Marigold Chain by Riley Stella

Author:Riley, Stella
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: murder, espionage, london, humour, treason, 1666, prince rupert, great fire, loveromance, samuel pepys, charles 11, dutch war
Publisher: Stella Riley

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EIGHT

As lovely day succeeded lovely day in that cloudless, blazing June, Chloë cast herself into a frantic orgy of activity. She swept and polished, dusted and sewed – anything in fact, however trivial or unnecessary, that might occupy her mind or tire her body so that she would be too busy or too exhausted to think. It did not work and she wondered dully why it seemed to do so for Alex and Giles, once more taken up with Prince Rupert’s mysterious assignment. For her, from the time she rose to the time she found herself unable to sleep, every day was a battle to avoid the only thoughts that held any significance. Like twin goblins, they shadowed her steps and turned her world into a dark place where she dwelt alone with the nagging ache of Danny’s death and the soul-destroying void of a hollow marriage.

Alex had kissed her and she did not know what – if anything – that meant, since he had subsequently neither referred to it nor shown any inclination to repeat it. The only thing that she was certain of was that her feelings for him which, before that kiss, had been largely controllable, had now swelled to a tumult of longing that threatened to overwhelm her.

It was perhaps fortunate that across the river in Whitehall, Queen Catherine was also beset with troubles. The palace, as everyone knew, had been set by the ears when Lady Castlemaine had told the Queen that if His Majesty had taken cold from the night air, it was because he visited other ladies after departing from her house. Unfortunately, she had said it within the King’s hearing and Charles, usually placid to the point of indolence, had actually been sufficiently stirred to deliver a stinging reprimand and bid her remove herself from Court.

Wild with anger, Barbara had gone to lodge in Pall Mall, leaving poor Catherine to indulge in the rosy hope that she was rid of her thorn at last. Alas, she was soon disillusioned. Within three days, Barbara was back, bolder than ever and boasting that she had brought the King to heel; and the collective, sniggering rumour that hurt Catherine more than her return was the widespread whisper that her ladyship had achieved this by threatening to publish Charles’ letters to her.

Disappointed and sickened, Catherine felt she could no longer tolerate the hateful presence without the support of someone she both liked and trusted. With a sort of pathetic defiance, she offered Chloë a position in her household and Chloë, glad of anything that might fill her days, accepted and then walked out into the bright afternoon sun to find a boat which would take her home.

She had mistimed it, she realised, by about five minutes. Cousin Simon was just settling into a barge as she came down the steps. He hailed her with languid delight, informed her that he was going to Trinity House, and insisted that she allow him the pleasure of taking her to Southwark.

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