Page 41 of Love Set Apart
“Good.” Angus signaled to the man who’d brought his plate, letting him know Edna wanted to eat.
Before long a plate of bread, meats and cheeses was placed in front of her. “Thank ye,” Edna said.
“You are most welcome, Madame.”
She waited for the man to be out of ear shot before speaking again. “I feel better now. I think we’ve got a solution to our problem. When we’re done here, we should head straight to the palace, doona ye think?”
“I think that if that is what ye want to do, then that’s what we’ll do,” Angus said.
“Yer most agreeable this morning, Angus love.” Edna hoped the love she was feeling for him was as evident to him as it was to her.
“Am I no’ always agreeable?” he asked, with feigned affront.
“Ye are and I love ye for it.” She blew him a kiss across the table.
Angus chuckled. “Finish yer breakfast now so we can be on our way.”
* * *
Arriving at Tuileries,they were greeted by a servant with a note for Angus.
“Who’s it from?” Edna asked, trying to take a peek at the note.
“Matteo.” Angus looked over the piece of paper he held in his hand. “He’d like me to join him. He has something he wishes to discuss with me.” He folded the paper and placed it in his sporran.
“Ye should go. I’ll see if I can find Emilie.” If all went well, Edna thought they might be able to solve this dilemma today.
Angus headed off with the servant and Edna made her way to the throne room where she hoped to find Emilie.
Several women were present, all ladies-in-waiting to Marie de Medici. Edna marveled at their gowns. They were each beautiful in their own way. Satins and silks with ribbons and embroidery that depicted flowers, trees, birds and deer. Edna knew from her own experience with seventeenth century dress that it took forever to don an outfit, especially without help. The clothing of the time was made for beauty, not comfort.
Edna smiled in greeting as she entered the room. Each footstep echoed loudly as she walked. The high ceilings and vast expanse of the room would be ideal for eavesdropping. Of course, when it was crowded with people it was not a concern, but this morning with only the ladies-of-the-court present, every word they uttered carried easily from one end of the room to the other.
Her goal had been to find Emilie so they could chat, but she wasn’t present. Edna was about to leave when the Queen Mother arrived and walked straight towards her.
“Madame Campbell, how are you this morning?” Marie asked.
Edna curtsied deeply to the Queen Mother. “I am well, Yer Highness. I was looking for Emilie.”
“She is being fitted for the dress she is to be wed in,” Marie said.
“I see. When is the wedding to take place?” This was information Edna desperately needed.
“Tomorrow at the chapel here at Tuileries.” Marie looked past Edna at someone entering the room and apparently finding them less than interesting turned back to Edna.
“So soon?” Edna asked, feeling a surge of panic hitting her once again.
Marie chuckled. “It seems our bride is in a hurry to marry.”
“I was hoping to speak with her this morning,” Edna said.
“She is in the room at the top of the stairs with the dressmaker. I’m sure she would value your opinion of her dress. Why don’t you join her?”
“I think I will.” Edna curtsied to the Queen Mother once again and hurried from the room.
At the top of the stairs, she entered a small room where Emilie stood on a round riser while the dressmaker marked the hem for her dress. It was a pretty, pale blue satin fabric, as a show of Emilie’s purity. Long panels of ecru lace ran the length of the gown from bodice to hem, leaving the center fabric to shine on its own. The sleeves were puffed to the elbows and then cinched there with embroidered ribbon before continuing in a more slender form to the wrist. The hem of the sleeves was decorated with the same lace used to create the fan-shaped reticella that rose from the neckline of the dress to stand up behind her head. She looked like a princess in every respect except one. She seemed terribly unhappy.
“Emilie,” Edna said. “Ye look beautiful.”
