Escort (2) 

"Have you decided who will walk beside Rafael? He must have a young lady next to him."

Delilah shifted in her seat, as this was her moment.

"I would love for there to be someone at his side, but you know Rafael. I cannot force him to take anyone to his side, or he might call off the party and make me have it at my own home. He prefers to be alone when he is not fighting. I worry for him, but I cannot push him so much. He fortunately has time. It is the one blessing of being a man," said Beatrice.

Though Beatrice wished to have a daughter she could spend more time with, she appreciated that there was no rush for Rafael to get married in the eyes of the town. There were no clocks ticking for him as the town would say there are for young women who waste time not getting married as soon as they debut. Young women had to rush to secure a husband in their prime so there would be no questions about their ability to have a child.

No matter his age, Rafael would always be sought after by the young ladies here in town. His wealth and achievements as a knight made him a strong candidate for a husband. Most young women also saw comfort in the fact that Rafael would spend most of his time outside of his home. They would have a moment to themselves to not keep up their duties as his wife.

"I have a wonderful solution. Delilah and Rafael have known each other for ages. He must show up with a lady on his arm, and Delilah should have an escort. It would only make sense to pair the two. It would open the opportunity for Rafael to introduce Delilah to some of his friends," Rachel proposed.

Beatrice saw through what Rachel was doing. She might not have a daughter who needs to play these games, but there were so many women with daughters who approached her with these tricks that she picked up on them right away. "That would be something you must ask Rafael at dinner. He is the one who needs to agree to it," she replied, leaving the task to Rachel and Delilah.

For once, Beatrice was too busy to play matchmaker, and she had already told Delilah that she could not help with Rafael. Still, Beatrice hoped Rachel could convince her son.

"Very well. I shall have a word with him when we all meet for dinner," Rachel said, dropping this for now since Beatrice would be of no use. She wasn't upset with Beatrice for not trying. Rachel was around Beatrice long enough to know it wasn't easy when it came to Rafael. "You've had enough of planning the party, Beatrice. How about a drink? I know you must have one hidden somewhere in this room."

Beatrice smiled. "You know me so well. That is my secret to planning parties so quickly. Annalise, be a dear and bring the bottle over there," she said, pointing to a bottle was already opened. "Along with a cup for the three of us."

Annalise quickly moved to get the bottle and three cups for the women. She was glad Beatrice ordered her to do something since she was not fond of just standing around. She wanted to do more to show she should be picked to serve the king.

"Delilah, you know I don't like you drinking, so you should find something to do while I speak with Beatrice," Rachel practically shooed Delilah away. Delilah should have used this time to be near Rafael. Time was ticking, and it was only so long before another young woman would show up looking to capture his attention.

Delilah didn't know what to do to occupy her time until dinner. She stood up, looking around the room for something to do, and her eyes settled on Annalise, who was taking it upon herself to pour the drinks.

Delilah walked over to where Annalise stood to get an apology for how out of line Annalise was when speaking about Rafael. A maid should always know how to speak to guests. "That is too much you are pouring at once. You pour a little to savor the taste."

"My apologies," Annalise answered, pouring some of it out of the glass and into another. "Can I get you something to drink since you will not be drinking this? I can get you anything from the kitchen once they know it is for you."

Delilah narrowed her eyes, suspicious of this new behavior. "Were you scolded for the way you act as a maid? By Lady Beatrice or perhaps the head maid?" She asked.

"No. I am just learning as I go along," Annalise replied. "If I may speak freely without you getting offended."

"Go on," Delilah allowed her since she wished to hear what Annalise wanted to say. Was an apology coming, or would she act out of place again?

"I truly have no interest in the young master, and I do not wish to be on your bad side. I apologize if my actions offended you in any way," Annalise apologized, though there was no need for her to, in her opinion. She had done nothing wrong to Delilah, but she did not need Delilah hindering her plans to be picked to serve the king. Annalise wanted to be on the good side of the guests.

Though she was anticipating an apology, Delilah was surprised to hear it come out of Annalise's mouth. "I suppose I have to acknowledge that I came off a little strong by thinking you liked Rafael. It is not exactly my place to tell anyone not to like him. I have to push others away from Rafael since I intend to marry him. I won't go so hard on you in the future."

Delilah was going to trust that Annalise had no interest in Rafael. However, the look Rafael had given Annalise when they were on the balcony still bothered her, and there was this incident between the two that Beatrice would not tell her about. She had to hear from another maid. There were a few who liked to come to her and give her information in exchange for a few coins.

"Excuse me," Annalise said, as she needed to take the drinks to Beatrice and Rachel. "Your drinks, Lady Callahan," she said, placing a glass in front of Beatrice and then one in front of Rachel. "I will start to clean the room."

"Thank you," Beatrice smiled. "I am tempted to steal Annalise away from here."

Rachel glanced at the young woman. It would be best for Beatrice to take her away so Delilah could concentrate. "I'm sure Rafael wouldn't mind letting the maid come work for you. You only need to ask. Have you heard any word about when he has to go back out again? I've heard those savages have started to cause trouble again. It would only take Rafael and your husband to get rid of them."

"Rafael and my husband don't share much information with me. I am only told when the time comes for Rafael to leave. Everyone's been saying there is trouble at the border again, but I believe it is just rumors. News from the palace says that it is under control. I hope Rafael does not need to get involved when he just returned from a long trip," said Beatrice.