Page 24 of The Heir
“I cannot count the number of spills I took as a girl,” remarked Lady Cowper. “I was quite the despair of my parents.”
“That one can readily believe,” quipped Mama. The party laughed again, much more heartily this time—all except for Lady Cowper and Victoria herself, who felt her cheeks coloring as she blushed for Mama.
Aunt Sophia didn’t laugh. She kept her watery eyes fixed on Sir John. “Do continue, Sir John. We are all on pins and needles to hear what has happened!”
“When the princess was returned to the palace, she told us that she had seen a dead man on the green and that was what had startled her horse.” He paused to allow for another collective gasp and a ripple of murmurs.Just like an actor on the stage.“Having experience with my own daughters and the . . . energetic imaginations of young ladies, I have to admit I doubted that this could be true. I was wrong, Your Highness, and I ask that you accept my apology.” He bowed yet again.
Mama looked set to speak, to turn away from Sir John and the whole of this conversation. But Victoria spoke up first.
“And what has happened to change your mind, Sir John?”
“I spoke with the head groundskeeper,” he told her, told the whole room, really. “I learned that Your Highness had unfortunately happened upon a simple, everyday tragedy. The man you saw was one of the under-gardeners. He had been walking home to his supper. He was quite elderly, and it seems his heart gave out.”
Various pious murmurings filled the air. Victoria found herself looking very hard at Sir John. He appeared relaxed and confident, as he generally was when he was sure of his audience and his subject.
Could he be telling the truth?
“The poor man,” Mama was saying. “We shall remember him tonight in our prayers.”
“Yes, of course,” said Victoria gravely.
“Ridiculous!” snapped Aunt Sophia.
“I beg your pardon?” Mama’s words were pure ice.
“There is no dead gardener. I would have known. You are making up a story, Sir John. What on earth do you mean by it?” She reached up with her ivory fan and slapped him hard across the arm.
The entire gathering had gone silent. Mama’s face was paper white. And yet no one moved. There was no protocol for this, no person of rank sufficient to intervene with the princess.
Except one.
“You are right, of course, Aunt Sophia.” Victoria stepped forward and slipped her arm through her aunt’s. “And I am sure that as soon as the steward has looked into the matter, he will come see you at once, and everything will be cleared up. I’m surprised at you, Sir John,” she added with a delicate frown. “That you should come here before you had all the facts in hand and disturb Her Highness so.”
Sir John’s face remained bland, but behind his blue eyes, anger boiled.
“I do apologize, ma’am,” he said to Aunt Sophia. “It was only that I was in a hurry to correct my previous error.”
“I hope Your Highness may find all her advisers so diligent,” said Lady Cowper.
Victoria smiled politely. “It has gotten late. We should retire, do you not think, Aunt? Mama?”
“Yes, indeed.” Mama gestured for Sophia’s anxious maid to come forward. “Lady Charlotte, Lehzen, Her Highness will retire.”
As Aunt Sophia was led away by her own attendants, the whole gathering made their reverences. Victoria saw how the guests’ eyes gleamed with pity for Princess Sophia and with greed at how they would have so much to tell all their friends. But she saw something else, as well. As Aunt Sophia turned away, Victoria caught a glimpse of a swift, satisfied smile on the old woman’s face
What just happened here?
Victoria let herself be walked away, with Lehzen beside her and her other ladies and maids behind. Mama would stay behind and close the gathering and try to ensure that the gossip and news were steered in the proper direction.
With Sir John’s able assistance, of course.
When the doors were closed, Victoria squeezed Lehzen’s hand, and Lehzen squeezed hers in return, signaling she understood. They might be leaving the party, but their evening was not yet done.
Because of the music party, all the rooms in this wing of the palace were well lit. Lamps and candles and footmen had all been stationed at regular intervals. Victoria swept past until they reached the stone stairs. There Victoria paused. “I believe I should like to go say good night to Aunt Sophia,” she told Lehzen. “It may help settle her mind.”
“An excellent idea, ma’am,” agreed Lehzen at once. “Lady Charlotte, might I suggest that you take the women to Her Highness’s rooms and make sure all is in readiness? Perhaps some hot milk would be in order?”
Lady Charlotte did not like Aunt Sophia, so she was perfectly ready to accept any excuse to avoid such a visit. “An excellent idea, ma’am.” She made her curtsy and her escape, taking the remainder of the maids and waiting women with her.
