A Guest At Midnight

Chapter 6 - A Lady at Tea Time

The Countess would not let her mingle, so instead she sat by her side eating quietly. Eleonora became an observer. She watched as every other lady of every other noble family went about the garden, conversing with one another. The way she studied people was an active pastime; it kept her mind sharp and her eyes entertained. Another upside, she was also learning a lot about who was who.

The same eight noblewomen who sought the Countess' attention also pursued the Queen Consort and her entourage. These ladies, although noble, seemed to have very little influence at court, but liked to be among those who were seen and known. As those eight fleeted about, they introduced their daughters to everyone. The introductions were brief for those who seemed to matter little in the noble sense. Longer drawn out introductions occurred for those amongst the garden luncheon goers who were of higher caliber. All who were in attendance held some sort of title.

"Those noblewomen are attempting to make their daughters valuable matches. They are aware that they're least likely to be one of the five the crown Prince chooses. Instead of waiting around until they are officially told this, they try to speak with all the higher-ranking noblewomen with eligible male heirs who are also seeking a wife. Many of these eligible men are friends of the eligible princes." The young woman who suddenly spoke was seated right beside Eleonora.

She was a little younger, a new arrival to the social season. It was obvious she grew up attending royal functions by the facts she denoted and the way she held herself. The young woman seemed like she was also familiar with all the gossip.

Eleonora leaned over closer to her and whispered. "The Countess has a son?"

"Mm-hmm... she does." The was so much pride infused in her tone. "He is so handsome. And a gentleman. He has yet to find his match. He was betrothed to your namesake, until..." She shook her head, and then sat up looking around the room. "I'm Lady Henworthy, you can call me Bee. The full name is Lady Beatrice Henworthy. I'm a ward of Countess Florian like you now are. We'll spend a lot of time —" Bee stopped talking after the Countess looked over at them.

The rest of the meal finished without further conversation.

Soon after the meal was finished, the Queen Consort left the garden. The first to follow a little while later was the Countess. She rose and the rest of her table followed suit.

Bee walked in step with Eleonora, and then she interlocked their arms.

"As I was saying earlier." Bee whispered. "We will spend a lot of time together. I'm betrothed to the Countess Florian's youngest son, so I'm not eligible for Triena's prince. You, on the other hand, could be one of the five or you could end up marrying the Countess' eldest son. If the Countess accepts you."

Eleonora had a lot of questions she wished to ask. She mulled over what to ask about first. There was a tangible gap of silence as Eleonora gathered her thoughts.

"Who is or was Eleonora Lee?" She wasn't sure if it was safe to ask, but Bee was almost part of the Countess' family, so it seemed reasonable to assume she was trustworthy.

"Other than the former betrothed of the Countess' eldest son. I only know rumors. I never had the pleasure of meeting her." Bee paused, glanced around, then lowered her voice even more. "According to Hugo, that's my betrothed. Eleonora Lee was a fierce warrior from the Northern plains. Her great-great-grandfather... I think. He was the brother of the third generation of the Lee family to rule Triena. She was the commander of her father's armies. Sedrick, her former betrothed, met her when Florian was under attack and needed aid. We called on her father for help. Sedrick and Eleonora fought side by side, defending the Florian kingdom. When Sedrick became the crown Prince of Florian..."

Eleonora interrupted her. "Wait. It is Prince Sedrick? The Countess is the mother of a Prince? She is married to a King?" She did her best attempt at whispering, but her words were delivered at her regular volume, loud.

Every eye in the procession looked their way. Eleonora and Bee walked quietly until the attention of those passing by and the other ladies of the Countess court returned to minding their own business.

"Yes, she is married to the King. But she was his mistress for years before she married him. The King of Florian's first queen was barren. He had the Countess as his mistress. They had five children together. Their three daughters died young of three different illnesses, and they were left with sons, Sedrick and Hugo. The King needed a successor, and he was from a long line of one child born each generation. So he didn't have cousins or uncles who could rule after him except for his bastard sons, Sedrick and Hugo. Sedrick, being the oldest, became first in line for the throne. Of course that came after he was made a rightful heir through legitimization."

"What happened to Eleonora?" Eleonora asked, bringing the conversation back around.

"No one knows. Hugo says, one evening Sedrick and Eleonora got into a nasty argument. She had her bags packed and took her men to head home that evening. However, her men made it home, but she never did. No one knows what happened to her or what her and Sedrick fought about. Some vile people believe Sedrick lost his temper and, in a rage, killed her by accident or on purpose, then sent her men home and paid them off." Bee shook her head in disgust, delicately clearing her throat to remove the taste of the words she just spoke out of her mouth.

"You don't believe that story?" Eleonora inquired.

"Well, no. Once you meet Sedrick, you'll understand. He is one of the sweetest men you'll ever meet. Now, Eleonora. Hugo says she had a temper, and she wasn't well loved by any of her handmaidens or men. Plus, the Countess never approved of her. So there are actually many people who could have had the opportunity to end her life, that were not connected to Sedrick or Florian." Bee continued to speak in a conspiratorial manner.

It became apparent from Bee's stories that the Duchess Eleonora Lee of Alion had a lot of enemies or potential enemies. Recently learned information caused the lace worker to wonder what she had gotten herself into. It was quiet again. The movement of the procession had stopped. Suddenly Bee was not speaking anymore.

The group had stalled in front of a beautiful hand carved Ashwood double panel door.

"These are your quarters. I must leave you until dinner."

"Good afternoon, Bee, it was nice to meet you."

The procession of noble women continued down the corridor. Once the groups started moving, Eleonora waited and watched until they had progressed a lot down the corridor. When the group was barely in sight, the lace worker stood before the door. Her hand slid over all the hand carved details of the Ashwood door. Her hands reached for both knobs, opening and allowing entrance to the chambers.