“Did you hear me, wife? Our daughter is to be married in two days. I thought you would be joyous over this news.”
Her mother blinked a couple of times and mouthed, “who?”
“I am to marry the Earl of Argyll,” she said and watched as her mother slowly shifted her attention from her husband to her daughter.
She drew in a deep breath and in the next instant a sound emanated from her that surely only dogs could hear. The sound was so high pitched that Alice came barreling through the door wearing a look of pure fright.
“What is amiss?”
“Nothing, sister. I am getting married is all and our mother is processing the information.” Marion moved to her mother and took her hands then shook them a little to bring her back to the moment.
“You are marrying the earl?”
“Aye, Mother, I am.”
“The nice earl who we thought was lost to you?”
“The very one.”
“And you will need a dress, and other clothes,” she said as a little pink rose in her cheeks when she flicked her gaze to her husband. “And we will need to have a talk.”
“All is in hand, mother. The queen has arranged for her seamstresses to create a gown for me. We must make haste with our midday meal as the queen is expecting us this afternoon for my fitting.”
With that, her mother scurried around the house looking for bits and bobs of things Marion did not comprehend as she had an entire conversation with herself about whatever she gathered. Something about a grandmother’s pin and something else about a bonnet.
Within the hour, they were fed and dressed in their best gownsand in the carriage heading toward the palace. Alice was permitted to go because there would only be women in attendance, and it was clear her mother was not up for the battle that would ensue if she were to remain at the manor house.
Marion drew in a deep breath as they approached the palace. The last time she was here, she had no idea she would return under these circumstances.
*
The tailor wasmore than adept at his craft. Alexander was amazed how quickly he had produced the outline of a thick velvet doublet and trews. He was not partial to hose and, as such, had his long boots polished to a shine. He spent the remainder of that day and the next traveling back and forth between the tailor for fittings and reining in the king for his elaborate plans. The man was determined to not be outdone and so had hired workmen to build wall-to-wall trellises that would be filled with as many flowers from their gardens as they could spare. He further had secured one of the gardeners who had an interest to capture and safely secure as many butterflies as they could find, even if it meant traveling to gardens in the surrounding areas.
While he was appreciative of the effort, he tried to make the king see that he and his wife were not the kind of people who needed such a spectacle. The challenge was the delicate delivery of such a message.
In the end, he did not question the king any further, rather enjoyed the man’s enthusiasm for decorative detail. Everywhere he looked in the great hall he could see the vision coming together. Between florists and workmen, there were the lutenists who were deciding where they should be situated, which sometimes conflicted with the wishes of the makars. All he could do was stand aside and watch it come together.
No detail was too small for the king’s attention, and Alexander found himself most of the time with nothing more to do than step outof someone’s way.
“Argyll! What do you think?” the king said from beside him as he clapped his hands together.
“You have truly outdone yourself, Your Majesty. I could not imagine how quickly ’tis all coming together.”
“It is not my first event, my friend,” he said with a wink then strode off to direct the workmen and florists. He was not their king in that moment, expecting heads to bow and knees to bend in curtsy; rather he was a director pulling everyone together for the show. And what a show it would be.
As Alexander made to return to the tailor for another fitting, he spied a carriage pulling up in the outer courtyard. Curious, he waited to see who would emerge. He smiled when the wind pulled her red tresses out before she could step out. Alexander waited until she noticed him before he raised his hand to her in greeting.
She walked toward him wearing a shy grin and looking down as much as she met his gaze.
“Is aught well?” he asked.
“Aye, my lord, and you?”
“Aye, all is well with me, although,” he said and turned to look at the entrance to the great hall and then back to her, “I believe the king is having far too much enjoyment planning this feast.”
“I can say much the same about the queen. Her vision for my gown is such that I do not believe you would find me within the layers of fabric without a map.”
“That sounds to me like an enjoyable challenge,” he said, leaning close to her.
