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Lady Sumner dipped into an elegant curtsey. “I am very pleased to meet you,” she murmured, giving Fen a swift appraising look from head to foot. Fen saw the exact moment when she recognized the dress she had lent her.

“I too, am very happy to make your acquaintance,” said Fen and curtseyed in reply.

Bardulf appeared to be silently laughing as he straightened up. “Only you Vawdrey, could arrange things so neatly,” he said shaking his head. “Even with my very great respect for you, I had underestimated your mastery of any situation. A wife, waiting in the wings,” he said turning to Fenella thoughtfully. “Really, no-one could have anticipated such a thing.”

“You must excuse the viscount, Lady Vawdrey,” said Lady Anne addressing her directly. Her voice was faintly patronizing. “He is a droll creature and delights in saying outrageous things.”

Fen opened her mouth to respond, but Lord Vawdrey cut across her.

“If you will excuse us,” he said. “I have a great many people to introduce my wife to this evening.” He squeezed her waist, propelling Fen to join him as they walked the last few steps toward the Great Hall.

“Are they friends of yours?” asked Fen.

Lord Vawdrey shrugged. “I do not have friends, Fenella,” he said. “Let us say, they move in the same circles as I.”

They crossed the threshold into the Great Hall and Fen blinked at the blazing torches and the press of nobles clustered in groups about the banqueting hall.

“The Earl and Countess Vawdrey!” announced a herald in a loud booming voice. Fen heard the swell of conversation grow around them alarmingly. Lord Vawdrey had taken her arm now and was steering her firmly through the crowds toward the far end of the room. She could not see above the glittering company, but after the first few steps she realized they were heading in the direction of a raised dais at the far end of the room and her heart sank. She was not looking forward to another royal encounter. Raising her chin, she attempted to conceal the fact by not allowing her gaze to land on any of the curious faces turned her way. People put up their hands to muffle the words they were hurriedly speaking to one another but she could distinctly make out ‘Thane’ and ‘divorce’. She swallowed and hoped she could blame her heightened color on the huge roaring fireplaces on either end of the hall, though in truth, it was draughty enough thanks to the high vaulted ceilings which made it as cold as a cathedral. She felt Lord Vawdrey at her side nod to various people, though he did not pause to introduce her to any of them.

When they reached the dais, Lord Vawdrey paused a moment. The King was situated to right and the Queen to the left. There was enough room between them for them to be surrounded by two completely different crowds of people.

“Vawdrey,” hailed the King, but almost simultaneously the Queen leant forward in her seat. “Lord Vawdrey, will you approach and introduce your wife to me?” she asked. The King harrumphed and waved his arm, indicating his assent and Oswald approached the Queen with Fenella.

“Your majesty, may I present my wife, Countess Vawdrey? Fenella, this is Queen Armenal.”

Fenella swept down into a deep curtsey and rose up to find the dark eyed Queen surveying her with great curiosity. Queen Armenal was vastly elegant in a rich green gown with deep borders stitched with gold leaves. She wore a heavy gold collar inlaid with colored enamel and precious stones. Her dark hair was dressed high off her face with a veil cascading down from a golden crown. Fenella had never seen a lady so tall and graceful.

“You may go and speak with the King, my Lord Vawdrey,” said the Queen dismissively to Oswald. “I am keen to have some speech with your new wife.”

His eyebrows rose, but he bowed again and sending Fenella a reassuring look he drifted over to the King.

“Now, Lady Vawdrey,” said the Queen. “You must accept a cup of mead and come closer to me, unless you wish for our words to be overheard by the masses.”

Fenella took a cup from a lady-in-waiting who had appeared at her elbow and then approached the Queen cautiously. She was dismayed to see there were no other chairs on the dais. She would have to hover like a moth around the Queen’s flame.

“I am very pleased to finally clap eyes on this mysterious bride of Lord Vawdrey’s,” said Queen Armenal. “Who on finding herself scorned by her first husband, rides up so brazenly to the royal palace and demands an earl in recompense!”

Fen spilt a little of the honeyed wine down her sleeve and tried to ignore the cold trickle down her wrist as one of the ladies in waiting giggled.

“But you are not as bold-faced as I was led to believe,” said the queen plaintively. She looked Fen critically up and down. “In truth, you are quite sweet-faced.” She sounded disappointed. “And more comely than seductive.”

Fen goggled at her. In all of her days, she would never imagine being told by a Queen that she was sweet-faced and comely! “Th-thank you, your majesty,” she blurted. The ladies in waiting tittered again and Armenal looked irritated.

“If you are waiting on me, then take the step back!” she ordered. Several maidens shuffled backwards with disappointed expressions. The Queen frowned. “The King insists on foisting these girls on me,” she said in exasperation. “He would not be so happy if I chose his cabinet members by the shapeliness of their calves. We married women have much to bear. As I am sure you are more aware than most.”

“Yes, your majesty,” agreed Fen. She glanced to the side to check Oswald had not gone off and left her alone with this alarming woman. He was still stood close by the King now, engaged in conversation, but something about his stance told her he knew exactly where she was. She returned her eyes to Queen Armenal who was watching her with a disturbingly hawk-like gaze.

“And what do you make of this new husband of yours, Lady Vawdrey?” she asked in a quiet voice, tipping her head to one side.

Strangely enough, Fen suddenly remembered being asked a similar thing by old Baron Vawdrey once. “He is very fine,” she answered foolishly, and blushed.

The Queen’s eyes flickered with surprise. “I hardly credited it at the time, but I did hear a rumor. That you were the childhood sweethearts. Can there possibly be a grain of truth to that tale?”

Fen cleared her throat. “I – er – I was very young, your majesty, when we first met,” she said miserably and hung her head. This was disastrous. Instead of coming across as a woman of the world, she had a horrible feeling she looked every bit the over-awed bumpkin. She breathed in and out and tried to collect herself.

“Dear me!” said Armenal. “You are not at all what I was led to expect.” She gave a sad sigh. “It is so often the way. These court scandals are all fury and no substance.”

Fen clutched her fingers together in tongue-tied misery. She had disappointed the Queen now, as well as the King.