The Season (Season Series #1)

Chapter 5.2 Breaking the Fast

The royal family entered, the king leading his wife and children. Andrew drew up the rear, setting ladies to tittering and fans to batting. I thanked my lucky stars that Darby had hurried me here. If I'd been a minute or two later, I wouldn't have been allowed in once the royal family was seated.

There was a shuffle of skirts and the gentle titter of conversation as the royals sat, a bevy of servants marching in to place plates before them. I watched with barely veiled curiosity as the bells were removed from each plate, wondering what royalty ate for breakfast.

The king had a hearty plate of sausage, eggs, griddle cakes, and toast. The queen had a simple boiled egg and toast. Beside her, Princess Anne had an array of fruit and toast. Prince Thomas had a plate similar to his father's, a bowl of porridge on the side. Prince Andrew had the largest plate of all, piled high with eggs, bacon, sausages, toast, griddle cakes, and a bowl of fruit besides. I dropped my own gaze down to my plate to stifle a grin when he caught me looking, the power of my gaze drawing his.

The debutantes and their ladies were served far less formally, with platters of eggs, sausages, toast, fruit, porridge, rolls, preserves, and griddle cakes being deposited in the middle of each table. Rosanna smacked my hand with her fan when I reached out to spear a sausage.

"Debutantes first," she hissed through a smile, as Emmeline's eyes settled on me.

"Well someone certainly seems hungry," Emmeline sniffed, drawing the food towards her. She and Ella took their time selecting a few slices of toast and pieces of fruit, mimicking the queen and princess' plates. Once the two of them had served themselves, the ladies in waiting dug in, most of them taking a simple soft boiled egg and toast or bowl of fruit and porridge. I was the only one to load a plate with eggs, sausages, griddle cakes, toast, and preserves. I could hardly contain my watering mouth as I dug in, heedless of the stares I was earning from around the table.

I ate as quickly as I could without spilling on myself, the other ladies daintily cutting their food into tiny pieces as they chattered. Emmeline kept shooting glances my way as I piled food onto my fork, Emily's glares mirroring hers. Beside me, Georgina's incredulous eyes kept flicking between my filled plate and her sparse one of porridge and fruit.

"My, what a country appetite," Emmeline said, when I finally set down my fork. I dabbed at my lips, inclining my head with a smile towards her.

"It is always best to break one's fast with gusto," I said, lifting my teacup towards her in a mock cheers. Emmeline's perfectly manicured brows crashed together as Ella closed her eyes, sliding open her fan to bat it gently at herself. Rosanna looked downright horrified, but next to me Georgina let out a cough that sounded dangerously like a laugh before she stifled it in her napkin. Emmeline sniffed and opened her large mouth to make another comment when a hush fell over the room as the king rose.

We all turned our eyes towards the head table, where mine met Prince Andrew's once again. He was grinning in earnest, shaking his head as he looked at me. I briefly wondered if he'd seen the brutish way I'd loaded my plate before I decided that I didn't care. The palace's food was turning out to be better than any of the multitude of finishing schools I'd spent time in over the past four years. In fact, it almost rivalled Cook's back at home in Draughton, whose breakfast specialty was fruit-laden griddle cakes.

"Good morning, ladies," the king started, his deep baritone hushing whatever whispered conversations had dared persist when he rose.

"Good morning your Majesty," the ladies trilled in unison. I said nothing, shocked when they'd all spoken together. Apparently I'd missed the bit about how to reply to royalty when they address a group when I was in etiquette class.

"I trust you all enjoyed yourselves at the inaugural ball last night," he said, pausing when several of the debutantes enthusiastically agreed, Ashley and Penelope standing out with their simpering smiles, "There has a been a slight change to your schedules as the prince has asked to invite you all along on our hunt tomorrow. Her Majesty will inform you as to the rest of your daily schedule,"

Tittering broke out again as the king bowed and took his leave, the princes following him out. I was grinning like an idiot despite myself, relieved that at last I'd be allowed outside.

"Ladies, we would invite you to join us for cards and needlework this afternoon," the queen said, rising and waiting for a hush to fall over the room again, "And of course tonight, the debutantes will take their dinner with us followed by another social hour in the emerald parlour room. Enjoy the rest of the morning at your leisure and we look forward to seeing you for luncheon in my sitting room,"

The ladies curtseyed to the queen as she and the princess left the room, Princess Anne's eyes running hawkishly over the assembled ladies. She seemed decidedly unimpressed, whispering something to her mother before the double doors leading to the royal family's quarters closed behind them.

"A hunt," Georgina breathed beside me, her eyes glowing, "Oh I've been aching to ride since I arrived here. My Seraphina must be antsy after being in a stall all this time,"

"You have your own horse?" I asked, as Emmeline and Ella rose to excuse themselves from the tables. Georgina shot me a questioning look.

"Of course, however else would I participate in the outdoor activities?" she said. Disappointment settled in my stomach like a stone.

"Do you mean to say that if I don't have a horse I won't be able to join the hunt?" I persisted, catching up to Georgina. She looked over at me, giving a little shrug.

"I was instructed to bring my own mount, but if the rumors are to be believed, you were a last minute replacement," she said, slowing her step to wait for my response. I recognized that she was fishing for gossip, but I had to know whether my mount-less status would preclude me from the hunt, so I gave her what she wanted.

"I am and my horse is very much in Draughton, not here," I replied. Georgina nodded, processing the information, before snagging my arm and dragging me away from the river of courtiers headed back towards their rooms to prepare for the afternoon with the queen. As she moved me, a pin dug into my waist and I grimaced, shimmying and dancing around until it stopped sticking me. Georgina watched me, wide-eyed, until I stopped moving.

"Sorry, new dress," I muttered, tugging the fabric away from the sore spot. I jumped when Georgina exploded in a laugh.

"Heavens I thought I was the only one who was a human being beneath the porcelain mask!" she laughed, resting a hand on my shoulder as she caught her breath, "If you go to the stables before any of the others, they may be able to arrange something for you. The palace has horses, but very few are suitable for a lady,"

"Sound advice," I nodded sagely, grinning at her as we both hurried after our debutantes. When we rejoined the river of young ladies, tedium dominating the chatter they spouted as we all climbed back to our rooms, I thanked my lucky stars for the two- freckled girls I'd met this morning, one a servant and one a lady.