A Royal Likeness Read Online Free PDF Page B

though it belonged in the charity box, but William refused to part with his comfortable reading spot. Upon their marriage eleven years ago, Claudette was given free rein to redecorate as she saw fit, as long as she did not touch what she thought of as the King James Monstrosity.
    “I think the lavender one, Jolie. Be sure to see to the gloves I wear with it. I believe there was a seam coming undone last time I wore them.”
    “Of course, madame. My lord, I picked up the post in the front hall on my way here.” She offered the latest edition of
The London Gazette
to William before departing.
    He lay down the science volume and opened the four-page newspaper, scanning it for anything of note. He loved to summarize the day’s events for his wife.
    “Hmm, looks like the news just made it here that Cardinal de Rohan died back in February. He was living in Baden. It says he spent his last few years and the remainder of his wealth in providing for the poor clergy of his diocese who were obligated to leave France during the Revolution. Good penance for that man, considering what he did to bring down his queen with that damnable necklace affair.”
    William continued folding and scanning the pages. He sat up with a start and muttered an oath under his breath. “The Treaty of Amiens is collapsing. No surprise there. That pompous rooster Bonaparte won’t rest until he’s invaded England and made us all his obedient little hens. He needs to be taught proper manners.”
    “William, I don’t mean to be flippant, but Bonaparte’s war with us is the least of my concerns, at least as compared to Marguerite. I don’t know how to reach her.” Claudette continued assembling flowers from Hevington’s gardens.
    William put the paper down in his lap. “This has certainly been worse than when we lost Béatrice, hasn’t it? Of course, then she had Nicholas to comfort her. Now …” He let his words trail off.
    Claudette blew pollen off the sideboard that held the arrangement and surveyed her handiwork on the cluster of newly bloomed orchids she had just gathered.
    “There’s no comforting her now. When Marguerite thought she might be pregnant, I thought I saw a small flicker of happiness in her. But when that hope wasn’t realized, she just sort of slipped out of reality.”
    Almost as if in response to hearing her name mentioned, Marguerite appeared in the doorway that Jolie had just vacated.
    “Aunt Claudette, I’m going to the North Bridge.”
    Several small bridges spanned streams across the Hevington property. The North Bridge was the longest of these bridges and the farthest from the house. Since her arrival at Hevington two months ago, Marguerite had taken to spending hours walking back and forth over the bridge, talking to herself. Some of Hevington’s servants began gossiping that the mistress’s guest was a bit touched, but William sternly informed the household that such talk would not be tolerated. The gossip subsided, but Claudettestill saw knowing looks passing between servants whenever Marguerite was around.
    “Of course, dear. Enjoy yourself. You’ll return for supper, won’t you?”
    “Mmmm, what? Oh, I’m not hungry. Please don’t wait for me.”
    “You may not be hungry now, but you will be in several hours. You
must
take some nourishment.”
    “All right, then, I’ll come back. Send someone for me, will you?” As Marguerite turned to go, Claudette saw that there was a hastily mended tear in the young woman’s dress, a gown that should have joined William’s chair in the charity box long ago. Her hair was sloppily pulled together in the back, and did not look as though it had been washed or brushed in weeks.
    As the door clicked shut, Claudette told her husband, “There must be something we can do to lift her out of her melancholia. I just wish I knew what it was.”
    “If you can figure out something, all the resources of Hevington and the Greycliffe family will be at your disposal. As long as