The Bellerose Bargain
“"Don’t fuss so, madam. You’ve got to be at your best for the king, madam." My best? she wondered. What on earth for? She did not think he was calling her to Whitehall to incarcerate her for fraud—he wouldn’t have to waste any food on her for that. But it was clear something was up. Perhaps she had not been wise to stay so far away from the court activities. Perhaps that in itself made her appear a suspicious person.
For the very first time since playing the part of Charlotte Bellamy, Alicia was... not gaining much joy from her primping and dressing. With the pressure applied from Culver, the certain presence of the true Charlotte in London, and now this special invitation from the king, her position felt more precarious than ever.
But she did not dare beg to be excused from the dinner and she did not dare arrive late. She mustered all her acting ability, dressed as well as she could for the occasion, and allowed Rodney to take her to the palace.
That Frances Stewart was the hostess was her first surprise, for she had assumed she would be Barbara’s pawn once again—a slim figure to keep the gallants from fussing so over Frances.MoreLess
For the very first time since playing the part of Charlotte Bellamy, Alicia was... not gaining much joy from her primping and dressing. With the pressure applied from Culver, the certain presence of the true Charlotte in London, and now this special invitation from the king, her position felt more precarious than ever.
But she did not dare beg to be excused from the dinner and she did not dare arrive late. She mustered all her acting ability, dressed as well as she could for the occasion, and allowed Rodney to take her to the palace.
That Frances Stewart was the hostess was her first surprise, for she had assumed she would be Barbara’s pawn once again—a slim figure to keep the gallants from fussing so over Frances.MoreLess
Read book The Bellerose Bargain for free
Write Review:
User Reviews: