“And where is it you will go when you leave here?”
“We will return to our summer home here in Linlithgow. ’Tis not far from here. My father wished to be close to the palace in order to attend the king’s events if invited.”
“I suspect there will be more invitations extended to your father, Lady Marion.”
That was an odd thing to say. “Why would you say that, my lord?”
He smiled. “I meant only that you stand out among your peers, Lady Marion. I anticipate your parents will want to be sure you are introduced to the king’s court sufficiently in order to secure a future for you.”
There it was. The disappointment in that every person here had an agenda, including this seemingly perfect man who had imprinted on her heart for a few mere moments.
Thankfully, the dance ended. Marion curtseyed before the earl. “I thank you for the dance, my lord. It was a pleasure to meet you.” With that, she walked away from him before he could respond.
As she approached her parents who were still speaking with the royal couple, an arm encircled hers and to her surprise, Lady Cora Fraser, a lass close to her age, and someone Marion would not trust as far as she could throw her, was fawning over her dress and hair.
“I told my mama earlier I wanted to wear my hair down tonightlike Lady Marion does, but she would not let me. She said it is wanton and wicked to make such a display of oneself.”
Marion looked up to the tall bird fastened to the top of Cora’s head with feathers seeming to shoot out of the poor creature. Display of oneself, indeed. Cora always had a way of complimenting and insulting a person in the same breath. Marion would have disentangled herself were she not in the presence of the king and queen. As far as anyone else present was concerned, she couldn’t care less what they thought of her or her hair.
“You might think you are better than the rest of us, Marion, but you are not. And you had better forget about the earl as well. Two fathers already approached him this afternoon and began negotiations, and from what I am told, he is the worst sort of womanizer,” she said in a smug tone. “I hear he is even worse than Lord Ross and merely wants to marry a woman to produce heirs and that he has declared he will never love anyone.”
Marion had lost most of her patience by now. “Well then, it is a good thing I am not interested in the earl.” As she said this, she withdrew her arm from Cora and moved to sit with the queen who had now moved back to the raised dais and was motioning for Marion to sit with her.
“You look troubled, my friend. Why are you not dancing with the earl?”
Marion did not want to lie to the queen, but she also did not want to be pressured into spending time with someone who played the same games everyone else in the hall played. Was there no one present who was genuine? Maybe she was naive like her younger sister kept saying. Maybe this is how the world was, and she had better find a way to get used to it and accept her fate.
“It is all a bit overwhelming, Your Majesty,” she said, using the proper address considering they were within earshot of others at the moment. And she hadn’t lied. She was overwhelmed, just not for thereason she would let the queen think.
“Then we shall sit here together and watch the games ensue.”
Marion was grateful for her friend’s good sense. She didn’t probe her any further, and as they sat in silence, Marion was able to watch scenes unfolding before her, connections between lord and lady with their hopeful parents standing by the sidelines whispering to one another. A moment ago, she was among that ever moving crowd and she wondered who had been whispering about her.
Her eyes scanned the hall until they landed on the earl in a dance with another hopeful young lady. She watched as he moved with her around the dance floor like they had. While the lady stared only at him, Marion was convinced his head turned her way whenever possible.
She noticed her father moving toward her wearing a small frown. “Are you unwell, daughter?” he asked after bowing to the queen.
“Aye, ’tis been a long day, is all.” It had been a long day, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of these clothes and crawl into her warm bed and sleep.
“I couldn’t agree more. Your mother and I are ready to leave if you are.”
“Would you mind terribly if we did leave soon, Your Majesty?”
The queen placed her hand on Marion’s. “I have been far too demanding on you this day. In truth, I have enjoyed every moment we have spent together. Will you please return on the morrow for the remainder of the games?”
How on earth could she say no to that? “Aye, Your Majesty. It would be my honor to return tomorrow and share in the games with you.”
With that, she stood and took her father’s arm to collect her mother who was speaking with Lady Fraser. Marion groaned inwardly, for she could imagine the stories she would have to endure on the carriage ride home.
Together they bade their hosts farewell and promised to return early the next day. Keeping to the side of the hall, they passed by those still enjoying the music and Marion was careful not to scan the crowd for the earl.
But she didn’t have to.
“Lady Marion, are you leaving?”
The sound of his voice made her belly flutter. She stopped and turned to him. “Aye, my lord. ’Tis been a long day.”
“And do you plan to return tomorrow for the games?”
