One Look

Chapter 18

Princess Mary-Anne took a seat across from us in the Queens salon. She had been making her way throughout the room for the past two hours and when she sat with us, she let out a little sigh.

"Good afternoon Eloise, Amelia and Jane", she just about greeted us before she let out a yawn which she quickly covered with her hand.

"Tired, Princess?" I asked and Jane elbowed me in the side. Clearly, this was not how you were supposed to talk to royalty.

"Bored", Mary-Anne sighed. "If I hear one more story about the ballet, which is already old news seeing as it happened a couple of nights ago, I think I'll cry".

"Well clearly you haven't heard my story", I grinned, and she widened her eyes. I glanced to the other girls, who had already heard the tale of me insulting Maria and Edmund, they were now blatantly shaking their heads in an effort to get me to stop talking. I should probably just tell them Mary-Anne has been a friend of mine for as long as I can remember.

"Well if you insist Miss Eloise", Mary-Anne sighed but I could clearly see the twinkle in her eyes.

"Actually, it would probably bore you to sleep", I said quickly, and Amelia and Jane let out a sigh in relief.

"Was it the story of your incredibly rude insult towards Maria and Edmund?" Mary-Anne asked, a small smile on her mouth. Jane let out a little gasp and I bit back a grin.

"No, it was about me having such difficulty finding a dress to wear", I gasped in mock horror. "Where did you hear about that?" I was having too much fun making Amelia and Jane fidget beside me.

"Prince Nathaniel, he was absolutely mortified that a debutante could speak like that", she stated, her voice a little louder, attracting the attention from Henrietta who was sat close by. Jane and Amelia's cheeks burned, clearly embarrassed for me that the prince had spoken of me so lowly. I was going to have to put them out of their misery later and let them know the truth about my relationship with the royal siblings. As much as it was fun to tease them, the two of them looked horrified with how I acted around Mary-Anne.

"Oh really?" I gasped and Mary-Anne blatantly grinned at me. "I never wanted to make a bad impression on the prince. If he tells anyone else about this, then marriage for me is off the cards and I will probably die an old spinster".

"Do not worry, Charles seems very interested in you", Mary-Anne smiled, and my face fell at her words. Clearly, her brother had not revealed everything to her.

"Yes", I forced a grin on my face and quickly concentrated on my sewing.

"Eloise, how could you speak to the princess like that?" Amelia whispered in my ear and I shrugged.

"I will tell you later". My eyes travelled to the Queen who was watching me with a troublesome look on her face. She looked worried.

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"Will you be attending games night, tomorrow evening?" Charles asked me, as we walked around the gardens. It was killing me having to stay quiet about the whole ordeal that was currently consuming my brain, but Nathaniel was right. It would be better if I did not outright accuse Charles of feigning his interest in me, after overhearing a conversation where my name was not even mentioned once.

"Yes, I am looking forward to it. I do enjoy playing games, do you?" I asked, an innocent smile on my face.

"Very much so, though I never cheat", he winked, and I couldn't help but smile in response. Walking and talking with Charles, made it so easy to forget that I was currently supposed to be suspicious of him.