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“He is pursuing the gunman, Your Majesty.”
“What?” Victoria looked at Emily, eyes wide. “That is not safe. We cannot return without him.”
Emily opened her mouth but did not know what reply to give. Why had the prince acted so rashly? Did he not know that if anything happened to him the queen would be devastated?
Emily knew the pain of that kind of loss intimately.
“Stop the carriage!” the queen commanded. “We will not return to Buckingham Palace until Prince Albert is at our side.”
The carriage slowed to a stop at the queen’s command. The duchess was the first to speak up. “Your Majesty, I do not think we should sit here. We are a target. You would be safer inside.”
The queen ignored her. “Captain, go look for the prince. Tell him we have need of him.”
“Your Highness, I would beg to stay at your side. I will send the lieutenant.”
“Very well.” She waved a hand.
Emily watched the man ride back toward the carriage path. She had the urge to slink down into her seat. At any moment she expected another shot to explode in the silence and to feel the hot sear of a pistol ball in her flesh. But the queen sat straight and tall, and Emily could hardly think of her own well-being when her monarch was in danger.
“Your Majesty, I do hope next time Lady Averley attempts to persuade you to go out, you will listen to wiser counsel,” the duchess said.
Emily bristled. “You would have us virtual prisoners at the palace, Your Grace. The queen should be able to go out when she chooses.”
Victoria was still staring in the direction of the path, seeming not to hear the squabbling ladies.
“Surely Emily did not know of the danger today,” Lady Jocelyn said.
“I’m not so certain of that,” the duchess said, looking down her nose at Emily. “It is difficult to know whom to trust in these tumultuous times.”
Emily’s jaw dropped. Was she being accused of plotting to have the queen shot?
“How can you think that of me?” she sputtered.
“What else am I to think when you beg to go out on a day like this? It makes no sense unless one has an ulterior motive.”
“Your Majesty,” Emily looked imploringly at the queen who still seemed unaware of the argument. “Please know that I would never be part of anything that would harm you or anyone.”
“Difficult to believe considering her late husband,” the duchess muttered.
“Why you vicious, old—”
“There he is,” the queen said, interrupting words Emily would probably have regretted later. Much later. At the moment she didn’t feel that she would regret anything she said to the duchess.
“Darling, are you hurt?” the Prince asked as he neared.
“I’m quite well. You?”
“Fine. We didn’t catch him.”
The statement shocked Emily. The would-be assassin was still at large? Again, the urge to shrink down threatened to take over, but instead of giving in, she willed anyone wanting to shoot at the carriage again to aim for the Duchess of Charlemont.
“The royal guard are still searching the area,” Prince Albert continued. “I think the best thing is for all of us to return home. This excitement is tiring the queen.”
Emily glanced at the queen, who looked fine if a little weary. She assisted Lady Jocelyn in tucking the blanket back around the queen and then sat back as the carriage returned to the palace. The next hour was spent settling the queen into bed. Prince Albert had persuaded her to nap for an hour, and thoughEmily suspected the queen did not like the idea of a nap, she was shaken enough to agree without much argument.
The duchess stayed with the queen, and Emily and Lady Jocelyn were free for a time. Usually, Emily relished these brief hours of freedom, but today she did not wish to go to her room to read or catch up on correspondence or even walk in the palace gardens. She was restless and agitated.
Emily had not been present the last time the queen’s life had been threatened. She had not been a Lady of the Bedchamber then. She had found the accounts of the danger quite exciting and had secretly wished she’d been at the queen’s side so she might have experienced it for herself. Now she knew how completely ridiculous her thinking had been. She was still shaking from the events of almost two hours ago. She feared she would startle every time she heard a loud sound. It was terrifying to think that someone might injure or kill the queen. It was equally terrifying to think that she might be in the way of a pistol ball and be killed herself.
