Page 76 of An Ill-Made Match

To Eden’s surprise, she was not taken to the Montmayne quarters as she’d expected, but instead directly to the Queen’s apartments. Sir Palmerston’s smart rap on the door was answered by Jane Cecil, the Queen’s latest favorite. Eden felt herself bridle, though in truth, Jane kept her eyes tactfully diverted. The courtiers they had passed in the corridors had not scrupled to stare.

“Do come in, the Queen awaits,” murmured Jane, opening the door to let them in. “My orders are only to admit Sir Palmerston,” Eden heard Jane tell the others behind them, and was gratified to imagine Sir Symond’s displeasure at being left out. She turned back, only to make sure the dogs were let in, but Castor and Parnell were already barging past the surprised looking lady-in-waiting in their hurry to catch up with her.

Queen Armenal was sat in a low, ornate chair before the fire. She was dressed in a muted bronze-green dress which suited her olive complexion and dark hair well. She held her hands out at once to Eden. “Dear child,” she said loudly. “We are most relieved to see you returned to us.” Unsure if the Queen referred to court or the ‘royal we’, Eden curtseyed low and then clasped both of the Queen’s be-ringed hands in her own. “Do sit, you are doubtless fatigued from your journey.”

Jane wordlessly took her cloak, as Eden seated herself and listened to the Queen warmly thank Sir Palmerston for his services, politely hoping it was not too arduous a task she had set him. Sir Palmerston assured her it was his pleasure to serve his Queen and then bowed low to both of them in turn and backed out of the room.

“It is funny, is it not, to think his family used to be one of my most furious critics,” mused the Queen watching the door shut after him.

“Indeed?” asked Eden politely. She was distracted by Castor and Parnell who had taken the opportunity to freely roam about the elegantly furnished rooms, pawing and sniffing at whatever took their fancy. “Here!” she called sharply. “Excuse me your majesty,” said Eden. “Castor! Parnell!” Her voice rang out authoritatively, making the unfortunate Jane jump. “Come to me!” The dogs looked up, their ears pricked up, their eyes alert as they returned to her. “Sit!” They settled at this, though Parnell circled twice before collapsing with a sigh.

“What large, unwieldly beasts,” exclaimed the Queen. “I had no notion you were fond of such uncouth, powerful creatures. Still,” she added slyly. “You have now survived several weeks as a Vawdrey, so perhaps it should not surprise me overmuch.”

Eden looked up sharply, but the Queen was smiling urbanely. She did not like to point out it was not quite three weeks she had been married yet, but instead reached out and patted Castor who looked likely to start barking wildly at any minute.

“Ah Jane!” said the Queen, as Jane Cecil came in bearing a tray of refreshments. “Such a treasure, is she not? I don’t know how I would do without her. She is the only one I can depend upon not to be abandon me for a husband.” The Queen sighed forlornly, and Eden realized this was a barb with a new target. The Queen used to say that about her - Eden. Not anymore it seemed. Jane had thoroughly replaced her in the Queen’s affections. She wondered, not for the first time at Queen Armenal’s fondness for the pale, rather insipid Jane. Everyone knew her far more attractive sister Helen was the King’s mistress. Eden doubted very much that the Queen was ignorant of the fact.

“Will you take wine or mead?” offered Jane, setting down her burden and reaching for the silver goblets.

“Wine, please,” said Eden, glancing at the beautiful view the Queen’s apartments afforded over the palace grounds. By the position of the sun in the sky, Eden estimated the hour was no more advanced than five o’clock or thereabouts. She found herself devoutly hoping that Roland had not abandoned her here, and gone back to Vawdrey Keep, abandoning her to her fate. The thought caught her off-guard. Had she become accustomed then, to this husband of hers? It had been such a short amount of time relatively, she reminded herself dazedly. Why did it seem so odd being back here at court in her old life?

“No doubt you are still reeling from the events of the past few weeks, no?” said the Queen smoothly as Jane poured her wine. “We are all giddy, in truth, is that not so?” When Jane Cecil only answered her with a discreet nod, the Queen tsked. “Eden will not thank us to hide from her the truth. There has been much whispering in corners.” She nodded. “But yes, it has been intolerable. And so I have told the King. It is an insult to me, for one of my ladies to be an object of such infamy.” She settled back in her seat, as Eden tensed, leaning forward in hers. “I daresay,” said the Queen with an airy wave of her hand. “That brother of his, the Lord Oswald Vawdrey could have drawn over it the veil most discreet, if he had not been hampered by that execrable Sir Christopher…”

“Uncle Christopher has been at court?” asked Eden with dismay.

