her chin level, she stared at them, forcing herself to appear confident of her position with the queen. They considered her for a moment before lifting their pikes to clear the doorway. Two uniformed servants drew the doors open.
Her knees felt weak, but what alarmed her the most was the lament that crossed her heart when she heard the soft click of the doors closing behind her.
“Now you can tell me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
Raelin fluttered her eyelashes in an attempt to cajole her into doing what she wanted. Helena shook her head.
“It was nothing.”
The Scots girl narrowed her eyes. “Oh aye, so much a nothing that ye were blushing bright as a summer sunset.” Raelin sighed. “I have never blushed like that. No’ even once.”
“That’s not fair.”
Raelin lifted her eyebrows. “What is no fair?”
A faint flicker of victory lit her friend’s eyes, but it was too charming to really become annoyed with. Helena rolled her eyes.
“Pouting like that. I do consider you a friend.” So much so that she would challenge Edmund over her. Many would condemn her for such. Blood was considered thicker than anything else.
Mischief glittered in Raelin’s eyes. She leaned close, so that their words wouldn’t carry.
“So tell me what sort of man put so bright a blush on yer cheeks. Don’t make me beg. Canna ye see how jealous I am?”
“You have no need of envying me. Truthfully, I am jealous of you.” Helena had never spoken such a truth. Her inability to control herself in relationship to the Scot was unnerving.
Raelin sighed and slumped as far as her corset would allow. “No man has ever made me blush. My brothers would be happy about that but you should have seen yer face when you arrived this morning.” Her lips curved into a smile. “’Twas a sight. You looked all aflutter and all of the things I hear about but have nae felt. Just looking at ye made me feel like there is some grand part of life that I am missing because I have no looked into the right pair of eyes.”
“Really?” Had it been so obvious? Helena looked down at the broach she was polishing. It was slightly frightening to know her friend had read her fascination right off her face.
“Now dinnae look like that.” Raelin didn’t even look at the piece of jewelry she was polishing. Her hands moved on it while she looked into Helena’s eyes. There was a hint of pleading in her eyes that had nothing to do with idle curiosity. She actually sought something by asking, as though she were trying to understand something important.
“I simply encountered a man that…um…held my attention.”
“Why did he captivate you?”
Helena shifted, heat touching her cheeks just from talking about him. It was somehow exposing to hear Raelin using a word such as captivate. The girl didn’t know how correct she was.
“It wasn’t that intense.”
“Aye, it was. You didna see yer own face. I did.” Raelin eyed her suspiciously. “Why are you squirming if it wasn’t that intense? We cannae be true friends if you want to be deceptive in private.”
Helena sighed. “You are very persistent.”
Her friend smiled in triumph but there was a flicker of compassion in her eyes. “I’m not toying with you, truly. It is just that there are so many who pretend friendship to sit here near the queen. You seem different. I am hoping that ye are. Serving the queen can be very lonely.”
“I understand what you mean. Ever since I have arrived at court there have been many who wanted to be near me in order to flirt with my brother. They covet his impending inheritance and seem to have no qualms about pretending friendship to me to try their charms on him. It does indeed become very lonely.”
Raelin nodded her head. “You do understand. I’m glad. So very glad.” Her voice trailed off as though she was afraid to allow her emotions to be exposed. There was a camaraderie in the moment, one that Helena was hungry for, too. Raelin filled an empty space in her soul and she was grateful.
Raelin reached out and slapped her arm lightly. “So tell me about him. Were ye unable to look away like the poets say?”
“I couldn’t seem to stop looking at him. My eyes were drawn to him, like the only candle in a pitch-dark room. Honestly, it’s as if I didn’t have any control over what I was thinking. His face keeps pushing its way to the