The Heiress Queen (Season Series Prequel)

Chapter 12

The next morning, Isabelle did not join her ladies-in-waiting on their way down to breakfast. She had absolutely no desire to join Byron Fletcher at the ballet, especially if it was by Prince Graham's decree. Instead, she chose to employ the trick Lissa had suggested on her first day at court, deciding that feigning sick would be far preferable to enduring a day with the queen and an evening with Byron Fletcher. Remaining in bed until her giggling ladies-in-waiting had returned from breakfast, Isabelle practiced her cough and twisted in her sheets.

As predicted, Alicia swept into the room upon her return, her prying eyes running over the bedchamber before landing on Isabelle, mired in blankets.

"Goodness, are you well?" Alicia asked, as Lissa emerged from the closet, keeping a close eye on the snooping brunette. Isabelle let out a moan, burying herself even farther in her pillows and blowing her nose into a handkerchief. Alicia frowned.

"It is not wise for you to be in here," Lissa admonished. "My lady has taken ill and will remain here so as not to risk spreading her sniffles!"

Alicia narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the maid and Isabelle did her best to appear bleary-eyed as she coughed, peeking up over her pillows towards the lady-in-waiting.

"Lissa," Isabelle croaked. "Please, more tea."

Lissa sprang into action, bustling Alicia from the room as she clucked and muttered about the spread of disease in a place like a royal court. As Isabelle blew her nose again, Lissa slammed the door behind the nosy lady-in-waiting.

"We'd make quite the pair of theatre actresses," Isabelle said, chucking away the handkerchief and grinning as she threw off the covers. She crossed to her closet, pulling out one of her day dresses.

"Are we getting you dressed?" Lissa asked, as Isabelle stripped off her nightclothes.

"I'm not spending an entire, glorious day holed up in my suite," Isabelle said, turning so Lissa could help tie her corset.

"But if someone sees you out and about, they'll know you aren't ill," Lissa said, the corners of her mouth turning down into a frown.

"Then it's fortunate that the ladies are all to spend the day outdoors with the queen," Isabelle grinned. "Besides, I'm sure I can find a vacant room or twenty with a few books and some sunlight."

"As long as you're careful," was all Lissa said in reply. She remained mute, her lips pursed into a line as she helped Isabelle into her demure grey day dress, trimmed with frothy white lace, twisting her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck.

Once Lissa had ensured that all three of Isabelle's ladies-in-waiting had departed, Isabelle snuck out from her room, hurrying down the hallway and following the very same path she'd been led down on her way to the queen's study. She'd poked her head into a good number of vacant rooms that morning, which meant they were likely just as vacant today.

Careful to duck into alcoves and around corners whenever a servant happened along, Isabelle inspected each room she crossed, carefully listening at the keyhole to ensure it's vacancy before opening the door. She was on one of the upper floors when she opened the door to the room where she knew she'd spend the rest of her day.

Massive windows spilled summer sunlight across the carpeted floor, the back wall lined with bookshelves. The room smelled of dust and disuse, but Isabelle didn't much care. A bay window on the left wall looked out over the stable yard, while the others showcased the manicured grounds and gardens beyond.

Running her eyes over the shelves, Isabelle couldn't help but chuckle at the odd assortment of books. Everything from atlases and books on political theory to collections of romance poetry and children's fables were jumbled together on the shelves, in no discernible order. Pulling out an encyclopedia of flowers, a book on codes and ciphers, and a collection of far northern fairy tales, Isabelle brushed the dust off the bay window seat. Coughing from the cloud she'd disturbed, she unlatched and opened one of the windows, inhaling the floral summer breeze to clear her lungs.