding to London. It makes me think of the time when Carlotta eloped.”

“Oh, how thankful I am that is all over.”

“Yes, she is safe with Benjie.”

“And now this child. A baby will sober even Carlotta.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and in due course the grey walls of the Tower of London came into sight. We were almost at the end of our journey.