The queen raised her up, mingled her tears with those
of the troubled maid, and promised to use her endeavours towards
averting the king's displeasure.
On consideration, however, the fair Stuart did not wait to hear
his majesty's reproaches, or receive his entreaties; for the
duke, being impatient to gain his promised bride, quietly
returned to town, and secretly communicated with her. It was
therefore agreed between them she should steal away from the
palace, meet him at the "Bear at the Bridge Foot," situated on
the Southwark side of the river, where he would have a coach
awaiting her, in order they might ride away to his residence at
Cobham Hall, near Gravesend, and then be legally and happily
united in the holy bonds of matrimony. And all fell out as had
been arranged: the time being the month of March, 1667.
Now when the king discovered her flight, his anger knew no
bounds, though it sought relief in uttering many violent threats
against the duke, and in sending word to the duchess he would see
her no more. In answer to this message, she, with some show of
spirit, returned him the jewels he had given her, principal
amongst which were a necklace of pearls, valued at over a
thousand pounds, and a pair of diamond pendants of rare lustre.
Neither she nor her husband paid much heed to the royal menaces,
for before a year elapsed they both returned to town, and took up
their residence at Somerset House. Here, as Pepys records, she
kept a great court, "she being visited for her beauty's sake by
people, as the queen is at nights: and they say also she is
likely to go to court again and there put my Lady Castlemaine's
nose out of joint.
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