I braced again.
Mostly because the “brief fling” comment made Chelsea look both pissed as shit and wounded as hell.
Battle kept going.
“You put grave effort in not wasting your time on anything of value.”
I pressed my lips together.
Chastity whisper-tittered.
“I wasted my time on a relationship with you,” Chelsea pointed out.
Battle caught her in the crosshairs of his gaze.
“Exactly my point.”
Ouch!
And…
Score!
He then turned to me.
Uh-oh.
“I hope old Bess fucked her way through her entire court. I do believe from your book that you don’t believe she died a virgin.”
“Uh…no. But I think she gave up the goods to Dudley. Though, obviously, no one is sure.”
“It actually sickens me they still refer to her as the Virgin Queen like that’s some kind of remarkable challenge she bested,” he returned. “Like virginity, something we’re all born with, is something for a woman to aspire to guard, only if she’s not married. Elizabeth is arguably one of the most brilliant politicians in all of history. She demonstrated the depths of her intelligence from a very early age. For better or worse, better only for the Englishman, and yes, I denote the gender of that purposefully, she started the British Empire. The Ingenious Queen, the Cunning Queen, the Crafty Queen, the Wily Queen, all of these are better epithets for her rule and the state she left her beloved country in after her death. Frankly, calling her the Virgin Queen, like that was all she accomplished in her reign, is a bloody insult.”
And shit.
Yeah.
I might just have to like this guy.
“Says the man with three crafty, talented, intelligent sisters,” Rally quipped.
“And how would you describe me, love?” Courtney queried.
Without missing a beat, Rally answered, “Oh, my Beautiful, Kind, Loving, Supportive, Eternally Interesting Queen, obviously.”
“Well said,” Prue murmured as Courtney cast adoring eyes to her fiancé.
Fortunately, dinner after that, along with discussion continuing when we returned to the parlor for after dinner drinks, involved a rather spirited and definitely stimulating discussion about Queen Elizabeth, Walsingham, the Cecils, the Spanish Armada, Drake, the historical Raleigh (no relation) and a profound dissection of both Cate Blanchett movies (passable, but entertaining), the Helen Mirren miniseries (excellent) and The Tudors TV show (also entertaining, but mostly twaddle).
Chelsea didn’t utter a word.
“I cannot believe I’m going to say this, but I’m historied out,” Courtney eventually announced.
“Shall I whisk you to bed, my love?” Rally asked.
“If you would.” She turned to Tempie. “I know tonight was unexpected for you and your staff, but as ever, it was fabulous.”
Tempie rolled a hand at this like she was what we’d been discussing.
