Page 39 of The English Queen

“Let him. He wants you have something beautiful to wear to the wedding,” Vanna said. “Now, speaking of something beautiful to wear to the wedding, we are tasked to with finding something in this vein for Bethany. Or, rather, helping make it.”

“What?”

“Louis has opened the door to a commission for a floral tiara for Bethany. He’s thinking rubies and diamonds. This has nothing to do with the wedding banquet but he’s desperate to find her something beautiful.”

“Rubies–to match her ring? Which, to be honest… it was charity to accept the thing,” Rita said.

“Mairead!” Sabine and Vanna admonished her in tandem.

“Come on, the very cut of it doesn’t do anything for the stone. She loves it because he gave it to her, but she deserves better,” Rita said. “I am saying what everyone here is thinking.”

“Why are you excluding me?”

The lot of them looked over to see Maggie standing in the doorway. She looked rosier than she had the last time Rita had seen her. She was wearing a beanie as her head was perpetually chilly these days.

“Not trying to,” Vanna said. “We didn’t want to bother you.”

“What is the round table discussing in my sister’s office?” Maggie asked.

“Rita was taking shots at Bethany’s engagement ring and Vanna was trying to be diplomatic and source a tiara for our dear princess. Louis has insisted she get something worthy of her standing,” Sabine answered. “Well, originally, we were here to plot the hosting of an engagement banquet in late January, but diadem talk is more delicious.”

“Hmmm… what is he thinking?”

“A floral spray of roses. He has a vision of something naturalistic and modern which suits her artistic side. He wants rubies and diamonds. From what I can see, nothing on the market fits the bill.”

“Well, that’s a commission, then. Does he realise what something like that costs?”

“I don’t think he cares about it. I think he’s looking to lavish her with something special.”

“Well, the only thing I will say is I was hoping to be in better health. Keir and I had talked about getting her something lovely and I’m ashamed to say it has fallen off my radar. What good is a daughter if you can’t send her off with jewels?”

“I mean, she’s a lovely person who is writing her future husband a bloody wedding march so… there’s that,” Rita said, annoyed at her aunt being so reductionist.

“I only meant she’s off to be a queen and I haven’t bothered to think about wedding presents. What on Earth must she think? I had your tiara picked out months before you were even officially engaged, Mairead.”

“Well, look at how that turned out. At least I got to keep the tiara,” Rita said. Her wedding tiara was her most beloved one. She and Bruno had argued over it but, at the end of the day, Bruno came to realise the tiara was a gift from her aunt. The last few weeks had made it feel dearer for being so.

Vanna tried to be diplomatic. “I think she is cutting you slack, Maggie. She wants you to dance at her wedding far more than she wants a tiara.”

Maggie looked at Vanna as if she would cry. Perhaps, Maggie was aware Vanna was a kind person—finally—or maybe she was generally emotional. Rita hoped it was the former but suspected the latter.

“Well, I think she’d prefer both, Vanora,” Maggie said, tone sharp. It was the latter.

“We have some things of Mummy’s,” Sabine said. “I have a ruby necklace I never wear. My ginger children don’t care for it, either. It’s beautiful but no use. I should have given it to you.”

“Well, you thought Izzy would like it.”

“Until she went full-on burgundy, Maggie,” Sabine insisted. Izzy dyed her blonde hair a few years before. “The point is I am sure you have a necklace to cannibalise. Or, don’t you have a wreath tiara in disrepair? Could we not mine it?”

“The jewellers will tell us,” Maggie agreed. “We can offer them up to Louis.”

Vanna nodded, “I will relay that.”

“Don’t you think it is best if I do it?” Maggie asked.

“Margaux, given how things have gone with Louis in the past with your ‘my way or the highway’ version of events, I would suggest you not,” Sabine’s strong tone was not curt.

“They are my jewels–and yours. Using Vanora as an intermediary is silly. How could he even trust that she was doing it all above board?”

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