The Queen looked heavenward. “I do not mean to be overly censorious of your family, my very dear Eden,” she said serenely. “But this Christopher Montmayne…” she gave a grimace of distaste.

“I know,” said Eden without thinking. “My own father was said to be much worse, though.”

The Queen gave a startled burst of laughter. “Really?”

Eden felt herself turn pink. She was never usually so frank. “Yes, my father Godwin Montmayne was the black sheep of the family. Uncle Leofric was the only respectable one.”

The Queen looked thoughtful. “How interesting! Perhaps, the Lady Dorothea she was too strict. Boys are very hard to raise, or so I hear,” she sighed. “If one allows them to run wild like savages, they grow up as such. But then if one keeps them to the path that is so straight and narrow – also savages, but deceitful ones! Sometimes I am very glad that I have only the stepson. If he turns out to be the bad lot,” she shrugged. “I cannot be held to account.”

Eden thought fleetingly of the absent prince who was being raised apart at some country idyll and wondered at the Queen’s attitude. She thought of the woods and hills around the Keep that Roland had roamed over as a boy. On the whole, she thought raising them like honest savages might have better results. She surfaced from her thoughts with a start, realizing the Queen was still addressing her.

“-I hope that will not be too much of an inconvenience to you,” she was saying smoothly.

“I beg your pardon, your majesty?”

“I was explaining your living arrangements while the hearing it is ongoing.”

“Hearing?” repeated Eden blankly.

The Queen smiled at her. “My poor dear. It must be very distressing for you. But you must take heart. Your grandmother, she wishes for you the best. If it means the scandal, then that is what must ensue. She will not tolerate you being coerced into a distasteful union. This she told to me herself.”

Eden gasped. “So the hearing…?”

The Queen gave a nod. “It is to determine whether this marriage, it should stand.”

It turned out that Eden was to remain in the Queen’s apartments in a shared attendants room with Jane Cecil during the goings-on. The Hearing would be held over three days and testimonies would be taken from various witnesses. Eden listened with a sinking heart to the plans laid out before her. The Queen was to preside over proceedings, and it seemed she was anticipating them with great relish. It would start on the morrow. Anticipating the event, Eden found she lost all appetite for the delicious supper that had arrived from the royal kitchens. She felt sick, and not just of stomach, but of heart.

**

Eden scanned the packed audience room. She could see every leading courtier crammed in from pillar to post, save one. Where was Roland? In the end, she gave up all pretense of looking dignified and craned her neck, turning in her seat. He was nowhere to be seen! Eden tried to fight down the rising panic. Had he gone back to Sitchmarsh, then? Had he left her? Her heart pounded in her chest. She could feel her breathing grow shallow. She had spotted her grandmother, Lenora and her uncles sat near the front. She had also seen Sir Oswald Vawdrey, head to toe in black. He had that habitual smile playing about his mouth, but she did not believe for one minute he was as relaxed as he looked. After all, was he about to perjure himself before the Queen? Then she remembered that someone had once told her that Chief Advisor to the King included another role that wasn’t so openly discussed. That of chief spymaster. Perhaps after all, lying wasn’t going to be a problem for Lord Vawdrey. She had just slumped back in her seat when she noticed the blonde head of hair next to Oswald. It was Cuthbert! She sat up again, but looked in vain for Roland. He was not there. She felt lost and without an anchor. She wasn’t a Montmayne anymore and yet, she wasn’t now a proven Vawdrey either. She had no-one! She didn’t even have the dogs as she had been forced to leave them in the Queen’s quarters. Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Eden mustered some composure at least. She had always been able to fall back on her self-possession. It could not abandon her now.

A hush fell over the room, and Eden realized the double-doors down the other end had opened, and the Queen was swooping in, resplendent in a glinting purple gown with underskirt and full sleeves of gold. She wore a purple coif cap and gold veil and to match. Glancing down at the sea-green gown of Lenora’s that she had felt over-dressed in, Eden suddenly felt modestly arrayed. Queen Armenal was dressed to capture the eye, and she had certainly achieved her aim, as her audience was captivated by her appearance.