Page 20 of Legacy of Glass
“You may leave,” the king said quickly to the footman, and the man bowed and hurried away, clearly relieved to escape whatever was unfolding on the terrace. Olivia wished she could flee as well.
“We mustn’t jump to conclusions,” King Robert said heavily with a warning look at his wife. “Lord Emerson is a long-standing ally of the throne and a personal friend. I do not believe that he would?—”
“Oh no,” Olivia said quickly, all while her heart sank lower and lower. “It isn’t Lord Emerson’s fault. He never knew I was inside the carriage at all. And I know I got out alone, but I wasn’t in there alone. Lady Marigold was with me. But she tore her dress as she moved to alight and had to fix it. There was another carriage behind us, so she circled around and came into the ball after me.”
“But why are you wearing glass slippers?” the queen demanded.
“Am I not supposed to wear them?” Olivia asked, trying to keep her voice steady. “I grew up in the country, and I’ve always been told that glass slippers are required at the Midsummer Ball.”
“Well, yes, of course, usually they are,” the queen said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But not this year.”
Olivia’s brows drew together. That made no sense. Every girl who had ever gone to the ball from Henton had taken a pair of slippers with her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, a small tremble slipping into her voice. “I think there’s been some sort of mistake. I can assure you, I never meant to?—”
“You entered alone, late, and wearing the slippers?” the king asked in a sharp voice, not waiting for the answer before turning to his son. “And you greeted her on her entrance and asked her to dance? It was at least two dances, if I recall. And then the two of you went for refreshments together?”
Prince Julius, who looked pale, nodded. “I got a glimpse of the slippers as she stepped into the ballroom. And the fanfare sounded! You must have heard it. I thought she was the one.”
“But where is Lady Marigold?” the king asked. “We must consult with her at once. Find her and bring her here to explain this situation.”
The prince hesitated before nodding and returning to the ballroom. Olivia watched him go with trepidation. Earlier she had longed for him to walk away and leave her alone, but now she felt like running after him and clinging to his side.
He had barely shut the doors behind him when the queen spoke again, her voice urgent. “If the fanfare sounded, the number of dances is the least of our worries! The most important point is who are you, girl?”
“I’m Olivia,” she repeated, although she was sure that wasn’t what they meant. “I’m a friend of Lady Marigold. I live next door to her in Manor Row.”
“A noble girl?” The queen’s head tipped to the side, and her eyes narrowed. “I don’t recognize you.”
“No, not a noble,” Olivia said quickly. The last thing she needed was to create further misunderstandings. “I live with my aunt and uncle. My uncle runs a successful business and recently purchased a manor on the Row.”
“Your aunt and uncle…” The queen nodded. “They must be very wealthy. I suppose you’re a treasured and pampered niece. Perhaps they took you in because they have no children of their own?” She sounded hopeful.
“Ahh…” Olivia didn’t like to say anything that might sound like a criticism of her relatives.
“If he’s recently bought a house on Manor Row, your uncle must be Walter,” the king said. “Most of those houses have been in the same family for generations.”
“Yes, that’s right,” Olivia said softly.
King Robert exchanged a look with his wife. “Doesn’t Walter have two daughters? We met them in the receiving line tonight. Their first ball. They must be about the same age as this girl.”
The queen gave a horrified cry and stumbled back a step, her hand once more flying to her heart. “Two daughters?! No! It can’t be!” She turned back to Olivia. “How do they treat you, girl? Are you like another daughter to them?”
Remembering her resolution to ensure no further misunderstandings, Olivia reluctantly forced herself to speak.
“They don’t mistreat me. I didn’t come as a guest, after all, but to work. So I’m more…more like a servant than a daughter.” She said the final words in a rush, but she lifted her chin as she spoke. She might not like her work, but there wasn’t anything shameful about it.
The queen opened her mouth as if to cry out again, but no sound emerged. She looked so pale that her husband put a hand beneath one of her elbows.
She looked up at him with a blank face, as if Olivia’s final words had overwhelmed her completely. “A servant, Robert,” she whispered. “The girl is a servant to relatives with two daughters of their own. We are all doomed.”
The king rubbed at his temple with his free hand. “It certainly seems our hands are tied,” he said after a heavy pause. “We will consult the histories, of course, but for now, we cannot flout the Legacy, or we may risk more than we can afford to lose.”
“The…Legacy?” Olivia asked cautiously, her mind connecting dots she didn’t want to connect. “What does the Legacy have to do with any of this?”
“Tonight was the night of our son’s betrothal,” the queen said in despairing tones. “But you’re the one wearing the slippers, so the Legacy fanfare sounded for you. It meansyouare his betrothed.”
“What?!” Olivia stumbled backward toward the doors into the ballroom. “I’m not betrothed to a prince. Did you hear me say I’m just a servant? You’re looking for Marigold. She was just behind me. I’ll…I’ll find her for you. Just wait a moment, and I’ll help the prince find her. She’ll explain everything.”
