Behind her Fergus stared straight ahead.Butthe comment had not been lost on him.His eyes were alight withpleasure.
Lindsey savored the meal as much for theexcellence of the food as for the fact that the queen had notaddressed her since the meal began.Suddenly, however, the foodturned to ashes in her mouth when the queen fixed her with ahaughty look.
“You say you followed Jamie toHolyroodhouse?”
Lindsey swallowed.“Aye, Majesty.”
“Was he not accompanied by Mary Livingston,one of my ladies?”the queen asked, studying her pointedly.
“I—did not know the lady’s identity.”
“Ah.”The queen’s lips curved slightly.“Didit not occur to you that Jamie and the woman might not be returningto the inn?”
Lindsey felt Jamie’s gaze on her and took asip of water.“I may have entertained such a thought, Majesty.Butby then, it was too late.I had no choice but to follow him, sinceI was thoroughly lost in the city.”
“You did not know you were atHolyroodhouse?”
“Nay, Majesty.I knew only that Jamie and thelady had entered, and so I followed.”
The queen arched a brow and shot a glance atJamie.“So, if my lord MacDonald had been entering into a—trystwith the mysterious lady, perhaps in her own home or the home of atrusted friend, you would have been a witness to it?”
Lindsey’s cheeks flamed.There was noescaping the queen’s razor wit and sharp tongue.
“I...have never before done such a thing,Majesty.”
The queen’s voice was warm with laughter.“You are indeed a bold woman, Lindsey Gordon.”
Lindsey could feel Jamie’s gaze boring intoher, but she avoided meeting his look.
Abruptly the queen changed topics.“How manybrothers do you have?”
“Four, Majesty.”
“Four brothers.Should that not give you anadvantage over most other women?”
“I do not understand.”
“One would think that you, surrounded by somany men, would understand the way a man’s mind works.”
Lindsey couldn’t hide her wry smile.“Iregret, Majesty, that despite having a father and four brothers, Ihave never understood the working of a man’s mind.It is still apuzzle to me.”
“As it is to me,” the queen saidthoughtfully, glancing at the man who sat at the other end of thetable.Though Darnley shared their meal, he seemed to take littleinterest in their conversation.
“Perhaps, Jamie,” the queen said with alaugh, “you will one day help us with our dilemma.”
“I am more than happy to accept your offer,providing Your Majesty will teach me the way a woman’s mind worksin return.”
“It does not work,” came Darnley’s voice fromhis place at the table.“A woman simply makes a judgment, and allthe powers of persuasion in the world will not change hermind.”
Mary studied her husband’s frowning face fora moment, then turned to Fergus.“We would take our sweetsnow.”
“Aye, Majesty.”
The old man hurried away and returned withinminutes, followed by his wife and daughter, who carried trays ofpuddings and tarts.
As the queen accepted a heaping portion sheremarked, “The child I carry will be very sweet indeed.For I havenever craved sweets as much as I have in these past months.”
“My son,” Darnley said with a sneer, “willnot be sweet.He will be strong.Strong enough to control the womenhe beds.”
