This was most convenient and everyone concerned was delighted; except Lord Hervey, who realized that Anne Vane’s position was slightly more secure than it had been before.

Anne Vane began to give herself airs. She was now the acknowledged mistress of the Prince of Wales; she went about proudly proclaiming her condition and making no attempt to hide it.

It was useless for Hervey to make wry jokes about the mystery surrounding her condition. We all know what, he commented, but only Miss Vane can tell us who.

Anne resented this deeply, for secretly she had admired him more than any of her lovers and she had worked against him by bringing Dodington to Frederick’s notice because she had been wounded at his desertion.

She was at great pains however to hide her feelings for Hervey and show her affection to the Prince whom she must, at all costs, keep her devoted lover.

And when, at a reception in the Prince’s apartments, Hervey happened to be present and they came face to face, he bowed ironically with a mischievous look in his eyes. Dearly she would have liked to stop and talk to him, but instead she affected not to see him and by sweeping past him with the air of a very great lady she managed to humiliate him.

Hervey was a man who could not bear humiliation. It called forth all the spite and malice in him.

He went to Stephen to tell him about his fury.

‘If that silly little slut thinks she can snub me she is mistaken.’

‘She is not worth a thought from you.’

‘I was aware of the titters.’

‘People like to titter.’

‘Particularly when they see others ridiculed.’

‘Oh come, my dear, it could not have been as bad as that.’

‘I shall not allow it, and I know how to frighten her.’ ‘Leave her alone, John, my dear. No good can come of wasting time on such a silly creature.’

‘If foolish Fred knew that that child she so proudly carries could have been fathered by at least three of us he might not be so eager to accept it as his.’

‘Leave well alone, dear John.’

Hervey smiled at his friend, but he was not going to leave well alone.

No one should insult him with impunity.

He wrote a letter addressed to Anne Vane which he asked a friend to deliver to her apartments.

The young man was a little reluctant, knowing of the discord between Hervey and the Prince’s mistress, and told Hervey that he had no wish to be caught up in a quarrel between them.

‘Nonsense,’ said Hervey. ‘We are not really bad friends. That was a bit of play-acting for the sake of the Prince. He’s a jealous young man, you know. I have heard of ‘an excellent midwife and I want her to know of this. My dear fellow, you’ll earn her gratitude if you take this note along to her.’

He smiled ruefully as his friend went off with the note. He always felt relieved when he put his emotions on paper.

Anne Vane took the letter and as she read it let out a gasp of horror. No one could write as colourfully as Hervey when he had a mind to it and he had set down, with all the invective and venom of his nature and literary skill, what he would tell the Prince of his mistress. He would open Frederick’s eyes to the woman who had deceived him. He would let him know that the child he so fondly fathered might well be the child of a triumvirate. Anne Vane had deceived him cleverly and Hervey was going to let him know.

Anne grew pale; she was terrified; the letter fluttered from her hand; she fell to the ground and lay there as though dead.

The young messenger wondered why the friendly note from Hervey telling her the name of a good midwife should have upset her, so he knelt beside her and seeing that she was in a faint read the letter. He was horrified. Anne Vane was in a precarious condition, if anything happened to her he might be blamed.

He called to Anne’s maids and they soon revived her. She lay moaning on a sofa and he knelt beside her imploring her forgiveness telling her that he had been misled by Hervey, that he had no idea what the note contained.

‘Lies! ‘ moaned Anne. ‘All lies.’

‘I’ll call him out for this. He swore to me that it was a friendly note recommending a midwife.’

‘You must not fight with him.’

‘But I shall,’ declared the young man. ‘He deceived me.’

Anne Vane entreated the young man but his mind was made up, and while they were talking one of her servants had sent a message to the Prince telling him that his mistress had been taken very ill. So Frederick came riding to Soho Square with all speed to find Anne reclining on the sofa with a young man pacing up and down the room swearing revenge on Hervey.

Anne held out her arms to the Prince who embraced her.

‘It is terrible ... terrible!’ she cried. ‘Lord Hervey nearly brought about my death.’

The Prince was very angry and demanded to know exactly what had happened.

Anne told how the young man had been sent with the note.

‘I swear, your Highness,’ interjected the young man, ‘that Lord Hervey told me the note merely recommended a midwife.’

‘And where is the note?’

‘Oh, it is dreadful ... dreadful! ‘ cried Anne, but she had become alert and she called to one of her old servants who had been with her for many years. ‘Where is that wicked letter?’ she asked.

The woman looked as confused as Anne could have wished and declared that she had destroyed it because she had thought it unfit to be looked at by anyone ... such a pack of cruel wicked lies it was, that anyone who knew Mistress Vane would have thought it only proper to do what she had done—and that was burn it.

Anne was relieved and fell fainting into her lover’s arms, but she quickly revived and then implored Frederick to prevent the young man from challenging Hervey to a duel.

Frederick was glad to comply and the young man, now that he knew that he could not be blamed for what had happened, was also relieved.

Frederick said: ‘I will never again have the slightest regard for that monster.’

He meant it; and as it was impossible to keep such an event secret, soon the whole Court knew of it. It was not considered a very creditable action on Hervey’s part and as a result he found himself coldly received everywhere even in the Queen’s apartments.

The only one who tried to make excuses for him was the Princess Caroline.

Hervey was still under a cloud of disapproval when Anne’s son was born. The Prince proudly acknowledged him and he was named FitzFrederick. Anne held delighted court in Soho Square and many people of standing flocked to her receptions.

Being a father gave Frederick prestige, and men who were dissatisfied with the Walpole regime and despaired of ever receiving honours under it, were looking more and more to Frederick.

Bolingbroke, that inveterate mischief maker, believed that this was the time to come forward and he asked a friend to arrange a meeting at his house between himself and the Prince. He wanted this to be done secretly, for he did not want Walpole to be warned that his intentions towards the Prince were beginning to take a more definite form.

The meeting was arranged. Frederick was excited. He knew what it portended. He was growing more and more restless. How could he live in the style that was expected of a prince on the pittance his father allowed him? Why should he be continually snubbed by the King who seemed determined to treat his son as shabbily as his own father had treated him?

Bolingbroke arrived at the house in good time and was shown into the library to await Frederick’s coming.

He was standing up turning over the pages of a large book when Frederick entered and as he turned sharply the book fell to the floor. The Prince advanced and as he attempted to kneel Bolingbroke fell over the book.