Page 22 of A Foreign Crown
With a perfunctory curtsy, she said, “Prince Layton Christian Wilhelm. The Queen is requesting your company.” She held her hand out, gesturing to the head table, where Queen Charlotte nodded.
Layton bowed to his table. “Pardon me, ladies, Prince George.”
Prince George waved his hand. “By all means, we must never ignore a summons from Mother. Perhaps you’ll achieve your moment with Father as well.”
Layton had the same hope, naturally, but was most distracted by the person immediately at his side. “I’m happy to see you, Lady Aribella.”
She arched an eyebrow and turned to the others, her gaze lingering on the lady in Prince George’s lap. “I hope I’m not interrupting.”
“Of course not. You are a welcome respite, and this summons is a great benefit to me and my country.”
Her expression remained blank, but her gaze flitted to his a number of times as they made their way across the room. He was the center of a great deal of attention, which he did not welcome but accepted as a matter of course. He’d been raised with a continuous amount of the same. Although, being the youngest son of a family full of princes, he found it much simpler to fade into the background or find refuge on his ship. They approached the head table, and he bowed, smartly and deeply, to the Queen.
“May I present Prince Layton Christian Wilhelm of Oldenburg.” Lady Aribella indicated the Queen. “Prince Layton, this is Her Majesty, Queen Charlotte, and her daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Mary.”
While Layton smiled and nodded to each person, hoping for an introduction to the King as well, the Queen smiled and gestured to her daughters with a sweep of her arm. “I’m so pleased you have come to join us. We see so little of other royal families of late. I would like to present my daughters to you, in hopes that we might become better acquainted and to introduce a possible future alliance with your family.”
He jolted. Without effort, his gaze flitted to Lady Aribella and then back before he pasted on a smile and bowed to each daughter. “I’m pleased to further the goodwill between our nations.”
“Princess Mary is proficient in her studies, her harp, and poetry.”
The woman nodded and eyed him hopefully.
“And my elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth, has a lovely singing voice. She inherited some of my family talent, I believe.”
She, too, nodded but kept her head down, firmly studying the floor.
“And you have met Lady Aribella?” The Queen surprised him by introducing her lady-in-waiting. “We are so fortunate she could join us.”
“Yes, we met in our travels to the palace.” He bowed to Lady Aribella.
“She comes from the home of my dear friend, the Duchess of Sumter.”
He nodded. “The Duke of Sumter is well-known in our country. He helped us in a time when we were most desperate in our need.” He nodded again to Lady Aribella. “Please accept my country’s gratitude and my condolences on the passing of your mother.” He was puzzled why the daughter of such a venerable and ancient, well-respected family would be in service to the Queen.
Queen Charlotte lifted her hand to indicate a chair between her two daughters. “You are invited to take dessert with us, if you’d like.”
“I am honored to receive the invitation.” He hesitated, not yet sitting, as he awaited the King, who was deep in conversation with men at his other side.
The Queen nodded to him and rested a hand on her husband’s arm.
When the King turned to face them, Layton was relieved to see a kind, intelligent face.
“Your Majesty, Prince Layton of Oldenburg is here as an ambassador for his country. I’ve invited him to sit with our daughters for dessert.”
The King’s eyes sharpened at the mention of his daughters, but he nodded and said, “I’m pleased to meet you and look forward to discussing how our two countries can better support one another.”
Relieved at the conciliatory offer, Layton bowed deeply. “I am honored to make your acquaintance. My parents send their deep regards.”
The King nodded, then turned back to his other guests, and Layton made his way to the vacated chair offered to him.
Lady Eliza eyed him from across the room in great amusement. Prince George leaned over, and their table laughed uproariously about something while glancing in Layton’s direction. Lady Aribella’s soft clucking sound made him smile. He turned to her in question, but she just indicated where he could sit and then took her seat on the other side of Princess Mary.
Things were progressing nicely, he thought. Already he was in a position to express to the King his country’s needs, to find the admiral of their navy, and to finish his mission to England so that he could hurry home and aid in his own navy’s new efforts to rid their waters of pirates, no matter whose flag they flew. But as the princesses began talking to him and over him and around him, he could feel the soft presence of Lady Aribella on the other side of Princess Mary—and he wondered if he would be so anxious to leave when the time came.
Chapter Ten
Aribella fought all kinds offoreign feelings that rushed through her in fiery indignation. Prince Layton, introduced to the princesses? Had Queen Charlotte truly set her sights on him for one of her daughters? What if one of them secured his heart? What if his country wished for the match? Whatever assistance he was seeking would surely be solidified were he to align himself by marriage to the royal house.
