“Aye, I remember him. And is he aware you are inviting me to his home?”
“He is aware,” she said. Was there a “but” in her tone somewhere?
“Your Majesty, I will not go to the man’s home if he does not want me there.”
“It does not really work that way, Lady Marion. The invitation has been extended to the king and those he chooses to invite as accompaniment. Our steward will send along the number of our party, but it is not customary to highlight those in the party as it is at the king’s discretion.”
Now she felt like a fool for asking. Of course, the king and the earl would not discuss her specifically, for who was she in this mix?
“You worry for no reason, Lady Marion. You will be very welcome, I am sure. And as for the other matter, I am sure it is long forgotten.”
Which would be worse? That he did remember and did not want her there, or that he’d forgotten the encounter entirely. Both, by her estimation. But was that enough for her to turn down the invitation? She’d been longing for an escape from her family and here was one beyond her imagining. To travel across the country in a comfortable carriage with the queen to insist upon their needs and wants was not an offer that came along every day. Any other young lady would have said “aye” already. So why did Marion hesitate? The reason was obvious, and the only sensible response was as well.
“Then I will gladly accept your invitation, Your Majesty, and I will enjoy the adventure of it with you.”
The queen’s smile was infectious. “I do hope you like to be pampered, Lady Marion, for I’ve had our carriage fitted with extra padding and footrests that pull out from under our seats for added comfort. We shall want for nothing and see all the sights there are to see. I assure you, this will be a journey you will not soon forget.”
Of that, Marion was fairly certain, regardless of her encounter with the earl. The queen shared some of their intended itinerary including a stay at Stirling Castle. It would take them about a sennight to travel to Inverary, but they could choose to delay that should they become distracted along the way.
The remainder of their visit was taken up with the clothing Marion should pack and the shoes and wraps she would need since the air may very well be cooler in that part of the country versus the Lothian region.
All of that was well and good, but Marion wanted to know more about Inverary and the earl and his family and everything she could imagine. Instead of asking, she paid close attention to everything the queen shared with her by way of preparation for the trip.
The earl.
She longed to see him again but dreaded it at the same time. Having mulled over his words time and again, she could not be quite sureof his meaning that evening. Did he mean she was merely pretending to be a maiden and using her feminine ways to ensnare him? Or did he mean some other such manner of insult? She was not experienced in the ways of men and women, but she was sure the need she felt was real, and she was convinced at least he had felt the same in the moment.
While she could understand being cautious with such attachments, she’d given him no reason to believe she was anything but truthful and sincere in her attention to him. Maybe something good could come from this encounter. She could very well acquire the opportunity to confront him over his comments. She could tell him how that made her feel and that she deserved an apology. The likelihood of that was as possible as if she might sprout wings and fly across the country to acquire said apology.
Keeping her mind focused on preparing for the journey was a welcome distraction from the memory of the man at the end of it. He would not know she was in the attending party. How would he react to seeing her? Would he think she orchestrated this as well?
*
Alexander straightened histunic and fixed his belt placement and left his chamber to join his family to welcome the royal couple to Inverary Castle. His sister had left no detail to chance as she’d driven everyone in the castle mad in the last two weeks since receiving confirmation from the king of their stay and the number in their party.
There was nothing unusual about the number and it was not customary for the king to provide details on the who. But two words stuck out that had him on edge.
My Dear Argyll,
I graciously accept your invitation to join you at Inverary together with my wife and friend as well as the usual accompaniment of staff.We shall endeavor to arrive on or about 18 August and will partake of your hospitality for a few days as we tour the west Highlands.
James S
Did the king mean his wife was also his friend, and if so, what a peculiar manner to phrase such a thing. If that was not the meaning, was it that the queen was bringing a friend, and if so, which one? Images of red hair had tormented him to no end of late, and he had just begun to work through possibly never seeing her again. Now he was not sure if he wanted to see her or not.
Alexander stood at the front of the line including first his family, then his stewards and heads of his staff. The din of an approaching carriage and horses was well evident long before the party came into view considering the curvature in the road and the lush trees surrounding it.
The king was at the lead and galloped ahead when they came into view. He dismounted quickly and tossed the reins to a waiting stable hand and approached Alexander with a beaming smile.
“Argyll, you seek to outdo me with these grounds,” he said.
The king clearly had an affectionate eye for meticulously groomed grounds looking neat as a pin. Jean could be thanked for that. Not that a hair was ever out of place at Inverary, but she was specific about how she wanted the first impression to be taken. In addition to the lush trees that surrounded them, she’d had the gardeners gather branches from nearby to make thick garlands adorned with all the local wildflowers of the area. These garlands lined the entrance to the castle and topped every main doorway and table possible inside. His home smelled more like the woods than it did. But he was proud of his home and stood a little taller before the king as he bowed.
“You are most welcome, Your Majesty. I am certain you will find much to admire in this part of the country.”
As the king spoke of his journey, the carriage pulled up and stopped just in front of them. Alexander worked hard to keep hisattention on him, but in his periphery, he was keenly aware of the carriage door slowly opening and an ornately dressed foot stepping outside. The woman wore a hood and a gown fit for a queen—making sense considering that’s who it was. She looked all around and seemed pleased then joined her husband in greeting Alexander.
He waited. His mind was having a different conversation with himself than the polite one he was having with the royals.
