The Resilient Lady Collins

Chapter 67: Ruffling feathers (1)

"We’ve arrived at the palace, Lady Collins."

Scarlet opened her eyes to look out the carriage window at the palace in view. Since the ball, Scarlet wasn’t planning to return here any time soon, but she had received an invitation from the queen and many from the king.

A Collins had to show up today and unfortunately, it was her.

"There is still a chance for us to turn back around and take you to the estate," Dawson proposed, knowing Scarlet would like it.

"It’s too late as we’ve been spotted. I expect you to be on your best behaviour today. Keep anyone looking to annoy me from getting too close," Scarlet ordered Dawson as he was her guard for the day.

"My pleasure," Dawson replied and then exited the carriage to open Scarlet’s door.

Scarlet sighed as a gathering in the palace meant having to sit with petty women and then should she bump into the king, she would have to hear about his problems with the queen. She didn’t enjoy it when they put her in the middle of their problems.

Dawson opened a parasol to shade Scarlet from the warm weather as she walked up the steps to the front door.

Harry stayed behind with the carriage to watch over it so no one could try messing with it while Scarlet was inside the palace.

"Do I have your permission to push away any of the ladies if they try to harm you?" Dawson asked beforehand to avoid getting Scarlet in more feuds.

"That is your job as my guard, Dawson. Try not to smile should you need to push anyone and you must hide your gun better. Many women speak of being terrified by the sight of a gun," said Scarlet.

Dawson shifted his coat to hide the gun he had tucked into his pants. Flashing the gun once in a while when the women get too mouthy with Scarlet should get them to be quiet.

Scarlet looked around at the walls as she walked. It had been some time since she came here in the day to see which portraits of kings they had put up on display.

A maid soon met with Scarlet and led her to the garden where the other women invited had gathered with the queen. As they neared the garden, Scarlet heard chatter and already felt her mood changed.

Dawson enjoyed how quick Scarlet was to be over having to socialise. He was curious why she came when she didn’t want to be here.

"Scarlet! What a pleasant surprise."

"Your Majesty," Scarlet curtsied, greeting the queen who was the first to address her.

The queen, Madilyn Castro, watched as Scarlet walked to her seat. "You are a bit late so I didn’t think you were going to show."

"Better late than never," Scarlet replied. She was here for the time on the invitation. If she was meant to be here earlier to do extra talking then it should have been on the invitation.

"My husband would love to have a word with you. He," Madilyn became distracted by the necklace Scarlet decided to wear today. It was not suited for the occasion. "He has been looking forward to seeing you."

"Is that the queen’s heart on your neck, Scarlet? I have never seen it in person," said Holly, a close friend of the queen.

"It is," Scarlet replied, pushing away a cup of tea poured for her by a maid. ƒrēewebnovel.com

"Oh my! It is lovely as the rumours say. I heard the palace has been trying to get it back in their possession but your family has had it for many years and refuses to return it."

"We have," Scarlet nodded her head. "My great-grandfather bought it for his wife. It now is important to my family so we are not going to sell it."

Holly used a fan to hide her smile. "Sell it? One would think to give it back to the palace."

"Already?" Scarlet asked, speaking of the unwarranted questioning. "You would say that because it is not in your hands. It was a gift now passed down in my family. Something that a former queen thought was better outside of the palace. My great-grandfather paid a hefty price for it so why should we just give it back?"

"I think it is where it belongs since it looks well on Scarlet," said Keira Smith.

Madilyn shared the same thought that the necklace should belong to her. She was all for her husband getting it back but he couldn’t just get the Collins to hand it over. They had rightfully paid for the necklace years ago.

It was just upsetting how they dared to flaunt it in the palace. Maybe it was her disagreement with her husband that fueled the thought but she thought of pulling it from Scarlet’s neck since it was in reach for her to take.

"Scarlet, do you still have that picky habit of not drinking anyone’s tea?" Madilyn questioned, pointing out the untouched tea going cold. "I’m sure you will find that the palace tea is unlike any other and it will suit your taste."

"It is not to my liking so I will just have water or juice," Scarlet replied.

"How did you know when you have not tasted it?" Holly asked, using any opportunity to question Scarlet as she didn’t like Scarlet having a necklace meant for her friend.

"I spent plenty of my youth in the palace so I have tasted a lot of the tea made. I believe that would make me more of an expert on whether it is to my liking. Should I disregard my lifetime in the palace to consider your four years?" Scarlet asked Madilyn.

It had to be that Madilyn was arguing with the king as that was when she turned to be annoying. One of the reasons Scarlet didn’t like to be around when the two weren’t getting along. The king’s siblings were the ones that Scarlet preferred to be around.

Scarlet looked around for Princess Alana only to find that she was not there yet. Alana was the only sibling of the king to not wed yet and the one Scarlet loved the most.

Madilyn smiled since she had an audience. She didn’t need to be reminded that Scarlet had more years in the palace and probably held more influence. "Right. You will know what suits your taste. We’ve all worried about you with the divorce. How is it now that you are separated from him?"

"I am no longer someone’s wife," Scarlet stated the outcome of getting a divorce.

"I could never do it," Holly said, being one of the women to think Scarlet made a mistake.

"One would have to get married first to be put to the test of what they would do," said Scarlet.

According to the logic of the town, failing to find a husband should be just as awful as divorcing one.

"I am taking my time," Holly offered. "Perhaps if you had done that, you would have picked a suitable man to grow old with."

"You’re right. Which is why I hope no one will question me about my plans to move on," Scarlet said, ending the topic before it could come up.

They weren’t interested in how she was fairing. They only wanted to see if she regretted the decision.

"My apologies for being late," Alana Castro announced as she entered the garden.

"How kind of you to grace us with your presence," Madilyn said, not pleased to see Alana.