out what jewels I like best; but no, he’d asked his mother what girls like. And worse, much worse, he’d only been interested in my estates. How disgustingly unromantic. And who was he to say I was “not too foul-visaged” and talked too much? Better than not being able to talk at all,
I
think.
I didn’t tear the letter up, although I wanted to. I read the important bits to Ellie, who clearly didn’t know whether to be shocked or amused, and then I put it back in the chest. Since it was perfectly obvious Lord Robert didn’t deserve me, he could have his pearls back and tell his conniving mother it had all gone wrong!
But still, no yellow powder anywhere.
Ellie had found one pillowslip that didn’t belong there and put it in her bag. Then she looked at me. “Well?” she said.
“I’m still going to help him get out of the Fleet,” I told her. “But I certainly won’t marry him. Now, Lady Sarah next, I think.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Why her?” she asked curiously.
“Lady Sarah was after Sir Gerald at the ball,” I explained. “Maybe she hated him because he was chasing me.” Then I added bitterly, “Though I know for a fact he was only doing what his uncle, Lord Worthy, told him. After my inheritance too, no doubt.”
“Well, of course he was,” said Ellie tartly. “They all were, except Sir Charles, who is surely rich enough.”
We came out of Lord Robert’s chamber and Ellie thanked the man, who went on playing with his cards. We walked on quickly down the Stone Gallery, across the little bridge, and into the upper story of the Privy Gallery to the chambers of the Maids of Honour and Ladies-in-Waiting.
In my chamber, Ellie sorted through the many pots and potions belonging to Lady Sarah. Not one of them was sulphur-yellow, though several were purple and more than one looked and smelled like dung. There were the usual white lead and cinnabar to make a red colour, and ground lapis lazuli and malachite for colouring eyelids blue or green, and some sticks of kohl. One bottle held something which Ellie sniffed and announced was probably atincture of tansy and pennyroyal mint, and another was labelled FOR THE ALLUREMENT OF ALL KINDS OF LOVE , which made me laugh.
There was also a miniature of Sarah, which made her face much more heart-shaped than it really is and her chest even bigger. We also found dozens and dozens of love letters from moonstruck courtiers, including several each from Sir Charles, Lord Robert, and Sir Gerald! I scowled. They were supposed to be courting me; how dare they write rubbish to Lady Sarah, too? Surely having a big chest isn’t
that
important?
“Yes, it is,” said Ellie, when I put this to her.
I couldn’t resist poking my nose round the door of Mrs. Champernowne’s chamber, which was tidy and clean, with a big pile of books next to the bed, including two with nothing except boring sermons in them. No yellow powder.
We decided to look in Lord Worthy’s chambers as well—it was only fair to search everyone’s room. There was more paper piled up there than I have ever seen in my life. Ellie poked around, found a sheet with a nasty stain on it under the bed, and put it in her bag. I discovered a recipe to cure baldness together with a screw of green powder and several pots of ointment. I took the lid off one of the pots,but it smelled so strongly of horse dung that Ellie screwed up her face in disgust—though she was on the other side of the room—and I was nearly overcome! I quickly put the lid back on.
Then off we went to look at Sir Charles’s room. Ellie protested at this. “Sir Charles is a kind old thing. He left me a lovely gift on Christmas day with two mince pies—and he made sure I got them,” she said, with her hands on her hips.
“Well, we’ve got to investigate everybody who’s even vaguely possible, Ellie—nobody’s beyond suspicion except the Queen,” I said firmly.
Sir Charles’s Grace-and-Favour Chamber was near to the
I
think.
I didn’t tear the letter up, although I wanted to. I read the important bits to Ellie, who clearly didn’t know whether to be shocked or amused, and then I put it back in the chest. Since it was perfectly obvious Lord Robert didn’t deserve me, he could have his pearls back and tell his conniving mother it had all gone wrong!
But still, no yellow powder anywhere.
Ellie had found one pillowslip that didn’t belong there and put it in her bag. Then she looked at me. “Well?” she said.
“I’m still going to help him get out of the Fleet,” I told her. “But I certainly won’t marry him. Now, Lady Sarah next, I think.”
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Why her?” she asked curiously.
“Lady Sarah was after Sir Gerald at the ball,” I explained. “Maybe she hated him because he was chasing me.” Then I added bitterly, “Though I know for a fact he was only doing what his uncle, Lord Worthy, told him. After my inheritance too, no doubt.”
“Well, of course he was,” said Ellie tartly. “They all were, except Sir Charles, who is surely rich enough.”
We came out of Lord Robert’s chamber and Ellie thanked the man, who went on playing with his cards. We walked on quickly down the Stone Gallery, across the little bridge, and into the upper story of the Privy Gallery to the chambers of the Maids of Honour and Ladies-in-Waiting.
In my chamber, Ellie sorted through the many pots and potions belonging to Lady Sarah. Not one of them was sulphur-yellow, though several were purple and more than one looked and smelled like dung. There were the usual white lead and cinnabar to make a red colour, and ground lapis lazuli and malachite for colouring eyelids blue or green, and some sticks of kohl. One bottle held something which Ellie sniffed and announced was probably atincture of tansy and pennyroyal mint, and another was labelled FOR THE ALLUREMENT OF ALL KINDS OF LOVE , which made me laugh.
There was also a miniature of Sarah, which made her face much more heart-shaped than it really is and her chest even bigger. We also found dozens and dozens of love letters from moonstruck courtiers, including several each from Sir Charles, Lord Robert, and Sir Gerald! I scowled. They were supposed to be courting me; how dare they write rubbish to Lady Sarah, too? Surely having a big chest isn’t
that
important?
“Yes, it is,” said Ellie, when I put this to her.
I couldn’t resist poking my nose round the door of Mrs. Champernowne’s chamber, which was tidy and clean, with a big pile of books next to the bed, including two with nothing except boring sermons in them. No yellow powder.
We decided to look in Lord Worthy’s chambers as well—it was only fair to search everyone’s room. There was more paper piled up there than I have ever seen in my life. Ellie poked around, found a sheet with a nasty stain on it under the bed, and put it in her bag. I discovered a recipe to cure baldness together with a screw of green powder and several pots of ointment. I took the lid off one of the pots,but it smelled so strongly of horse dung that Ellie screwed up her face in disgust—though she was on the other side of the room—and I was nearly overcome! I quickly put the lid back on.
Then off we went to look at Sir Charles’s room. Ellie protested at this. “Sir Charles is a kind old thing. He left me a lovely gift on Christmas day with two mince pies—and he made sure I got them,” she said, with her hands on her hips.
“Well, we’ve got to investigate everybody who’s even vaguely possible, Ellie—nobody’s beyond suspicion except the Queen,” I said firmly.
Sir Charles’s Grace-and-Favour Chamber was near to the
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