The Queen's Man by Terri Brisbin - The Queen's Man

Author:Terri Brisbin - The Queen's Man [Brisbin, Terri]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: terri brisbin, Historical Romance, elizabethan england, the queens man, time travel romance, queen elizabeth i
ISBN: 9781479252602
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 2013-01-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

The Queen had still not returned to Windsor a few days later when Lady Randall confronted Sharon in the hallway outside her room.

"Get your cloak and come with me, Mistress Reynolds."

By her words and manner, Sharon knew this was not a request. She returned to her room, grabbed her cloak from the peg on the wall, and met the woman at the top of the stairs. Following her swift and sure steps down the three flights, Sharon emerged behind Lady Randall outside the royal apartments. The woman continued away from the buildings and toward the northern wall of the castle. She turned and faced Sharon, who was literally holding her breath in anticipation of being found out.

"Do not look so fearful, Mistress Reynolds. I but wanted some measure of privacy for our words."

Sharon swallowed several times before the words would come out. "Privacy, milady? Words with me?"

"Aye, 'twould seem at times that the very walls of Windsor have ears and I wanted to speak to you without being overheard." Pointing at a nearby bench, she motioned Sharon to it. "Sit."

Once they were seated, Sharon thought about her words.

What could Lady Randall want to talk to her about that required privacy? Her curiosity began to overcome her initial fear. If Lady Randall knew the truth, that she was not Katherine Seagrave's niece, she would probably be on the way to the dungeon, or wherever they took prisoners.

"You are not the young woman I thought you to be," Lady Randall began. Sharon fought the swirling panic that grew around her. Wait, wait. Listen, listen, she told herself.

"Your lady aunt led me to believe that you were a frivolous girl, unmindful of anything but her own desires. You are not that girl," Margaret Randall continued, and Sharon tried to focus on her words. The woman's tone had changed; it had softened somehow; its usual harshness was gone and replaced with a conciliatory one.

"I have watched you as you work and as you go about your life within Windsor and, other than the unfortunate incident with the raspes last week, you have lived with a certain dignity and respect I did not expect in one so troubled."

Sharon raised her head, now feeling more confident about the direction of this conversation. She was just different from what Lady Randall had expected. No matter how skilled she was at charades, she would never be able to masquerade successfully forever as the wayward niece.

"You have followed my instructions, and your work on Her Majesty's clothing is nothing short of superb. You do not join in with the others as they gossip their way through the day. I am more pleased with you and your demeanor than I truly ever expected to be. Mayhap you have grown to appreciate the seriousness of your circumstances?"

Sharon smiled, relief now coursing through her. "I have thought on my mistakes, milady." She was not lying—not a day went by without thoughts and plans of how she would correct things when she returned home.

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