The Heiress Queen (Season Series Prequel)

Chapter 10

The afternoon dragged on until, finally, the queen released them all to prepare for dinner. Bidding Violet farewell, Isabelle didn't bother to wait for her ladies-in-waiting, especially now that she knew the truth about Alicia. She pondered whether she should confront the brunette for her utter lack of decency, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to the situation.

Thankfully, the queen's efforts to starve her seemed to have abated, as she was not barred from filling her plate with sandwiches at luncheon and scones at teatime. Already thinking ahead to dinner, Isabelle could hardly wait for Lissa to loosen her corset strings.

Isabelle was sitting at her vanity table, choosing between the three pairs of earrings Lissa had set out for her when Alicia slipped into her bedroom.

"Forgive me, Isabelle, but you should have been sitting with us today in the queen's drawing room," she said, her eyes running over the room before landing on Isabelle. "It is the proper thing to do, you know."

"You have quite the nerve, barging in here without knocking and addressing me so informally," Isabelle said, standing. In her heeled slippers, she stood a good three inches taller than the brunette, drawing herself up to her full height.

"I think it only fair after we all missed breakfast," Alicia shot back, her smiling facade still in place.

"Fair? You precious thing, since when is courtly life fair?" Isabelle laughed. Her words soured Alicia's expression and Isabelle made a mental note to ponder on that later.

"You ought to treat us with more respect," Alicia managed, her cheeks heating. "We could be of great assistance to you, you know."

"I highly doubt that, especially considering the assistance you offered the prince last night," Isabelle said, unable to resist the barb. But rather than embarrassing Alicia, Isabelle's words seemed to embolden her.

"He and I are close friends," Alicia said haughtily. "You ought to keep that in mind, my lady."

Isabelle fought to keep her smile in place despite the hatred in her eyes as Alicia dropped a sarcastically low curtsey, sweeping from the room in a huff.

"I caught her sneaking around in here," Lissa said, emerging from the closet with a nasty glare towards the sitting room.

"What? When?" Isabelle asked.

"When you were at breakfast. She was poking around the escritoire," Lissa said, nodding towards the writing desk. "But nothing is missing, I checked."

"Tell me if you ever find her in here again," Isabelle said, inhaling to shake her annoyance. "Perhaps we should start locking the door when I'm out."

"I'll look into obtaining the keys, but with a sly one like her, I doubt that would keep her out for long," Lissa said. Isabelle scowled, bidding her maid farewell as she forced the thought of nosy Alicia poking through her things to the back of her mind.

She stopped at Violet's door, waiting for her friend before the pair of them made their way down to dinner. Cora was ahead of them, arm-in-arm with Henrietta Barclay, the two of them giggling and gossiping together. Isabelle sighed inwardly, wondering whether Cora was worth the all the trouble it would be to win her back.

"I completely forgot to ask earlier, but are there any eligible gentleman you were hoping we'd sit with tonight?" Isabelle asked coyly, linking her arm with Violet's. Her friend blushed furiously, dimpling with a shy grin.

"You never warned me how unbearably handsome Lord Winters' son is," Violet said, giggling as Isabelle grinned at her.

"I have yet to even properly say hello to him," Isabelle said, "But I'd be more than happy to introduce you two."