Chapter Twenty-Nine

I pushed the gowns in my wardrobe around. I needed something appropriate yet lady-like. I sighed heavily and slammed the doors shut.

Nothing.

"What's wrong, Joselyn?" Angeline asked.

"I don't have any gowns to wear."

She opened the wardrobe and glanced at the mass of fabric bursting to overflow. I rolled my eyes and walked across the room.

"What are you thinking? I can find you something."

"Where? It takes days to make a gown!"

She arched her brows at me. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Please tell me, Joselyn."

"Fine. I would like something the color of soft, pink roses and trimmed in white lace."

"I'll see what I can find." She curtsied and hurried out the door.

Where on earth will she find a gown?

"Joselyn!"

I groaned inwardly at the sound of mother's voice. She burst through the door with a wild look in her eyes.

"Mother."

"Do not mother me. Why have I been kept from you for so long? This has been completely inappropriate."

"I've been sick, mother. Angeline nursed me back to health. The king did not want the sickness to spread."

"So, he banned your own mother from being with you?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I suppose he didn't even want you getting sick. You should thank him, it was a rather dreadful sickness."

She shook her head and paced about the room. "We are returning home."

"You may, I cannot."

"Excuse me, young lady?"

"I am to travel to Constantinople with King Cassius and the Earl of Nottingham."

"Another trip?" Her eyes were as big as saucers.

"Yes, mother. I believe he is also planning on taking father again."

"Why is he spending so much time with you? He has never been like this with another Lady." She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow deep in thought. "He loves you!"

"Don't be ludicrous, mother."

"It is the only thing that makes sense. He gives you gifts..."

"How do you know about the gifts? I've told no one."

"You wear them, Joselyn. I know your father and I have bought you no knew jewelry in some time. Where else would it come from?"

I closed my eyes slowly and opened them.

"He takes you on visits. He spends a majority of his time with you. The simple conclusion is that he is in love with you. I believe it will only be a matter of time he asks for your hand in marriage." She clasped her hands together in utter glee.

I was utterly annoyed.

"Lady Joselyn?" Angeline walked through the door carrying the most magnificent pink gown I'd ever seen.

"Angeline! Where on earth did you find a pink gown?"

"I have my ways. I have some changes to make to it. I'll bring it out in time for supper." She turned to leave but curtsied to mother first. "Lady Suffolk."

"Angeline." Mother shooed her to the small room to the side and returned her suspicious gaze one me. "Supper?"

"Yes, mother, I'm having supper with the king and earl this evening. I believe we are discussing the visit. The Turkish prince will be receiving us upon our arrival."

"He does love you! That proves it! He is introducing you to foreign dignitaries! Ha! I will be the mother to the queen! The king is going to be my son-in-law."

"Okay, mother. You continue to think that. If you'll excuse me, I am exhausted and would like a short nap. The sickness took quite a lot of me. I am still recovering."

"Yes, yes. You do that. I have a wedding to plan!"

"No! Mother, do not start planning anything!"

"Hush now, Joselyn. I will plan the wedding. It will be the event of the season."

"We are not even engaged! We're simply going on a visit."

"The step after that is engagement! I shall plan the announcement as well. The most notable and important lords, ladies, and earls shall be there of course."

"Of course."

She ran from the room clapping her hands in excitement. The entire castle would be talking of an engagement that didn't exist in no time. The woman was insane.

"Is she gone?" Angeline asked.

"Yes. I'm sure she's telling the entire world that her daughter is marrying the king."

"You are? Why didn't you tell me?"

"That is because I am not marrying him. At least not yet. There are more things I have to deal with first."

"I see. Well, I finished the gown." She held up the pink perfection for me to inspect.

The squared neckline plunged dangerously low. Red roses trimmed in gold covered the bodice. The skirt was a beautiful shade of pink that reminded me of the roses in spring. The hem and sleeves were trimmed in the whitest of laces while the shoulders hung there as though they would cling to my upper arms.

"That is absolutely remarkable, Angeline! Where did you get it?"

"Do you really want to know?" she asked, her eyes crinkling at the ends as she suppressed a giggle.

