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Authors: Lady Grace Cavendish
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…”
“I think it would all go to her cousin, FrederickBates,” said Sarah. “At least, I think he's a cousin, though he's quite a distant one.”
I tried not to show my excitement; maybe this Frederick was the villainous poisoner! “Have I seen him?” I asked. “Is he here at Court?”
“No, he's in the Netherlands at the moment, I think,” replied Sarah, wrinkling her brow in an effort to remember. “I've only met him once myself, ages ago, when he was a boy. And he was the dullest boy you can imagine.” She sighed as she caught sight of Richard Fitzgrey rehearsing a duel. “Not like Richard Fitzgrey.”
“You mean the
player
?” asked Lady Jane, who had just arrived.
Lady Sarah gave her an annoyed look as she sat down on the other side of Penelope. At that moment, Penelope remembered she had a music lesson so she hurried away, leaving Lady Sarah and Lady Jane sitting next to each other. I decided to back off and watch the fun from a safe distance. If they had been cats, their fur would have been standing up and their tails bottled. Both ladies were edging their bums towards the end of the bench nearest the players, while pretending that they weren't, of course.
“Tut,” said Lady Jane. “I fear me that if you sit in the sunlight so much, dear Sarah, you will find even more freckles fighting the spots on your nose. Prithee, move here where 'tis more shady.”
“You are so kind, sweet Jane,” sneered Lady Sarah, staying exactly where she was. “But are you not affrighted that the sunlight will make your hair even drier? I understand that bleached hair is
so
delicate.”
“How considerate!” trilled Lady Jane. “Of course you would know far more than me about coloured hair, Sarah.”
“About most things, I should think,” snapped Sarah. “Except, of course, Frenchmen …”
And they glared at each other, looking quite ready to scratch each other's eyes out.
“What in heaven's name are you two doing here, now?” Mrs. Champernowne came bustling up behind the bench. “Do you not know better than to sit in full sunlight without your hats? Get away with you, now! Go and sit in the shade.”
“I was just warning Lady Sarah about it,” Lady Jane said haughtily.
“Then follow your own advice,” snapped Mrs. Champernowne, and frowned until both of them stood up and huffed off in different directions. Thenshe sat herself down on the bench at the end nearest the players, despite all that dangerous sunlight, took out her blackwork, and started humming.
Luckily she hadn't spotted me, and I quietly moved further away, behind a piece of castle scenery. I didn't want her to notice I had no hat, either.
Behind the castle scenery, I came upon the oldest of the players, who was making a big yellow sun on a piece of canvas, with the pot of yellow paint beside him. I wondered if it was the poisonous orpiment yellow, or perhaps the yellow made of cow's pee. Perhaps this could be the source of the poison affecting Carmina! I decided I would ask Nick Hilliard and Mrs. Teerlinc about it next time I was in the Workroom.
For now, I was intending to visit Carmina and learn all I could about her cousin, Frederick, but first I wanted to find some charcoal. I was determined to persuade Carmina to eat a little, in the hope that it would help her feel better. Mrs. Teerlinc had mentioned it as a cure for arsenic poisoning.
Besides, I thought, if Carmina got better after eating it, it would prove that she
was
being poisoned with arsenic.
I headed for Lady Horsley's confectionery kitchen in the hopes of taking a few bits of charcoal out ofthe sack she has there. Most ladies can distil strong flower waters and make comfits, but Lady Horsley is quite famous for her skills. She sometimes makes subtleties of marchpane for the Queen's own banquet, though of course there is a Royal Confectioner as well.
The Queen has given her leave to use the old stillroom that was the Royal Confectioner's in King Harry's time. I
“I think it would all go to her cousin, FrederickBates,” said Sarah. “At least, I think he's a cousin, though he's quite a distant one.”
I tried not to show my excitement; maybe this Frederick was the villainous poisoner! “Have I seen him?” I asked. “Is he here at Court?”
“No, he's in the Netherlands at the moment, I think,” replied Sarah, wrinkling her brow in an effort to remember. “I've only met him once myself, ages ago, when he was a boy. And he was the dullest boy you can imagine.” She sighed as she caught sight of Richard Fitzgrey rehearsing a duel. “Not like Richard Fitzgrey.”
“You mean the
player
?” asked Lady Jane, who had just arrived.
Lady Sarah gave her an annoyed look as she sat down on the other side of Penelope. At that moment, Penelope remembered she had a music lesson so she hurried away, leaving Lady Sarah and Lady Jane sitting next to each other. I decided to back off and watch the fun from a safe distance. If they had been cats, their fur would have been standing up and their tails bottled. Both ladies were edging their bums towards the end of the bench nearest the players, while pretending that they weren't, of course.
“Tut,” said Lady Jane. “I fear me that if you sit in the sunlight so much, dear Sarah, you will find even more freckles fighting the spots on your nose. Prithee, move here where 'tis more shady.”
“You are so kind, sweet Jane,” sneered Lady Sarah, staying exactly where she was. “But are you not affrighted that the sunlight will make your hair even drier? I understand that bleached hair is
so
delicate.”
“How considerate!” trilled Lady Jane. “Of course you would know far more than me about coloured hair, Sarah.”
“About most things, I should think,” snapped Sarah. “Except, of course, Frenchmen …”
And they glared at each other, looking quite ready to scratch each other's eyes out.
“What in heaven's name are you two doing here, now?” Mrs. Champernowne came bustling up behind the bench. “Do you not know better than to sit in full sunlight without your hats? Get away with you, now! Go and sit in the shade.”
“I was just warning Lady Sarah about it,” Lady Jane said haughtily.
“Then follow your own advice,” snapped Mrs. Champernowne, and frowned until both of them stood up and huffed off in different directions. Thenshe sat herself down on the bench at the end nearest the players, despite all that dangerous sunlight, took out her blackwork, and started humming.
Luckily she hadn't spotted me, and I quietly moved further away, behind a piece of castle scenery. I didn't want her to notice I had no hat, either.
Behind the castle scenery, I came upon the oldest of the players, who was making a big yellow sun on a piece of canvas, with the pot of yellow paint beside him. I wondered if it was the poisonous orpiment yellow, or perhaps the yellow made of cow's pee. Perhaps this could be the source of the poison affecting Carmina! I decided I would ask Nick Hilliard and Mrs. Teerlinc about it next time I was in the Workroom.
For now, I was intending to visit Carmina and learn all I could about her cousin, Frederick, but first I wanted to find some charcoal. I was determined to persuade Carmina to eat a little, in the hope that it would help her feel better. Mrs. Teerlinc had mentioned it as a cure for arsenic poisoning.
Besides, I thought, if Carmina got better after eating it, it would prove that she
was
being poisoned with arsenic.
I headed for Lady Horsley's confectionery kitchen in the hopes of taking a few bits of charcoal out ofthe sack she has there. Most ladies can distil strong flower waters and make comfits, but Lady Horsley is quite famous for her skills. She sometimes makes subtleties of marchpane for the Queen's own banquet, though of course there is a Royal Confectioner as well.
The Queen has given her leave to use the old stillroom that was the Royal Confectioner's in King Harry's time. I
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