By the time she was ready to get out, her fingertips had begun to shrivel. She let the maids do whatever they wanted with her and by the time they were done, her hair had been curled and brushed and she was dressed in a pale blush pink gown that surprisingly did not object to her red hair and fair skin, rather drew them together. The neckline was square, to which a sheer scarf was tucked for modesty, and the sleeves came only to her wrists. This gown was delicate and pretty, but sensible.
“Her majesty wishes you to join her to break your fast this morn, my lady.”
“Oh,” Marion said. She’d not been aware anyone had been awaiting her company and now felt a little mortified over her indulgence.
“When you are ready, my lady,” the maid said.
Marion followed her out of the chamber and onward to the queen’s chambers and beyond to a lovely situated open and airy part of their apartments she had not yet seen. The largest of all from what she could gather, this one had a large hearth with highbacked padded seats surrounding it and a long dining table to one side, and smaller tables with lower backed chairs surrounding them. She found the queen seated at the long table with a large spread of food before her.
“Come and join me, Lady Marion. I do apologize that I could not wait for you. I found myself quite ravenous this morn.”
Her butler motioned Marion to a chair to the side of the queen and then proceeded to offer food from each of the platters in turn. Not over hungry herself, but not wanting to cause offense, she accepted some cheese and bread and a few pieces of apple and orange slices. This morning, she stuck to the sweet mead. No more claret for her.
“How fared your night?” the queen asked.
The woman wasted no time beating about and thankfully did not wear any kind of smirk, for which Marion was thankful, for she was in no mood to be played with.
“You had outdone yourself, Your Majesty. The solar was beautifully decorated and the food and drink were the best I’ve ever had.”
“And the night overall? How did that go, if I may be so bold?”
Marion reminded herself that this woman had not yet had relations with her husband and would not for some weeks according to the contract. A few things were becoming clearer to her in the light of day and now she felt even more foolish for falling into it.
“My night overall was lovely, Your Majesty.”
“And you are to give me no details, then?”
Well, this was more awkward than she could have imagined. She didn’t want to disappoint her friend, but she was not about to talk about how the man’s kiss had turned her insides to mush, and the driving need to touch his bare skin in ways she wasn’t sure she would be permitted.
“We had a lovely dinner; as I said, the food was heavenly. After that, we sat by the window and watched the moon’s reflection on the loch and we talked, or rather, I talked. He wanted to know about my family and the things I was interested in.”
“And then?”
If she already knew and Marion did not confess to it, that would be lying to one’s queen and Marion was not about to do it.
“What do you mean, Your Majesty?”
She cleared her throat and leaned closer. In a lower voice, she asked, “Did he kiss you?”
Marion closed her eyes. God in heaven, give her strength. “Aye, Your Majesty, he kissed me, but that was it, a very brief thing that I do not wish known.”
The queen tilted her head to the side. “I also get the sense you do not wish it repeated.”
“Nay, I do not. I was hoping to return to my parents this morn.”
Her friend’s eyes narrowed. She sat back in her chair and interlaced her fingers with her elbows on the chair’s armrests and her two forefingers raised to a point placed directly beneath her chin.
“There are two things I want to ask you, and I want you to be very honest with me. My reasons are my own for asking them, but I absolutely guarantee you discretion. The maids who attended you, who acted as chaperone last eve are my most trusted, but they are loyal to me. I know what happened. So, the first question is, did you enjoy the kiss?”
Caught off guard by the woman’s blunt question, she blurted, “Aye,” before she could catch herself.
The queen now smiled as if satisfied with that answer.
“Very well, that is what I would have expected. The second question I have for you is if you enjoyed the kiss, and by all accounts, as did the earl, why did he leave here in the middle of the night?”
“The earl has left?”
Marion’s heart sank to the floor. This she did not know, and though she had fully intended to avoid him at all costs as she made her own escape, at least she managed to stay the rest of the night before seeking to leave.
