BREAKFAST WITH THE QUEEN

CHAPTER 10

"What took you so long?" Evelina said queerly to her mother having managed to get downstairs before her.

"My hair needed a lot of work, I suppose. The girls were at it for an awfully long time," Breanna said as she took her place beside her in the carriage.

That line would have worked, Evelina thought secretly as the horses were spurred into action. It would have worked, had she not overheard the Countess's brutally honest conversation with the Earl in his office.

"What about father?"

"He couldn't make it, I'm afraid."

"Father can't make it? I thought Peggy mentioned in passing his early return to the house?" Evelina spoke quietly and carefully.

"The Earl has his own affairs to settle," Breanna said, her tone edgy.

"What's more important than honouring the royal invitation?" Evelina pressed her question, not caring that she was wading into troubled waters.

"Can we not do this now?" Breanna said, trying to keep her growing irritation at Evelina's questions under control.

"But this is something that we have to talk about, right? If Her Majesty were to learn of father's decision to forfeit…"

As expected, Breanna snapped, "Her Majesty would find out nothing. Besides, news of your father's return is still confined to the four walls of our home."

"And is that fair to them?"

"It's not unfair either. The letter arrived before the Earl returned. No one expects him to show up. Besides, all the attention will be on you. Will you stop talking now?"

Evelina wetted her lips and spoke again. "Earlier, when you mentioned father's expectation of me, you said… "

"To take advantage of your chance with the prince, not that he was going to come with us."

"Well, I assumed… "

"You assumed wrong, Evelina. And don't you know that you shouldn't expend too much energy talking right now? Save some of it for when you get your chance with the Prince. Is that right?"

"But mother…"

"Also, don't go around dumping all of your snide thoughts on him in this way. Men are easily bored by women who do this. So don't shame me like you always do. The only thing expected of a wife is to be hushed; a woman of few words and beautiful, not intellectually clever.

"Your stamina to put up with most things will serve you better in a long-lasting marriage than knowledge ever could."

At Breanna's words the atmosphere fell silent. Her utterances had come out stronger than they should have. So Evelina resigned herself to letting her mother win this time.

Evelina was drawn to the many murals on the wall leading into the grandiose hallway, as well as the floodlights that shone across the gleaming tiled floor. Since her childhood, when her father was first appointed Earl of Longdale, she had not been to the castle.

Most of what it looked like she'd forgotten long ago. But now that she was back in the palace, some fifteen years since her last visit, she was refreshed about most things and saw that there were some improvements both outside and inside.

"Countess Breanna and young Lady Evelina..." a hoarse voice carried across the hall, distracting Evelina from the one portraiture of His Majesty her eyes were glued to.

Evelina looked up to see a cheeky bald man in a butler's uniform making his way towards them. Until now, she and her mother had only had a few Palace Constables to show them in. So she appreciated the change.

"Good morning and Butler Hertz at your service. Her Majesty has been expecting you for some time. This way, please." The man led them by a much shorter route to the queen's side.

"Her Majesty!" Both Breanna and Evelina paid their respects to the Queen as soon as they entered the grand banquet hall.

It took some effort for Evelina not to be distracted by the lavish setting of the hall and to concentrate on her bow to the queen.

"Sit," the queen said. Evelina took the chair next to her mother, with a polite smile on her face. But the smile faded in an instant when she saw that her 'horse' was nowhere to be seen on the table.

Breanna had a go at it as soon as they were in the middle of their food.

"I had thought that the Prince was going to grace us with his presence," the Countess said cautiously.

The Queen huffed. "You might as well have asked the reason for the King's absence. Why didn't you?"

News of the king's dementia had already spread abroad. So Evelina knew her mother was getting tested. She decided to step in just in case.

"Your Grace, the eloquence of these lights is truly delightful." She smiled broadly.

But the Queen did not smile or speak. She just gave her a little nod.

Evelina carried on, smiling too brightly. "I could ask you which designer had the lamps made, but I don't want to bother you with questions like that in case you're not in the mood to answer them."

"You're right about that. I am not interested in such trivial details. All I have to do is give orders to either this or that to get me what I want.

"I'm going to answer what you've asked now, Countess," the queen said looking at Breanna.

"Oh, how charming, Your Grace." Breanna beamed. The queen didn't.

"I never intended it to be an all-girls meeting. Besides, Laith was the one who initiated it in the first place - that I talk to his lovely future wife, more like get to know her a bit." the queen informed.

"How nice," Breanna interjected politely.

"However, I do not think that one meal is enough to get to know a person in such a deep way." the queen looked at Evelina sharply.

Breanna cleared her throat. "So would there be another invitation, Your Grace?"

"I expect the Count to be present as well."

"Oh, about that. He … "

"No excuses this time, and my expectation is that His Grace will be in much better health by then," the queen said.

Evelina was saddened by the news of another such dinner with the queen, but hoped that Laith would be there for her to get her thoughts out of her chest.

"Laith would be back from Scotland by then. Evelina?"

"Hm?" Evelina lifted her eyes only to flutter as the queen's steely gaze bored into her.

"You will see him then," said the Queen.

"Er... looking forward to that, Your Grace." Evelina stuttered at best.

"You should. It is a rare privilege to catch the Prince's eye."

That had to sting. But Evelina swallowed and smiled. "It is, Your Grace."

The queen had a long look at Evelina before she opened her mouth to speak. "You are a remarkable girl, Evelina, so I think you deserve to know. News of the Duke being robbed and mugged on the streets of London reached my ears early enough."

"Oh my goodness! Is this why the Prince's return has been postponed?" Breanna mouthed.

"You tell me. If it had been your only child, what would you have done?" said the Queen.

"Well, by God, I would have done the same and told him to stay back and not rush to London too soon." said the Countess.

The queen sighed impassively and focused her gaze on Evelina. "Why are you suddenly so quiet? Do you often zone out in the middle of a conversation?"

"Oh, I had no idea that my opinion would be of any use in this matter," said Evelina.

"Well, it is. So tell me," the queen demanded.

"Okay, if you insist..." Evelina moistened her lips, then turned her eyes to her mother, who urged her on with a nod.

She went on. "Okay, I was thinking... isn't 'robbed' and 'mugged' - don't both adjectives mean the same thing?"

Almost immediately, the colour drained from the queen's face.

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