Queen of Hearts: The Crown (Queen of Hearts Saga #1)(26)
Dinah made a face—to do otherwise would be out of character.
“Don’t frown, Princess, just put it on.”
As the gown slipped over her head, Dinah cleared her throat. “I’ll be at the library all morning doing private studies with Monsignor Wol-vore.”
Wol-vore was the language tutor. Dinah spent several days a week with him, learning to mimic the tongue of the Yurkei Mountain tribes and to hum the strange lilting sounds of the Western Slope accents. It was utterly useless in Dinah’s eyes, and mind-numbingly boring. That particular day, however, Monsignor Wol-vore would be visiting his mistress, a lovely lady of the court who lived just outside the palace. Wardley was finding that gold and gems bought a bounty of information on the various dark vices of the court.
“That sounds lovely Dinah, just lovely. I am so proud of you.”
Harris looked so happy, all puffed up and red cheeked. A stab of guilt shot through her. Dinah stared at herself in the mirror. Black eyes, many lies, she thought. Dinah cleared her throat.
“Both of you—I officially free you of all your duties for the day. Emily, you should go visit your family, and Harris—what better time to take in the rose garden, or play some croquet? I heard our white vendela roses are starting to bloom. . . .”
Harris’s eyes lit up. “I suppose I should. A bit of nature acts as a tonic for the soul.”
That was easy, she thought. Emily finished dressing Dinah, and she quickly ate her breakfast, making sure to have double helpings of both the eggs and the sweet peach bread. She would need it. As she headed out the door, Dinah grabbed a thin muslin bag.
“My books,” she mumbled.
Emily and Harris didn’t even look up. Dinah could see that they were excited at the prospect of a day with no responsibilities, which were rare for servants and guardians. Two down, Dinah thought, as she made it a point to take her time walking to the Great Hall, greeting Cards as they passed, and any court members that always seemed to be lollygagging in the hallway without purpose. She would be seen today, wearing this ridiculous gown and seeming oddly friendly. Dinah strolled past the Great Hall and noted the three Heart Cards standing watch in front of the door. Fellen, Roxs, and Thatcher, just as she and Wardley had calculated. Dinah gave them a gentle nod as she passed.
Guarding the Great Hall was a low honor among Heart Cards. Those with the most skill and loyalty guarded the King, then Cheshire, then Dinah, and so on down the court line. Those who were either new to the Cards or had a questionable record of service guarded the palace’s many doors and rooms. Nothing happened in the Great Hall most days of the Wonderland year, and so the Heart Cards sent to guard its doors and hallways were ruthlessly mocked. As Dinah walked past them, they bowed lazily. Dinah removed a small pouch from her bag. Then she stumbled, sending the little bag flying out in front of her. A wealth of gold coins—more than enough to feed their families for a year—spilled out in front of them. The muslin satchel stayed tight on her shoulders. She saw Roxs’s eyes light up. Of course they would: he had not one, but two families to feed. He bent down to help her pick up the coins, and Dinah saw him slyly pocket a few. Perfect, she thought.
“I’m so sorry. So clumsy.”
“’Tis never a problem, My Lady.”
Dinah swiftly picked up the remaining coins, making sure to give the men a clean glimpse of all the coins inside the bag. The price of a necklace, she thought guiltily, just one of the many jewels that sit idly in my drawer, more than enough to feed a family. She often found herself feeling shame at such things. She nodded her head at Roxs, and then at the other Cards.
“Thank you. Good day.” Lowering her eyes, she made herself fidgety and breathless before them. She hesitated a second and leaned forward, letting her hair swing down over her face, her voice dropping to an urgent whisper. “Could you please tell me where the cloak room is?”
Roxs gave a nod. “Not sure why you would need that, Your Highness; you aren’t even wearing a cloak.”
Dinah put a hand on her hip. “It’s none of your business, and above your station to ask.”
Roxs’s eyes narrowed. No Heart Card liked being reprimanded by the royal family; it was an ultimate shame from those they swore to protect. “Forgive me, My Lady. I will walk you there.”
“No. Just tell me how to get there. I can walk there myself. Time is of the essence.”
Dinah could see the confusion play across their faces. Why is she in a hurry to get to the cloak room?
“Follow this hall, past the oratory, and around the corner. It’s a small door on the right, across from the servants’ privy. There is an iron and glass window on the front of the door.”
Dinah clutched her purse tightly against her chest and let a blush rise to her cheeks. “Thank you.” She hurried quickly past the Cards. The cloak room was very simple to find; Dinah had been there many times as a child, retrieving a winter cloak for her or for Charles. It was a long room, filled from ceiling to floor with every kind of cloak in every kind of color, all for the royal family or their distinguished guests. Steam hissed out from a fountain in the middle of the room—a porcelain whale that spewed mist periodically, making sure that the cloaks were always warm and soft, whatever the weather. Dinah quickly found a simple brown hooded cloak.
She set her muslin bag down on the ground, yanking open its cords. Inside was a gray cotton dress, a tiny white heart embroidered on the sleeve. It was the kind of dress a maid or servant might wear on her day off. Dinah had swiped it from Emily earlier that month. She quickly shrugged out of her elaborate magenta gown, the ruffles swimming around her like puffy clouds. She carefully folded it and placed it into the bag. The cloak room door opened and she gave a shriek as she stood with only a thin white slip on.