Traitor's Vengeance - Part 10
"Where would you like your lunch Your Highness?" Hélène asked Danielle. Danielle did not hear her, she just sighed. She had been sitting in her Father's favourite chair, staring out of his study window for two hours. She was obviously missing Henry. Hélène had not been able to tempt her even to talk let alone move.
"What was that Hélène?" Danielle asked, still slightly distracted.
"Lunch, Your Highness. Louise would like to know where you would like to eat, she has to prepare."
"Oh in the dining room will be fine." And then she went back to staring out of the window. Hélène just looked at Steven. Both of them were a little worried abut her. They had been lead to believe that she was a very outspoken, outgoing person, but she was so quiet. She had barely spoken two words to either of them. This bothered them. The Prince would not be happy if they did not make every effort to make Danielle more at ease and they both had their reasons for wanting to please Henry.
"Do you have any plans for later Your Highness?" Steven asked. "Will I need to make arrangements for you to go out?"
"No I was just going to sit in the library, I have some reading I want to do." Then she went back to looking out of the window. Hélène left the room to make the arrangements for the Princess's lunch and Steven went back to reading his back, or at least pretending to read. In reality he had been looking over the top of the book, watching the Princess all morning. She fascinated him. She was so regal and elegant, but so naive at the same time.
Just then the door opened and Hélène walked back in. "Your Highness there are some visitors in the sitting room. They say that they have been sent by the Queen."
"Who?" She hoped that it might be Signore da Vinci and some of his artistic entourage. Maybe he could take her mind off things. He was more than just an artist he had a genuine insight into people's souls. A trait she had only seen before in Gustave.
"Comtesse Adèle la Martine, Comtesse Eloise de Lanscon, Yvette Martignac, and Sabine de Bruge. I could tell them that you are confined to your bed."
Danielle sighed again. The four of them had all seemed very nice, but she had been given the impression that they cared for nothing more than idle gossip. But if they had been sent by the Queen, she would have to receive them, she was only trying to relieve Danielle's boredom.
"No Hélène, I shall be there in a moment. Could you ask Paulette to arrange refreshments for our guests?" Danielle felt guilty about ordering the manor servants around, after all they had been like her parents. But now things had changed. She had to learn to behave like a princess and she knew that Henry was right. They're servants, it's what they do.
Danielle stood up and allowed Hélène to adjust her gown for her. Her new position meant that she had to look permanently perfect. Steven jumped up and opened the door for her. She had not realised that chivalry existed until now. This was the first time she had ever been treated like a lady.
Steven began to follow Danielle to the sitting room. "Lord Grey you do not have to come with me. I expect that it will just be the gossip that has been circulating the court today. Nothing that would be of any interest to you."
"No Your Highness, I really cannot leave you unguarded. The Prince would have my head." Danielle simply shrugged and carried on. As she entered the sitting room the four ladies stood and showed her the same hopelessly uncoordinated, curtsey as they had on the previous day.
"Ladies, how wonderful it is to see you here." Danielle said. She may not have been in the mood for visitors, but that was no reason to be uncivil. "I trust you have not put yourself out to be here." They all retook their seats.
"Not at all Your Highness," Adèle said immediately. "I cannot think of a more pleasant way to spend a morning than in such agreeable company." Danielle knew that she was flattering her for flattery's sake. She was well aware that there would be many people who would want to befriend her now, even if they did look down on where she came from.
"And it is such a charming cottage," Sabine added.
"Actually it's a manor house," Danielle corrected her. "Its been in my family for generations. I am the fourteenth Barbarac to be born within these walls."
"Really, do your mother and father still live here?" Sabine asked. Danielle gave her a slightly bitter smile. She must have known that her parents were both dead she had told them herself of her stepmother's identity. Was she trying to be rude?
"My mother died in childbirth, my father eight years later. I was raised by my stepmother." Danielle could see that she would not always be able to be so patient with Sabine.
The four ladies stayed for two hours. Little was said that was of any interest to Danielle. The Comtesse la Martine and the Comtesse de Lanscon were very friendly towards her. They told her all of the gossip they knew, presuming that she would be interested, and she listened most attentively. Yvette spent most of her time looking out of the window in a daze and Sabine said very little at all, unless there was some sort of masked criticism.
Danielle did notice that the ladies seemed very interested in Lord Grey and he was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Eventually she relieved him by asking for him to call for the ladies' carriage. He looked intensely grateful. As he walked out, the four courtiers continued to stare.
"If you don't mind me asking Your Highness, how on Earth did you get the reclusive Duke of Winchester to become your guard?" Adèle asked
"My husband arranged it. I do not know what he used as an incentive. To be honest I have done little on my own since my marriage, even my lady in waiting was chosen for me." At this point Yvette looked up.
"You have chosen your attendant already without looking around the court first?"
"Well mother appointed her. Perhaps you know her, Hélène de Lyons." The four of them looked at each other mindfully as if they knew something that Danielle did not. Something about Hélène maybe. At that point Hélène herself walked in to announce the arrival of the carriage that was to take the courtiers back to Hautefort.
"Well it was very nice to see you again ladies, perhaps if I am here for much longer you could visit again. I would be most grateful of the company." She then allowed them to leave. She did not accompany them to the door. She may not have agreed with the divisions between master and servants but she needed to show these women that she had the same amount of sophistication and breeding as they. Especially Sabine. She would have to stay one step ahead of her all the way.