Were those tears filling the woman's eyes? He couldn't be sure but he did hear the catch in her voice.
"Thank you."
He gave her one of his legendary smiles as they turned to continue the tour. "It's my pleasure."
14
Victoria didn't feel quite as useless as she would have expected. Even though she didn't know anything about the antiquities, she could read the inventory. The two historians she worked with explained everything they handled to her as they worked.
It had only taken about fifteen minutes for at least half a dozen staffers to show up to assist. The relief on the Assistant Historian's face told Victoria just how seriously she was taking this.
Victoria and her partners came to a good stopping point and decided the time had come for a short break to stretch, relax, and just do something else for a few minutes. As much as they wanted to continue working, everyone in the department acknowledged the need for down time. Otherwise, physical exhaustion and mental fatigue would lead to errors and accidents.
Not could.
Would.
It would only be a matter of time before someone misidentified a document or damaged an irreplaceable relic.
Victoria wasn't sure where she should go. The other two had given her a polite nod then walked off toward... well, she didn't know where. She only knew they'd left her to fend for herself.
As she started for the main door to the gallery, she looked through the open door to the Royal Historian's office. Jeanette sat at his desk with her face in her hands. Her shoulders didn't show evidence of sobs, but that didn't mean she wouldn't be crying underneath.
When the phone rang, her face lifted. Victoria only saw weariness.
"Office of the Royal Historian, Jeanette speaking."
Jeanette sat straight up in her chair. "Your Royal Highness, I appreciate your call."
Royal Highness? Who could it be?
"Your expertise would be most welcome, ma'am." Jeanette listened for a few seconds. "This evening?" She sounded incredulous. "That would be wonderful." The historian looked up and realized Victoria was there. "I will need to clear it with... someone. Security or the king. I'm not really sure, but since you're not from Dellisole, I don't know that I can approve that on my own."
A few more seconds went by with Jeanette nodding along. "I'll be in touch as soon as I know, ma'am. Thank you."
Victoria leaned against the door frame and hoped she looked casual. She didn't want Jeanette to feel intimidated. That wasn't the purpose. "Is everything all right?" She heard her own words and grimaced. "At least as all right as it can be?"
Jeanette nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
"Who was that? I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I was close enough to hear..." She wasn't spying and hoped the other woman understood that.
"Madeleine Woodward Middleton, Duchess of Nordfell from Eastern Novigradia. She's offered to assist in any way she can."
Victoria took a seat across the desk from Jeanette. "She's a historian as well, isn't she?"
"Yes, ma'am. That's how she and the widowed Prince Consort found each other. She helped him find a way to ensure he was regent for Queen Catherine. They eventually determined the only way to force their parliament and council to allow him to was to be married. It was widely discussed in our professional circles. Everyone knew it wasn't a love match, at least not at first, but, if the number of children they have together is any indication, that changed at some point." The look on Jeanette's face softened. "If you've ever seen the way they look at each or how they are around each other when they're out of the spotlight, you also know it's true."
After searching the recesses of her mind for a minute, Victoria remembered snippets of the story. "You said she could be here this evening?"
"Yes, ma'am. They're already in Europe and can be here in a couple of hours." She hesitated. "I don't have the authority to authorize her participation. I don't know that even the actual Royal Historian could on his own."
Victoria pulled her phone out of her pocket and sent Enzo a text asking him to contact her when he had a few minutes. To her surprise, the screen lit up almost immediately. Swiping across, she answered. After summarizing what Jeanette had told her, she asked the pertinent question. "Who needs to approve her participation? What kind of restrictions would she have? Not to be alone in the offices or archives, of course, but can she help authenticate? Be support staff? I don't know what the options could be and first we need to know if she can."
The only thing she could hear for several seconds was the sound of his pen tapping against a nearby surface. She'd learned it meant he was thinking.
"I don't have any problems with it. If there's anyone we can trust, it's the duchess. I'm not sure if she needs to be cleared by security, but I'll text you as soon as I know. You might ask if she can get started toward Dellisole as soon as possible. Even if she can't help in the archives themselves, I imagine her knowledge and support will be invaluable to Ms. White regardless."
"Thank you. I'll talk to you at dinner." She hadn't considered when she'd be finished helping.