"Maybe?" I bit my bottom lip and furrowed my brow.

"I figured since Princess Mary is locked away she won't be needing all of her gowns. I made a few minor adjustments to it and turned it into a new gown for you." She turned it around and I noticed that the back was gathered with large red roses and gold leaves at each section.

Angeline placed the gown on my bed and returned to her chamber. When she came back she held a tri-strand of pearls with a soft pink jewel at the front.

"What is that?"

"Something for me to fix your hair with."

"I love it so much."

"Good. I also visited the seamstress and ordered six new gowns be made before we leave. You need new gowns."

"Six? That is a lot."

"Hmm, maybe, but you need new ones, and I'm tired of waiting for you to order. Plus, I want your hunter green evening gown."

"Do you?" I laughed, shaking my head. I opened the bureau and removed it. "It's yours."

Angeline smiled and retreated to her room with the new prize she'd had her eye on. I began unfastening my skirt and undoing the bodice, preparing to change for supper.

"I will help," she said, emerging in record time with the green gown on.

"That looks marvelous on you!"

"I know." She smiled fastening the new skirt around my waist.

"Angeline?"

"Yes?" she grunted out the question as she yanked on the stays of my corset.

"I want you to join us at supper."

"You do?" she asked, pausing momentarily in her suffocating me.

"Yes. I feel that everyone who will have a hand in Belle's rescue should be there."

"What about the earl?"

"He'll be fine. I have faith in him."

She nodded her head and tied a lovely bow at the bottom before twisting up my hair into an intricate design atop my head and lacing the pearls through, situating the soft pink jewel above my forehead.

"There, now you look like a proper lady."

"Don't I always?" I arched my brows at her.

She smiled softly and nodded her head, before turning to my trunk. Angeline turned back around with my old dagger.

I shook my head and pointed to the shining new blade in the sheath. "Cassius had a new blade forged for me."

"He did?" she pulled the dagger from its resting spot and turned the cool steel over in her hands examining each elaborate design on the blade. "It's beautiful."

"Isn't it? Let us go to supper." I fastened the leather around my thigh and replaced the dagger in its new home.

The solar room near the king's chambers was without a doubt a man's room. The walls were dark oak, old books filled the bookcases, and tapestries of war covered the walls. I inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of honey whiskey and cigars.

"Joselyn, thank you for coming."

"Thank you, my lord. You remember my handmaid, Angeline."

"Yes. Hello."

"I hope you don't mind, I asked her to join us. I thought if we were to discuss Belle and her great mater everyone who will be involved should be here."

"Brilliant. And may I introduce you to Robert Hode, Earl of Nottinghamshire."

Angeline and I dipped into curtsies before taking our seats at the small table in the center of the room.

"I do hope everyone is hungry. I have had my cooks prepare quite the feast for us this evening."

"You know me, sire. I am always hungry." The Early laughed.

His short, black hair complemented his olive-toned skin. Green eyes set off his handsome, muscular face, and they seemed to always be twinkling with laughter. He was so very handsome. Much more so than Belle's current, worthless husband. He would do just fine for her.

"Shall we get to business, gentlemen?" I asked, folding my hands on the table as we waited for food.

"Yes, lady, of course."

"The issue of Belle. Do we know where exactly she is?" Cassius asked.

"All I got from the Duke de la mar is that he sold her to the Turkish prince in Constantinople."

"I see. She's so far from here." The corners of the Earl's mouth turned downward. The poor man was genuinely struggling with her disappearance.

"We will have to do more searching once we arrive in the other kingdom, which will be difficult," Angeline replied, before taking a long sip of her wine.

"I believe you and I can manage that one, Angeline. How do you feel posing as my distant cousin? The Lady Angeline of Calais?"

"A royal?" she pondered.

"That is brilliant!" Cassius exclaimed, clapping his hands in front of him. "You will have more freedom there as a royal than as Joselyn's handmaiden."

"Aye, you will." The earl agreed.

"Now that that is settled. What shall I do about the Turkish prince who thought it appropriate to buy a noble Englishwoman?"

The men's faces turned down yet again. I hoped they would give me the answer I so desired.