Read Online Wisdom's Kiss by Catherine Gilbert Murdock - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine Gilbert Murdock
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their eldest son, Ruttger, died in service to the imperial crown. Through her insistence, the family received as compensation the Duchy of Sottocenere and the city of Bridgeriver, increasing Wilhelmina's wealth considerably. Feared and admired for her ambition and shrewdness, she served as regent until Roger, the middle son, attained his majority; her subsequent designation of dowager was universally considered a screen to her true authority. Now in possession of lands and tributaries surrounding Montagne on four sides, Wilhelmina announced that the tiny kingdom and its title would be absorbed, willingly or otherwise, by Farina. When her diplomatic overtures were rejected by Providence and Benevolence, the queen and queen mother of Montagne, the duchess began assembling a sizable army at the kingdom's borders. Following the death of Providence, Wilhelmina shifted her strategy to merging the two states through the marriage of Roger to Montagne's new queen, Temperance. These negotiations proved ineffective when Roger instead selected Temperance's younger sister, Wisdom, for his bride. Initially enraged by her son's choice, Wilhelmina later insisted the wedding take place in the city of Froglock and extended all her support to the nuptial preparations...
A Life Unforeseen
T HE S TORY OF F ORTITUDE OF B ACIO , C OMMONLY K NOWN AS T RUDY, AS T OLD TO H ER D AUGHTER
Privately Printed and Circulated
TRUDY GAPED out the carriage window at Froglock: more people, more buildings—and more soldiers!—than she had seen in her entire life! How could people live so crowded together, like ... like bees in a hive? And, most important, how would she ever locate Tips?
The princess and Nonna Ben, packing up their papers and fussing with their gowns, paid Trudy no heed, though Ben did glance out at an avenue draped in the imperial colors, each banner paired—every dimension and detail matched—with Farina's flag and coat of arms. The old woman smiled. "Thank heavens that the emperor himself is in Froglock ... Now she has someone else to tie her gloves in a knot about."
Trudy had spent hours enough in the carriage to know who
she
was, and no longer to goggle at any mention of Rüdiger IV. To think: only one day ago she had been tending wayward hens, and now she was
Lady Fortitude.
Once more she touched her earrings. Perhaps, she thought hopefully, the emeralds would keep people from staring at her hair—not to mention the expanse of skin between her chin and the lacy top of her gown. She had never in her life dressed so! Were she in need of lavish tips, such exposure might be appropriate, but Trudy preferred penniless modesty ... Yet again she blushed, though this time at least she did not look down.
You'll only draw attention,
Ben had kept warning her, as Princess Wisdom glowered.
Much as it hurt to look at Wisdom, Trudy could not resist another glance in her direction. The princess's restrained gown emphasized her slender beauty, and with the wig—so perfect, so
fitting,
thought Trudy—she resembled nothing so much as a china figurine, though one alive with verve and wit and incontestable authority. Even motionless and scowling, standing without effort in the swaying carriage, the princess glowed.
Is it possible to fear and admire simultaneously? Trudy wondered. She would ask Tips. Soon—oh, blissfully soon!—she would see Tips, and ask him.
Escorted by the ducal men-at-arms, the carriage passed through another magnificent gate, into a courtyard crowded with glittering courtiers.
Nonna Ben chuckled. "I wondered how our arrival would be handled..."
Just for a moment, Trudy saw fear cross Wisdom's face. Then the princess composed herself into an inscrutable regal mask. She looked over Trudy's shoulder. "That's Roger in purple, on the left."
Of course that's the duke! Trudy thought. Even I know that! She really must think I'm dim.
The carriage slowed to a halt. Trudy touched the beaded reticule hanging from her wrist:
A Life Unforeseen
T HE S TORY OF F ORTITUDE OF B ACIO , C OMMONLY K NOWN AS T RUDY, AS T OLD TO H ER D AUGHTER
Privately Printed and Circulated
TRUDY GAPED out the carriage window at Froglock: more people, more buildings—and more soldiers!—than she had seen in her entire life! How could people live so crowded together, like ... like bees in a hive? And, most important, how would she ever locate Tips?
The princess and Nonna Ben, packing up their papers and fussing with their gowns, paid Trudy no heed, though Ben did glance out at an avenue draped in the imperial colors, each banner paired—every dimension and detail matched—with Farina's flag and coat of arms. The old woman smiled. "Thank heavens that the emperor himself is in Froglock ... Now she has someone else to tie her gloves in a knot about."
Trudy had spent hours enough in the carriage to know who
she
was, and no longer to goggle at any mention of Rüdiger IV. To think: only one day ago she had been tending wayward hens, and now she was
Lady Fortitude.
Once more she touched her earrings. Perhaps, she thought hopefully, the emeralds would keep people from staring at her hair—not to mention the expanse of skin between her chin and the lacy top of her gown. She had never in her life dressed so! Were she in need of lavish tips, such exposure might be appropriate, but Trudy preferred penniless modesty ... Yet again she blushed, though this time at least she did not look down.
You'll only draw attention,
Ben had kept warning her, as Princess Wisdom glowered.
Much as it hurt to look at Wisdom, Trudy could not resist another glance in her direction. The princess's restrained gown emphasized her slender beauty, and with the wig—so perfect, so
fitting,
thought Trudy—she resembled nothing so much as a china figurine, though one alive with verve and wit and incontestable authority. Even motionless and scowling, standing without effort in the swaying carriage, the princess glowed.
Is it possible to fear and admire simultaneously? Trudy wondered. She would ask Tips. Soon—oh, blissfully soon!—she would see Tips, and ask him.
Escorted by the ducal men-at-arms, the carriage passed through another magnificent gate, into a courtyard crowded with glittering courtiers.
Nonna Ben chuckled. "I wondered how our arrival would be handled..."
Just for a moment, Trudy saw fear cross Wisdom's face. Then the princess composed herself into an inscrutable regal mask. She looked over Trudy's shoulder. "That's Roger in purple, on the left."
Of course that's the duke! Trudy thought. Even I know that! She really must think I'm dim.
The carriage slowed to a halt. Trudy touched the beaded reticule hanging from her wrist:
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