Scotland, she had been born English.
Raelin smiled. “Will you show him to me?”
“I don’t even know the man’s name. Much less where to begin looking for him.”
“If he’s here, he’s waiting to see the king. We’ll begin in the great hall.”
Raelin took the broach from her hands and set it back inside the open chest of the queen’s jewels. They were all clean anyway. But the ladies-in-waiting often dictated chores to the maids of honor and there was no arguing permitted.
Raelin grasped her hand and took a look across the chamber before pulling Helena off her bench. The queen was in her bedchamber and her ladies with her. She tired easily now and was retiring for the night. But the queen was also particular. She’d felt pressed upon and wanted only her ladies near. Chores had been handed out to the maids to take them away from the bedchamber. No one was left in the outer chamber except the pair of them.
“If I see his kilt, I can tell you what clan he’s from. Maybe even if he holds a title. We have nobles in Scotland, too, ye know.” Her friend offered her a bright smile. “No one will miss us. Not now that the queen has begun to retire.”
“You are a conspirator.” But she was tempted. She wanted to know his name.
Raelin hurried them past the royal guards outside the door before giggling.
“’Tis so, but it’s fun.” Excitement laced her voice. “Besides, we are together. A walk isn’t so bad since there are two of us. I get out so little, I never get to meet men that might make me blush. Perhaps I’ll want to steal his interest from ye.”
Her friend’s excitement was infectious. Helena smiled and clasped the hand Raelin closed around her own. They hurried down the wide hallways like curious children on a feast day. Now that the queen had retired for the night, many nobles had begun the process of returning to their town homes. Everyone attending court wanted to be noticed, so they did their best to be present any time the king might step into the great hall. Or send a summons for them. The chamberlain kept a list of those men waiting for an audience with His Majesty. Just getting your name on that list took a great deal of influence and often a bribe. If you failed to make a good enough bribe, your name might be very low on the list and the chamberlain might forget to mention to the king that you were waiting for a very long time.
But once the queen retired, the king often took to his private chambers with his friends. That ended the day, giving weary nobles the chance to retire until they rose at dawn to begin the entire process once again. Helena had been keeping such hours since arriving. It was becoming difficult to remain awake during services.
Tonight she didn’t care. Excitement flowed through her. They circled the private garden used by the queen and crept out into the hallways that led toward the great hall. Long shadows darkened the hallway. Lamps were lit but their light became lost in the vaulted ceilings.
“Maybe the poets are reading.”
“You mean ‘wenching,’” Raelin declared boldly.
Helena smothered a laugh. “You say the most outlandish things.”
“’Tis the only way I survive serving the queen. Her ladies are quite prudish and I refuse to forget that I am young enough to think about men.”
“Raelin…”
Her friend shrugged. “I only said think about men. What’s wrong with listening to a little posy? We’ll both marry soon enough and find ourselves shipped off to country estates to produce heirs. I, for one, would like to take a few memories along.”
“I agree.”
The young men of the court liked to practice their poems on the maids after the hall was emptied for the night. Edmund had warned her to keep well away of such gatherings. Ladies that were seen by the flicker of the candles were considered light-skirts. That didn’t stop some of the bolder noble daughters from going. One or two had snared herself a titled husband by ignoring the possible gossip and invading the male-dominated activity. But doing so was a very risky gamble. Many had not fared so well.
“We’ll stay in the eves. Ladies do it all the time. No one shall see us.”
“That’s wickedly naughty.” And she had never thought about it. The great hall was surrounded by hallways that had arched openings. At night, a dozen people might