Page 67 of A Queen's Match
Though it was the height of rudeness to admit to eavesdropping, she had to say something.
“My friend Agnes will be joining us for the rest of the fittings.” May gave her most demure smile, proud of herself for, as Agnes put it, telling instead of asking. “Forgive me,” she added, “but did I hear you mention Missy? I hope she’s all right.”
Both women stared at her. May’s smile never faltered, though she began frantically thinking back through what they’d said. Wait—had they mentioned Missy by name?
Lady Ely glanced at Agnes, as if sizing her up. “Quite shocking news arrived by telegram this morning. But you might as well hear it from us, since it will be common knowledge soon enough.” The lady-in-waiting sighed. “Alfred and his family are visiting their cousins in Potsdam. One evening, the kaiser had a grand dinner at the Neues Palais. Over a hundred people in the dining room, which has all been newly renovated and electrified.”
“I’m sure everyone was busy congratulating Ducky—you know she recently got engaged,” Lady Churchill chimed in helpfully. “Young women can act a bit strangely when they fear that a friend, or a sister, has overshadowed them.”
May had heard the news of Ducky’s recent engagement, though she didn’t understand it. Why would Ducky refuse to marry Eddy, claiming she was in love with her cousin Kiril, and then agree to marryErnie—who was only the son of a minor grand duke? There had to be some key detail May was missing. It didn’t make sense otherwise.
Lady Ely waved a hand in distress, picking up the thread of her story. “Some time after the dinner, Missy’s mother realized that Missy was nowhere to be seen. Groups of people went out with torches into the gardens. They found her there, alone, kissing Prince Ferdinand of Romania!”
Agnes lifted a hand to her mouth. “Oh my!” she exclaimed with admirably pious shock.
May couldn’t say anything. Her stomach had twisted with sharp, acrid guilt.
When she’d mentioned Ferdinand to Aunt Vicky, she’d hoped that the Romanian prince might flirt with Missy, perhaps distract her from George. It wasn’t her fault that headstrong, impulsive Missy had walked off with him into the gardens…right?
“They are engaged now, of course,” Lady Ely went on. “What else could be done? A dozen people saw them together!”
May swallowed over the dryness in her throat and forced herself to chime in. “At least Missy’s reputation is saved.”
Lady Churchill nodded in agreement, but Lady Ely sniffed. “You’d think that girl would have caused enough trouble, except now she is refusing to marry Ferdinand! She says thathekissedher,and that her cousin Wilhelm engineered the whole thing—that he suggested she show Ferdinand the greenhouse after dinner.” Lady Ely sighed. “Whether or not that is true, Missy was raised better. She should have simply told her cousin no.”
“Nothing good comes of being with a young man in the dark,” Agnes agreed solemnly. Lady Ely and Lady Churchill nodded, seeming pleased by Agnes’s show of decorum.
But once the queen’s ladies-in-waiting turned their heads, Agnes lifted an eyebrow at May, as if to say,You did this, right?
She had seen May’s growing feelings for George last year, after all. And she knew better than anyone what May was capable of.
“I have heard that Ferdinand is quite handsome,” May added, as if that might make things better.
“Oh, that he is. He just lives halfway around the world,” Lady Churchill said dismissively.
Agnes nodded. “Romania is so far! It might as well be Tokyo!” Somehow she managed to sound sincere, though May knew she was secretly mocking Lady Churchill’s small-mindedness.
“Poor Marie, to have both daughters married in the same year,” Lady Churchill went on. “My own younger daughter waited a full year after her older sister’s wedding before getting engaged. As is quite appropriate.”
“Poor Marie?” Lady Ely exclaimed. “I think you mean poor George!”
“Yes, I suppose Her Majesty shall have to find another match for him,” Lady Churchill said loyally.
Her friend nodded. “Perhaps one of Helena’s girls?”
Anothermatch?
Mr.Curtis chose that moment to reappear, surrounded by assistants carrying stacks of fabric. “Your Serene Highness!” He held his hand dramatically to his chest. “You look stunning in this cut. Perhaps we just lift the neckline an inch or so?”
“That sounds lovely.” May tried to ignore the distress she’d felt at Lady Ely’s words. Would the queen really find a replacement for Missy so quickly? Not that she cared, of course.
She was engaged to Eddy. George was not hers to worry about. He was nothing to her, really, except a future brother-in-law—and it needed to stay that way.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Hélène
Hélène was seated at hervanity, Violette running a brush through her hair, when she heard Prince Eddy in the hall.
