Ok, I’m not exactly sure what I’m doing with this story, it’s simply writing itself, so I have absolutely no clue where it’s heading, and you know that’s always dangerous with me and my yarns. 😉
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Chapter 8
The Baroness was sitting down and staring at the Queen’s garden, she couldn’t believe her luck. She told the Queen, Danielle’s full name and she didn’t make the connection or ask questions. But then she supposed the Queen was too busy to keep track of every manor in the province, and since Auguste didn’t have connections in court, why would she know who she was. Yes indeed, this day was going splendidly soon, very soon Marguerite would become the crowned Princess of France. She and the Queen were continuing with their small talk when the Queen caught her off guard, “Baroness, this has been a truly pleasant morning so far.”
“Yes, Your Majesty, it has turned out to be quite a lovely day hasn’t it?” The Queen smiled at her, and the Baroness thought this would be a great moment to try and get some information, “So are you all ready for the Masque tomorrow night?”
The Queen smiled, “I don’t know if I’ll ever truly be ready for it. There’s been a lot of preparation.” The Baroness nodded when the Queen, suddenly thought of something, “Perhaps you can solve a mystery for me. My son has been asking all over the country side about some courtier that he met that keeps disappearing. His attitude and character has totally changed, and for the better since he met this woman.”
Marguerite looked at her mother and then the Queen, before interjecting “Courtier?”
“Yes. He seems to have fallen all over himself after her, and he’s been acting so out of sorts the last few days. Why we haven’t seen him in days and the servants said he was gone all day yesterday then he shows up in our chambers early this morning dressed in gypsy attire, intoxicated and covered with soot and dirt all over himself; he really needs to settle down.”
The Baroness and Marguerite looked at each other again, and Danielle’s words came back to her ‘I could have been at the castle right now’, the Baroness then shrugged her shoulders and said to herself, “Impossible!” The Queen overheard her and asked, “What’s impossible, Baroness?”
“Nothing Your Majesty, I was just thinking that our servant was also out all day yesterday and didn’t arrive until early in this morning, she was also intoxicated and dressed as a gypsy. But it’s just an impossible coincidence” said a nervous Baroness.
The Queen then gasped, could her son have fallen in love with a servant? Impossible. “Baroness, perhaps you can solve a mystery for me. Have you heard of a Comtesse De Lancret?”
The Baroness looked at the Queen and nervously asked, “A…Nicole De Lancret?”
The Queen then smiled and thought to herself, well at least she exists, “Wonderful! You have heard of her. I was beginning to think she was a ghost.” The Queen said happily.
“Um….Your Majesty, I hate tell you this but Nicole De Lancret is a ghost. She is Danielle De Barbarac’s mother and she died when the girl was born.”
“What?” The Queen was really upset now, “What do you mean Nicole De Lancret is Danielle’s mother. Are you telling me that my son has been seeing a servant who has been masquerading as a courtier?” The outraged Queen asked.
“It appears so, Your Highness. Danielle can be quite a conniving little wench when she wants to be. However, I don’t understand how they could have possibly met. Poor Marguerite has been under the impression that your son fancied her.”
“That’s what we thought as well, and it appears that he’s allowed himself to be tricked by a servant no less. Well Baroness, I will have a talk with him. We’ll have to go down to the stocks when she gets here and talk with this, this woman. She is obviously unsuitable for him, her dishonesty, and her temperament are ill-suited for the responsibility of being a Princess. Her violent act against poor Marguerite is testimony to that. But the fact that she obviously lied to him as well, well… At the moment I don’t think we would be able to sanction that kind of union. Keep your chin up, although the decision of whom to marry is ultimately his, per our agreement with him, this latest news that you have brought me has been quite disturbing, quite disturbing indeed. ”
The Baroness smiled to herself; perhaps all was not lost, if the expression on the Queen’s face was any indication, and the King certainly wouldn’t allow this union to go forward. Before she could respond, the sound of the Royal Trumpets sounded, announcing the arrival of Royalty (A/N, Think Sly and The Family Stone Style Trumpets ), everyone at the table paused for a few minutes when they saw Henry walking up to them with a huge smile on his face.
The Baroness and Marguerite both got up and curtsied, he reached down and held Marguerite’s hand, and helped her up, “Ladies, there’s no need to be so formal in my presence.” He pulled out their chairs so that both of them can sit back down. He then walked up to his mother and kissed her on the cheek, “Mother, it is so lovely to see you again.”
He looked at Marguerite and smiled, “Marguerite what a wonderful surprise to see you here today, I was just thinking about you.” He smiled as he lightly kissed her hand. “Mother, do you mind if I join you for tea? I’m simply famished. And I simply cannot pass up the opportunity to be in the company of the very lovely Marguerite De Ghent and her charming mother.”
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