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cannot be said to lack a father, although his actual identity is unknown.’
    ‘Mrs Udney, I beg of you. But I shall have to tell the Bishop of the Princess’s behaviour. I really cannot have her actually laying hands on those who serve her.’
    ‘I sincerely hope she has discovered nothing,’ said Mrs Udney piously, ‘for who knows how she might romance about the affair. She does not always keep to the truth. Do you not think it is better to refrain from mentioning anything that might remind her of her mother and the life she leads at Montague House?’
    ‘I do indeed,’ sighed Lady de Clifford.
    At least, thought Mrs Udney, they would not broach the subject, and if Charlotte were reprimanded for slapping the face of one of her attendants she would not tell the reason why since it concerned her mother.
    Mrs Udney was sure that she could explain what had happened and do no harm to herself.
    She went back to Mrs Campbell and told her that the Princess was becoming unmanageable and this was her mother coming out in her.Dr Fisher, Bishop of Salisbury, was pacing up and down the room waiting for his pupil to arrive.
    When she came he was immediately aware of her defiant looks. So she guessed that news of her misdemeanour had reached him.
    Smug, pompous, looking self-righteous he suggested that they should pray together for humility.
    ‘Humility?’ demanded Charlotte. ‘Is that a good quality for a princess to have?’
    ‘It is a good quality for us all to have, Your Highness. And particularly princesses.’
    ‘Bishops too, Bish-Up?’
    ‘For us all,’ replied the Bishop. ‘Those of us who are in positions of authority – or who are being trained for such – must remember it especially. Pride is one of the greatest of sins. One of the seven most deadly.’
    ‘So humility must be one of the virtues – or do they not go in opposites? Perhaps it is possible to have humility and pride. One changes, you know, Bish-Up. I do. I am sure that sometimes I am very, very humble. Yet I can be proud.’
    He put the palms of his hands together and raised his eyes to the ceiling. His most pious attitude! thought Charlotte. This means he is very shocked about something and of course it is my slapping Udney’s face. Serve her right.
    ‘Proud, overbearing, hot-tempered and behaving in an unseemly manner. Lady de Clifford is alarmed at your inability to control your temper.’
    ‘It’s true, Bish-Up. It flares up and flies out … and then it is all gone. Almost as soon as I have done something quite dreadful I begin to feel sorry. That must be the old humility creeping in. I told you, did I not, that one can have the deadliest of sin side by side with a lovely virtue.’
    ‘Being sorry afterwards is not enough.’
    ‘Oh, I know one is supposed to suffer for one’s sins. I never liked the thought of that very much. If anyone did me a wrong and then was very sorry I should want to say “Forget it” and make it as though it had never been.’
    ‘That might not be God’s way.’
    ‘I didn’t say it was. I said it was my way. And I happen to think it’s a good way.’
    The Bishop sighed. ‘I despair,’ he murmured.
    ‘Now you should never despair, Bish-Up. That’s bad. It’s almost as bad as losing your temper. You should always hope. You should be like Queen Elizabeth. Think of all that time when she was in prison and never knew from one day to another whether she was going to lose her head. But she went on hoping and in the end the crown was hers. I should wish to be like her in a way … when she was good. But she could be very wicked.’ Charlotte laughed. ‘Perhaps that’s what I like about her. Bish-Up, do you think she had a hand in the murder of Amy Robsart?’
    ‘We are not discussing the conduct of Queen Elizabeth but that of the Princess Charlotte.’
    ‘Oh, we are discussing my conduct. I thought we were discussing sins and virtues. And I thought we all had those.’
    ‘You acted violently towards one