Chapter 7
"Ellie dearest, would you mind taking this load of washing out to dry?" Martha asked approaching Ellie with basket of washing.
"Ok course, I don't mind." She smiled, taking the basket from Martha.
"Thank you, the clothes line is over near the other barn, down the road." Martha explained.
"Ok." Ellie smiled and walked out of the laundry and headed up the road.
She saw the clothes line up ahead, when she approached it; she put the basket beside her feet and started hanging the clothes up.
"Excuse me…." Said a voice.
Ellie turned around to find it was Prince Marcus.
"Your highness." She said surprised and bowed before him.
Mark gave an uncomfortable chuckle; he didn't like it when everybody did that.
Ellie looked up at him; she gave him a nervous look and slowly moved away.
"Um…look, how are ya going?" He asked, kicking a stone near his foot.
"Um…good thank you." She said confused.
Mark got the hint of confusing in her voice as to why was he talking to her.
"Oh…well I ask all my servants how they are." Mark explained.
"Ok…I am so sorry about the other day at breakfast." Ellie said.
Mark gave her a confused look, then remembered what she was referring to. "Oh don't worry." He chuckled.
"I am truly sorry, I'm a terrible cook." She said, chewing her lip.
"No you're not; Jocelyn can be a little moody. I think because she may be pregnant." Mark explained.
Ellie detected the little bit of excitement in his voice, she smiled.
"Don't worry though, I won't be cooking anymore, I'll leave that to Martha." She chuckled.
Mark chuckled back.
Queen Bernadette was walking through the palace, talking to the guards, when she noticed Marcus talking to that peasant girl with a smile on his face. She raised her eyebrows and continued walking.
"Well I better let you get back to doing your job." Mark said.
"Ok." She smiled.
"Ok." He replied, and walked off.
Maybe he isn't that bad? She thought to herself.
"You took your time." Martha chuckled, when Ellie returned with the empty basket.
"I was talking to someone." She replied.
"Oh yeah, who?" Martha asked, taking the basket from her.
"Prince Marcus, he asked me how I was going.' She replied.
"Really?" Martha replied, with her eyebrows raised.
"Oh yeah." Another woman said, approaching them.
Ellie looked at her.
"I've been working here for twenty six years and he hasn't asked me how I've been." She explained.
"Oh….well I don't know." Ellie said stuttering.
"Don't worry about it girl. Keep up the good work." She chuckled and walked off.
Ellie gave a nervous chuckle.
"Don't worry about it pet, she's only messing with ya." Martha chuckled and returned to what she was doing.
"Sorry I'm late." Mark said, entering the dining room and sitting himself down for dinner.
"Hmmm, were have you been?" Bernadette replied.
"No where important." Mark said.
"Where is Jocelyn?" Bernadette asked, noticing that she wasn't with Marcus.
"Out and about." Marcus replied, starting to eat his dinner.
Jocelyn looked at him strangely then started to eat her dinner.
"What where you doing talking to that peasant girl today?" Bernadette asked, taking a sip of her wine.
"Nothing." Mark replied, not even looking up.
"I saw you talking to her; you had a big grin on your face." Bernadette said.
Mark picked up a napkin beside his dinner plate and wiped his mouth with it. "She said a funny joke."
"Do you think I'm stupid Marcus?" Bernadette replied.
Mark sighed. "I was just apologizing to her for the way Jocelyn had treated her the other day."
"You what!" Bernadette gasped.
"I apologized mother." Mark repeated.
"How dare you!" Bernadette yelled, slamming her fork on the table.
Mark looked at her, but didn't raise his voice.
"Of all the respect and royalty that you receive, as the future king of England. You go and apologize on your fiancé' behalf to some poor, peasant, worthless piece of garbage human being!" Bernadette yelled.
Mark looked away.
"What is she going to think Marcus? That you are an easy person? That she can get away with anything she wants now?" Bernadette yelled.
"I very much doubt that." Mark sighed.
"You know, I could have chosen one of your brothers for king, but I chose you." Bernadette explained.
"Well maybe I don't want to be king!" Mark piped up all of a sudden.
"What are you talking about?" She asked confused.
"You are making everything so quick. I just want to be happy and have a normal life with Jocelyn first." Mark explained.
"Bad luck Marcus that is how life here goes!" Bernadette replied.
"Well things are going to change around here!" Marcus said, and got up from his chair and walked out of the dinning room.